A summer pesto made from a mix of coriander, basil, arugula, oregano, and chives, and links to a few other new recipes we've sprinkled around the QUITOKEETO shop site.

I often carry a small vial of this spiced kale and nori medley in my purse, refilling it every few days. Nutrient-dense and delicious, you use it as a healthful seasoning for salad, vegetables, stir-fries...

To get the smoothest, creamiest hummus using chickpeas, you have to peel them. For creamy hummus, without the extra effort, I use mung beans instead. They work beautifully. Top the hummus with shallot oil, fresh chives, and za'atar.

A seasonal fruit salad made with plump strawberries, sweet cherries, lemon zest, and coriander brown sugar. Plus a few photos from QUITOKEETO.

A reminder of just how good simple, steamed vegetables can be.

Perhaps the best salad I've had in the past year. And, unless you absolutely loathe cilantro, you must try it. Simply cilantro leaves and stems tossed with a simple shallot-forward soy sauce dressing, plus peanuts, and asparagus. So good.

I posted a picture of my lunch the other day, and a few of you requested specifics - it was a spring soup made with a ginger & shallot coconut milk broth, spring vegetables, served over egg noodles.

A perfect, simple birthday cake. One that effortlessly handled the car ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Flourless and made primarily with almond paste and eggs, it's baked until golden, then flooded with a simple, smudge-proof buttermilk glaze.

Simple side - asparagus tossed with a garlicky buttermilk dressing, perky radish sprouts, lots of fresh cilantro, and a handful of cooked posole.

How a package from Jaipur, India inspired lots of yogurt-straining, labneh-making.

Cold soba noodles with a big dollop of ginger-scallion paste for the flight to Tokyo, plus pics from Japan, and a link to a few favorite spots in Tokyo.

A chocolate pudding that is hard to beat. From this day forward, if you come to my house for dinner, and I decide chocolate pudding might be a nice finish to the meal, this is the recipe I'll be using.

There's all sorts of good stuff in this salad - chickpeas, celery, black olives, pepitas, avocado, blanched broccoli. Full of crunch & substance, it's a salad that can stand up to a few hours in a container without collapsing.

Pungent, herby, and assertive, this is an incredibly versatile sauce. From Deborah Madison's new book, Vegetable Literacy, it's made with pounded capers, walnuts, green olives, and a load of herbs - the perfect slather for everything from sandwiches and pasta to egg salad and vegetables.

A quick lunchtime brown rice bowl with kale, capers, salted yogurt, za'atar, toasted sesame seeds - and a poached egg for good measure.

Popovers are the most delightful thing my oven produces - sky-high and billowy. Here's my go-to recipe, a few tips, and the overall technique I use.

Za'atar is an incredibly versatile Middle Eastern spice blend, one of my favorites. Particularly this time of year when it's a welcome addition to all sorts of roasted vegetables, soups and stews, or simply sprinkled over everything from yogurt, to eggs, to savory granola.

A simple breakfast bowl made with Greek yogurt, fresh pomegranate juice, puffed quinoa cereal, toasted sunflower seeds, and honey.

I inherited a professional juicer, juiced everything in sight, and learned a few things in the process.

A beauty of a carrot salad - tricked out with chickpeas, chunks of dried pluots, sliced almonds, and a toasted cumin dressing. Thank you Diane Morgan.

Posole for the new year - it has a vegetable broth base, lots of blossoming corn kernels, avocado and mung beans. Topped with chopped olives and toasted almonds it's A+...

Roasted delicata squash and kale tossed w/ orzo pasta & salted yogurt dressing & I try to answer a few questions about living with marble kitchen counter tops.

The sort of winter salad I love - heirloom apples, shaved celery, and toasted nuts of your choosing. The dressing is crème fraîche spiked with rosemary, garlic and champagne vinegar

A simple one-pan broccoli recipe I've made no less than three times in the past ten days - Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, orange juice, and oregano.

Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones - golden-crusted, tender, moist, barely sweet, and streaked with violet swaths and chunks of blackberry. They're beautiful.

A shredded green salad bulked out with blanched broccoli, avocado, pistachios, a bit of feta, and tossed with a tarragon balsamic vinaigrette & pics from a special visit to Anokhi cafe and HQ in Jaipur.

The pumpkin soup I made as soon as I got home from India - with an herby butter drizzle and lemon ginger pulp. And some pictures of a photo session on the street in Jaipur.

Millet croquettes - crunchy crusted, basil and kale flecked for the flight to Delhi, along with a snapshot of how I packed.

A beautiful fattoush recipe and a preview of Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's new book, Jerusalem.

A fennel mushroom recipe inspired by one of my vintage cookbooks, The Seasonal Kitchen by Perla Meyers. It's a simple, brilliant twist on everyday sauteed mushrooms with dill, chives, fresh fennel, and a kiss of creme fraiche.

Tarragon oil - one of my little secret weapons. Use it as a finishing oil on soups, as a component of anything bread-centric, and as a vinaigrette base. It's vibrant green with grassy anise notes, and just the sort of thing to keep on hand.

The prettiest dip in my repertoire - my take on the Iranian preparation of Mast-o-Khiar (yogurt and cucumber). I use lots of fresh herbs, dried rose petals, toasted walnuts and a pop of added color and tartness from dried cranberries.

A banana bread absolutely packed with sesame seeds, made with a blend of whole wheat and white flour, yogurt, ripe bananas, and lemon zest.

Butter a skillet add corn, fresh thyme, red onions, toasted almonds and coconut, and finish with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice...

A simple savory tomato tarte tatin made with ripe market tomatoes, plenty of caramelized onions, a wee splash of balsamic vinegar, and whatever pie dough you might have on hand (or in the freezer)...

A breezy summer-spirited lunch salad made with celery, beans, and Parmesan. And a glance at my attempt at organizing some of my pictures into albums.

A luscious fresh mint frozen yogurt recipe from the soon-to-be-released(!) Sprouted Kitchen cookbook.

My favorite tomato salad this year - made with roasted and ripe tomatoes, capers, mozzarella, almonds, and chives.

Snappy, small, fragrant, vanilla wafer cookies made with a whole vanilla pod. The entire thing!

A beautiful fried rice made with brown rice, egg, sunchokes, cashews, and basil when Grace Young came over for lunch last week.

This one is for my sis - homemade Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower Butter.

A variation on the granola from my last book - this time with rose petals, walnuts, currants, and black pepper.

There's a pizza restaurant in my neighborhood that makes amazing salads. This one, for example, had farro, kale, avocado, carrots, fennel and a creamy green garlic dressing.

Nettles in a pasta with feta, sesame, almonds, and onion sprouts & a few pics from the Golden Gate bridge birthday fireworks.

One of the best salads I've made in a long time (mung bean sprouts, avocado, arugula, yogurt, almonds) & a look at the QUITOKEETO packaging.

The green rice recipe that got away from me - lots of spring produce, finished with smoked paprika and toasted pine nuts.

A Parmesan cheese spread made with grated cheese, olive oil, a splash of white wine, and any other accents you can think of.

A spicy lemon coconut sauce that is good on just about everything - noodles, frittatas, soups. Keep a jar in the refrigerator, and you can use it to make things a little special throughout the week.

Inspired by a recipe from Alana Chernila's The Homemade Pantry, these are the cheese crackers I made for my nephew (in owl shapes!) when he came to stay with us last week.

An excellent impromptu springtime lunch tartine: avocado smeared across toasted day-old slabs of sesame bread, layered with arugula and garlicky caraway asparagus + toasted pepitas.

This is how I like to cook saag paneer - chopped spinach, golden-crusted paneer cheese, assertively spices, and finished with toasted sesame seeds and fresh lemon juice.

I took slices of this chocolate bundt cake on a road trip to Portland this week. Slathered with chocolate buttermilk icing, it's a great travel treat made with a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flours, lots of yogurt, and the darkest brown sugar I can get my hands on.

A simple tomato soup recipe inspired by a Melissa Clark recipe - pureed, warmly spiced, and perfect topped with everything from toasted almonds and herbs, to coconut cream or a poached egg.

A vibrant ginger grapefruit curd recipe & scans from my Marrakesh photographs.

A few snapshots from my week in Marrakesh, Morocco + the recipe for a platter of roasted vegetables spiced with dried mint, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and a kiss of chile. So good with a dollop of salted yogurt and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

The spring rolls I packed for a flight from San Francisco to Paris - ginger-onion paste, brown sugar tofu, mushrooms, and herbs.

A few of you asked about the cottage cheese pancakes I mentioned a few posts back. Here you go. Plus a look at some of the vintage photos I've picked up at flea markets and antique shops over the years.

A hot, filling, wintertime DIY four-grain breakfast cereal that you can trick out with all sorts of different toppings.

Inspired by a recipe in Bryant Terry's new cookbook, The Inspired Vegan. Roasted winter squash (and tofu) with a miso, maple, sesame, citrus sauce.

A spectrum of citrus salts made from all sorts of winter citrus zest - clementines, wild lime, Meyer lemon, kalamansi oranges, and mandarinquats. Couldn't be simpler.

A hearty black bread - caraway-crusted, and flecked with dashes of grated carrot. It's dark, dense with rye, and perfect when toasted then topped with a fat smear of dill butter.

New year, new brussels sprouts recipe. This one pan-fried and then finished with a drizzle or oregano deliciousness, and toasted almond slices.

A few outtakes from the winter Kinfolk magazine shoot/article I worked on with Wayne. Plus the Green Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter featured in the photos.

Gougères - I have these little cheese puffs in my freezer, ready to bake, nearly always. This version, a favorite, is made with whole wheat flour, sharp white cheddar cheese, fennel, and ale.

A wintertime riff on potato salad. No potatoes though, just winter squash, a beer-based dressing, rosemary, walnuts, currants, and celery.

A slight twist makes these scrambled eggs extra special. I drizzled them with oregano pesto and served with a thick slab of toast. Thanks to Serious Eats for the excellent tip :)

Soba noodles tossed with a creamy-ginger dressing and topped with crispy tofu, tarragon, and toasted delicata squash seeds.

An earthy, turmeric and mustard-spiked lentil soup served over brown rice with spinach and thick yogurt.

A moist, ridiculously good banana bread recipe. A banana bread that is chocolate studded, lemon kissed, and made with whole wheat flour (and olive oil!) - from Melissa Clark's new book. Plus pics from a a beautiful wedding I attended at an off-season summer camp.

A beautiful roasted lemon chutney from Molly Steven's new book & some Mendocino coast photos.

While in London my friend Anna Jones gave me a copy of the terrific new book she worked on - this broccoli-basil crusted mac and cheese immediately caught my attention.

A few London pics, a look at how I packed my lunch for the flight, and the baked quinoa patties I brought along with me - dill, feta, chives, cumin, and garlic.

Potstickers - For my flight to London, I made the filling with lots of caramelized shallots & pureed yellow split peas then pan-fried them until the bottoms were crisp and golden. They freeze like beautifully, perfect for quick dumpling-centric meals later on.

A sweet little buttermilk pie I made. The filling is pure, creamy, maple-kissed tanginess, and simple to pull together.

I made these Brown Sugar Rosemary Walnuts as a snack to take for my long travel day to The Greenbrier for the annual Symposium for Professional Food Writers. Recipe & photos from my visit.

A tortilla salad made from all sorts of good stuff - heirloom beans, avocado, watermelon radish, and cauliflower. Electric colors, punchy dressing, fresh and filling.

My go-to berry pie recipe - a rye flour crust and mixed berry filling seasoned with fresh thyme leaves.

I call this magic sauce. In part, because it makes everything it touches shimmy with deliciousness. It's magic like that. Technically, it's a riff on a chimichurri sauce - one that has veered off the rails in a big way.

Lillet-spiked buttermilk shakes. Just a quick grown-up twist on the classic vanilla milkshake.

A scrambled egg recipe taught to me by the lovely Lynn from Satsuma Press - herby cream cheese is the last-second finish that make these eggs simple but special.

An off-beat pasta salad made with stuffed pasta, seasonal vegetables, and a spice-forward, golden sesame yogurt sauce.

The bread you should make right this minute - yeast-based, farm-style, made from rolled oats and a blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flours.

A crunchy, sweet no-cook summer corn salad & a few snapshots from the nearby dahlia garden in bloom right now. The salad is a breeze, has a ton of toasted pepitas & sunflower seeds, tossed with a brown sugar lemonade vinaigrette.

Homemade celery salt couldn't be easier to make. I keep a bottomless jar of it on hand and use it on just about everything - eggs, soups, salads. It's hard to go wrong with it.

A simple corn soup topped with an electric harissa-yogurt swirl + photos from a walk around North Beach on the Fourth of July.

A no bake chocolate cake I make when I'm feeling particularly lazy and need a crowd-pleaser of a dessert. Good-quality dark chocolate, cream, and whatever you like to infuse the cream - you're set.

A twist on classic macaroni salad - I toss the pasta with a creamy sauce made from sauteed green onions, then add lots of black pepper, arugula, diced apple, and lemon juice to the bowl.

This could very well be my favorite salad recipe from Super Natural Every Day - shaved fennel, arugula, zucchini coins, feta, toasted almonds.

A stuffed shells recipe made with lemon zest and bright tomato sauce, and a couple apartment pics.

A simple Indian-spiced green pea soup, and a few snapshots of things I'm bringing with me in a move up the street.

Made from a quirky combination of quinoa, dill, shredded zucchini, and currants - a quinoa salad from Maria Speck's new book, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals.

I love this baked potato recipe, topped with well-dressed arugula - that, plus a few pics from a road trip to Marfa, Texas.

The perfect simple, spinach side dish - toast a few spices, add a pile of shredded spinach to the skillet, and finish things off with a burst of lemon juice and some shredded coconut.

We picked two new cookbooks to focus on in the 101 Cookbooks Library, and this recipe is inspired by a recipe from one of them. A refreshing chopped cucumber salad loaded with peanuts, spices, coconut, and chiles.

A few behind-the-scenes shots from the Whole Living magazine photo shoot. And a simple Farro & Millet Risotto that is easily adaptable based on what is in season.

A couple book signing pics. And in an effort to expand my crostini repertoire, I made this flavor-packed liptauer cheese spread on black bread crostini - goat cheese, paprika, capers, pickles, onions.

A quick spring pasta made with leftover noodles, market vegetables, egg, and a bit of avocado.

A favorite five-minute lunch quesadilla - corn tortilla, egg, a bit of cheese, fresh herbs, and a dollop lemon-zested Greek yogurt or creme fraiche. The egg helps make it more substantial and extra good.

Snappy, substantial, homemade oatmeal crackers - made with rolled oats and rye flour. Plus a little glimpse at some postcards I made.

A thick, cumin and coriander-spiced root vegetable stew. It's a free-wheeling one-pot dinner that attempts to use up whatever winter vegetables I have lingering about.

A six recipe PDF sampler from my new cookbook, Super Natural Every Day. It includes a few of my v. favorite recipes - Millet Muffins, Ravioli Salad, Avocado & Mustard Seeds, Black Sesame Otsu, Tinto de Verano, and a Tutti-Frutti Crumble. Enjoy!

The Black Sesame Otsu recipe from Super Natural Every Day - soba noodles and tofu slathered in a thinned-out, salty-sweet black sesame paste, then topped with lots of sliced green onions.

A baked farro risotto recipe - lemon-kissed, bright tomato sauce, lots of Parmesan, and chopped fresh oregano.

A rustic leek soup topped with an electric green drizzle of dill oil and crunchy toasted almonds.

I made this mushroom topped brown rice bowl the other night when I returned from Yosemite - chanterelles, garlic, kale, tofu, and lots of Shichimi Togarashi, the Japanese spice blend.

An amazing New Year Noodle Soup from Greg & Lucy Malouf's beautiful book, Saraban. It's a bean and noodle soup at its core featuring thin egg noodles swimming in a fragrant broth spiced with turmeric, cumin, chiles, and black pepper. You use a medley of lentils, chickpeas, and borlotti beans which makes the soup heart and filling without being heavy. You add spinach, dill, and cilantro. You add lime juice for a bit of sour at the end. And then you've got a number of toppings to add when you serve the soup - chopped walnuts, caramelized onions, and sour cream. Amazing.

A cold-weather crowd-pleaser made of alternating layers of broken farro pasta, sliced potatoes, two cheeses, and mustardy shredded cabbage. The sort of thing you can prep a day or two ahead of time, and then bake when convenient.

The soup I've cooked most this year. There is so much going on here despite a modest list of ingredients. Celery, crushed caraway, and garlic are cooked together alongside big hearty beans and chopped tomatoes in what becomes an olive-oil dappled broth. You serve each bowl with chopped oily, black olives and fresh lemon wedges. This is a version made with Christmas Lima beans, but you can substitute cannellini or giant corona beans.

At the heart of this recipe is a completely quirky and off-beat sauce made from pureed green olives. Served with golden, pan-fried gnocchi, capers, toasted almonds and chives. You can easily tweak it to work with pasta or grains as well.

A clean, simple carrot and shaved fennel soup. The vegetables are rounded out with wild rice, and the finished soup is dusted generously with Parmesan cheese.

A big, hearty mushroom soup made with a mish-mash of market mushrooms, pearled barley, toasted sesame oil, and onions.

Cauliflower tastes great like this. Imagine a skillet of caramelized onions cooked down with fragrant cumin, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds and chiles. Add cauliflower and cook until tender. Vibrant, spicy, sweet earthiness, all on one plate.

A collection of past favorite vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes - plenty of seasonally inspired main dishes, sides, salads, and desserts.

I inherited a CSA box packed with greens the other night, inspiring this simple one-pot winter pasta with a sauce made from a full bunch of kale, shallots, garlic, and goat cheese.

Spicy brown sugar and lime-sauced soba noodles with tofu, eggplant, mango and lots of herbs. Inspired by a rare mango find, and a recipe in Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbook, Plenty.

The first thing I made after getting back from Rome. A red chile spiked, shredded raw kale salad tossed in a vibrant, lemony-pecorino dressing. From Melissa Clark's new cookbook, In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite.

Savory muffins packed with spinach, feta and Parmesan cheeses, black pepper, mustard, and sunflower seeds. Adapted from a recipe in a lovely little self-published Australian cookbook, Martha Goes Green.

A few more Rome pics & a simple pasta dish made from ricotta-stuffed tortelli tossed with brown butter balsamic sauce, arugula, pecorino cheese, and lemon zest.

A nut-studded, slaw-like green bean salad I made for lunch yesterday from a few things I picked up in the nearby shops and stalls here in the Testaccio neighborhood of Rome - moscato-soaked raisins, arugula, perorino cheese, croutons. Plus a few travel photos.

Easily one of the best, most interesting soups I've cooked in years. Adapted from a recipe in Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen - a dried fava bean and roasted tomato base topped with a fascinating cider-kissed tangy/sweet quick-pickled chile topping.

I've been making these coin-shaped zucchini pickles all summer. They're quick to make, great to have on hand, and I don't bother canning them. Delicious on crusty, goat-cheese slathered grilled bread (or just about anything cheesy or crunchy) and simple salads.

I spent Saturday brewing beer with my brother-in-law. For dinner, later on, I brought a simple lasagna, using this golden tomato sauce as the base - garlic, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. That's it. It's good on pasta, pizza, and only takes a few minutes to pull together.

A buttermilk farro salad inspired by one I had at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon - farro with shaved radishes, zucchini, and fennel tossed with a tangy herbed buttermilk vinaigrette.

From a recipe in Put A Egg On It magazine, issue #2 - Black-eyed peas with lots of caramelized leeks, melted butter, marjoram, and tarragon.

In a Indian spiced departure from a favorite Suzanne Goin recipe - this is a rustic, deeply flavorful summer gratin made with sliced tomatoes, potatoes, caramelized onions, curry powder, and a kick of red chile flakes.

Coins of zucchini are browned in a pan, but the thing that makes it special is the toasted gold slivers of garlic combined with lots of fresh dill, plus a sprinkling of almonds for a bit of crunch.

Seasoned with a good amount of cumin, cayenne and mustard, these are hearty, filling, easy to make, dump-everything-in-the-food processor tofu burgers.

I'm posting this recipe not because these are the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies ever of all time. They're good, but...I'm posting the recipe, because they make amazing ice cream sandwich cookies. And it's prime ice cream sandwich season.

Salt & vinegar chip enthusiasts, these are for you. You take slabs of sliced potatoes, boil them in vinegar, then grill them to a crisp. Not for the faint of heart, or anyone with particularly sensitive taste buds ;)...

A nice way to use up a good amount of summer squash. This soup is a soft, pastel shade of yellow, and aside from a hint of tang from the buttermilk, is quite mild in flavor. I finish it with a cumin brown butter drizzle that punches right through the creaminess, and plenty of chopped chives.

Inspired by a recipe in the September 2007 issue of Gourmet Magazine - a slow-burning, sweet and spicy, chile-infused blackberry syrup. It's great in spritzers, cocktails, on toast, in oatmeal, and on and on.

Inspired by a recipe in Miranda Gardiner's Teaching Dad to Cook Flapjack - a simple bean salad tossed with lots of toasted almonds, fresh thyme, and an assertive honey-balsamic dressing.

Soba noodles and grilled tofu tossed with a garlic-cilantro dressing. I prepped all the components for this ahead of a camping trip, but you could take the same approach for a quick, mid-week lunch if camping isn't your thing.

A soup I made for a camping trip to the Sonoma coast - lots of beans, vegetables, and stellette pasta. Tiny stars under the stars, with a good dollop of pistou for each bowl.

Because I can't seem to get enough farro lately- a lunch made from farro, bocconcini, a bit of homemade creme fraiche, and herbs from last weeks farmers' market. And a couple pics from Golden Gate Park.

Inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's soda bread recipe, this version is made with a blend of spelt flour and all-purpose flour. The dough is littered with seeds - sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flax seeds, and fennel seeds. It bakes into a perfect, rustic, crusty loaf of bread with relatively little effort.

A cake I made for the Kim Boyce potluck at 18 Reasons - Incredibly moist, golden-crumbed, flecked with rosemary, and dotted with big and small chocolate chunks, I'd make this again in a heartbeat.

A recap of my Sunday, including a few portraits I shot, plus a top-notch pasta with spiced butter and asparagus inspired by a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi's new book.

Cookies made from toasted quinoa and wheat flours, flecked with chocolate shavings, rolled and stamped into cloud shapes.

I'm back from Portland. This recipe was inspired by a bag of chervil, turnip greens, and beautiful heirloom red celery given to me by June Taylor just before leaving. The tart is made with a buttery cornmeal crust, and a mustard-kissed, garlicky, turnip green filling.

A simple spring crumble - rhubarb, strawberry, and a splash of port wine with a buttery black pepper, pine nut and oat crumble top. Sounds a bit fancy, but really, it couldn't be easier to make.

This particular salad came together on a whim - slender, barely-cooked asparagus and carrots alongside lots of deeply toasted almond slices, tossed with a jalapeno-cilantro drizzle.

A rustic, minimally structured, custard-topped, crusty-edged, herb-scented corn-quinoa skillet bread.

A one-dish meal, inspired by a recipe in Harumi Kurihara's Everyday Harumi - asparagus, broccoli, and tofu tossed with a salty-sweet miso dressing.

Poppyseed-flecked and made with a blend of barley, oat, and rye flours, these multigrain waffles are buttermilk-moist with a golden crust and a hint of tanginess.

Some San Francisco photos along with a recipe for asparagus & quinoa, tossed in a bit of Tabasco butter, with toasted pine nuts and a touch of crème fraîche.

A light, almost billowy, hummus topped with "green goo" a flavor-packed, bright green emulsion made from olive oil, garlic, jalapeño, and parsley.

A spring pasta salad made with a vibrant red-wine and saffron vinaigrette, asparagus, and toasted whole wheat orecchiette pasta from Puglia.

Inspired by an Ayurvedic dal recipe in the Esalen Cookbook, this is a light-bodied, curry-spiced coconut broth thickened with cooked red lentils and structured with yellow split peas. The back notes of ginger, slivered green onions sauteed in butter, and curry-plumped raisins make this a new favorite of mine.

Love these - white beans pan-fried until they're golden, with kale, Parmesan, lemon, walnuts, and nutmeg.

I made a big pot of farro & bean stew for my mom and dad the other night - simple, hearty, and straightforward. The stew has farro, beans, lots of vegetables, and a generous dusting of cheese to top each bowl.

I used my friend Molly Watson's recipe as a jumping off point here, and ended up with a roasted squash salad of sorts. It uses the pretty, scalloped-edged cross-cuts of the delicata squash, a few small potatoes, chopped kale, radishes, Marcona almonds - and a bold miso harissa dressing.

An anise and ginger-spiked French lentil soup, from a charming little cookbook I stumbled on titled SoupLove. The broth is thickened by lots of roasted winter squash, and it's great with lots of garlicky croutons.

A palak daal recipe from Kasa's Anamika Khanna - a hearty pot of spinach, lentils, and spices. Kasa is a favorite Indian restaurant of mine here in San Francisco.

A riff on a recipe from Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic - green beans, creme fraiche, garlic, golden raisins, almonds, a range of spices. They caught my attention when Anna said...the ingredient list is long, but these are the best green beans you'll ever make.

Inspired by a recipe in the River Cottage Preserves Handbook I made my own bouillon. I've been using it in soups and stews all week, and it's so much better than any canned broth I've tasted.

An impromptu freezer cleaning inspired this huge pot of ribollita. It's a thick Tuscan stew - dark greens, lots of beans, vegetables, olive oil, thickened with day-old bread.

Inspired by Mona Talbott's recipe in the new Coco cookbook, a pounded walnut pesto with marjoram and parsley, tossedwith farro pasta and Pecorino cheese.

Around the holidays these pretty, sparkling sugared cranberries are perfect. Tart and sweet, they glint and wink in the surrounding holiday lights, and lend a striking dash of red to the table.

This olive oil flatbread is made from white whole wheat flour along with pepitas, sunflower, poppy, and mustard seeds. You can pull the dough out paper thin or leave it a bit thicker, serve it straight or bake it with toppings. Whatever you like, really.

This is simply heirloom beans and roasted broccoli with shallots and pan-fried seitan. Something I threw together one night after getting home from the airport. It's filling and hearty, and quick to make - particularly if you have cooked beans stashed in the freezer...but canned beans will work too.

A vibrant tempeh curry recipe loosely inspired by a recipe from Lora Zarubin's cookbook, I am Almost Always Hungry.

Rustic orange-scented oat scones peppered with currants inspired by a recipe in Romney Steele's new Big Sur-based My Nepenthe cookbook.

A simple roasted potato salad incorporating a couple other seasonal root vegetables like parsnips and carrots. I served it on a bed of wild rice with a simple mustard vinaigrette.

A simple, everyday broccoli soup made special with crusty, mustardy croutons. Perfect for those days when I need some extra nutritional punch.

Inspired by a recipe in The Complete Tassajara Cookbook, a warm winter salad made from sauteed shredded red cabbage. Feta, balsamic vinegar, and golden raisins make it sweet and salty, rich with color, texture and flavor.

A single-pot lentil soup with brown rice. Made by browning some onions, adding the rest of the ingredients, and simmering until the whole lot until its done.

In the realm of garlic soup recipes, this is a favorite of mine. From Richard Olney's The French Menu Cookbook, it is made by simmering a dozen or so cloves of garlic in water with a few herbs, then thickening it with a mixture of egg and shredded cheese. It's hard to beat a ladleful poured over some crusty day-old chunks of walnut baguette.

From the new Anna Thomas cookbook, Love Soup - a soup cramming more spinach, leeks, sweet potatoes and chard into each bowl than I ever thought possible.

Inspired by a recipe in The Vegetarian Compass written by Karen Hubert Allison, published in 1998. A roasted acorn squash is filled with corn, milk, anise seed, and chopped scallions. You then bake it until the filling sets, and finish with white cheddar cheese left under the broiler until golden and bubbly.

A nice platter of greens and brown rice doused in a spicy-salty-sweet pineapple dressing flecked with seitan. It's good hot or at room temperature.

A twist on the classic, I use crisp brown rice cereal slathered in a decadent peanut butter maple syrup sludge. This version of treats has bits of chopped, toasted pistachios throughout - also vegan (no marshmallows) and gluten-free.

This is another favorite - I cook up lots of broccoli, then puree half of it into a pesto. The other half is cut into little florets. Toss the broccoli with some quinoa, sliced avocado and a drizzle of feisty chile pepper oil, and you've got a nice meal on your hands.

The perfect summer salad inspired by a memorable meal at Contigo - green beans, cherry tomatoes, roasted hazelnuts, and a bit of frisee tossed with a creamy herb vinegreta.

I spent the weekend at my friend Lori's Northern California cabin and she made this tasty cherry tomato couscous for us - cherry tomatoes, cucumber, chopped basil, and chickpeas tossed with couscous, olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice. Finished with a bit of feta.

A peppery arugula pesto tossed with a bowl of plump, chewy wheat berries. The bite of the arugula is tamed by the creaminess of the pine nuts in the pesto, and the saltiness of the grated Parmesan and chopped Kalamata olive offsets the wheat berries nicely.

For the sun-dried tomato lovers out there. Goat-cheese raviolis tossed in a sun-dried tomato red pesto sauce, served over baby spinach.

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.

My mom's friends hosted a shower for my sister and served something similar to this. A noodle-free lasagna baked in a pie crust - layers of zucchini, ricotta, and tomato sauce.

A simple tofu salad recipe made by marinating cucumbers and chopped dill in lemon juice and olive oil, then tossing with tofu, pine nuts, and avocado.

A decadent, crunchy-topped summer squash gratin made from thinly sliced summer squash, potatoes, oregano pesto, and brown-buttered breadcrumbs- all baked at high-temperature until the squash is tender and the top is crunchy.

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.

A favorite week-night cauliflower recipe. Tiny florets of pan-fried cauliflower are tossed with garlic, chives, lemon, Parmesan, and flaky sea salt.

Inspired by the new farmers market up the street from my house, I made this sauteed asparagus and broccolini salad. Finished with slivered radishes, a chunky lemon-pinenut dressing, and a bit of shaved Parmesan it works alongside pasta, topped with poached eggs, or, on its own.

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel recipe from the Leon cookbook -made from mashed sweet potatoes, chickpea flour, spices, a nice amount of garlic and plenty of chopped cilantro.

Monica Bhide's Chile Pea Puff recipe - crispy-skinned baked snacks stuffed with peas, paneer cheese, chiles, and garlic. From her new cookbook - Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen.

A pea salad jazzed up with spicy mint-date dressing and tossed with shredded romaine and toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch and texture. A tasty, off-beat, almost burner-free recipe.

Poached spinach noodles, tofu, and baby broccoli in ginger broth. Finished with a splash of soy sauce, mint, basil, lime juice and red pepper flakes. Quick, simple, and invigorating.

A favorite stir-fry recipe. Asparagus and tofu form the base, but it has quite a lot going on beyond that. You get a bite of tang from the lime, heat from the red chiles and fresh ginger, mint and basil cool things down, and a touch hoisin sauce gives you just enough sweetness to balance it all out.

A wheat berry salad recipe inspired by a crostini I tasted in Denver, Colorado made by chef Jennifer Jasinski of Rioja. It features whiskey-soaked golden raisins, adobo-kissed goat cheese, herbs, and toasted pine nuts are tossed with a bit of lettuce.

A simple, weeknight carrot soup recipe finished with a thread of toasted sesame oil. You can leave it slightly chunky, or puree it until smooth - whatever your preference.

A hearty noodle bowl recipe - whole wheat noodles, plenty of sliced asparagus and other seasonal produce are tossed with a creamy, walnut-miso dressing.

A colorful grain blend inspired by a recent trip to Japan. It features equal parts brown rice, red rice, and millet, plus some quinoa and amaranth.

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.

A favorite recipe from chef Bryant Terry's newest book, Vegan Soul Kitchen. A richly spiced potato, pea, corn, carrot, and cabbage filling is wrapped with a turmeric-hued pastry crust made with coconut oil.

A salad made by pan-frying chickpeas with leeks and a bit of garlic. The creamy dressing is made with plain yogurt and curry powder, and the salad is finished off with plenty of chopped cilantro and chopped red onion.

Thin, biscotti-style crackers densely pebbled with all manner of nuts and seeds - green pistachios, rust-toned hazelnuts, and off-black poppy seeds.

Fried rice made with wild rice, a thin omelette cut into strips, a splash of soy sauce, tofu, and whatever seasonal greens you have on hand - peas, asparagus, pea shoots, spinach.

Fresh popcorn is tossed with melted butter, lime juice, jalapeno peppers, red pepper flakes, cumin and a splash of tequila.

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 shredded brussels sprout salad recipe, slaw-like in spirit, accompanied by lots of toasted hazelnuts, and shard after shard of aged cheese. The sprouts are tossed with a few glugs of olive oil and a big squeeze of fresh, fragrant lemon juice.

A hearty adzuki and butternut squash soup recipe adapted from Jae Steele's Get It Ripe cookbook. The soup has a bit of chipotle flavor and is made even better with a drizzle of cilantro olive oil prior to serving.

A simple, last-minute curry recipe - curry powder in coconut milk, deeply toasted cashew nuts, a handful of green beans, two handfuls of tiny cauliflower florets, and a bit of tofu for good measure.

A seaweed risotto recipe inspired by a trip to Chile. This version calls for dried nori seaweed, pearled barley, lots of finely chopped spinach, and a blend of cheeses.

A simple, everyday approach to miso soup - it yields me a bowl of soup in five or ten minutes. You can keep it simple if you like, but in this version I add soba noodles and tofu, and a few garnishes.

The best tempeh recipe I've highlighted to date - it features a simple ginger and garlic-spiked orange glaze that plays of the nutty earthiness of the pan-fried tempeh beautifully.

A perfect breakfast - thin slices of sautéed pears, ruby-hued cranberries, and plump, golden wheat berries are sweetened with generous dollops of maple-sweetened yogurt and finished with plenty of toasted pecans and a sprinkling of dried persimmons, ginger, and dates.

This ginger cookie recipe is made special with three kinds of ginger and a hint of lemon zest. Cracked and sugar-crusted on the outside, dense and moist within.

A porcini mushroom soup recipe made from seven ingredients including potatoes and porcini mushrooms in an intensely flavorful broth peppered with rosemary and tiny pools of golden olive oil. Great with a big chunk of garlic bread.

A riff on Laurence Jossel's fantastic NOPA beans - plump, creamy beans baked in a bright, chunky chipotle tomato sauce, topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, plenty of oozy queso fresco, and an emerald drizzle of cilantro pesto.

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.

Toasted wild nori alongside cilantro, tofu, and plenty of wild rice. The dressing for this salad isn't shy - assertive notes of sesame, ginger, cayenne pepper and soy sauce work their way into the wild rice and tofu. Lots of flavor.

A classic cheese fondue recipe. I've included dozens of my favorite things to dunk - don't limit yourself to just bread!

This lovely, jeweled pomegranate salad recipe is from Samuel and Samantha Clark's book Moro East - toasted walnuts, celery, mint, parsley, and garlic. An easy, delicious, and a pretty addition to any table.

If you love sauteed greens, give this recipe a go. I avoid overcooking, and throw plenty of garlic into the pan. You can use kale, chard, or spinach.

My friend Sante shared his hermit recipe with me - a simple, drop-style, spice cookie loaded with tiny currants, chopped walnuts, and finished with a bit of icing.

A chunky celery soup perfect for a winter day - celery, carrots, a potato, an onion, a bit of garlic, and some leftover wild rice.

Powder-kissed and pretty, these Swedish Rye cookies are perfect for holiday cookie enthusiasts who are after a not-too-sweet, shortbread-style butter cookie.

My take on the classic fantasy fudge recipe - made with Scharffen Berger chocolate, butter (not margarine) , and organic cane sugar.

A grown-up remake of the onion dip I loved as a kid. This one features lots of deeply caramelized onions, sour cream and Greek yogurt.

A jewel-inspired holiday salad recipe - mixed leafy salad greens, wild rice, toasted hazelnuts, dried figs and pluots, tossed with a simple ginger juice vinaigrette that I spiked with just a hint of jalapeno.

A remix of the mushroom casserole I loved as a kid. Brown rice, mushrooms, garlic, onions along side a bit of cottage cheese and sour cream and Parmesan for texture and creaminess.

Decadent, delicious baked sweet potato recipe made from seven ingredients - sweet potatoes, ginger, coconut milk, shredded coconut, maple syrup, macadamia nuts and a bit of butter or olive oil. Shared with my by my friend Nikki.

A moist, tender buttermilk cornbread packed with corn kernels and flecked with red pepper flakes. Simple and delicious.

Made from just five ingredients, this is a vibrant, chipotle-spiked, brothy soup that requires minimal babysitting. The dainty baby lima beans soften up in about an hour without any pre-soaking or fuss.

A great pasta dish using just six ingredients. Whole grain linguine matchsticks and barely cooked red kale are tossed with golden pistachio dressing. Pomegranate seeds provide ruby-colored accents and little pops of sweetness.

This is what happens when you cook a pot of cornmeal until it is thick and creamy. Add a bit off cheese, some deeply caramelized onions, spread it in a pan, drizzle generously with olive oil and bake until the bottom and sides are deeply golden and crunchy.

A deliciously unfussy and relatively healthy apple cake recipe. Red-skinned apples punctuate a buttermilk batter and a final sprinkling of sugar before baking lends a nice top crust.

A vegetarian gumbo recipe taught to me by my friend and neighbor Kim. A rich and delicious gumbo served over rice, and just before serving, eggs are poached in the simmering gravy.

Shredded brussels sprout ribbons, apples, garlic, pine nuts, and tofu in a skillet with a hint of maple syrup.

a pot of quick-cooking, beautiful, brothy couscous soup topped with a bit of melted goat cheese and bright broccoli and cauliflower florets. It is all punctuated with a spoonful of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

A great pepita salad that can brighten up any table. Made from a simple combination of yellow split peas, toasted pepitas, and cilantro pesto.

A caramel apple recipe made from apples, honey, cream, and salt - all-natural, with no processed corn syrup or other funky ingredients.

A roasted pumpkin salad made with wild rice, tiny, caramelized red onions drizzled with a simple, honey-kissed, creamy sunflower seed dressing. A colorful harvest salad perfect for Fall festivities.

A rich, hearty vegetarian mole recipe from Denis Cotter's new book. Seasonal beans, squash, and kale are baked in a rich, hearty chocolate and paprika-spiked mole.

A beautiful, spicy hummus recipe made from pureed garbanzo beans, toasted walnuts, and spicy crushed red pepper oil finished with a few chopped olives and a bit of cilantro.

A great broccoli recipe, one of my favorites! Tiny green florets, crisp apples, crunchy shallots, candied nuts and slivered red onions are tossed in a barely sweet, creamy almond vinaigrette. Add baked tofu or pan-fried tempeh and you can easily turn this side into a main course.

Kids love these animal-shaped cookies. They bake up fragrant, golden and crisp and are made from whole wheat pastry flour, a dollop of coconut oil, shredded coconut, ground walnuts, a touch of salt, and as little sugar as I thought I could get away with.

A big, slurpy bowl of whisper-thin spinach noodles draped in a spicy curry and herb broth - inspired by a beautiful box of noodles I picked up in Mill Valley, Ca.

A one-skillet quinoa recipe - quinoa, corn, chopped kale and pan-toasted tofu tossed with a big dollop of pesto and finished off with a few roasted cherry tomatoes.

A savory peach gnocchi in a champagne shallot sauce inspired by a trip to Valparaiso, Chile.

A vegetarian TLT sandwich inspired by the classic BLT sandwich. This version includes chipotle-marinated tempeh alongside oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, a bit of shredded lettuce, and a generous avocado slather on a thin slice (or two) of great bread.

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.

A tasty, quick, and easy stir-fry recipe featuring golden crusted, pan-fried chickpeas, chopped kale, summer squash, tofu, and a bit of lemon zest.

Inspired by a trip to Argentina, small crackers topped with an apple-zucchini relish, a tiny kiss of goat cheese, and a couple flecks of black pepper.

Chocolate stuffed sandwich cookie recipe made with a poppy-flecked brown sugar dough.

This zesty, cilantro-centric soba noodle bowl features a hefty dose of the green stuff, pan-toasted tofu, and plenty of vegetables.

This bean salad recipe salad features pretty heirloom beans along with a few black lentils, splashed with a brightly-flavored ginger-curry vinaigrette.

A simple, single pot mixed grain recipe inspired by a reader email from a grandmother of four - rice, oats, barley, and millet.

Simple to make, this lemon achiote grilled tofu recipe gets a nice tangy backbone from and achiote and cayenne-spiked marinade made with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a bit of brown sugar.

A unique and flavor-packed pasta recipe. Whole wheat pasta noodles, olives, kale, pine nuts tossed in a pan for a tangle with a garlic-charged harissa and olive oil sauce.

A savory, summertime ricotta cheesecake recipe made with shredded zucchini, dill, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Perfect picnic fare.

A lovely herb salad recipe made from lots of summertime herbs, green beans, and corn.

A delicious rice gratin recipe - a hearty casserole of baked rice flecked with spinach. The top bakes into a golden cheese crust made even better with a generous sprinkling of black olives, red onions, and toasted pine nuts.

A fantastic salty-sweet grilled tempeh recipe. The marinade is made from a simple (but effective) combination of maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic and ground chipotle pepper.

A favorite buttermilk cake recipe, I love the way smashed berries bleed into the sugar-crusted top of this cake. Swap in whatever fruit is in season.

This feather-light, mayo-free, coleslaw recipe uses toasted peanuts, cherry tomatoes, and lime vinaigrette and is perfect alongside fajitas, or whatever you have coming off the grill. Keep in mind - great coleslaw is rooted in great knife skills.

My tortilla soup recipe - a full-bodied, spicy vegetarian broth envelops a nest of baked tortilla matchsticks. Tiny roasted tomatoes along with a bit of goat cheese lend tang and texture, and flecks of sun-dried tomatoes bring depth and richness to each bowl.

A spring twist on a panzanella recipe. This panzanella features asparagus, spinach, and peas with hearty, garlic and time toasted bread cubes.

Not a traditional lasagna recipe by any account - a healthier version that is still quite decadent. Imagine a lasagna, but instead of using pasta noodles, I used crispy, whole-grain crackers. Most people use pound after pound of beef and/or sausage, and then more beef. Instead, I pureed cottage cheese (which gets silky smooth), and thinned it out with a bit of milk and a couple eggs - some chopped mushrooms and spinach are included as well.

This sushi bowl recipe is simply a de-constructed sushi roll - brown rice, tofu, avocado, toasted nori and green onions served with a citrus-soy dressing. Simple and delicious.

Itty-bitty pasta plays the lead role in this simple orzo soup recipe with an egg drop soup style broth that has been boosted with flecks of chard and topped with vibrant, fire-roasted tomatoes. It's finished with an all-important thread of golden olive oil and a flurry of grated cheese.

A farro recipe I did for my sister's baby shower. Farro, a citrus dressing, roasted spring onions, yellow split peas, fresh peas, a bit of mixed salad greens, and a touch of goat cheese and chives.

A quick and delicious green curry recipe - peas, asparagus, and tofu swimming in a fragrant, not-overly-rich Thai green chile broth.

A quick and delicious dumpling soup - tender, translucent pasta pillows, pale green from their pea-stuffed bellies, are buoyed by yellow lentils in a simple clear broth. Golden puddles of olive oil are suspended across the surface, pooling in various cracks and crevices.

A stunning berry-studded breakfast quinoa with pecans and blackberries, sweetened with agave nectar or honey.

This spring ragout recipe delivers a stunning pan of fava beans, green peas, and asparagus finished off with a tiny touch of cream, lemon zest, and grated cheese.

A vegetarian dumpling recipe featuring a simple pea, lemon, ricotta filling. Bright flavors and delicious steamed or pan-fried.

A springtime twist on a traditional tabbouleh recipe featuring peas, asparagus, chives and farm-fresh hard-boiled eggs.

A peanut noodle salad recipe featuring soba noodles punctuated with spring onions, tofu, peanuts, and asparagus. Serve it up family-style on a platter at a potluck, party, or buffet - it holds up perfectly at room temp.

A spring-inspired wild rice salad - vibrant asparagus, yellow split peas, and wild rice tossed in an almond butter dressing and finished off with a bit of goat cheese and chives.

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.

Delicious garlic soba noodle recipe made with soba noodles, Parmesan, greens, and garlic powder topped with golden Parmesan-crusted tofu.

Not a traditional hotpot recipe, instead...a fast-cooking bulgur cooks in a light orange-juice accented broth. Plenty of chickpeas, tiny cauliflower pieces, onions, and greens add texture and substance to the hearty pot.

My go-to poppy seed pancake recipe. Made with buttermillk, a generous amount of poppy seeds, toasted sunflower seeds. Drizzled with an simple-to-make, chunky citrus syrup.

A favorite (and quick) tofu scramble recipe using shaved fennel, caramelized onions spices and dried fruit, and then counter-balancing those flavors with cilantro and chopped nuts.

A delicious, healthy, textured split pea soup recipe made from an impossibly short list of ingredients. Vegetarian, no ham hocks in this version.

A variation on my favorite egg salad recipe, this version uses plain yogurt in place of mayo and incorporates curry powder, chopped apples, toasted pecans, and minced chives.

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.

A favorite guacamole recipe. Served with toasted naan bread (or chips!), I've added a couple pinches of cumin and curry powder for to incorporate a slightly unexpected flavor profile.

One of my favorite tofu recipes, caramelized strips of tofu served over sauteed shredded brussels sprouts. It come together quickly and uses just one pan.

This cracker recipe makes thin, snappy, rustic crackers - sturdy enough to stand up to a hearty dip. The technique is simple and straightforward (utilizing just a few ingredients) and the dough is a welcoming canvas to all manner of seeds, salts, cheeses, spices, or flavored oils that you might want to use as accents.

An updated, healthier version of my favorite artichoke dip recipe. Artichokes pureed with yogurt, tofu, Parmesan cheese, and garlic and baked until golden.

Hearty, healthy, and satistfying - this cabbage soup recipe is super simple to make. Slice a cabbage into thin ribbons and cook it down in a simple pot of sauteed potatoes, onions, beans, garlic and flavorful broth. Finished each bowl with a generous drizzle of great olive oil and a dusting of shredded cheese.

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.

An unassuming yet satisfying little rice bowl recipe - simply a reasonable serving of chard-flecked whole grain rice topped with a poached egg.

Healthy, quick, and satisfying this lentil soup recipe delivers layer after layer of flavor. The tang of the tomatoes plays off the earthiness of the lentils, and the fragrant bolt of saffron yogurt brightens each bowl.

A fun twist on a traditional scone recipe. Instead of cutting dough into small pieces, a big piece of lemony scone dough is slathered with raspberry jam and folded in on itself.

The prettiest, tastiest, frittata recipe. Made with potatoes, onions, and eggs drizzled with a cilantro chile sauce.

This skillet smashed potato recipe make delicious, golden-crusted potatoes. With a bit of prep you can boil them off (pre-cook) the night before. They come together in just a few minutes just as you are ready to serve the rest of your breakfast or brunch.

Plump raviolis tossed with toasted hazelnuts, sauteed ribbons of chard, and caramelized onions are at the heart of this ravioli salad recipe. The colorful platter is finished off with a dusting of cheese, snipped chives, and lemon zest. You can prepare most of the components ahead of time.

Yeast-leavened corn bread recipe, heavily flecked with kernels of bright yellow corn and generously spiked with chives. Perfect for stuffing and soup-dunking.

A quick and easy brussels sprouts recipe that will convert the biggest skeptics. Vibrant green, tender brussels sprouts that become deeply golden and crusty where they touch the pan, dusted with cheese.

Ultimate tapioca - a creamy, classic, delicious, vanilla-spiked tapioca pudding recipe.

This millet bake recipe is a largely hands-off, winter squash-based casserole that uses golden millet, baked squash, pumpkin seeds and jewel-toned cranberries. A perfect Thanksgiving recipe for those of you collecting ideas.

A wonderful farro and roasted butternut squash recipe. Balsamic roasted butternut squash, deeply toasted walnuts, and nutty farro come together in this delicious recipe.

This fettuccine recipe was inspired one of the many trips I made to the Testaccio Market while in Rome. Fresh ribbons of pasta with olive oil, porcini mushrooms, garlic, black pepper, and pecorino cheese.

Indonesian red rice salad with boiled eggs and macadamias. Riveting to look at, with a wonderfully complex array of flavors and textures to enjoy.

Tasty, hearty vegetarian lentil burger recipe. Slathered with saffron yogurt and stuffed with avocado, lettuce, and onions.

Simple and delicious, vibrant green spinach and zucchini soup recipe. Light-and-healthy, but still creamy textured and plenty tasty.

Golden, crisped potato crouton recipe. Great in place of bread croutons in soups and salads.

A great way to use nutritious quinoa. This quinoa and grilled zucchini recipe is tossed with a pretty, pale green cilantro-flecked avocado dressing.

A stunning jewel-colored rosewater plum compote. It can make ordinary french toast, waffles, pancakes, and crepes, and vanilla ice cream extra special.

A deliciously vibrant, earthy, and slightly smoky-tasting salsa recipe. Different from salsa fresca, the deep, caramelized flavors of the roasted tomatoes and onions alongside the smokiness of the chipotles make for a richly beautiful and balanced salsa.

A kabob recipe featuring grilled mushrooms, lemons, tofu red onions and a delicious red pepper walnut slather.

A platter of petite, potato pillows coated with glistening flecks of basil pesto. The gnocchi recipe taught to me by Francesca's mother.

Eggs cooked crepe thin and stuffed. A delicious and lighter alternative to heavy, cheese-stuffed omelette recipes - great for lunch and brunch.

A tasty white bean salad topped with toasted walnuts, crumbled cheese, and a hint of citrus. Makes a good side dish, a satisfying lunch, or light dinner.

A bejeweled platter of bulgur wheat,chili roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, spinach, and yogurt cheese. A perfect companion for grilled kabobs.

Carrots tossed in a honey-kissed orange dressing, punctuated by toasted pine nuts, black olives and a hint of cumin.

Creamy tarragon spiked yogurt pistachio sauce combined with sweet green peas.

My favorite lasagna recipe. Dozens and dozens of whisper-thin sheets of fresh pasta brushed with the most vibrant red tomato sauce imaginable all intersecting layer after layer of warm, oozy, fresh mozzarella.

This favorite, stunning, vibrant pesto recipe was taught to me by my friend Francesca's mother who came to visit recently - handchopped basil, garlic, Parmesan, olive oil and pinenuts.

Trying to improve on typical pasta salads, this ravioli salad recipe features ricotta-stuffed raviolis, asparagus, peas, spinach, and toasted pine nuts.

One of my favorite recipes from Super Natural Cooking - this hearty veggie burger recipe is made with garbanzo beans, cilantro, onions, lemon zest, eggs, bread crumbs, and sprouts.

My favorite mashed potato recipe - creamy mashed potatoes flecked with finely chopped greens and garlic. Adding a green like kale, and golden threads of drizzled olive oil is a great way to add color and nutritional umph to America's favorite starch-packed side dish.

Inspired by a visit to the Maranui Surf Club in Wellington, New Zealand. This chickpea salad recipe combines a big bowl of roasted winter squash, garbanzo beans, cilantro, and red onions with a quick coconut curry dressing.

This quinoa recipe shows you how I might clean out my fridge - white quinoa, potatoes, onions, toasted nuts, and asparagus.

My dad shares his oft-requested garlic bread recipe - garlic, lots of butter, chives, and lemon zest slathered on a wide baguette. A garlic-studded, golden crusted masterpiece.

I prefer this barley-based risotto recipe to many other rice based versions - and it is more nutritious. A pearl barley base is accented with white wine, creme fraiche, lots of meyer lemon zest, chopped greens, and Parmesan cheese.

A great way to use up leftover noodles. These savory noodle cakes make a great lunch and are easily adaptable a hundred different ways.

From Skye Gyngell's cookbook A Year in my Kitchen this simple, satisfying cauliflower soup recipe is perfect served up with a bit of cold winter weather.

Puff pastry serves as the foundation for this simple yet eye-popping butternut squash tart. The golden crust supports a ricotta cheese slather, caramelized onions, thin slices of bright orange squash, and goat cheese.

A healthy, simple and delicious alternative to deep-fried potatoes. These baked oven fries are finished with salt, pepper, a spritz of lime juice, and a dusting of Parmesan cheese.

The ultimate noodle soup recipe - imagine garbanzo beans bobbing about in a rich broth with thick ribbons of pasta noodles weaving in between them, droplets of olive oil suspended on the surface of the broth, and the whole thing punctuated with crisped fresh pasta that had been fried in olive oil.

Oven-roasted cauliflower florets with breadcrumbs, garlic, red chile pepper, salt and olive oil.

This mashed sweet potato recipe is an all-time favorite, perfect for Thanksgiving. Plump vanilla beans, cream, orange zest, and butter are combined with sweet potatoes that have been roasted in the oven. A quick whirl in the food processor produces a smooth, creamy, subtly sweet puree haunted by the delicious vanilla and citrus undertones. The consistency is that of a thick frosting.

This Thai-spiced Pumpkin Soup couldn't be easier to make - roasted winter squash, coconut milk, Thai red curry paste, and sea salt come together in a pot of vibrant, rich, flavorful soup. A total crowd pleaser.

Don't let all those pumpkin seeds go to waste, toasting pumpkin seeds is easy! This year I tried some different flavor combinations: Sweet & Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Black Tea & Butter Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, and Curried Toasted Pumpkin Seeds.

Couscous, apples, curry powder, butter, mint, toasted pine nuts and green onions are highlighted in this dynamic, colorful couscous recipe.

My favorite coconut rice recipe - rich, fragrant, and just sticky enough.

Fantastic Peter Reinhart inspired rustic, thin-ish crust pizza dough recipe - made from white whole wheat flour, yeast, olive oil, salt, and ice water.

An impromptu quinoa salad recipe made by tossing a quick tahini dressing with chickpeas, red onion, and cilantro.

My favorite new way to make gnocchi in a flash - no boil. Cook them in a skillet until they are golden and crusted, and in this case serve with summer shell beans and shredded cheese.

Great party finger food. A thick slab of polenta is sliced into the shape of a french fry and baked off.

One-inch wide slabs of toasted, cheesy, heirloom tomato filled deliciousness slathered with a basil-chive ricotta spread.

Make crispy crackers from wonton wrappers. The great thing about this cracker recipe is the way the wrappers provide a quick and easy blank canvas to experiment with - sweet or savory, spicy or seedy - there are countless directions to explore.

Great for dipping with olive oil, this dukkah recipe is a crumbly nut and spice blend typically associated with Egypt - hazelnuts, cariander seeds, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, dried mint leaves, and salt.

Rajasthani buttermilk curry recipe from the award-winning cookbook Mangoes & Curry Leaves, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.

Turn to this miraculously delicious soup when you are feeling sick - beans, water, garlic, shallots, chiles. Total active prep time was under five minutes, the rest is just waiting and anticipating.

Actually two different takes on hummus. One with an Italian twist, and one a lovely shade of green from the incorporation of a bit of sauteed spinach.

I'll never make lasagna any other way. Impossibly thin layers of feathery-light pasta with just enough sauce and cheese between each layer to keep it moist and flavorful.

As promised, an all-natural Thin Mint recipe for you. No shortening, no trans-fats from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils - just good old-fashioned butter, cocoa, vanilla, sugar, chocolate, whole grain flour, and peppermint turned into delicious, thin minty goodness.

Makes a fantastic lunch, and it comes together quick and easy. For those of you unfamiliar with shiso, it is a fierce looking herb with spiky leaves, and wonderful edgy green nose.

The most exhaustive, detailed instructions on how to make a souffle excerpted from La Bonne Cuisine de Madame E. Saint-Ange - there are few better teachers.

Peter Reinhart's Napoletana pizza dough recipe. It makes my all-time favorite pizza dough using a delayed-fermentation method.

A twist on a classic onion soup recipe adapted for cry-babies (like me). Caramelized onions, white wine, butter, vegetable stock, and grated cheese.

Molly Stevens' Braised Celery recipe - take a dish of celery segments topped with a dose of sauteed aromatics (celery hearts, shallots, and thyme), and a bit of broth. Slowly cook it all down under a roof of tinfoil until it is nice, moist, and tender - then finish it off gratin-style with crunchy bread crumbs and a bit of nutty gruyere.

My fingers are a little raw from shelling pistachios for what felt like two hours at the crack of dawn this morning. Note to self, recipes that require shelling, blanching, and skinning usually take a long time...

Imagine a spring roll without the wrapper and you've got this Myra Kornfeld salad. A familiar chorus of flavors - sweet, sour, tangy, hot, and nutty all projected onto a mound of serpentine rice noodles and crispy mushrooms.

Smoky and creamy, this salsa recipe is best drizzled over eggs, quesadilla, and crepes.

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

A knock-out tomato tart recipe - it highlights the flavor and vibrancy of the tomatoes while remaining mush-free.

This has become one of my favorite crostini recipes - goat cheese, black beluga lentils, and chives on garlic-rubbed crostini.

Rebecca Wood's perfect summertime quiche - creamy corn flavor hits your tongue first, the summer tomatoes burst next, and then you are hit with accents of slivered basil and scallions. Made in a tef flour crust.

All about making yogurt from scratch - includes Wayne's special homemade yogurt recipe.

Michele Cranston's Honey-toasted Fruit Muesli Recipe. Made from lots of oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, coconut, honey, dried fruit and seeds.

This crema de guacamole recipe makes the ultimate chilled summertime soup.

A delicious yeast-leavened waffle recipe featuring oats, buckwheat flour, and crystallized ginger. A denser, heartier, more nutritious waffle, they also take longer to cook than a standard waffle, so they might not be the best choice for a waffle bar get-together.

A soup inspired by a visit to Delfina restaurant.

The perfect standard crepe recipe from Larousse Gastronomique, I've included many variations and topping suggestions here as well.

I went to the market and came back with fresh peas - here's how I cooked them. Pea recipes, time four.

A lovely salad recipe utilizing a vibrant citrus and Parmesan vinaigrette. I did a demo of this salad at the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers Market.

Outrageously good cheesy potato spoon bread recipe. Warm, tasty, cheesy, crusty, cayenne-kissed, oven-baked goodness. If you are a fan of comfort food - look no further.

This is a spinach mushroom quiche recipe that features no dairy, no eggs, and no butter. Sounds like it would lack something in the taste department, right? Wrong. It was delicious.

This healthy, colorful Sicilian broccoli and cauliflower pasta recipe comes from chef Tracy Bates at The Oxbow School in Napa - the students there love it.

Stuffed dates are rich, indulgent, and delicious. I strongly suggest trying this recipe the next time you are looking for a nice, simple dessert to top off a nicer than average meal.

A Paula Wolfert recipe - this is a fantastic Moroccan spread made of a thick mash of herbs and greens, accented with smokey spices, chopped olives, and lemon.

A beautiful beet salad, it can be done without the greens, or with just a bit of greens as a side dish. The vinaigrette is delicious, and the salad looks stunning as part of a larger spread. It would make a great addition to any winter buffet.

The seasoning from this popcorn recipe hits you in waves - the smell of the dill, the tang of the buttermilk powder, a bit of kick from the onion and garlic powder. You'll never go back to the movie theatre variety.

A recipe from my first book that was featured in the Washington post - sweet potatoes, chipotle, corn, onions, and puff pastry.

Stephan Pyles' banana bread recipe includes rum-soaked golden raisins, toasted pumpkin seeds, coconut milk, and oven-caramelized ripe bananas.

Soba noodles are tossed with a fiery ginger-sesame dressing and a generous dose of cucumbers, scallions, and pan-seared tofu - it's the sort of recipe you could serve anytime...