Warm, coin-shaped slices of pan-fried carrots, white alubia beans, and chopped dill tossed with a tangy-sweet lemon shallot dressing. It tastes good the day you make it, even better the day after.

A bit of a twist on the peanut noodle salad - this version features soba noodles with a spicy Thai-curry and almond butter sauce, topped with some sauteed tofu and pea shoots.

A twist on the ubiquitous black bean salad - giant black beans and toasted almonds are tossed with a honey-jalapeno-lime dressing and served with a bit of crumbled feta over a bed of baby arugula.

And orzo salad packed with nutritious ingredients - asparagus, almonds, feta, sprouts, broccoli, cucumber, and a zesty lemon dressing.

Known in some circles as Japanese pizza, this is my take on okonomiyaki. Plenty of egg-battered cabbage is pressed into a skillet and cooked until deeply golden on both sides. It is served cut into wedges and sprinkled with toasted almonds and chives.

Trying to keep this pasta casserole recipe on the lighter side, I tossed a rustic farro pasta in yogurt that had been beaten with a bit of egg along with garlic, toasted almonds, chard, butternut squash, and olives. Baked until golden.

A good cold-weather stir-fry recipe. Tiny potatoes, brussels sprout wedges, toasted almonds and lentils are served with a drizzle of mint and a bit of thinned-out, salted plain yogurt, and a sprinkling of chopped dates.

A remarkable healthy cookie recipe - banana-batter, shredded coconut, dark chocolate chunks, and oats. Butter-less, flour-less, egg-less, and potentially sugar-less cookies make great after school or after work treats.

A favorite chopped salad recipe - fresh and crunchy with toasted, plenty of pan-fried shallots, chives, cabbage, red onions, and tossed with a simple miso dressing.

Toasted coconut, almonds, ground coffee, and good chocolate dropped into little bite-sized chocolate clusters.

This is the farro salad I took to Jack's first birthday party. My favorite citrus Parmesan vinaigrette dressed a bowl of healthy salad greens, plump farro grains, crumbled goat cheese and almonds.

This baked pasta recipe features vibrant flecks of chopped spinach and lemon zest, toasted almond slices and oozy, bubbly cheese all enveloping sturdy little pasta shells.

This breakfast polenta recipe is creamy, comforting and receptive to many add-in flavors and textures. For this version I served small bowls of fluffy yellow polenta topped with toasted almonds, jewel-colored dried fruits, and a drizzle of cream and honey.

A homemade powerbar recipe packed with lots of toasted nuts and coconut, crisped rice and ground espresso beans. Video how-to as well as written instructions.

Vegan Caesar salad recipe from best-selling authors Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero - no eggs, no dairy. Delicious, creamy lemon-caper dressing and garlic croutons.

Golden, puffy, sun-dried tomato, and cottage cheese muffins. High in protein, low in carbs, they are a great, satisfying way to start the day.

A big bowl of asparagus, sauteed garbanzos, chopped onions, toasted almonds, tossed with brown rice and drizzled with a bit of garlic-tahini dressing.

Simple-yet-decadent this dairy-free chocolate mousse recipe wins over non-vegans and vegans alike.

The flavor in this gratin recipe stops time. The almond top melds perfectly with the sweet spiked juice of the cherries. It is a perfect recipe to welcome in cherry season.