Bulgur wheat is one of those ingredients that might not be in everyone's pantry but probably should, especially for those who want something on hand for making quick, easy and delicious meals. Cracked and parboiled hulled kernels of wheat, bulgur is a common part of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines and cooks in very little time. Best of all, it has a rich nutty taste and aroma that makes it good enough to eat on its own with just a little salt.

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For the past few years, my approach to baking has changed. I avoid refined sugars, many of the baked goods I make are now free of eggs and dairy, and sometimes they are free of wheat flour as well. Cookies are one such example, and because a good store-bought cookie is hard to find — they are almost always too sweet for my more savory tastes, and include ingredients I don't often know how to pronounce or identify — I always make my own cookies when I have a craving.

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This Indian-style vegetable soup has for many years been one of my very favorite soups to serve to friends — in fact, I never like to go very long without making it again. It makes a large pot and goes well with a variety of Indian dishes. Plenty of vegetables feature here with tantalizing Indian spicing and a little coconut milk or yogurt to give the broth a nice touch of creaminess. If you are serving this as the first course, take care, because I bet your guests will be lining up for seconds and that just might spoil the main course. This soup also makes for a fine lunch or light dinner, perhaps served with some crusty bread or some rice and a legume main, or some Indian flatbreads, such these savory rice and urad dal pancakes. Make sure not to overcook the peas, as they literally pop in your mouth if added at the end of the cooking time.

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Soup is of course to be enjoyed no matter the time of year, but during the cold winter months, soup is one of the most comforting meal options. This creamy carrot and sweet potato soup makes good use of winter root vegetables to make a soup that's both hearty and warming, which is just what we want when the cold winds are howling outside.

Roasting the carrots and sweet potatoes enhances their natural sweetness (and gives you an excuse to turn on the oven if it's particularly cold outside). But it's the Thai-inspired hot and aromatic seasonings — chilies, lemongrass, red curry paste, as well as the coriander seeds that are roasted with the vegetables — that give this soup its heat, balance and allure. Coconut milk and the addition of some almond butter make this pureed soup especially creamy and thick, with the pleasing contrast of crunchy toasted tamari almonds should you choose to include those as a garnish, which I highly recommend. The soup does have a spicy kick, but it's warming without being overpoweringly so.

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