Great Grains

Ellie tackles the challenge we all face every day--what's for breakfast, especially in a busy household when everyone is out the door like a pool ball break. She helps out Mary, a mom and an elite athlete and coach, who literally hits the ground running each morning. Recipes: Make-ahead mini frittatas with leeks and asparagus; Morning glory baked oatmeal; Peanut butter and grapes wrap; Avocado toast with egg.

Intrigued by all those exotic grains that have popped up on your grocer's shelves, but don't know where to start? Ellie gets granular with grains, including many that offer refreshing alternatives to people with allergies. Recipes include Breakfast grain bowl with quinoa, steel cut oats and chia - Sorghum salad with cucumber, cilantro and cumin - 3-Ingredient popcorn with parsley and parmesan - Chickpea and farro stew.

Ellie visits a busy office where stress has led to junk food snacking and fast-food lunching. Armed with photos of sugary office treats submitted by one office employee to solicit her help, Ellie shares tasty alternatives to fight back. Recipes: Herbed farro salad with chicken, walnuts, feta and spinach; Asian chicken wrap; Buffalo chicken salad.

On the menu, desserts with a one-two punch — they satisfy your sweet tooth and deliver significant health benefits at the same time. Recipe: Honey yogurt tart with graham cracker crust, Blackberry sage ice pops, 3-Ingredient chocolate almond bark with cherries.

Ellie prepares an ensemble of make-ahead dishes that are designed so that both party-giver and partygoers can equally enjoy the festivities. All these dishes can be cooked and frozen ahead of time and then simply reheated at party time. Go ahead: enjoy your own party. Recipes: Asian shrimp cakes served with 3 Ingredient Recipe: avocado-wasabi sauce; Chicken phyllo pies; Broccoli and sun-dried tomato flatbread; Chipotle black bean dip.

There's a gluten-free explosion days, but how much of it is real and how much of it is hype? Ellie demystifies the gluten issue once and for all with the help of her stepbrother and yoga instructor David Wilder, who has celiac disease. In this episode, Ellie also underscores just how many foods are naturally gluten-free, with recipes that will satisfy everyone. Recipes: Multigrain pancakes; Steak au poivre salad; Roasted salmon and fennel with lemon and thyme. 3 Ingredient Recipe: Greek yogurt with warm walnuts and honey.

Ellie demonstrates how to create great flavor and color with whole ingredients when you're cooking at home... and how to identify added colors, flavors and preservatives in prepared foods. Recipe: - Grilled chicken with cherry bourbon BBQ sauce - Yogurt ranch with kaleidoscope crudite - 3-Ingredient maple vinaigrette - Vanilla cupcakes with pink cream cheese frosting.

Does sugar have you in its thrall? Ellie helps one family tackle their sugar quandary so they can continue to do the baking they love in a healthier way without sacrificing flavor. Recipes: Crispy French toast fingers with blueberry maple sauce; Banana bread with chocolate drizzle; Coconut date balls. 3 Ingredient Recipe: Cherry chocolate haystacks.

Want to turn a veggie loather into a veggie lover? Ellie reveals some tantalizingly simple ways to reform veggie haters, in the kitchen and beyond. Recipes include Broccoli pesto pizza, Sloppy Joes and Raw Brussel slaw.