Rice

Here’s proof that a home-cooked meal can take less time than making a run for fast food.

Lean ground beef and lots of vegetables, seasoned with peppers, garlic, gingerroot, and green onions, make a flavorful one-dish meal the whole family will enjoy.

Both the turkey supper and the vegetarian version are good over brown rice. Add a cup of soup or a fruit salad to round out the meal.

Transform leftover cooked chicken into a dish that will delight the senses with color, texture, aroma, and flavor. Lemongrass, Thai red curry paste, and coconut (our heart-healthy recipe uses coconut extract) are the popular Thai ingredients that do the trick.

Known as a festive, regal dish in India and Pakistan, biryani is packed with flavor. Don’t be scared off by the long list of ingredients. The dish really is quick and easy to prepare.

For a delicious Italian dinner, serve this flavorful combination of portobello mushrooms, bell peppers, and plum tomatoes with brown rice or on your favorite whole-grain pasta.

Crisp, crunchy romaine leaves enclose warm chicken and brown rice for an Asian entrée that you’ll want to add to your go-to list.

Celebrate flavors of the Yucatán with this chicken dish, which is served on brown rice colored with turmeric.

Nutritious brown rice enhances the flavor and texture of this scrumptious two-cheese pie. Try it for dinner or brunch.

Capture some of the best flavors of Greece—spinach, tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and feta—in this family-pleasing vegetarian casserole.

This recipe makes a lot, but the dish tastes even better the second day and lends itself well to variations. For instance, you can warm the leftovers and serve them in whole-grain pita pockets or add 1 tablespoon fat-free Italian or balsamic vinaigrette and 1/2 cup chopped raw vegetables to every 1/2 cup cooked and chilled red lentils.

To jazz up black beans and rice, add the exciting flavors of rich olive oil, tangy lime juice, and assertive garlic.

Asian adzuki beans and fresh mushrooms contrast nicely with aromatic vegetables, thyme, and cumin in this updated version of a classic dish.

If you love spicy food, this dish is for you. The combination of blackening spice and chutney will tantalize your taste buds.

This eclectic pilaf is a real time-saver. You need to spend only about five minutes to get it going, then you can leave it alone to cook while you do other things—and you’ll have just one pan to wash.

Bottled peanut satay sauce is a convenient way to add the traditional Thai flavor combination of basil, peanut, and coconut to your cooking.

With its rainbow of colors, this all-in-one dinner looks and tastes great.

Using a small amount of crushed dry-roasted almonds lets you distribute their nutty flavor throughout this dish without adding much fat.

With their assertive flavors, the dried cherries, pecans, and mushrooms in this dish pair well with poultry or game. You can also use this recipe to make a vegetarian stuffing for baked winter squash, such as butternut.

If you can keep a secret, no one will guess that this delectable salad uses leftovers from Apricot-Barbecue Chicken Chunks (page 141) as a key ingredient.