Fruit

This fresh slaw is refreshing, tart, crunchy, and wonderful served alongside grilled chicken.

If you don’t rinse the rice, it will be gummy. If you don’t parboil the rice, it’ll be dry and tough when it comes out of the oven. If you don’t use yogurt, eggs, and oil, it will never get golden and crisp. Now you know!

The yogurt in the marinade, along with the honey and pomegranate molasses in the glaze, will give the chicken lots of color—the dark, charred parts are extra tasty.

Merguez, a lamb sausage spiced with cumin and chiles, is exceptional in this easy grain bowl, but any sausage you like will work just as well.

This easy taco dinner has lots of quick tricks: like cooking the pineapple and shrimp on one sheet pan, and then tossing the filling with the same dressing you used to quick-pickle the onions.

Cooking lemon slices just to this side of burnt adds a layer of complex flavor to this comforting dish.

Savory fruit toast is the new avocado toast. Other combinations we’re crushing on: lemony yogurt with cucumbers, almond butter and pears.

Salting the citrus draws out some of the juice, which becomes part of the vinaigrette.

Sweet cherries, dried cherries, and cherry juice (plus a splash of cherry brandy) combine with vanilla and orange peel in the sauce for this flavorful dessert, prime for Mardi Gras dinner.

This showstopper is a kaleidoscope of colors, a treasure chest of nutrients . . . yet not a berry to be seen. Winter fruit has its merits: Kiwi is an excellent source of vitamins C and K (the latter is needed for blood clotting), not to mention digestion-enhancing fiber. Reddish-orange persimmons contain twice the dietary fiber of apples, plus more potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, and antioxidants. Cantaloupe and honeydew both provide potassium and are super hydrating—helpful for the winter months when you might be stuck indoors amid dry, re-circulated air. Dressed in a tropical coconut kefir-and-mint vinaigrette, it's a pleasure for all of the senses.

Meet my version of an energy bar. About 30 minutes before a workout, I’ll grab one of these scones, plus some coffee and a gulp of kefir; the whole wheat flour gives me the sustained energy I need to make it through a five-mile run or an hour-long SoulCycle class . . . or just a normal, hectic day.

This is a spin on a recipe I created for my cooking show, Patricia Heaton Parties. I love the combination of hot, juicy shrimp with a crispy coating and a zingy dipping sauce. Delish.

Gingersnaps add a hint of spice to this cream cheese–enriched make-ahead summer classic.

This sugar-free applesauce is a cinch to make at home in your Dutch oven.

This will last for about 2 days in an airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface of the smash to prevent oxidation. Pressing down eliminates any air pockets that might also cause the pesky brown spots.

Looking for a special dinner for two? First, pan-sear one big steak to share. Then, while the steak rests, use the fat rendered behind in the skillet to sear smashed paprika-spiced potatoes to crispy, golden perfection.