Citrus

Street vendors throughout Mexico's beach towns sell cold fresh fruit served in a plastic bag with bits of ice in it to keep the fruit chilled. This dessert is as take on that, as well as a refreshing end to any meal. Feel free to experiment by pouring a bit of tequila over the ice to create an instant margarita.

I really love this soup. The flavors will remind you of corn chowder, but the texture is much lighter. The soup is bright and fresh and can be made year-round since it tastes just as good when using frozen corn as it does when using fresh.

The dip gets better the longer it sits, so make it a day ahead.

If you can’t find haricots verts, look for slender green beans.

This almost doesn't need a recipe because it is based on the classic proportions of a pound of each of the four main ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. I have played with the quantities a little bit so that the recipe doesn't make such a large cake. I like to flavor this type of pound cake with just a little vanilla—it keeps the flavor delicate and doesn't mask the lovely flavor of the butter. If you want more vividly flavored pound cake, try any of the variations.

Tofu noodles replace pasta, so you don't need to boil water. Plus, this comforting dish offers nearly one third of your day's calcium, via the yogurt and broccoli.

Be anything but crabby after enjoying this sunny citrus bisque. You'll net half your daily folate needs per bowl.

Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from Gabrielle Carbone, coproprietor of The Bent Spoon ice cream parlor in Princeton, New Jersey. This pretty, striped cake can be assembled either from freshly made sorbet and ice cream or from leftovers. If you make the components fresh, it's helpful to have more than one freezer bowl for your ice cream maker or a self-freezing machine. If you don't, remember that some models demand that you freeze the bowl overnight between batches. You can make the batches on successive days, packing each flavor into the pan as it's done, then freezing the pan and the bowl until you're ready to make the next batch. Try to keep everything that you use in the preparation of this cake — even your cake stand or serving plate — cold. This will help the cake look better longer, especially on a hot day. The simple, fresh flavors of the sorbets and ice cream don't need much embellishment, but crushed Newman's Own Organic O's (the organic take on Oreos) or chopped candied ginger make a nice addition and help separate the layers.

These meaty favorites come equipped with their own handles for casual eating. Make a quick marinade of lemon and olive oil. This satisfying yet frugal dish will feed the entire family.

For this dish, I recommend using leftover chicken or a pre-roasted chicken from the supermarket.

Flavorful and juicy, chicken thighs can be a thrifty alternative to breast meat. You can often find them in value packs at your local supermarket.

Ma'Dear, my maternal grandmother, would sun-brew gallon jars full of Sweet Goodness on sweltering hot summer days. Recollections of those containers full of cinnamon-colored tea sitting on her back porch bring back sweet memories of simpler days. This version will satisfy the snootiest of Sweet Tea connoisseurs (read: my mom) and won't give drinkers an insulin spike since it is sweetened with agave nectar.

Potatoes are a cornerstone of the Peruvian diet, and for good reason: They have been cultivated in the Andes for more than 8,000 years, and the country boasts a whopping 3,000 varieties of the tuber, which comes in a myriad of shapes, colors, and sizes. In the regional capital of Huancayo, creamy, gently spiced cheese sauce is usually poured over the potatoes or served as a dip. To really highlight the potatoes (purple-fleshed ones look especially dramatic), we serve them over the sauce, with accompaniments of lime and meaty olives.

After such a substantial meal, you'll want to keep things light for dessert. A little fancier than a fruit salad yet almost as easy, this cool combination of musky cantaloupe and honeydew gets an unexpected fillip from icy granita. Don’t worry if the granita melts faster than you expect—it will slump into a lovely sauce over the fruit.

Aromatic sprigs of rosemary smooth out vodka-spiked lemonade, providing a bracing counterpoint to the lusty flavors of the many antipasti dishes. It's a great addition to anyone's cocktail canon. To make a kid-friendly quaff, simply omit the vodka.

Pisco, a potent brandy distilled from grapes, is made in Peru and Chile, and each country claims the Pisco Sour—recognizable by its distinctive foamy head (from egg white) and tart lime flavor—as its own. A swirl of fresh pineapple juice boosts the tropical vibe.

In a country known for its fascinating, wide-ranging cuisine, ceviche just may be Peru's national dish. Combinations of sparklingly fresh raw fish marinated in a piquant dressing (often made with ají amarillo and lime juice) are served everywhere, from the lowliest fish shacks to the finest restaurants. For food-safety reasons, we choose to gently poach the scallops, but otherwise, this version, accented by tender sweet-potato cubes, chewy kernels of choclo (a type of Andean corn), and red bell pepper, is entirely classic. Don't forget to drink up the delicious liquid that remains after the ceviche has been eaten. Peruvians prize this leche de tigre as a hangover cure.

Thick-cut seasoned potatoes can be roasted along with tortilla chicken drumsticks . The mayonnaise works as a zesty dip for both, so you may want to double the amount.