Healthy Cooking How-To's

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We believe the best summer evenings are those spent in the great outdoors with good company and even better food. Everyone loves a classic summer barbecue—especially when it doesn't break the bank for the host! We all know having friends and family over for an evening of grilling and dining al fresco can get pretty expensive—quickly. Below you'll see how you can throw the ultimate backyard BBQ on a budget, including all the recipes you'll need for a delicious evening outdoors.

This formula will help you create a sheet-pan meal that serves four.

The momentum behind functional foods and wellness elixirs is at an all-time high. Touted as having the power to do everything from restoring gut health to boosting immunity and fighting inflammation, their cure-all claims are often backed by little serious science.

Photo: Elizabeth Laseter

Cooling, citrusy ceviche is best enjoyed on a hot summer day. Whether scooped up with crunchy tortilla chips or spooned into crisp lettuce cups, this healthy seafood-based dish is the ultimate refreshing appetizer.

I know I'm not the only parent out there who has days (or weeks, months or years) when getting dinner on the table is a struggle for which I barely have the time, energy or capacity. Some nights I don't have time to tend the stove, others no time to prep, and during the years I had a baby on my hip or in my lap, definitely no hands free for chopping. Unfortunately, in those times I didn't have much of a plan (there were lots of eggs). I know what else you're going to say—takeout. I know, I know.

In the height of summer it's easy to liven up dinner: just look to all the fabulous summer produce, like eggplant, tomatoes and basil. But instead of hitting the "repeat" button on the same recipes, keep dinner feeling fresh by mastering a basic recipe and then riffing on it. Try starting with simple grilled eggplant with fresh tomatoes and salty cheese served over creamy polenta—or serve it over pasta for an even faster dish. Or swap out the eggplant for zucchini if that's what's popping in your garden. Or make your meal even more substantial by adding some grilled sausage.

Pictured recipe: Baked Parmesan Zucchini Curly Fries

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