This salad is inspired by the ingredients local to the Tucson region, and the effect is sunshine in a bowl. Grapefruit, pistachios, goat cheese, quick pickled onions, and a lemon vinaigrette will brighten any grey day.

When the Christmas carols start playing and the world depends on caffeine in order to make the holidays happen, I like to whip up easy bakes with the kids that make all of our days a little brighter. Moist from apples, bright with citrus and spice, and dotted with that necessary nutty crunch, you can’t go wrong when this cake is your afternoon pick-me-up.

This fall teacake is a happy accompaniment to any time of the day. The crumb is light, fluffy, and perfectly moist. The cheesecake layer is creamy and beautifully balances the sweetness and spice of the crumb. And well, just look at those cute little pumpkins on the top! I can’t think of a better way to enjoy a fall moment than by eating a thick slice of this beauty alongside a steaming cup of coffee or tea.

Dressed up for a party or down for lunch at home, this salad is hearty, healthy, and sure to bring all the best fall vibes to your dining table. Featuring all the best seasonal salad ingredients in a new way, the whole thing is very easy to make in advance and take to work, a potluck, or this year’s Friendsgiving event.

Pineapples are a pretty well loved fruit, so it’s not that hard to incorporate them into your diet. But besides being delicious, pineapples are an absolute gold mine of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, and pineapple smoothies are the perfect food to aid in healing, immunity, and digestion.

No matter how you score your sourdough (or even if you forego cutting it altogether), your homemade bread will be a beautiful piece of artisanal food art. However, if you’re dying to make loaves with beautiful patterns and designs etched into the crust, I’m here to help!

The full recipe for the best, crusty, rustic sourdough bread. It’s not quick, but it’s worth the wait!

My kids love hummus, and I love that it’s a really nutritious spread that I can whip up in 5 minutes flat. We eat hummus as a snack with veggies, spread on toast for breakfast, smoothed into sandwiches for lunch, and served along with other dips in a mezze spread.

Earthy squash, sweet apples, warming cinnamon; are there any flavors that signify autumn’s arrival more than these? Blend them together in a creamy soup, top them with spiced pecans, and serve them alongside a melty, sourdough grilled cheese, and Fall has officially begun!

It is my firm belief that the secret to a good coffee cake batter is cream cheese. No other ingredient makes for such a rich, moist, irresistible crumb. Throw in some tart blackberries and just the right amount of spice, and you have a beautiful late summer dessert.

Not only are these bars delicious, but they make a perfect grab and go sweet snack or breakfast for the kids. While still a treat, I love that they have fresh fruit, lots of oats, and real butter. Plus they’re easy to whip up, and with no eggs or nuts, they’re fairly allergy friendly for the kids. Win, win, win!

I love the juxtaposition of sweet, cold custard against the warming spiciness of cinnamon in this ice cream. It is absolutely delicious all on it’s own, or it pairs beautifully with sweet ripe fruit and so many varieties of pie. Here' I’ve given fresh peaches a generous sprinkling of turbinado sugar and a kiss of flame for a warm, caramelized accompaniment to the ice cream.

This cake is luscious, rich, indulgent, fudgy yet somehow light, complex, and so undeniably delicious that the only adornment it needs is a puff of delicate whipped cream and a smear of red raspberry puree.

Packed with protein-rich lentils and creamy coconut milk, this soup on its own makes an excellent vegan entree, especially when paired with a hunk of fresh sourdough bread. However, you can also serve it with my recipe for Simple Salmon for a really healthy and fortifying meal.

Shortcakes are the perfect summer dessert: light, refreshing, and a showcase for all the season’s beautiful produce. In this version, I pair my favorite lemon shortcakes with macerated berries and little apple stars for a fantastic 4th of July treat.

Not only is this dish unique and out of this world delicious, but it’s also such a quick meal to put together. The combination of feta, fennel, orange, and basil is so beautiful, and may I say classy, nobody will guess that this is actually a one pot meal that takes only 30 minutes to whip up!

For this cozy family celebration, I made Raspberry Dark Chocolate Chunk and Sweet Buttered Almond ice cream. I chose these flavors because they’re some of our favorites but also because they fit our personalities. Serve them in homemade waffle cones, and there’s no better way to celebrate all of life’s moments, big or small.

This blueberry almond tea cake is the perfect treat to steal away with for a moment of peace. It’s very easy to put together, it relies on pantry friendly ingredients, and the sweet, tender crumb paired with the bright lemon drizzle make for an uplifting and just-rich-enough cake that’s perfect for pretty much any time of day.

I’m an Arizona gal at heart as well as by birth, so Southwestern flavors always make me feel a little nostalgic. But I also appreciate how citrus and chile can cut through heavy ingredients like cream and cheese, lightening up a dish that is classically very heavy. Brimming with corn, potatoes, peppers, cream, and hints of cilantro, chiles, and lime, this corn chowder is a bright and punchy twist on an old American summer favorite.

While I tend to cook more “Italian” style pastas, I love this dish because it incorporates a Mexican chile, the pasilla pepper, for a very subtle and sweet heat in an otherwise pretty traditional spaghetti sauce. I also love this dish because it’s an absolutely delicious vegetarian meal that beautifully showcases one of my favorite summer vegetables: the eggplant.