Rice & Grains

The brown rice in this side dish is full of fiber. (Cooked white has none.)

Only use fresh corn in season for this recipe. As soon as corn is harvested, the sugar in the kernel begins to convert to starch and the corn begins to lose its sweetness. To store corn, leave on the husks and store it loosely wrapped in damp paper towels inside a paper bag. Refrigerate and use it within twenty-four hours. My friend, chef Marvin Woods, introduced me to the technique of grating the onion on a box grater instead of finely chopping it. When the onion is grated, it almost melts into the grits, adding a layer of onion flavor without any noticeable onion texture (always present with chopped onion, regardless of how fine the pieces). It also adds a bit more moisture to the grits than chopped onion does.

This simple, delicious dish hails from China's Shanghai region. It's a great way to use up leftover rice—if your rice is already cooked, you'll need 3 cups of it.

The Seaman and Steel families are addicted to this homemade granola with dried blueberries and sweet dates. Serve it with a splash of milk or a spoonful of yogurt or ice cream, sprinkled on pancakes, or in a smoothie.

These bite-size shrimp balls make for ideal finger food—plus, kids will love the name.

Honey and dried fruit sweeten oats and nuts to make this easy stir-and-bake breakfast.

Favorite Mediterranean ingredients come together in this creamy risotto. Adding the liquid from the tomatoes to the chicken stock underscores the flavor of the fresh tomatoes added at the very end. This is delicious made with any ripe red or orange tomatoes.

Jasmine rice is native to Southeast Asia. When cooked, its long grains become soft, seductively aromatic, and nutty in flavor.

For a substantial vegetarian spin on köfte(a kind of Middle Eastern meatball), we beefed up grated zucchini with fresh herbs and mashed chickpeas. The accompanying pilaf, which uses both beets and their greens, is brilliantly colored and gets a joyous crunch from slivered almonds.

They look like sticky buns, but these sweet, gooey treats are actually made from biscuit batter. They're great with brunch.

This vibrantly colored crisp is the perfect combination of sweet, tart, and spicy flavors.

Most veggie burgers must have self-esteem issues, since they're always pretending to be something they're not. But these bulgur burgers don't try to hide their meatless nature and instead celebrate their grain-centric origins with wonderful texture and a hint of Middle Eastern spice.

Stirring the fresh herbs into the hot rice preserves their flavor and releases their aroma.

These versatile soufflés can be served for breakfast or lunch, or as a side dish for dinner.

Knowing that every Japanese cook would have strong opinions on the preparation of white rice, Ruggiero counted on her friend Ryuji Inoue, originally from Kyushu, Japan, for guidance. The result is fluffy and slightly stickier than Chinese rice. Even without a rice cooker, the rice comes out just perfect.