Balsamic Vegetables

Before: The original recipe has 1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil and a whole tub of feta cheese. After: This lightened-up version increases vegetables and tosses them with balsamic dressing. Grilling instructions are added for summer months.

Fish Burgers with Light Tartar Sauce

Serve with: Creamy cabbage salad. Cod is a lean fish that is low in fat but high in protein and other important nutrients.

Lime-Grilled Chicken Breasts with Avocado Salsa

Marinating and quick-cooking the chicken breasts keeps the meat juicy.

Marion Kane's Pasta Salad

As the food editor of the Toronto Sun and co-author of the cookbook Best Recipes Under the Sun (Totem Books, 1987), Marion Kane has a busy time testing recipes and reviewing restaurants. Her teenage daughter, Esther, 18, loves this vegetarian pasta salad, which her mom says is "a super sidekick for barbecued meat or fish." Kane suggests varying the veggies according to the season; "Go for contrasting colours if possible."

Lemon Watercress Soup

Grilled Steak Salad with Sugar Snap Peas & Asparagus

Grilled Steak With Garlicky Chickpea Mash and Arugula Salad

Quick-cooking steak is a great dinner option when you're up against the clock. Creamy chickpeas make a satisfying substitute for traditional mashed potatoes and take a fraction of the time to cook.

Meatball Noodle Soup

Italian-Style Gnocchi Salad

Cajun Shrimp Soup