Dairy

Cooked summer squash can be mushy. Solution: Eat it raw. If you can't find buckwheat groats, use chopped toasted almonds instead.

Eggplant is like a sponge. Salting it draws out moisture and firms up the flesh, and deep-frying ensures it cooks evenly until creamy throughout. Worth your time.

Grilling the tomatoes concentrates their flavor slightly while still leaving them fresh enough to make a light, juicy sauce. Studded with cubes of fresh mozzarella, this dish is a summery crowd-pleaser.

This dish turns the satisfying Italian American sandwich filling–sausage and peppers–into a hearty pasta dish.

If you don't want to heat up your house with the oven, you can bake any muffins on the grill but the lightly smoky flavor that the grill imparts is especially nice with corn-based ones. Because keeping the grill at a steady temperature can be tricky, the baking time can vary, so keep an eye on the muffins. For the best muffins, be sure that the entire pan is not set over direct heat (otherwise, the bottoms will burn).

Zucchini bread is one of those things that is almost always good but rarely spectacular and a slice can serve as a breakfast, snack or dessert. Sprinkling it with sugar and grilling it so it becomes nicely caramelized moves it firmly in the dessert category (and, along with adding a spoonful of mascarpone, makes it much closer to spectacular). This recipe works with your favorite zucchini bread recipe or try it with this Spiced Zucchini-Walnut Bread .

Three Cheese Asparagus Ravioli flavored with lemon, garlic and basil make a delicious meal to enjoy any night of the week. This one comes together in about 15 minutes so "too busy" is not an excuse.

Toasted walnuts and tender green beans add a delicious flavor to sweet bell pepper & roasted chicken ravioli.

This meal has everything you need in one dish. Chicken & roasted garlic tortelloni pair up with pancetta and broccoli rabe for a tasty dish worthy of entertaining.

Sweet bell pepper & roasted chicken ravioli is complemented nicely with a sauce made with yellow tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan cheese and basil. An upscale taste that is still quick and easy.

Eggplant and tomatoes are delicious roasted and blended into a chunky sauce with garlic, crushed red pepper and mint. The sauce complements the chicken & roasted garlic tortelloni nicely and makes for a wonderful dish for entertaining.

Brown butter is easy to make and delicious over vegetables, fish and pasta. It's perfect tossed with asparagus and three cheese asparagus ravioli in this recipe.

Roasting corn brings out the natural sweetness and combining with ravioli, garlic and basil creates a delicious meal your whole family will love.

Ravioli tossed with asparagus, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and pancetta creates a delicious meal. The lemon juice and olive oil drizzle provide a light, fresh taste.

Buttermilk, packed with calcium and probiotics, lends a subtle tanginess to this spice-spiked lassi. Finish with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios for a hit of crunch.

Mixing sorrel with spinach makes an outstanding spanakopita, but the combination is nothing new. The Greeks have been doing it for a long time and it makes a lot of sense. The distinctive tang of sorrel not only replaces the lemon juice often found in spinach fillings for spanakopita, but it also balances the brininess of the feta.

Warming the honey with rose water infuses it with flavor.

Grill up a mix of eggplant and hardy greens and serve with curry yogurt sauce and lots of mint for a light vegetarian dinner.