I came up with this recipe when I had just a few ingredients remaining in my kitchen, and I didn’t feel like going to the grocery store. I wanted a simple, yet delicious, one dish veggie meal... something like risotto, but I didn’t have Arborio rice. So I experimented with pearled barley (which is used a lot in soups) I had in my kitchen cupboard and the few veggies, goat cheese and pine nuts I had in my refrigerator. This is the result; a simple, yet delicious one dish dinner that can be made in bulk so you have leftovers for the week. You can even add wild salmon or a meat if you so wish. One of the secrets to this dish is cooking the pearled barley until it's just tender or al dente. You don't want to overcook it because it will get mushy. Good luck!

This spring recipe is just marvelous for brunch, lunch or early dinner. Use spiral-shaped tube pasta for a pretty aesthetic that contrasts beautifully with the shapes of the sliced vegetables and picks up the fresh herb-infused sauce. Make this the day before if you like -- it's great out of the fridge, and the flavors really develop while it hangs out a bit.

Lamb is a common main dish at the Easter dinner table, and it's important to buy organic if you choose to include lamb in your Easter menu. Lamb is a sheep less than a year old, typically between four and twelve months. In this short time, organic lambs are healthier and often happier; without the use of antibiotics or non-organic feed, lamb is a delicious and healthy meat, the perfect dish for special occasions.

Fettuccine Alfredo is a guilty pleasure for anyone indulging in the traditional butter and cheese-laden pasta dish. It’s incredibly thick and creamy, oozing with comfort and warmth. In this completely dairy-free version, a butter-less roux and pumpkin puree are called upon to make an Alfredo sauce no less pleasing or comforting. This wholesome entrée is packed with leafy greens and antioxidant-rich pumpkins, with just a hint of indulgence. Try it out on a nippy night with a side of roasted veggies and a Belgian ale or a chilled fruity white wine.

Risotto, the creamy Italian rice dish, is a simple recipe that, when done right, oozes luxury. In this health-spun version, brown rice replaces the usual Arborio rice, and we’ve added grated raw beets and luscious coconut milk. This is a gorgeous dish that tastes as good as it looks. Get your protein, fiber and antioxidant boost all in one rustic meal, perfect for a chilly winter night with a tall glass of red wine.

Thanksgiving may arguably just be the most important holiday of the year. Done right, it's a happy, heartwarming and totally gourmand celebration of life's luxuries. And what could be a better symbol of simple luxury than a beautifully cooked turkey? A world where so many families can feast like this is a beautiful world indeed.

So you've gone out and bought the perfect free-range, organic turkey to celebrate the joys of life. Why spoil it by drying it out in the oven, or waste a bunch of oil to fry it? If you've got a barbecue, you can smoke that turkey to a succulent, moist, deeply flavorful, absolute masterpiece. Here's the method my mother's used for over ten years, making a perfect bird every time.

I made this pasta after an 8-day road trip from Los Angeles to South Carolina with my mother. Our mission, to deliver a dog, Phoebe, and a truck to Early Branch, SC. What a fabulous trip! We traveled through 10 states over nine days. My mother is very sensitive to processed foods, additives and preservatives. Really, her body rejects anything unnatural. So I packed two coolers full of fresh food before we left (that I refilled along the way from Whole Foods in major cities).

This is a perfect recipe for Meatless Monday or any night of the week you want to go vegetarian (or even vegan, just make appropriate substitutions). Black beans are super affordable (look for them in the bulk section) and high in protein!

I discovered brown rice pasta when we learned my mother had a gluten sensitivity and couldn’t eat regular pasta. We started experimenting with other types of pastas, like brown rice pasta, and my husband and I discovered we love it! We find it is less filling than normal pastas and it has a delicious nutty flavor.

When my natural path doctor prescribed an anti inflammatory diet for a month, that meant I couldn’t have any cheese or milk from cows (which is a fav!). But I could have goat cheese! That’s when I discovered some delicious raw goat cheeses. Goat cheese is healthier than cow’s milk (because of the smaller proteins) and raw cheese is easier to digest.

The winter has hit its stride. You know the feeling—you try hard to blind your eyes to the snowy darkness and to imagine yourself on a warm, sunny beach, but somehow it's impossible to picture yourself as feeling really, truly warm ever again.