Dairy Free

Since both the pork and the salad can be served at room temperature, this is a great make-ahead meal. Prepare it late on a summer evening, once the temperature has dropped, and serve it the next day, when it’s too hot to cook. The black-eyed pea salad also pairs well with barbecued chicken.

When buying poblanos, bear in mind that the darker the chile pepper, the richer the flavor, which varies from mild to strong. Roasting the chiles softens them and mellows their spicy flavor.

A traditional Vietnamese sandwich is made with pork, but in this beef variation, the flavors are the same. If you don’t want to make steak from scratch, you can use an equal amount of sliced roast beef in its place.

For the neatest, thinnest slices, use a long, thin-bladed slicing or carving knife, and hold the meat in place with tongs while you work

Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce flavor these burgers before they’re cooked. We like them with lettuce, tomato, and mayo on one side, and grilled onions on the other, but try any of the accompaniments listed below.

Basting the chicken with lemon juice while it’s on the grill gives it a tangy taste. For the marinade, steeping the rosemary in hot water intensifies the flavor of the herb.

The barbecue sauce in this recipe is so easy and quick to put together, you may never rely on store-bought sauce again. And what’s more, you probably already have all of the necessary ingredients in your kitchen.

When you find yourself with day-old bread, make this Tuscan salad, known as panzanella. Coarse-textured, good-quality bread works best. Feel free to improvise by adding olives, anchovies, or canned tuna.

Using a variety of colorful tomatoes makes a stunning presentation. The dressing is simple—since tomatoes are so flavorful in the summer, they don’t need much accompaniment.

Gazpacho is traditionally made by adding olive oil to vegetable purée; in this light version, we left out the oil and used only a small amount to cook the shrimp.

A cup of this soup is delicious, served hot or cold. Try packing it in a thermos for a light picnic lunch. To chill quickly, place the soup in a bowl and set that bowl into an ice-water bath. Stir frequently until cool.

Take a break from ordinary tomato sauce with this crowd-pleasing pasta dish. Leaf-Lettuce Salad with Parmesan Crisps (page 27) makes a perfect starter.

Niçoise salads are usually made with tuna, but we substituted fresh salmon in this version. You can, of course, make the salad with a couple of cans of tuna; look for Italian oil-packed tuna, which has the best flavor.