Citrus

Tequila and agave nectar come from the same place: the agave plant. This fun sweet and tart drink reunites them.

If you want to wow your guests at your next Mexican fiesta, make this dessert. Period. This lime confection is a cross between an ice cream and a pie, and the pretzel crust adds just the right amount of saltiness to make it fun and totally unforgettable.

I love lemon desserts. But lemon meringue pie was strictly off-limits to me since typically it’s all sugar. Not this one. It features a flaky, tender whole grain crust with a tart and tangy lemon filling topped with mounds of fluffy meringue—and not a single drop of sugar. Truly a lemon lover’s dream. The meringue may weep a bit after refrigeration, but this will not affect the taste or texture of the pie.

This blueberry topping can also be used over ice cream or yogurt.

The texture of this cake is that of angel food cake, but made with whole grains, it has more substance than the white version.

I love all things lemon. The barley and oat flours used in this recipe create a nutty crust that complements the tart, soufflélike topping—perfect with a cup of green tea.

These irresistible cookies are so versatile. For something special, fill them with peanut butter and juice-sweetened jam to make a cookie sandwich. Dip half the sandwich in chocolate ganache and place on waxed paper–lined baking sheets to firm up the chocolate. There’s only one word for this—outrageous.

This tea bread gets its nutty flavor and texture from wild rice. The nuts and cranberries inside make an appealing visual presentation. Spread a little nonfat Greek-style yogurt on top, instead of cream cheese, for a delicious low-fat breakfast.

The filling for these crêpes is made with mirin, a Japanese cooking wine made from sweet brown rice. You can find it at health food stores, Asian food stores, and possibly your local supermarket. This is a fabulous vegan dish, ideal for brunch.

I keep a batch of these low-fat muffins in my freezer at all times. They stand in as cupcakes when my daughter, Sofia, asks, “What’s for dessert?” For a quick and easy low-fat frosting, spread a little Greek-style yogurt over the top, drizzle with agave nectar, and add a sprinkle of cinnamon. Perfect!

Cranberry and orange is a classic, tangy flavor combination. Stock up and freeze fresh cranberries when in season for baking throughout the year. For a sweet and chewy alternative, try fruit-sweetened dried cranberries, which are similar to raisins.

One day my coauthor, Mat, was reminiscing to his mom, Clair, about an ice cream store he worked at while in college. “I told her that I got so sick of ice cream that for two years after I quit I couldn’t go near it.” At which point Clair mentioned that as a girl she worked for years at the chocolate counter at Gimbel’s, one of New York’s famous retailers. Gimbel’s let you eat as much chocolate as you liked on the job, so long as you didn’t take any home. “I asked Mom if she ever got sick of chocolate. She just looked at me like I was nuts and said, ‘Why would I?’” Which brings us to these little morsels. For chocolate aficionados, nothing provides a better fix than a truffle. My friend Wendy, an incredible chocolatier, designed these confections from a scrumptious mélange of chocolate, dates, orange zest, and ground nuts, all rolled in coconut. I could tell you that the reason to eat these is because they’re high in protein and phytochemicals, but how ‘bout we just call that a nice side benefit of yum! Since you’re going to indulge in a chocolate dessert, be sure to make it the best by using high-quality chocolate.

When I told my friend about this baked apple dish, he said it reminded him of an old folk recipe. When he was little and had an upset tummy, his Russian grandmother would cut up an apple and leave it out on the counter for a few minutes, until it began to brown. His grandmother would then say, “Come eat, tatellah” (an affectionate way of saying, “little man” in Yiddish). Lo and behold, a few minutes later his stomach felt better. He always figured it was love at work (and, of course, it was), but years later he found out there was also some science involved: As they brown—or cook, in this case—apples release pectin, which naturally soothes the belly. Baking makes the pectin and the rest of the apple easier to digest. In this recipe, the apples are complemented by a whole host of tasty morsels and spices—toasted pecans, dates, orange zest, and cinnamon—and as they bake, they smell heavenly.

Drizzles and dollops are very helpful for people who are dealing with impaired taste buds as a result of treatment. Drizzles are a bit like Roman candles; they light up the palette. They’re lighter than dollops, but don’t be fooled; the parsley in this drizzle is like a whiff of pure oxygen. It’s that energizing.

Avocado sure knows how to tango with mango. As a taste and texture combo, it’s one of the most refreshing two-steps I’ve come across. Mangoes are sweet, but not overly so. Avocados are creamy, but with some heft. Together, they make for a fantastic salsa that’s especially great for people dealing with a metallic taste in the mouth due to treatment. With the added perkiness of the red bell pepper, cilantro, and lime, this salsa whirls around the dance floor of your palate.

Like the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette, this recipe works wonderfully with salads or as a quick way to dress up fish or meat. The lemon kick makes this a great partner for My Family’s Favorite Chicken (page 111).

Vinaigrettes, at least the way we design them, have a double purpose. They’re a wonderful addition to kick up greens and put their taste over the top. But I also like them as marinades for fish and meats. There’s nothing like a dish that’s marinated until the meat is so tender that it practically slides off the bone and into your mouth. In Middle-Eastern cuisine, some dishes are marinated for days. Okay, so few us are that patient—and in truth it’s really not necessary. Even just a little cuddle time between a dish and these vinaigrettes/marinades is enough to make any meal succulent. I like the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette as a marinade for fish and chicken recipes.

“Simple is as simple does,” said Forrest Gump, and when it comes to cooking, I heartily agree. This drizzle is a perfect example of FASS in action. This is the little black dress of condiments—appropriate in almost any situation. What it really comes down to is lemon zest, basil, and lemon juice, and zingo, you have a condiment that brightens and brings out the flavor in anything you put it on top of—veggies, chicken, fish, whatever. But it isn’t just packed with flavor, it’s also loaded with cancer-fighting properties, including anti-inflammatory agents in the basil and antioxidants in the lemon.

A lot of people wonder why adding healthy items like flaxseeds to a decent-tasting smoothie destroys the taste. The answer is that the smoothie recipe didn’t take into account the items you’d want to add. The normal fix is to add a ton of sweetener, but I don’t agree with that approach, especially in recipes for cancer patients. But the berry blast of this smoothie plays well with the vital flax and whey. The abundant antioxidants make this smoothie one for the books.

Sometimes I feel like the United Nations is meeting in my kitchen. This time around it’s India and Lebanon at the table. It sounds exotic, but this is really just a nice, simple hummus (that’s the Lebanese part) with a zingy curry buzz (hello, Sri Lanka). Chickpeas are rich in protein and essential amino acids for keeping the body strong, while the sesame seeds in the tahini have high levels of anticancer phytochemicals; and since the seeds are ground into a paste, they’re easy to digest.