Black Bean Soup with Avocado, Orange, and Cucumber
Sunchoke Soup with Brussels Sprouts and Hazelnuts
Goat Cheese Nicoise Salad
Baked Eggs with Leeks and Mushrooms
This versatile eggy casserole is a mealtime triple threat, good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Mushrooms provide rich umami flavor, but it's surprisingly low in calories, so go ahead and indulge in a slice of buttered ciabatta along with it.
Asparagus Risotto
Not even your most carnivorous dinner guest will miss meat after tasting this creamy, cheesy dish. Risotto is highly adaptable, so if asparagus is not in season, you can substitute just about any vegetable. (Tubers and tougher veggies like broccoli may need to be parboiled, however.)
Recipe: Asparagus Risotto
Lentil Veggie Burgers
Rich in flavor, with a meaty consistency, these patties nourish like a salad but satisfy like a hamburger. If you start with cooked lentils, which you can find in vacuum packs at many grocery stores, dinner will come together very quickly.
Recipe: Lentil Veggie Burgers
Grilled Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwiches
When is a sandwich dinner? When grilling is involved. Elevated ingredients like feta cheese (step aside, Monterey Jack) and arugula in place of plain old lettuce further distance this from the realm of things wolfed down at your desk. (Serving it with beer helps, too.)
Extra-Special Quesadillas
Recipe: Extra-Special Quesadillas
Kids’ Butternut Squash Pasta with Edamame
Tomato and Avocado Salad with Soy Vinaigrette
Tomatoes and avocados are like summer on a plate. The sprinkle of sesame seeds and the addition of soy sauce to the dressing give the dish a dash of worldliness and enrich the flavors.
Zucchini Gemelli Pasta with Cilantro Pesto
Fennel, Almond, and Pecorino Salad
This salad seems light, and it is low in calories. But fennel and mustard provide a flavor kick, and the cheese and almonds boost the heartiness factor. A bonus is that this dish travels well, making it a great choice for a potluck.
Recipe: Fennel, Almond, and Pecorino Salad