Rice is a nutritious and versatile food that has been a staple around the world for millenia. It is easy and fast to prepare, depending on how creative the cook is feeling. The possibilities are endless and rice is tasty on its own with just a little butter or you can spice it up a bit like I did with this easy to prepare yellow rice with toasted cashews. For an especially satisfying meal, I suggest you serve this rice with spicy chickpea koftas and mushroom curry.

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Dinner planning can often be a chore in itself, and side dishes are sometimes the piece of the puzzle that can be rather elusive — strange as that sounds when a side can be something as easy as steamed or roasted vegetables with minimal seasonings, a simple salad, or an easy rice dish, to name just a few common approaches to fill out a meal. But depending on the meal you are planning, it can be enjoyable to dress up sides for something that's a bit more special. And when it is easy, such as this recipe for roasted Brussels sprouts, then all the better, especially if the seasonings complement the other components of the meal.

Tossed with white miso, lemon juice and just a few simple hot spices, the Brussels sprouts are roasted to a tender golden brown, just perfect for serving on the side with any meal that's looking for some bold, spicy and colorful flavors to add. If you like Brussels sprouts as much as I do, this will be a recipe you'll be turning to again and again.

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Pasta may not appear on my menu all that often, but because most pasta dishes are easy to put together and provide a creative template for flavors that suit one's tastes, I focused on some of my favorite flavors in this attractive penne dish. And accordingly, this one is bursting with strong and intense flavors. Tart sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and spinach, plenty of tangy lemon juice, and some heat from some hot chilies, all nicely balanced by a creamy and all vegan cashew sauce. This dish takes very little time to prepare, and if you are liberal with your choice of garnishes, then each mouthful is a veritable taste experience of intensity that you won't soon forget. This recipe just might end up on your monthly rotation of easy favorites.

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I grew up in a family where a dessert was the finishing part of almost every meal, and although I've long since lost the craving for confections after every dinner, I still occasionally enjoy having something around when the sweet tooth hits. But it's a very rare instance these days when I make a sugary dessert — in fact, I've hardly used white granulated sugar in years. Like my tastes in food generally, I've found that I much prefer healthier alternatives these days.

Making fudge from raw, natural and healthy ingredients is one of the easiest and most satisfying ways to enjoy those occasional indulgences. The preparation is nothing more than combining the few ingredients — usually a natural nut butter, a little natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup, and sometimes coconut oil or butter — and then refrigerating or freezing. Raw fudges are delicious and satisfying without the guilt of store-bought or sugar-laden baked treats.

The combination of medjool dates, cashew butter and a little maple syrup in this simple no-bake fudge tastes remarkably just like caramel and has the moist crumbly texture of soft toffee. Don't forget to scrape out every little bit of the fudge mixture from the bowl of the food processor to tide you over while the fudge sets.

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