Weeknight Meals

For this fabulous salad we used red onions, beets, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers, but any mix of summer vegetables would work. The salad gets served with grilled bread and is nice with a white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc.

Pecorino cheese brings more bold flavor to this side dish, which is an excellent complement to Broiled Veal Chops with Mixed Peppercorns.

Not to worry: There's just enough bacon in the snappy dressing to add flavor but not much fat to this colorful salad. Serve it alongside grilled chicken or fish for a healthful summer dinner.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

"I had three kids in three years when I was a 'young married' in my twenties," writes Sheryl Hurd-House of Jupiter, Florida. "That’s when I started cooking and realized I liked it. But I’m having even more fun cooking now that our children are grown and it’s just me and my husband, Garry." Fresh greens and a variety of colorful veggies add up to a great salad you can throw together in minutes.

Grilled steak with late summer corn and a squeeze of lime juice. Sound wonderful? It is. Grilled potato wedges make a terrific side.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

Andrew Engle is the chef at The Laundry in East Hampton, N.Y. This eatery has been a Long Island classic for years. How great that striped bass is available year-round! "If the fish is thinner than 3/4 inch, do not turn it," Andrew says. "Just cook it skin-side down."

For this simple—yet boldly flavored—entrée, tuna or sea bass can be substituted. Chilies in the sauce add nice heat.

These burgers are easier to handle if they are chilled for one hour before grilling. They would be great with rice salad and cucumber slices. Grilled pound cake topped with crushed sweetened strawberries and whipped cream makes a luscious finale.

Just a few ingredients are all it takes to prepare a wonderful side dish that's great for any time of the year.

Grilling the salmon with the skin on protects the delicate flesh.

In many parts of the country, pierogi, Eastern European dumplings, are sold fresh and frozen in supermarkets. Like premade egg rolls, they've become a convenience food for cooks with limited time. Served with the cabbage and bacon, they're all you need for dinner. These turnovers are typically deep-fried, or boiled and then panfried. Instead, we used a method often employed for cooking frozen Asian dumplings and found it works very well. If pierogi aren't sold in your supermarket, try a local Polish or Eastern European deli.

The cheese-filled salmon rolls are sliced into rounds for a lovely presentation. They make an elegant appetizer and would be delicious served with Pinot Noir.

ALSACE Serve with a green salad for a lovely lunch or light supper. What to drink: Gewürztraminer or a dry Alsatian Riesling.