Mediterranean Chicken Salad

How nice to find a chicken salad that's not gunked up with mayonnaise. This recipe is brightened by fresh mint and basil and punctuated with tangy feta cheese. Chickpeas add substance (and fiber) without piling on the carbs.

Sausage and Summer Squash

If you grow your own squash, you'll know how useful it can be to have lots of summer squash recipes. In this dish, bottled Italian dressing serves as a stir-fry marinade for veggies and Polish sausage. You also brush the dressing on grilled bread to serve as a side. Delicious, and it takes less than half an hour to make.

Spicy Asian Stir-Fry with Whole-Wheat Linguine

We'd never want to give up pasta—even in hot weather—but it's great to lighten it up a bit. Whole wheat linguine combines with Asian-inspired vegetables to make a complete protein in this entree. Serve hot or cold, with chopped peanuts sprinkled on top.

Thai Steak Salad

Thank heaven they invented steak salad. And thank heaven for the Thai flavors, which go so perfectly with beef. And finally, let’s hear it for packaged coleslaw, so you can make this entire meal quickly.

Portobello “Philly Cheese Steak” Sandwich

Speaking of steak, here's how to lighten a crowd-pleasing Philly cheese steak sandwich: Replace the steak with Portobellos and substitute the gummy "cheez" sauce with sliced Provolone. Your family will love it and think you’re a genius.

Salmon with Lemon-Dill Garden Rice

Salmon bathes in a lemony dill marinade; radishes, scallions, and snow peas bring a wonderfully fresh texture to the asparagus-rice combo alongside the fish.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp with Vegetables

Asparagus and red bell peppers add summer tastes to traditional shrimp scampi in all its garlicky glory. Swap fresh green beans for the asparagus if you want an even crisper texture.

Shrimp Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

More shrimp. And even more asparagus—after all, it's in season! Shrimp-and-raspberry vinaigrette make an inspired pairing in this elegant-but-easy salad. It's pretty, too.

Chipotle Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Spicy foods actually cool you off in summer by making you sweat. (There’s a reason Indian, Mexican, and Southeast Asian cuisines are “hot”. If you double this recipe, you can freeze one batch of pork—in its marinade—for up to three months. But I'm guessing you'll pull it out of the freezer long before that.