Late summer tends to be prime tomato season. Are you still seeing tomatoes available at your local farmers' markets and grocery stores? If so, grab about six pounds and make yourself some tomato sauce from scratch!

Here are the advantages:

1. This tomato sauce is sooo delicious, you could eat a cup of it, straight up. Seriously, it's so good, it could easily double as a soup. The flavor you get from using fresh, ripe tomatoes is incomparable.

2. It's surprisingly easy! See below for simple...

This meal is delicious! It makes a wonderful make-ahead-and-take-to-work lunch, as well as a crowd pleasing potluck dish (if you double it).

You can choose to go heavier on the greens and make it more like a traditional salad, or stick to the recipe and keep the ratio of buckwheat to arugula more even. I've made it both ways, and they are equally fantastic -- it just depends on your taste and your mood.

In the past, I've also swapped kale in place of arugula, and I've...

Everyone loves a yummy smoothie, especially at this time of year when the weather is hot, you're caving something light and refreshing, and we're smack in the middle of fruit season.

You can make this one for breakfast, as a post-workout protein drink, or as a healthy snack to get you through the mid-afternoon slump.

Adding protein powder is optional. I really enjoy Vega Sport Performance Protein in Vanilla for this particular recipe, because it adds flavor and makes it a bit creamier,...

If you like to munch on something savory and salty without resorting to junk food, this healthy snack is for you.

Chickpea Popcorn is a fun name for chickpeas sautéed with spices until they are golden and maybe even a little crunchy, depending on your preference. They make an awesome, wholesome snack food that you can pop into your mouth by the handful.

There are several different ways to make Chickpea Popcorn, but I like the method I describe below, because it's quick,...

An Elegant Makeover

Strawberries are summer's natural beauties, perfectly gorgeous and enticing, exactly as they grow out of the ground.

But on special occasions, they get all dolled up and magically transform from their earthy vibe, into a look that could be described as sophisticated and sumptuous.

This is one of those occasions.

Vegan and Gluten-Free

This recipe is gluten-free as written, but if you don't mind a little gluten and/or don't feel like buying special flour, you could...

This dish makes a wonderful weeknight meal, as it’s not too complicated or time consuming, and of course, it’s really delicious.

It’s also a great way to use up extra veggies you might have in the fridge, so feel free to improvise! You can follow this recipe exactly, or you can use whatever vegetables you happen to have on hand.

To fill out the meal with extra substance, add tofu (pan toasted as shown below, or save time and simply add raw cubed tofu to the curry without any...

Rich, Warming and Delicious

Fun fact: Wild rice is actually a grass. And it's an excellent source of plant-based protein.

Together, the two main ingredients of this soup -- wild rice and mushrooms -- provide an incredible dose of health-promoting minerals, as well. More below on what's healthy about this recipe...

Even more fun: The yum factor. This soup features layer upon layer of enticing flavors due to a few key cooking steps and special ingredients:

• Caramelized carrots and...

A Sweet Treat

I'm going to be straight up-front with you on this. Although by most standards it's still not very much, this recipe contains more sugar than I usually include in my baked goods. I suppose I was feeling decadent when I developed this recipe.

So enjoy these Applesauce Bars as a dessert, or snack with afternoon tea, or even for weekend brunch. They are delicious. But please regard them as an occasional treat, and remember that just because something is "vegan," doesn't...