Quick and Easy Cooking With Grains

For simple, healthful and fast meals, the solution may already be in your pantry, writes Martha Rose Shulman in this week’s Recipes for Health:

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a well-stocked pantry to a healthy diet. If you have grains and legumes on hand — especially quick-cooking ingredients like bulgur, quinoa, rice and lentils — you’ll always have the basis for a healthy meal.

Check your pantry, then check out these five delicious dishes made with a variety of grains and lentils.

Barley and Farro Risotto With Red Peppers: With a ready supply of grains on hand, you can throw together quick, easy combination meals like this one.

Lemon Risotto With Squash: Lemon risotto is a favorite of dinner guests.

Lentil and Bulgur Pilaf: Red lentils have a refreshing flavor and a sproutlike crunch.

Quinoa and Wild Rice Salad With Ginger Sesame Dressing: The fluffy, pale quinoa in this gingery salad contrasts nicely with the dark, chewy wild rice.

Simple Vegetable Paella: You don’t have to make this vegetable-rich dish in a paella pan, though if you do, you’ll get a nice layer of crusty rice on the bottom. Serve it as a main dish or as a side.