Grains

When you boil quinoa for a couple of minutes, then roast it in oil, it develops a crispness that's almost like nuts. Here the crisp‐roasted quinoa almost coats the potatoes, and you finish the whole thing off with melted cheese.

If you can find purple potatoes, use them here. With a simple green salad—and in summer, sliced ripe tomatoes—this is a perfect lunch or light supper. With scrambled eggs, warm tortillas, and salsa, it's weekend breakfast. Add any good bean dish and you have a satisfying dinner. Other grains you can use: amaranth, fine bulgur (#1). 

Stir-fry guru Grace Young suggests brown rice for vegetarian stir-fries, and she’s right: the rich nutty flavor and chewy texture make for a very satisfying meal. The trick to successful fried rice, whether you use brown or white rice, is to cook the rice a day ahead and refrigerate. Cold rice will not clump together.

This dish is based on a Turkish stuffing for vegetables, a delicate sweet-savory rice mixture seasoned with allspice, cinnamon, parsley, and dill or mint. I decided to use barley instead of rice for a heartier dish. Once stuffed, the vegetables are gently cooked in a mixture of water and oil.

Lemon risottos of any kind always delight guests. The lemon juice and zest are added to this comforting mixture at the end of cooking.

This has some of the components of fried rice, but you don’t have to keep tossing it while you make it. Add chopped ham and frozen peas near the end of cooking, then top each bowl with a 5-minute egg. 

Lentil and rice pilaf with tomatoes makes a quick midweek dinner. The legume-grain combination has an earthy flavor and hearty texture, and provides high-quality, complete protein, ideal for vegetarians. On the side, serve feta, black olives, and steamed chard or kale.

Infusing the chicken broth with the squash's seeds and fibers helps to reinforce the earthy squash flavor. We found that a 2-pound squash consistently yields a cup or so more than the 3 1/2 cups in step 1; this can be added to the skillet along with the squash scrapings in step 2. To make this dish vegetarian, vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth, but the resulting risotto will have more pronounced sweetness.

This refreshing summer salad can sit in the refrigerator for a few hours without deteriorating, so it makes a great choice for bringing to work or to a summer picnic.

Asian sesame oil, which is made from toasted sesame seeds, has a deep amber color and rich flavor. You'll find it in the Asian foods section of the supermarket and at Asian markets.