Vegetarian

Preserved lemon gives this mash intense pops of salty-citrusy flavor. Scoop out the flesh and pith from the lemon and use only the peel.

No tandoor oven? We didn't think so. Any heavy-bottomed skillet will get the job done.

For a little less heat, omit the chiles or mustard seeds.

Meatless doesn't mean dainty. When making a veggie-centric sandwich, load up on aggressive flavors and contrasting textures, and be sure to add something substantial to sink your teeth into, like roasted vegetables, sliced hardboiled eggs, or mashed beans. This vegetarian powerhouse from Brooklyn's Saltie balances salty feta and olives with a salad-like mix of fresh herbs. Plenty of pickled, vinegary ingredients (this one uses capers and pickled beets, but any pickled veg would work) keep the full-flavored components bright.

Drizzle this sweet-salty vinaigrette on green salads or on roasted carrots.

This is especially pretty made with a mix of orange and purple carrots, and even nicer if you flute the carrots lengthwise with a channel knife before slicing them—this results in slices with pretty scalloped edges. A channel knife is handy for cutting decorative strips of citrus zest, too; you can pick one up in nearly any gourmet shop.

Parmigiano-Reggiano adds salty, nutty richness to this ratatouille, which rivals the best oven versions. To speed preparation, feel free to skip the first step of salting and rinsing the eggplant and zucchini (this process draws off any bitter juices). Instead, just remove any particularly seedy and brown parts of the eggplant, or use smaller Japanese eggplants (which also do not need to be peeled). For pizzazz, add chickpeas and pitted, chopped oil-cured black olives. To make this dish vegan, swap in olive oil for the butter and skip the cheese (adding olives will make up for cheese's saltiness). When reheating the polenta, add liquid (such as chicken stock or milk), then adjust the seasoning if necessary with more salt, pepper, and butter.

The Japanese are renowned for their longevity. As of 2011, their average life expectancy was 82.3 years. (The United States came in fiftieth, at 78.4 years.) Researchers often credit their diet, and this soup is my way of cramming as much of their healthy cuisine into a bowl as possible. It's called Bento Box Soup because of the traditional Japanese take-out bento box lunch, which is full of compartments, each containing a tasty treat: fish or meat, rice, pickled or cooked veggies, and other goodies. The base is a miso broth; if you're not in the know about miso, it's a salty fermented soy product that aids digestion and improves immune function. In case white miso isn't available, use any mellow (light) miso. I kicked those healing properties up a notch by infusing green tea into the broth for an extra immune boost, then added shiitakes, spinach, kombu, scallions, and tamari.

And who, pray tell, is this exotic culinary adventuress named Bella? My eight-year-old Portuguese water dog. For a long time now, she's loved carrots. She literally comes running every time she hears the carrot peeler come out of the drawer. My husband and I thought, "Hmm, that's different for a dog," and played the approving parents. Recently, she's expanded her palate to sweet potatoes. No sooner do they hit the counter than she's singing and dancing around my feet. I quarter and square off the potatoes and fling the ends at her, and she's been known to get some serious hang time as she leaps for them. Seriously, Air Bud's got nothing on Bella. Maybe she heard about how healthful sweet potatoes are: their natural sweetness is perfectly balanced with high fiber content, slowing the rush of sugar into the bloodstream, which is great for the vascular system, and for mood. My experience says that's true; whenever I make this salad, Bella's awfully happy.

Healers have touted saffron's medicinal properties since the days of Hippocrates, and Cleopatra claimed that it was an aphrodisiac. Its scarcity (it takes some four thousand crocus blossoms to create an ounce of saffron) and the belief that it could be used to treat everything from wounds to the plague even caused the Austrians to go to war over the spice during the Dark Ages. This is at least one feudal folk myth that modern science has corroborated. Studies have shown that saffron has outstanding antibacterial and antiviral properties and also aids digestion. People sometimes balk at saffron's cost, but it isn't unreasonable when you consider its potency; this recipe calls for only 1/8 teaspoon, and as you'll see, a little goes a long way. This pilaf is a delightful and gorgeous dish. The rice is sautéed before cooking to avoid that sticky, gummy consistency, and ginger, parsley, and lemon zest add zing. Prepare ahead: Soak the rice in cool water and the juice of half a lemon for 8 hours or overnight before cooking; this will make its nutrients more available and decrease the cooking time. If you don't have time to soak the rice, add an extra 1/4 cup of broth and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

This is an old favorite and was, apart form pancakes, the only way my children would eat eggs. They called them 'poofle' eggs, although I can't remember why. They are known by many other names, some more logical than others, including knothole eggs, bird’s nest, Hollywood eggs, and one-eyed Jack.

Buddha's Delight is traditionally served on the first day of Chinese New Year, a practice stemming from an old Buddhist custom of spiritual cleansing. In fact, the recipe's Cantonese name is simply jai, meaning "vegetarian food." Some ingredients, such as lily buds and bean thread noodles, may require a special trip to a Chinese market.

"Yogurt lightens this riff on hummus. It's fantastic with pita chips or crudités." —Chris Morocco, associate food editor

If your Marcona almonds haven't already been oiled and salted, add another 1 tablespoon oil when toasting.

The fact that these fries are healthier is almost beside the point—baked fries are great in their own right, and who's crazy enough to deep-fry on a weeknight anyway? These potatoes get a dusting of spices before roasting for extra flavor.

Eating Padrón or shishito peppers is a bit like playing Russian roulette. Most are mild, but every now and then you'll bite into a wickedly hot one.

This version of white gazpacho, traditionally made with green grapes, is brightened with the addition of green apple.

Peanut butter has a place on the dinner table. This recipe makes enough for two or three different meals.

Sweet and citrusy with a touch of heat, this side dish would also be a great match for roast chicken or pork.