This is so good, it might leave you speechless. I mean, what’s not to love? Almonds, pecans, walnuts, dark chocolate chips, dark cherry, coconut . . . are you dizzy yet? I’m not trying to brag, but when we gave a friend of ours some of this granola, he took one bite and asked, “Will it travel?” When we said “Yes,” he said, “Good . . . I’m taking it to Honduras with me!” I hope the customs folks there don’t ask for a nibble. We put some into a jar on the top shelf of my kitchen to see how long it would hold up; turns out it held up longer than we did. We got to a week before we devoured it all. And believe me, that was after employing a lot of willpower.

This is pure aromatherapy. There’s nothing like the smell of baking apple pie to raise the spirits, so in this recipe I pulled together the spices that make apple pie special and gave them a new home— walnuts. Walnuts, with all their nooks and crannies, catch all the spices, especially after they’re coated with a little olive oil and maple syrup (just writing this is making me practically salivate). Walnuts happen to be loaded with the omega-3 known as alpha-linolenic acid, which in animal studies exerted an antidepressant effect. Tossing them with plump raisins is the kicker.

If age is any indicator, hummus has been popular since at least the 13th century, where it was listed in an Egyptian cookbook. So as far as it being too exotic to cook, well, that’s really not the case. Hummus is a mix of pureed chickpeas, lemon juice and tahini-- which is just ground up sesame seeds that, fortunately for your brain, are full of zinc. Hummus is a great foundation for experimentation, and here I’ve pumped up the colors and flavors by introducing sweet potatoes topped with pomegranate seeds and mint. There’s an earthy, mellow taste to this creamy hummus that resonates on a deep level, with cumin, curry, and ginger spicing providing just the right level of ahhhhhh….

If this immediately brings to mind Greek tzatziki sauce, well, that’s what it was designed to do. I love tzatziki—it’s so cool and refreshing—and I figured if it was good enough for a sauce, it would work great as a chilled soup. And so it goes. Normally with tzatziki you have to grate those hydrating cucumbers. With this recipe, everything goes in the blender—and boom!—you have soup. The only thing you have to do is put it in the fridge to cool. It’s absolutely luscious on a hot day. 

Cooking sometimes defies math—or, as we’re fond of saying around my house, the whole of a dish is often greater than the sum of the parts. Edamame, watercress, cabbage: in themselves, they’re a tad less than exciting. Yet when you combine them and add zinc-filled sesame seeds and a cilantro-lime vinaigrette, suddenly you have a salad that’s clean, green, and lean. I love it with fish (especially salmon), but it also works well on its own, notably on those days when your body and mind are yearning for culinary refreshment. This would be a great accompaniment to Wild Salmon Kebabs with Asian Pesto.

When I want to go from “wow” to “YOWZA!” with a drink, I boil it down into a syrup. This one’s made with grapefruit, lemon, and orange. And sometimes inspiration will strike, and I will add fresh herbs, in this case thyme. Then I boil, watch, wait, and strain. Surprise–I have a syrup of epic proportions that is bracingly refreshing.

Whether it’s kids, traffic, work, marriage, or any combination thereof, stress is an ever-present factor in most people’s lives. I’ve long turned to chamomile’s relaxing properties to pull some of that stress out of my system. A lot of folks like chamomile as a hot tea, but that’s not exactly a summertime go-to, thus the inspiration for this lemonade that combines chamomile tea, green apples, lemon juice, and a hint of maple syrup.

When it comes to improving your well-being, green tea is a slam dunk. It’s a phenomenal immune booster and can protect against tumor growth. But when it comes to taste, lets just say it needs a good point guard to help it set up the alley-oop. In this recipe, that would be papaya, which Columbus called “the fruit of the angels.” It’s a popular food in Nicoya, Costa Rica, one of the ‘blue zones’ renowned for longevity. Papaya’s sweetness balances the natural bitterness of straight green tea. The two dance nicely together in the lab as well; one study suggests that the combination of green tea and papaya may cut the risk of prostate cancer. I have to admit, I get a kick out of it when I choose ingredients based on taste and later find out that they’re also great for you.

Blueberries contain lots of pectin, which helps soothe the stomach, and one of their active compounds can help prevent cancer cells from getting nourishment. Also important: this is delicious! Try it over my Best Oatmeal Ever.

For ages, buying rice in America was like walking into an ice cream store and finding they had only two flavors. The vanilla of the rice world is bleached white rice, which has had its nutrients strip-mined away. Its chocolate counterpart is taste-less short-grain brown rice, which gave rise to the phrase “hippie gruel.” Fortunately, many different types of rice are now available. Basmati, jasmine, sushi rice . . .  Forbidden Rice (Purple Rice), is a terrific choice for rice salads because of its nutty taste and firm texture

Chicken isn’t given its due as a brain food, and that’s an omission worth correcting. It’s absolutely loaded with tryptophan, which can boost mood and make sleep come easier. It’s also high in vitamin B3 (aka niacin), which the Chicago Health and Aging Project, in a study of more than 3,700 individuals, found may slow cognitive decline. Here we take chicken thighs and jazz ’em up with a tantalizing mint chimichurri: with its South American roots, it’s one of my go-to sauces for chicken.

This is nothing like your grandmother’s egg salad. Instead of a heavy mayonnaise dressing, eggs are tossed with vibrant slivered mint leaves and a light dressing of olive oil and lemon. What makes this salad unforgettable is Paula grates the eggs, so they are ethereally light. (As her longtime editor Fran McCullough notes, grating also makes traditional egg salad velvety smooth.) Paula offered this recipe as an accompaniment to köfte, Turkish grilled meat skewers. But it’s so good, it’s been doubled here to be enjoyed as a stand-alone or with a green salad as a light meal.

You know that old Sesame Street song that goes, “One of these things is not like the others . . .”? Put a cashew next to butter and margarine and you’ll probably think, “Hey, I know which one of these doesn’t belong.” Think again. By using nut creams—in this case pulverized cashews—I’ve pleased many a client who swears by butter but wants to go dairy free. Not only is the cashew taste fulfilling and delightful, but nuts are far better for you than any store-bought buttery spread made from corn oil.

All I can say is get out your camera, cause when you make this dish, you’re going to want to take a picture of it before you serve it. It’s just that pretty, with the peach of the salmon, the ruby red jewels of the pomegranate seeds, the vibrant green of the parsley. The taste is no less sensational, the citrus and herbs playing wonderfully off the salmon’s healthy blend of omega-3 rich fats. This one will energize all your senses.

Painting, like cooking, is all about getting into a zone, which is probably why I like doing both. They’re complementary in another way; I’m visually driven, and when I’m working on a painting—as I was this past summer—I’m drawn to foods that create a color sensation on the plate. Don’t ask me why— maybe there’s something about color that impacts taste—but foods that blend well visually also taste fantastic together. I know that not many people would put pomegranate seeds together with olives and fennel, but you gotta trust me on this one; it’s not only a dance party for the mouth, but your eyes will widen at how good it looks.

Working with the youth of America in the kitchen keeps me both in stitches and on my toes. A sassy Jersey girl named Katie Bealer is one of my trusted assistants. Hanging around Katie is like learning a new language, one I think of as Text-o-Talk. She took one taste of this soup and exclaimed,“OMG!” I LOL’d in response. (See, I’m learning.) I was actually thinking of calling this recipe RGSPS in her honor; anyone who comes up with descriptor “ridiculously good” deserves to be honored. In any case, her unbridled enthusiasm for this soup made it a keeper for the book. If you enjoy traditional split pea soup with ham and want that smoky flavor here, just add smoked paprika or ground chipotle chiles. However, it’s the blending of the split peas that drives the taste in this recipe, creating a velvety mouth feel that’s perfect for transporting the flavors of the garlic, carrot, onions, and thyme that round out the soup. As a bonus, especially for those concerned about diabetes, split peas are great for you, being rich in fiber, which fights cholesterol and helps regulate blood sugar levels. As for Katie and me, all I can say is we’re BFFs.