Seafood

With a dish this simple, you need the freshest possible fish—and good technique. Score the flesh down to the bone to encourage even cooking, and be patient when making the first turn: If you oil the grill grate well and give the fish time to cook through, the skin won't stick.

You bought the freshest-looking shrimp, baby squid, or whole fish you could find. Now what? Follow Pelaccio's road map for any kind of seafood: Marinate it in turmeric and fish sauce, grill it quickly over high heat, then pair it with a fiery dipping sauce.

Delicately flavored sole is a dieter's BFF, with only 73 calories per 3-ounce fillet.

Heart-healthy fats in salmon also help your skin stay healthy.

Can't find Arctic char? Salmon works just as well. Opt for green (aka French) lentils, which hold their shape better when tossed into a salad.

No-fry zone: We let the fish 'n' chips fave go au naturel.

Mild mahi Mahi takes on the flavors of our zesty marinade.

The keys to this dish? Use as many types of squash as you can, and heat the oil in the skillet until it's almost smoking.

Use Mexican adobo, a vinegary chile paste, to season any protein. For this recipe, the shrimp is chopped, so there's no need to splurge on a larger size.

Butter, flecked with parsley, chive, and dill, melts into the smoky, briny juices of grilled clams to create a delicious, effortless sauce.

You can use any white flaky fish in this versatile—and quick—dish.

Get juicy shrimp by gently steaming them in an herb-and-lemon infused broth.

Small, sweet wild Maine shrimp are sold frozen from brownetrading.com when not in season. You can also substitute other shrimp cut into 1/2" pieces. This recipe makes extra horseradish mayo. Put it out to spread on other sandwiches.

Slowly roast a trimmed, center-cut piece of salmon over a bed of herbs to infuse the flesh with fresh flavor; then bring it to the table in the pan so guests can help themselves. This dish is also good at room temperature or served cold at your next picnic.

{flirt with flavor} Season after season, I continue to be captured by the multicolored array of carrots that can be found at the farmers' market in all shapes and sizes, and am always looking for new ways to make them shine. Coriander and carrots make music together as a complement for meaty halibut. Dip your toe into the exotic flavors of Indian spices like coriander and turmeric with this lively, colorful spring supper so pretty you'll want to bring out your finest platter and pour some wine for two. Sip: Torrontes, Sylvaner or Cabernet Franc

Since I've spent so many years eating and cooking in Spain, I would be remiss if I didn't include a gazpacho in this book. But alas, this is not your abuela's gazpacho. In this version, peaches, plums, and watermelon all come together in a bright, colorful, chilled soup that is topped with a single seared diver scallop. The tart sour plums allow the sweet plump scallop to feel a little less self-conscious in its summery dress. If you can't find sour plums, substitute sweet plums, preferably golden plums, plus the juice of 2 lemons.

Drape plastic wrap over the prepared sandwiches until serving. It’ll keep the bread from drying out.

Using fennel three ways—bulb, fronds, and pollen (or seeds)—adds great depth of flavor to this quick dish.

Make the filling ahead of time and you'll need only a few minutes to go from shucking to eating.