Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon evaporated cane juice. Incorporate butter using a pastry cutter until it's pea-size. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork after each addition. Form dough into a ball and let it rest for 5 minutes; roll into a 12-inch circle and lightly press into a 10-inch tart pan.

Purée almonds, almond paste, and remaining 1¨M3 cup evaporated cane juice in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Add lemon juice, zest, eggs, buttermilk, and extracts and continue puréeing. Pour mixture into tart shell and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

In a medium saucepan, combine cherries, water, lime juice, and evaporated cane juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and Grand Marnier; stir into cherry mixture. Return to a boil and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Top each tart slice with cherry compote immediately before serving.

From Canyon Ranch: Nourish, by Scott Uehlein and Canyon Ranch. Copyright © CR Products, 2009. Recipes reprinted by arrangement with Viking Studio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place nuts, powdered sugar, and flour in a food processor. Process for 15 to 30 seconds or until nuts are just ground.

In a large bowl, beat egg white with an electric mixer until frothy. Add salt and cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Add granulated sugar and beat until shiny, thick peaks form. Gently fold in nut mixture, orange zest, and orange extract.

Transfer mixture to a zip-top bag. Cut off one of the corners, leaving a ½-inch opening. Pipe 1-inch mounds 1 inch apart onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn off heat and let meringues sit in oven for 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

When ready to serve, spread 1 teaspoon apricot preserves on the flat side of one meringue. Top with a second cookie and gently press together.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the oven rack in the center slot. Generously butter a nonstick baking sheet and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla just until blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour and cocoa. Add almonds and stir to coat. Combine the egg mixture with the almond mixture until blended. Place 2 or 3 rounded tablespoons of the batter on a prepared sheet, spacing evenly; spread each with a small spatula into 4- to 5-inch flat rounds, making sure almonds are in a single layer. Bake until batter is set, about 10 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven; immediately lift 1 cookie from the hot baking sheet with a wide slant-edged metal spatula. Drape cookie over an inverted teacup and press to create a cup shape (See "Shaping Tuile Cups"); repeat step with remaining cookies. Let stand 5-10 minutes, or until cooled and crisp. Gently lift cookies from the cups and cool upright on a wire rack.

Scrape baking sheet clean and wipe with a paper towel; coat with more butter. Repeat baking steps with remaining batter. Store cookies lightly covered until ready to serve. Fill with fresh fruit or frozen yogurt.

Directions:

Toast almonds by heating them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden, about 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan frequently; set aside.

Heat oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; sauté for 1 minute per side, until golden brown. Remove from pan; set aside.

To the same pan, add onion, garlic, and ginger; sauté for 2 minutes. Add curry powder, salt, and pepper and stir to coat. Return chicken to pan, meat-side down, and add broth and dried fruit. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Spoon 1/2 cup of rice onto 4 individual plates. Arrange chicken alongside rice. Spoon sauce over chicken and rice. Top chicken with green onions and toasted almonds.

Directions: For dressing
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. (Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cover; refrigerate. Stir before using.)

For salad
Cut carrot crosswise into 3 equal-length pieces. Slice the 2 larger carrot pieces into thin strands using a spiral slicer or into julienne strips. (Remaining piece is not needed.) Toss carrot, watercress, cabbage and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat.

Mound salad in center of plates. Arrange edamame and radish sprouts around salad. Sprinkle with remaining toasted sesame seeds.

For toasted seeds
Many different nuts and seeds add delicious crunch when toasted and tossed into salads. Toasting times vary, but the following guidelines should work nicely for pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, cashews and other nuts.

- To toast seeds or nuts on the stove, heat a small, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the seeds or nuts to the dry, hot skillet; stir until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Cool completely.

- To toast seeds or nuts in the oven, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange seeds or nuts on a heavy baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring once to ensure even browning, 5-8 minutes. Be sure to set a timer, as nuts and seeds toast very fast. Cool completely.