Similar to a Moroccan tagine, this stew is great dish to make ahead and reheat. Using breasts with the rib keeps the meat more moist. I find that wildflower honey has the most neutral flavor, while mesquite honey adds a nice smoky note. If using saffron feels intimidating, use 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric instead.
Fast Fact: Cinnamon and ginger add more than flavor. They also have proven health-enhancing benefits.
Quick Tip: To peel the tomatoes, I use a vegetable peeler with a serrated blade. This eliminates dropping them into boiling water until skin splits.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • saffron threads
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • wildflower or mesquite honey
  • ground cinnamon
  • ground ginger
  • salt

Sicilians serve cauliflower sautéed with onions, raisins, and capers as a topping over warm pasta. Eating some cold leftovers of the topping, I discovered that it also makes a good salad. Adding tuna turns it into a satisfying main dish.
Fast Fact: Mark Twain called cauliflower “cabbage with a college education.”
Quick Tip: Adding some lemon juice or vinegar to the water keeps cauliflower white when you cook it.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • finely chopped red onion
  • golden raisins
  • fresh lemon juice
  • salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • extra-virgin olive oil

To make this smoky-flavored eggplant salad the center of a meal, serve it accompanied by oil-cured Moroccan black olives, feta cheese, and warmed pita breads. It also makes a great dip or even a filling for a sandwich. I like making it a day ahead to let the garlic flavor develop and meld with the other seasonings.
Fast Fact: Eggplants with a dimple in the bottom are female and have more seeds than the flat-bottomed male eggplants.
Quick Tip: To make this salad, I prefer using a golden olive oil that has the softer, more fruity flavor of ripe olives.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • finely chopped flat leaf parsley
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • cured olives

Two things stand out in this salad. One is its jewel-tone colors of bright green, ruby red, and pumpkin orange. The other is the balanced flavors of sweet-tart persimmons and pomegranates contrasting with the tangy blue cheese and the subtle bitterness of walnuts. A ripe Fuyu persimmon is vivid orange, firm to the touch, and slightly crisp when sliced.
Fast Fact: A persimmon provides 50 percent more fiber than a serving of oatmeal.
Quick Tip: To remove seeds from a pomegranate, cut it in half and place the halves in a bowl of cold water deep enough that the entire fruit is underwater. Run you fingers over the pale membrane to remove seeds; it won’t splatter because the juices stay underwater. Bits of membrane will float to the surface and can easily be discarded. Drain the seeds before using.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • walnut halves
  • firm Fuyu persimmon
  • apple cider vinegar
  • salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • extra-virgin olive oil or safflower oil
  • packed cups arugula

This creamy purée shows how using fruit in savory soups adds a nice, mellow flavor. Pears, because they are high in fiber, add body, too. If you buy the squash pre-cut, this soup is a good choice when you are entertaining because it is rich enough to be special while it lets you devote more time to other preparations. Chefs use leeks frizzled in a little oil to garnish dishes and add pungent flavor.
Fast Fact: While higher in fat than milk, cream is far lower in sugar and carbs.
Quick Tip: Large leeks tend to be woody, so buy them an inch or less in diameter.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • chopped peeled butternut squash
  • dried thyme
  • ground cinnamon
  • ground cloves
  • vegetable broth
  • heavy cream or milk
  • canola oil
  • unsalted butter or canola oil

Aficionados of Portuguese cooking will recognize this chunky soup as a classic with a twist. For the sausage, instead linguiça, found only in Portuguese-American neighborhoods, I use kielbasa because it is widely available and adds a delicious smoky flavor. Spanish chorizo or Italian sausage work well, too. I also make a vegetarian version, using smoked tofu or seared cubed tempeh in place of the meat.
Fast Fact: Yellow-fleshed potatoes contain small amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, forms of carotene that are good for the eyes.
Quick Tip: For maximum flavor with less fat and no nitrites, look for the cooked turkey kielbasa from Wellshire Farms.

serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • cold water
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • dried red pepper flakes
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

This is a very easy recipe using ginger and turmeric, two of my favorite seasonings.

serves 2
You might need to buy:
  • ground cumin
  • ground turmeric

This side dish makes four servings; it’s perfect to keep in your fridge to add to stir-fries or pasta dishes. Use as many different mushrooms as you can find, especially the healthier varieties like shiitake, enoki and oyster mushrooms. The dried porcini or cepes really add a lot of flavor. You’ll find them in little packages near the produce stands.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • herb and spice blend
  • organic baby spinach leaves

This delicious and easy soy-based dressing can stand head to head with everyone’s favorite – ranch dressing. Look for silken tofu in shelf-stable cardboard containers. It has a different texture than regular tofu and is good for dressings and desserts. This dressing is good on a tossed green salad (remember to pick dark green salad greens), but equally at home on a baked potato or as a dip for raw vegetables. Add a bit of fragrant bleu cheese if you like.

serves 8
You might need to buy:
  • fresh lemon juice
  • canola oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • cider vinegar

If tofu is prepared right, it’s delicious. If not, it can taste like rubber. Tofu is curdled soy milk that’s been pressed in a process similar to making cheese. You’ll find tofu in natural food stores and many supermarkets these days. Several brands are available with varying texture from extra firm to soft (tofu’s firmness depends on the amount of liquid that’s been pressed out of it. In large cities with oriental markets you can often find tofu sold in bulk, usually stored in open barrels. Tofu sold this way has been found to occasionally be infected with E. coli bacteria, so be cautious. You might also try the delicious varieties of baked, pressed tofu you’ll find in refrigerator cases at natural food stores. These are already flavored and ready to eat without additional cooking. The idea behind stir-frying is to produce a mixture in which all the items are crunchy-tender and retain their colors and individual character.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • Ingredients:
  • firm tofu
  • canola oil
  • cooked rice
  • Sauce:
  • dry sherry
  • light brown sugar
  • finely chopped ginger root
  • toasted sesame oil
  • corn starch