30 Minutes or Less

A great side dish—or afternoon snack.

Peperonata—an Italian condiment usually made of sautéed tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic—is spiced up with a poblano chile. Here, we've added chicken breasts to turn it into a satisfying main course. Serve Italian-style, over polenta, or Mexican—style, wrapped in warm tortillas with slices of avocado and dollops of sour cream. Instead of chicken, you can also spoon the peperonata over grilled flank steak or crusty grilled bread.

Mahimahi has a large, moist, and pleasantly firm flake. Topping it with briny feta, herbs, and lemon slices evokes the warm shores of Greece.

No bottled tomato sauce can equal a simple homemade one—especially when the robust flavor of the grill is added to the mix.

These pearls may not be from the sea—couscous is actually a type of pasta—but their firm texture makes them a natural partner for sautéed shrimp. The simple tomato and white-wine sauce adds spark.

Freshly ground black pepper is more distinctive on top of baked salmon, so be sure not to use preground. Serve alongside these homey dill potatoes mashed with olive oil and with plenty of sour cream.

A hot skillet and an egg will quickly enliven any leftover rice parked in your refrigerator. Add meaty pieces of broiled chicken and bacon for a satisfying, inexpensive meal.

Many riffs on Caesar salad are too heavily dressed, but here a hefty handful of basil keeps things fresh and herbal.

Crumb toppings normally appear on fruit desserts, but a savory mixture of grated pecorino and toasted walnuts works in much the same way, adding textural contrast to delicate fettuccine and grilled zucchini. Garlic-chile oil jazzes up the flavor.

If you don't have assorted potatoes, just use regular Idahos. Scrub and cut them into 1 1/2-inch chunks.

This recipe originally accompanied Fritto Misto .

Cooking Method: Direct Heat Suggested Supplies: 4 Bamboo Skewers Barbecuing gets a bad rap sometimes as being the domain of fatty meats and high-calorie sauces, but the truth of the matter is that smoking and grilling don't add fat to a dish, only flavor. With the right ingredients the outdoor cooker can be the focus of cooking for a healthy diet. These charcoal-grilled fruit skewers, with their spicy flair, make eating fruit exciting. It's a versatile dessert or side dish recipe that can be made with any number of fruit combinations. Pair it with grilled chicken and enjoy a guilt-free meal.

In this campfire version of an Italian classic, the steak is cooked on the coals, though bistecca fiorentina is traditionally cooked on a grill over the coals. Of course you can make it on a very hot grill or griddle pan if you choose, but it's fun to watch your steak cook directly on the coals. Choose the best steak you can afford. Buon appetito!

Dwight Eisenhower wasn't the first or only cook to grill steaks directly on hot coals, but he was the most famous one to do it. One of many stories about Ike in the Eisenhower Library archives relates that he liked three-inch beef strip steaks—also called New York strip, shell steak, or Kansas City strip—completely covered with salt and pepper, then placed directly on white-hot coals for a rare, charry-crusted steak that can be addictive. Sorry, gas grillers, but no dirty-steak cooking on your grill—you need the coals for this one! I have also grilled thick chuck roasts—similar to Ike's famous three-inch steaks—this way, cooking each side at least 15 minutes directly on the coals, with delicious results. This technique works well for any relatively tender protein of a uniform thickness; branch out and try thick pork chops or even a thick tuna steak.

In the South, we have a tradition of ushering recipes from era to era and family to family. Secret sauces are passed down from generation to generation. That's certainly the case here. Our Barbecue Seasoning and Barbecue Sauce have evolved over time, and the versions that follow have benefited from the contributions of countless kin through the years. Now that we are passing our family secrets along to you, it's your job to share them with others. We enjoy changing up recipes ans seeing what happens, and we encourage you to do the same. Who knows? You may come up with a secret sauce or rub that's better than our own! Of course, the keys to full-flavored barbecue—indeed, one of the keys to any great-tasting dish—are fresh ingredients and spices. Don't be reaching in the back of the cupboard for some tired old tin of paprika. You want great ribs? Start with fresh spices. Everyone down South knows that a good grill seasoning (or "dry rub," as it's called in Memphis) begins with paprika. We use the basic paprika that is not labeled "sweet" or "hot." The flavor is subtly sweet, rich, and yet mild, so it blends beautifully with grilled meats. Sugar and onion powder provide a sweet and savory counterpoint. Keep in mind that you will be cooking over charcoal and hickory (or your preferred wood), which will add tremendous flavor to the meat. For that reason, this seasoning blend is fairly simple and straightforward. For the best flavor, marinate the spice-rubbed meats overnight in the refrigerator, so they can absorb and "breathe in" the flavors.

Use gas or hardwood charcoal when grilling fruits. Fruits absorb too much smoke flavor when grilled over wood or briquets. The trick to grilling fruit is to use fruits that are ripe but not overripe or too soft, then brush them with a glaze to bring out the sweetness. Turbinado is a natural, unrefined sugar; you can find that and cane syrup (a thick, sweet syrup used in Caribbean and Creole cooking; I use Steen's brand) at specialty markets, some grocery stores, or online. When you're grilling fruit and using a sugary glaze, it's most important to start out with a clean, oiled grill grate so the fruit is less likely to stick or taste of previously grilled foods.

The egg-dipped ham sandwiches are even better with Spanish ingredients: salty Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, and sweet membrillo (quince paste), which is available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and from igourmet.com.

The famous Argentine herb sauce is thinned out with a little more olive oil and vinegar to make a bright herbal dressing for the salad. Instead of a big rib eye, this recipe calls for flank steak, a thin cut that's ideal when you're pressed for time.

A couple of rosemary sprigs are all you need to flavor each whole trout. Serve with tabbouleh.

This dish is like risotto (only quicker and easier) and features cooked orzo topped with garlicky shrimp.