When it comes time to rustle up a meal, you might prefer soothing jazz or even classical music in your kitchen. Or maybe you get down to 1970s-era Elton John, just like Alton Brown. Unless you prefer serene silence, it can be helpful to have a backbeat energizing your latest cooking venture. Here’s a playlist to inspire some healthy creations at home.

"A Taste of Honey" — Herb Alpert (pictured at top)

Prepare these versatile, lightly sweetened biscuits for a comforting brunch, or serve them alongside the main course at dinnertime. Given that there's only three tablespoons of honey per 12 biscuits, you really are getting just a taste.

If you take a page out of Led Zeppelin’s book, you might find yourself “measuring a summer’s day” by the quality of the produce you prepare at home. Tangerine and rosemary make a tart and earthy dressing for fresh spinach and tender cubes of butternut squash.

They say you can’t compare apples and oranges, but we can certainly talk about their tart, semi-sweet flavor in this light dessert salad recipe. Orange marmalade, almond extract and dried cherries make a perfumed and slightly sweet dressing for crisp apple slices.

Unlike Weezer, I wouldn’t recommend eating candy with this dish of pork and beans, but a red-onion-and-bell-pepper salad makes a colorful side for few extra calories. These sauteed peppers and onions are just sweet enough to stand up to the peppery flavor of the cumin-roasted pork.

When The Beach Boys sang, “I’m gonna chow down my vegetables/I love you most of all,” they weren't referring to salad. But this bountiful dish of eggplant, zucchini and bell pepper would appease even the most-lovesick songsters. A light dressing of oil, vinegar and oregano ties together this medley of fresh summer produce. For a Mediterranean touch, stir in some mint, halved grape tomatoes and crumbled feta just before serving.

It doesn’t get more American than apple pie. Unwind to this classic summer anthem while preparing Ellie Krieger's irresistible from-scratch recipe. The rustic galette-style crust houses buttery Golden Delicious apples and tart cherries. Guests will hardly believe there are just 230 calories per serving.

"Peaches" — The Presidents of the United States of America

Despite what The Presidents of the United States of America said, you don’t really need to move to the country to eat a lot of peaches. Chances are, you'll find all the fresh stone fruit you'll need to create this crowd-pleasing Healthy Peach Betty at your local farmers' market this summer. Just make sure your peaches are ripe — it makes a huge difference in the finished dish.

Who ever said they don’t? You’ll be hard-pressed to find an audience that’s not head-over-heels in love with this moist cinnamon cake. Coconut oil and applesauce help create the dense, springy texture. It’s just an added perk that the cake happens to be gluten-free, thanks to the garbanzo-fava bean flour blend.