Cribbed from Marcela.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
2-3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
1 cup long grain rice

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the poblano chiles and saute, about 8 minutes.

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Spanish), divided
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied
1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cups paella rice (short-grain white rice)
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 dried California chile or New Mexico chile, stemmed, seeded, finely ground in spice mill
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
2 cups low-salt chicken broth, divided
1 cup mushroom broth

This Yotam Ottolenghi recipe was amazing. The balance of the sweet currants with the curry-spiced chickpeas was surprising and delightful and the fried onions sealed the deal. Yes, it's got a lot of components, but it is totally worth it. I have halved the proportions to serve 8 as a side or 4 as a main.

Based on this recipe from Bon Appetit

Dressing
1 small shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Salad
2 cups cooked basmati rice, cooled
2 cups bite-size pieces assorted vegetables (such as radishes, tomatoes, peas, summer squash) or carrot ribbons
3/4 cup torn mixed leafy greens, sprouts, and herbs

We originally intended to make this Bon Appetit recipe, but we morphed it to save some time. In the proportions here, this recipe will make two easy week-night meals. The rice and beans can be made the first night and reheated the second. A rotisserie chicken bought on the first night can be reheated in the oven or shredded and "fried" on the stovetop with a bit of olive oil.

Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 medium onion, chopped

This recipe just sort of happened one day. We had some miscellaneous items we wanted to use up, and it turned out delicious! The amounts used here served 2.

Ingredients
Salmon (1/2-2/3 lb)
Southwestern seasonings (blend of salt, chipotle, dash chili powder, cumin, dash of coriander, lime juice)

Corn (1 ear)
Tomato (1 med, chopped)
Onion (1/2 small, chopped)
Cilantro (about 1/2 cup, separated from stalks)
Salsa / hot sauce (about 2 tbsp)
Lime (juice from 2 limes)

When I was in high school, I dated a Persian (Iranian) guy for a few months. I don't remember much about our relationship, but I do remember his mother's cooking! After we'd been dating for while, his family invited mine over for a Friday night dinner. All I remember is a chicken/rice/currant/nut casserole that was absolutely delicious.

Growing up, I was exposed to much delicious Persian food (owing to the large Iranian population in LA). One of my favorite dishes is Zereshk Polo - basmati rice with barberries and sometimes other dried fruits and nuts. I started with zereshk polo and added other ingredients commonly found in jeweled rice, ending up in a hybrid recipe of sorts.

Adapted from this recipe. Makes enough rice to serve 4.

We really enjoy the vegetarian dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice and other sundies) from Eastern Market, and so we thought we'd try and make them ourselves. We found grape leaves in brine at the supermarket and went from there. While I do enjoy cooking "projects," I have to admit that this one is pretty labor intensive. It's delicious, but undertake with caution.

I cobbled together the recipe from online sources.

Makes about 40 dolmades.