Cookbooks

A snappy almond-and-herb pesto is a fresh departure from the classic pine-nut-and-basil version. For an even more nutritious variation, add three tablespoons ground flaxseed to the pesto.

Avocado provides folic acid, fiber, and monounsaturated fatty acids; pear adds extra soluble fiber and sweetness.

Verdant, leafy greens lend this soup a wealth of vitamins and minerals. If using chard, kale, or other hearty greens, remove the thickest center ribs; finely chop the ribs and add to the pot with the other ingredients. Packages of “stir-fry” greens are a quick alternative.

Fresh, clean flavors define these grilled fish tacos. The cabbage is also a potent cancer fighter. Set out the fish and toppings (use a melon baller to scoop avocado into neat balls), and let guests assemble their own tacos.

Rice salads make nice gluten-free alternatives to pasta salads; like the latter, they can be served at room temperature or chilled. This fresh-flavored side uses three types of rice—wild, brown, and brown basmati—but any combination of rices would work well.

If you’d like to use fresh peas (you’ll need about a pound for one cup shelled), add them along with the mushrooms.

This nutrient-dense salad capitalizes on fall and winter’s best produce, while delivering ample health benefits. The squash and cranberry beans (also called borlotti or Roman beans) provide fiber, which helps lower cholesterol; the kale prompts the liver to release enzymes that may fight cancer. Other types of winter squash, such as butternut or acorn, would also work in this recipe, as would cannellini or navy beans.

Cooking the chicken with the skin and bones intact ultimately makes the dish more flavorful (and economical), but feel free to substitute two boneless, skinless breast halves for the whole breast in this salad if you prefer (reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes). Bok choy, abundant with cancer-fighting compounds, makes a nutritious accompaniment.

Roasted garlic serves as the base of the salad dressing. The allium not only adds depth of flavor but can also help lower cholesterol. Pumpkin is rich in potassium, fiber, and vitamin C.

For convenience, you can cook the corn and beans early in the day, toss them with olive oil and smashed garlic, and keep them (covered) in the refrigerator. To remove corn kernels from the cob, stand the ear upright on its flat end; with a sharp knife, cut along the length of the cob, turning as you go.

A nutrition-rich combination of yogurt, carrots, walnuts, and avocado is made even more healthful with the addition of sprouts, an excellent source of phytonutrients.

Grass-fed beef is leaner than beef raised on grain, which ultimately means it’s lower in saturated fat. Here, beef is served over red quinoa, which adds protein and vitamins to the dish. Brown rice is another healthful option.

Fiber-rich artichokes are the base of this vegetable-cheese dip—and their tender leaves stand in as “chips.” The combination of part-skim ricotta and mozzarella cheeses replaces the sour cream in original recipes for this crowd-pleasing party food, resulting in the same creamy texture but less saturated fat.

The Mexican equivalent of crème fraîche, crema is often served with Southwestern dishes as a relief to spicy food, as well as to provide richness—with refried beans or a spicy stew, for example. Crème fraîche and natural sour cream are acceptable substitutes.

Foods preserved in brine, usually a mixture of vinegar, chiles, and spices, are called en escabeche (pickled). This technique is most commonly used for vegetables, but also for meat, fish, and eggs.

These are the fresh fruit drinks of Mexico that you find at markets everywhere served from large ribbed glass jars. Vendors at Mexican markets will offer licuados of all flavors made from local fruit, sugar, and water in a kaleidoscope of colors—hot pinks and greens from melons, yellow from pineapple, purple from hibiscus blossoms, orange from tangerines. No two licuado stands are alike, and this drink represents, for me, the infinite variety and vitality of Mexican cuisine. If you go to Mexico, be sure to try the local licuado, since each region and locality has its own special tropical fruits and ingredients. I prefer to use cane sugar for licuados as it produces a noticeably brighter fruit flavor. For a more natural sugar, substitute a light agave syrup, using about one-fourth less than for cane sugar. If you have a juicer that both squeezes the fruit and strains the pulp, it will produce a fantastic licuado base with the purest fruit flavor. With really ripe, sweet fruit, decrease the amount of sugar in the recipe.

It’s the crunchy contrast of hard shell and moist filling that does it for fans of fried tacos. Throughout the book are traditional and innovative fillings that make perfect partners to crispy fried tortillas. Try the take-out standard updated and refined as Classic Ground Beef with Guajillo Chiles (page 92), the smoky Tex-Mex allure of Barbecued Brisket (page 99), the fusion appeal of Thai Shrimp (page 59), or the unexpected meatiness of Portobello Mushrooms with Chipotle (page 24). These are just a few of the recipes that let you bring home the crunch without a trip to the drive-through. You can purchase ready-to-fill crispy corn taco shells at most grocery stores. As the shells can quickly get stale and go rancid, buy them at a store with a very high turnover and buy just the amount you need for a meal, as they don’t keep well. Of the national brands that I’ve tasted, those made by Taco Bell were the best and most reliable. With not much effort, though, you can make taco shells that are tastier, fresher, and crisper than any you can buy and in just the size you need. And you don’t even have to use tortillas. Wonton skins and egg roll wrappers, available at almost any supermarket, fry up into delicious shells ready for filling.