No-Cook

Spread this punchy chile-herb sauce on grilled flatbread or drizzle it over grilled seafood.

After a lot of years of making barbecue rubs, I've used up all the good names, so sometimes I just use numbers now. Numbers 67 and 68 are a little tip of the hat to the band named after my hometown, Chicago. This one is a great all-around rub for the new barbecue cook because it's good on just about everything.

This authentic taqueria-style guac brings the classic dip back to the basics: avocado, lime, cilantro, salt, and—surprise—just a little bit of water to smooth things out.

These can be prepared a number of different ways. Pick one flavoring, then roll them in the coatings of your choice.

This classic Mexican topping can be made with or without jalapeños. Keep in mind that adding the seeds ups the heat.

Use this orange-tinted sauce on sandwiches with salmon or cucumbers.

This creamy pesto is indulgent without being overly rich, thanks to heart-healthy avocado and just a touch of olive oil. Also, since it uses a fresh avocado for its creamy consistency, rather than pricey Parmesan cheese, it's less expensive to make than traditional pesto.
It happens to be vegan, but don't let that deter you (if you're the sort of person usually deterred by vegan recipes)—it's fabulous, particularly with fresh heirloom tomatoes. I also like it as a dip for vegetables or slathered over grilled fish or chicken. Use soon after making it though, as the fresh avocado will go brown if it sits for too long.

A salad this simple requires the finest ingredients to make it shine.

Drape plastic wrap over the prepared sandwiches until serving. It’ll keep the bread from drying out.

Use only the best quality wild salmon in this raw preparation.

Sprinkle salt and sugar on produce like cucumbers, tomatoes, or berries (hold the salt!); let stand for 20-40 minutes. This process, also called maceration, draws out the juices, creating a natural sauce.

There's so much more to leafy greens than lettuce. Here, they're tossed with a light vinaigrette and spooned over sliced stone fruit, nuts, and blue cheese.

If you make this whole recipe, you will have enough to feed a crowd, plus you will have half of a pineapple and perhaps half of a papaya left over. The salsa is especially good atop grilled chicken or fish.

Pastry chef Jennifer Jones of Topolobampo in Chicago shared this recipe as part of a Cinco de Mayo feature on Mexican desserts. Jones encourages you to use different fruits in this refreshing dessert, but recommends sticking to ones that are sweet but have acidity. Raspberries are a perfect example.

Mullen likes to spoon leftover vinaigrette over fish or grilled vegetables.