Healthy Herb & Spice Recipes

Make this quick bread for Sunday brunch, an afternoon snack or as an easy dessert recipe. It's 100% whole-grain, made with mild-tasting white whole-wheat flour and oat flour, which keeps it moist.

If Mexican street corn took a trip to Genoa, it might come back slathered in pesto butter like this grilled corn on the cob recipe. This Italian flair works because the flavors of basil and Parmesan have a natural affinity with corn.

A common condiment in India, this yogurt-based sauce is used to help cool down spicy foods. Raita is versatile--you can mix it up with whatever cooked or raw veggies you have on hand in place of the cucumber.

This green hot sauce originating in Yemen gets its heat from jalapeños. If you like it spicy, leave the seeds and ribs on your peppers. For a milder version, take them out. Serve this quick hot sauce with hot-off-the-grill meats, fish and vegetables to add a bright pop of flavor to dinner all summer long.

Sweet peppers like red, orange and yellow bells stand in for tomatoes in this caprese-style salad and pair deliciously with the fresh mozzarella and acidic balsamic drizzle. Try green bell peppers if you prefer less sweetness. This easy, healthy recipe takes just 20 minutes to make.

Grilling cabbage and carrots gently softens the crunchy vegetables for a smoky yet still crisp version of a favorite summer side in this easy coleslaw recipe. For an easy grilled dinner, cook some chicken, fish or veggie burgers alongside the vegetables.

Don't skip the anchovies in this healthy chicken thigh recipe. Their fishiness blends in, adding salty, umami flavor, so that even skeptics of the salty little fish won't protest. And this healthy skillet dinner is cooked in one pan and takes just 20 minutes to prep--in case you need more selling points for this recipe.

A quick mint, lime and rum marinade does double duty as a sauce for these easy grilled chicken kebabs. Using agave cuts the sugars in this recipe by half compared to granulated sugar. Plus, we love the added south-of-the-border flavor. Grill some vegetables and corn on the cob along with the kebabs and you have a healthy weeknight dinner that's special enough to serve to company.

This easy homemade spaghetti sauce recipe calls for fresh tomatoes, so it's perfect for summertime when you have a bumper crop of homegrown beauties or you went overboard at the farmers' market. Aside from the tomatoes and a sprig of fresh basil, you need just a handful of pantry ingredients and 15 minutes of active time to make this healthy pasta sauce. Serve it over spaghetti or your favorite pasta shape on its own or with the addition of cheese, herbs, meatballs or sausage. Or use it in recipes such as lasagna and eggplant Parmesan.

This easy grilled eggplant salad is the healthy side dish you'll want to serve all summer long. It comes together in just 25 minutes and can be served warm or at room temperature, so it's equally suited to casual parties and weeknight dinners. The combination of eggplant, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, red onions and fresh herbs makes for a salad that's full of bright flavors and colors. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish or as part of a vegetarian mezze platter with dips like hummus and pita bread.

This healthy recipe for oven-roasted cherry tomatoes couldn't be easier, but the results are impressive. Simply toss tomatoes with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper and slow roast until they're soft and caramelized and practically taste like candy. Serve the tomatoes as a side for chicken, fish or really any main, add them to warm grain bowls or salads, top a burger with them, toss with pasta or add to omelets and frittatas. If you want an even simpler flavor profile, feel free to omit the herbs while cooking. And if you want to gussy them up, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, after roasting.

Use an array of colorful tomatoes to make this healthy shrimp salad pop. Cooking the shrimp with fresh herbs and garlic infuses them with flavor without coming off too strong for a light dinner salad that's perfect for summer entertaining.

This steamed clams recipe is a winner when entertaining for its low stress factor. (Stuffing clams is a lot of work!) Serve this easy healthy recipe with plenty of crusty bread for dipping.

Making this delicious and healthy snack is very simple but also a rare instance where the recipe is meant to take longer in order to make it easier. Most nuts can burn faster than you can say "What's that smell?"--so these spiced pecans are baked low and slow to avoid any nasty surprises.

Lively tasting quick pickled zucchini is a nice addition to any summer lunch or dinner spread. Cutting the zucchini into long strips makes for a pretty presentation.

This grilled zucchini recipe is perfect for summertime bumper crops of zucchini. The tomato-mint relish would be great on all sorts of grilled vegetables.

This healthy grilled fish dish is made for easy summertime entertaining. The peperonata can be made in advance and reheated while you grill the fish.

You can make this easy refrigerator pickle recipe with all sorts of vegetables, not just cucumbers--try carrots, fennel, beets and green beans too. Since these pickles are meant to be eaten within a few weeks, the brine doesn't need to be canning strength. In this case, that means way less salt and a mild blend of vinegar and water, all of which allows the flavors of your vegetables to shine through.

Short ribs lend themselves to braising--but don't stop there. You can get surprisingly tender results on the grill too. Here the ribs are used in an easy dinner recipe that's ready in just 20 minutes. Hailing from South America, chimichurri is a fresh herb sauce that gets a little heat from crushed red pepper.

This grilled pork chop recipe is an elegant and healthy dinner that takes just 30 minutes to make, so it's great for weeknights. Toasting and grinding whole spices ensures you get the freshest, most robust flavors for the pork spice rub.