Rice & Grains

Sunday dinner. From Golden Door in Escondido, California. Executive chef Michael Stroot loves this stir-fry because it's a showcase for his garden-fresh herbs and produce. And cooking the dish makes the kitchen smell fantastic. Serve it over fiber-rich brown rice.

Saturday-night dessert. From Willow Stream The Spa at The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort in Arizona. This is the best spa cookie we tried — and we devoured ovenfuls of cookies to find our winner. These Anzacs are rich in coconut but low in fat.

Hello, New Orleans! Mark Twain once said, "New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin." Speaking nutritionally, meat-heavy jambalaya is a misdemeanor. But toss in chicken instead of andouille sausage and pick a leaner cut of ham — keep the shrimp, of course — and you can dine with a clear conscience. Use brown rice instead of white and be generous with the veggies, and one bowl will provide 4 grams of fiber and 20 essential vitamins and minerals. Pretty impressive for a Fat Tuesday feast.

A healthier Thanksgiving dish your guests will gobble up If you're looking to replace simple carbs with good-for-you grains, forget the white-breadcrumb stuffing of Thanksgivings past. Try this quinoa mix from Christopher Polidoro, executive chef at 95 School Street in Bridgehampton, New York. Quinoa — the seed from the plant related to spinach — is high in protein, calcium, and iron, and this stuffing substitute has less fat than the old standby.

A slice of health heaven Before you dial out for pizza, consider this: A pepperoni slice (about 6 ounces) has 500 calories and 20 grams of fat, whereas two slices of this polenta-crust pie (also 6 ounces) have only 194 calories and one third the fat. One reason: The polenta (cornmeal) crust has less fat than a made-with-oil flour crust. Even better, it's a quick-make pie.

These cookies have a low-fat secret. They're full of beans! Idaho State University researchers in Pocatello replaced 75 percent of the butter with beans to create cookies with 105 calories and 3 fat grams (compared with 150 calories and 7 fat grams).

Although it may take a bit of effort to procure the proper pan and ingredients to make this dish, it's definitely worth the trouble. Brick-red Spanish paprika, green artichokes, and golden saffron contribute beautiful color, while browned rabbit infuses the rice with a meaty richness.

One of Morocco's major grains, barley brings a malt-like flavor to this surprisingly light bread. Nigella seeds add a pleasant crunch and just the faintest hint of onion. To order the barley flour and nigella seeds, visit kalustyans.com.

If you don't have a rice cooker, this is the way to prepare absolutely perfect rice. The liquid cooks down before you cover the pot, so you have more control over how much liquid evaporates; this makes all the difference between mushy and fluffy rice.

The buttery, cookielike topping in most crisp recipes is usually a calorie bomb. But chef Dean Rucker uses a whole-grain crumble of whole-wheat flour and rolled oats that's gently sweetened with honey, so you save calories and get almost 5 grams of fiber per serving. Feel free to swap in other fruit options to take advantage of the season's freshest picks.

Bottled red-curry paste heats up this flavorful, vegetable-rich Thai-style curry.

This dish has a livelier, fresher taste than traditional risotto because the vegetables are cooked separately from the rice and then spooned over it in a rich ragout.

Sous chef John D. Martin pairs crisp, tart Granny Smith apples with a rich yet fluffy cake that has a crumbly texture.

A hearty, old-fashioned-style pie. Delicious with vanilla ice cream. A winner in the Bon Appétit Recipes Sweepstakes, a reader poll conducted in honor of our 50th anniversary.

There will be extra tamarind sauce: Drizzle it over vegetables, chicken, or fish; stir it into pilaf; or use it as a marinade.

Coarsely chopped coriander seeds add a lovely floral note to this nutty Middle Eastern grain.