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Jean Stover of North Berwick doubles the cheese and uses whatever kind she has on hand when making this recipe for Quinoa, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole. Photo courtesy of Jean Stover

“When I was out of work during the beginning of the COVID shutdown, I had a lot of (vegetables) and grains on hand. Then when the stores started running out of certain foods, people were buying the grains. This time of year, the fresh garden veggies are especially nice in these recipes. These are easy, and ingredients are easy to find right now. Both are from “The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet,” by Nava Atlas. I double the cheese (in the first recipe) and I use whatever cheese I have on hand. (For the second recipe), I used black beans, fresh corn from the farmers market, and fresh tomatoes and shallots from my garden.”

– JEAN STOVER, North Berwick

Quinoa, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

Serves 6

1 ½ cups quinoa, rinsed

2 tablespoons light olive oil

1 large onion

2 medium broccoli crowns, cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring 3 cups of water to simmer in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, cover and simmer gently until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until golden. Add broccoli and about ¼ cup water. Cover and steam until a little more than tender crisp, 5-7 minutes.

In a bowl, combine everything with half the cheese. Season and stir well. Transfer to lightly oiled casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until golden, 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving with avocado salad and warm tortillas.

Pinto Beans and Corn can be made with canned tomatoes or fresh ones from the garden. Photo courtesy of Jean Stover

Pinto Beans and Corn

Jean Stover likes to serve this with rice, tortilla chips, avocado and lime slices. She has adapted the recipe slightly (which explains why there are more than 5 ingredients) from “The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet.”

Serves 4-6

1 shallot, finely chopped

2 cups cooked fresh corn or frozen corn, thawed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Two (16-ounce) cans pinto or pink beans, drained and rinsed

One (14- to 16-ounce) can low-sodium or Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, chopped, with liquid

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced or mild chilies

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Saute the shallots and the corn in olive oil in a large skillet for several minutes until the shallot softens, then add the remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover the mixture and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Serve in shallow bowls.

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