Rice & Grains

The oat mixture makes a delicious crust for the bottom—and a tasty crumble on top. Lemon perks up the blueberry filling.

This version of the scone is based on the recipe from the Standard Baking Company. Molly tweaked the recipe slightly in her home kitchen. If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them before folding into the batter.

A hot skillet and an egg will quickly enliven any leftover rice parked in your refrigerator. Add meaty pieces of broiled chicken and bacon for a satisfying, inexpensive meal.

Okay, you caught us: There's no sliced bread here, and you'll need a knife and fork. But this bulgur and grilled-vegetable salad has so much gusto that it simply cries out for a daring presentation to match.

These cakey, low-fat cookies digest easily and are good for a preexercise snack or recovery food. The recipe makes about 5 dozen cookies—enough to feed the whole team. If you are cooking for yourself, you might want to cut the recipe in half.

Why get takeout when you can make orange chicken so quickly at home?

A sprinkling of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) adds color and crunch to this delicious side dish.

Quick-cooking bulgur can be found at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores.

You can ease the kids into fall (and school) with this Cuban-inspired salad made with sweet late summer corn and protein-packed black beans. To make it even more of a main dish, toss in some shredded cooked chicken, thinly sliced and cut-up grilled steak, or barbecued pork or shrimp. Add a few bits of fresh basil or baby spinach just before packing.

Black-eyed peas can replace the chickpeas, if desired. For a lighter soup, the rice can be omitted.

Versions of this casual dish are found throughout Peru, often crowned with a steak and a fried egg. Cooks flip the mixture of beans and rice frequently while it fries so that the exterior develops a crisp, browned crust. We've simplified the technique, but have no fear— you will still end up with lots of delectable crunchy bits. Although it is served here as a side dish, tacu tacu also makes a satisfying vegetarian supper alongside a green salad.

This Thai-style seafood curry gets its creaminess from coconut milk and warming, punchy notes from green curry paste.

This risotto is mellow yet full-flavored.

Chile verde—slow-cooked pork in a tomatillo sauce—gets a speedy update.

Dried berries and cherries are sold at most supermarkets in the dried-fruit aisle.

Chef Lynne Gigliotti adapted this Gourmet magazine recipe and added two ingredients often found in traditional versions: saffron for color and yogurt to make the tah-dig (which Gourmet defines as "the crunchy crust of rice on the bottom of the pot") extra crispy and flavorful. The tah-dig is the defining characteristic of Persian rice, a crisp, golden disk that is served atop the fragrant, steaming dish.

Grits are often made with water, but the addition of whole milk—not to mention thick-cut bacon and fried eggs—turns a workhorse into a thoroughbred.

It's delicious, but even better, it's deconstruct-ible. (You can remove any offensive elements for the kids without sacrificing your own dinner.)