Grain Bowl

Quinoa is a fast-cooking, protein-packed whole grain. Steamed, it makes a perfect partner for lime-spiked black beans and fresh tomato.

Studded with delectably nutty wheat berries, this substantial salad of charred tomatoes, peppers, and tofu truly deserves its billing as a main course.

Bibimbop A glorious combination of fresh stir-fried vegetables, each cooked separately to allow its flavors to stay true, is liberally seasoned with garlic and sesame oil. To gild the lily, every serving is topped off with a rich fried egg that gets added just before eating.

In Russia and eastern Europe kasha is most often made into thick gruel. Instead, we turned the roasted buckwheat kernels into a fantastic side dish studded with butter-toasted walnuts and browned onion.

This healthful vegetarian dish would be perfect for a picnic. To speed prep time, use trimmed sugar snap peas with the strings removed (find them in the produce section of many supermarkets).

Heres a cool combination thats excellent with salmon. Because the bulgur is not cooked, it needs to sit overnight in the dressing to soften, so begin preparing it a day ahead.

This Indian-inspired salad can also be served warm as a side dish.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here is a lovely seasonal dish that's fresh and delicate. Note that there is no raw fish in this recipe; the word sushi simply denotes that a dish features seasoned rice, which can be served with a variety of accompaniments, including raw seafood. This type of sushi is called chirashi-sushi (chirashi means "scattered"), and the rice is mixed with asparagus, thin strips of carrot, and cooked shrimp.

A marinade of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, herbs and spices perks up the grilled chicken and vegetables in this dish. It's all served with wild rice.

I think you'll understand why I love rice dishes so much when you taste this one—the robust, complex red-chile flavor is infused into plump rice grains (you definitely get the best texture from medium-grain rice), which are nestled around perfectly cooked shrimp. Not only could I eat this dish day after day, but it's one that always comes to mind as an easily likable one-pot main dish for casual entertaining. Add a salad and you've got all you need. To serve Red Chile Rice on a buffet, you may want to choose small shrimp and peel them completely (taking off the final joint and tail) for the convenience of your guests. Don't forget to mix everything well before serving, since bits of salsa and green onions rise to the top during baking.

(Wheat Berry Salad with Tomatoes, Tuna, and Capers) Kamut, a strain of wheat said to date back to ancient Egypt and now widely available in health-food stores, is a good substitute for Sicilian durum wheat. It is very similar in taste and texture when cooked. Spelt, though a bit chewier, is also acceptable. It too is available in health-food stores.

(From Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, License to Grill, Morrow, 1997) Tommy who? Chris and John explain: "This classic Latin American dish is that rare bird, a completely healthful vegetarian meal that appeals to the taste buds of teenagers. Or at least it appeals to the buds of Tommy, a teenager who lives in the apartment above one of us and is the nephew of the other one. Tommy prefers his rice and beans cooked separately, rather than together, and likes lots of garlic and only a few bell peppers in the mix; so that's how we make it here. For some reason, it has almost as high an appeal rating as pizza and chips, those quintessential meatless teenage favorites."

Packaged Near East tabbouleh mix, available at most supermarkets, is a good source of bulgur, but we don't use the accompanying seasoning pouch. Bulgur-wheat berries that have been steamed, dried, and then cracked- is also found in natural food stores.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Packaged Near East tabbouleh mix, available at most supermarkets, is a good source of bulgur, but we don't use the accompanying seasoning pouch.