Citrus

Potent—but so much classier than your dive bar shots.

This dish is made with chicken thighs, which have more flavor than chicken breasts but you can substitute chicken breasts if you like. The meat needs to be raw for this dish so it can absorb more of the flavor as it cooks. Although the recipe calls for tequila, you can substitute beer, orange juice, or pineapple juice if you prefer. The liquid smoke is optional, but it does add a nice extra kick of smoky flavor. Serve this dish with rice, refried beans, and frozen margaritas or a frosty glass of beer.

Tom Yum is made so many different ways that no two batches are really ever alike. Simultaneously spicy, tart, and sweet, this soup grows on you the more you eat it. Try it along with rice to cut some of the heat, or eat it throughout a meal for a welcome contrast.

Spaghetti squash plays the part of rice noodles in this take on a Vietnamese noodle bowl.

This bright and fiery Haitian condiment (pronounced "pick-lees") is traditionally served with meats and fried food to balance rich flavors.

Brewed tea is an easy way to infuse complex flavors into warming winter cocktails like this one.

Salting the radishes keeps them crunchy, and keeps the yogurt dip from turning pink.

A pinch of salt makes everything taste better, including savory smoothies.

Try this as a dip, on crackers with smoked fish, or over hard-boiled eggs.

The liquid is really up to you. Nut milks add body and protein, but if you prefer something sweeter, try juice. Less heavy? Go with coconut water.

Try this with white beans on toast, in salads, or puréed and spread on pita.

A lot of people assume that being healthy means that red meat is off the menu. But I'm delighted to say that it's very much on mine. That said, I am a stickler for ensuring that the meat we eat is of the highest quality and that it is always paired with an abundance of vegetables. Plants are always my main focus, but a little bit of good-quality meat here and there has worked best for me. I have tried being vegan and vegetarian but my health suffered during those phases. We are, after all, omnivores and so, unless you have a specific dislike of, issue with or reaction to meat, I think it's a food group that has an important role in our diet. If you like carpaccio, this recipe also works incredibly well with the beef served raw and very finely sliced.

There are many ways to make beet soup, the most well-known of all being borscht, the hearty Russian classic that also contains veggies like potatoes and cabbage. Beet soup can be eaten cold, so we like to make it with more delicate flavors and puree it. Here, the ginger beautifully balances the beet, and the coconut milk adds a nice fat component. We find citrus finishes this dish perfectly, so we garnish it with a bit of orange.