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We eat this salad—which is a great way to stretch a piece of beef—all year long for lunch and dinner, but it's particularly good during the warmer months. The thinly sliced meat, the crunch of the cucumbers and red onions, and the heady aroma of mint and cilantro tossed with the chile-spiked salty-sweet dressing seem made for hot days and nights.

Picture your favorite Tex-Mex cheese dip and the ultimate mac 'n' cheese. Now picture them together.

There's something about the pairing of chicken and rice that is so appealing and comforting, and these paella-like dishes are definitely perennial crowd-pleasers.

The chicken, sauce, and pasta for this dish all cook in the same pan. You can add broccoli, mushrooms, herbs, or a little chipotle at the same time that you stir in the Parmesan.

This easy, beach-ready sandwich pairs juicy summer tomatoes with tangy giardiniera and crunchy shreds of iceberg. Bring napkins.

With each bite you get that ideal combo of ingredients—sweet tomato, rich egg, crisp iceberg lettuce.

Tent with foil if it browns too fast.

This panfried version of this classic sweet-and-tangy Chinese-American dish can be cooked in 22 minutes or less.

Onigiri is a quintessential Japanese food: made by moms for breakfast, lunch boxes, and picnics. It is the ideal handheld food (the nori wrapper keeps the sticky rice from getting all over your hand).

Learning how to properly caramelize onions is key. Once you've mastered the basic technique, you’ll use them for everything from French onion soup to onion dip to topping burgers.

Kitchen economy: Use any leftover cooked vegetables, grains, or beans in your fridge for this frittata, then add any leftover frittata to a sandwich the next day.

A hard sear on the first side of the chicken ensures that it will get nicely browned without getting dry.

Set a large colander in the sink before you add the shrimp so you can drain the seafood boil as soon as it comes off the heat.

For perfectly cooked halibut, all you need is a kiss of high heat from a grill or cast iron pan and a simple vinaigrette. This version is served with a juicy tomato salad.

Cutting those slits in the fish is key. They help the fish cook more quickly and make it easier to tell when it's done.

Spiced grains, roasted peak-season vegetables, and a lemony garlic dressing make this a stand-out side dish that doubles as a satisfying lunch.

Serve this dish as a side at a pot-luck gathering or for a quick-and-easy one-pot dinner.

For a super summery dinner, top supremely crunchy cutlets with a shaved zucchini salad studded with mint, cashews, and ricotta salata.

Store-bought granola makes an instant crisp topping in this lickety-split version of the classic summer dessert.