Eggs are an ideal solution for a quick and healthy dinner, especially when the air is thick with humidity and the last thing you want to do is hover over a hot stove. I made this egg sambal because I always enjoy dressing up one of nature's most versatile foods. For those unfamiliar with the term, sambal is a spicy condiment popular in Southern Indian and Asia.

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One of the most interesting chapters of my highly treasured copy of Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries is the section entitled "contemporary curries." As if his more traditional Indian recipes weren't tempting enough, the fusion-style offerings are a must try for cooks looking to spice up Western dishes. A perfect example is this spicy version of macaroni and cheese. There are infinite ways to prepare mac and cheese, but I think this must be the first time I've come across an Indian-style preparation. I honestly cannot recommend this creamy combination of pasta, paneer and spinach highly enough. Paneer lovers like myself will certainly want to give this a try.

This is a stove top version, making it a good choice for hot summer days when you really don't want to turn on the oven but can't resist serving up an old classic with a special twist. You could also try this recipe with goat cheese or Feta instead of paneer with stellar results.

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Honestly, no introduction is needed ...

Craving mushrooms, I came up with these spicy delights containing my favorite trio of sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese and olives. The earthly mushrooms are complimented perfectly by the sharp and tart flavors of the stuffing. I served them as part of homespun gourmet dinner with a mixed green and beet salad with fried haloumi cheese, but these would be an ideal choice to serve as an appetizer to guests, or as part of a meal made up of little bites or tapas.

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Although technically not a cereal grass, quinoa cooks like a grain, tastes like a grain, and is used like a grain … with the important difference that no grain can rival it for its food value. With an almost perfect balance of essential amino acids, quinoa is an unusually complete source of proteins in the plant kingdom and, as such, an especially important nutritional resource for vegetarians. And as a very good source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, B vitamins and vitamin E, this ancient staple food of the South American Andes richly deserves the name given to it by the Incas: "mother of all grains."

But it's as much for its unique taste and ease of use that I've long extolled and practiced the benefits of quinoa in my kitchen. As simple and almost as quick to cook as white rice, the light and fluffy texture and delicately sweet and nutty flavor of cooked quinoa makes it a tasty and healthy alternative in a variety of grain recipes…

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