Linda Gassenheimer

Juicy burgers are an American favorite. Barbecue sauce mixed in with the meat gives a barbecue flavor without having to heat up the grill. It also helps make these lower-fat burgers moist.

Ground buffalo meat is now available in most supermarkets. It has a real beef flavor and makes a great burger. If it's not available, look for grass-fed or 98 percent fat-free ground beef.

When shaping the burgers, handle them lightly. Don't squeeze or compact them. When cooking, don't press the burgers with a spatula.

This thick and hearty soup made with ham, lentils and tomatoes takes only 30 minutes to make and is a great way to brighten up a winter evening. It's a whole meal in one bowl.

I find that my family, no matter what the weather, loves a bowl of soup. It warms them up and gets them chatting around the table. Soups and casseroles are great family fare, but usually take too long to make for a midweek meal. This quick meal fits the bill.

A Neapolitan pizza-style sauce over tender, juicy pork makes a quick and simple dinner. The combination of tomato, olive and garlic on the pork pairs beautifully with the earthiness of the beans and the bite of peppery arugula in the White Bean Salad.

Butterflying the pork by cutting it almost in half lengthwise helps it cook in under 10 minutes.

This meal contains 517 calories per serving, with 20 percent of calories from fat.

Some hints:

The exciting flavors of Chinese cuisine are captured in this five-spice stir-fried pork. Five-spice usually consists of ground cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns. It gives a pungent flavor to this quick dish.

The pork is accompanied by noodles and greens made with bok choy, a mild vegetable with a crisp, white stalk and dark green leaves. It can be found in the produce section of most supermarkets and can be eaten cooked or raw.

The secret to wok cooking at home is to make sure the wok is very hot -- the oil should be smoking. Add about half the meat and wait several seconds for the wok to regain its heat before adding the rest.

This meal contains 521 calories per serving with 27 percent of calories from fat.

Helpful hints:

* Chinese or Napa cabbage can be used instead of bok choy.

* White vinegar diluted with a little water can be used instead of rice vinegar.

* Dried Chinese noodles or angel hair pasta can be used instead of fresh or steamed Chinese noodles.

A pair of salads -- one with jerk-seasoned chicken, the other with berries -- makes a quick, refreshing summer supper.

Jerk seasoning tossed with cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast meat gives zip to this Caribbean-influenced dinner. Allspice, the fruit of the pimiento tree, is the key ingredient in this Jamaican seasoning blend. True jerk recipes are grilled over pimiento branches.

A quick pork tenderloin on the grill is the perfect way to welcome summer. The flavorful glaze combines honey, ginger and garlic.

A thick glaze can burn easily on the grill. My secret to keeping the crisp barbecue texture of the meat without turning it black is to place the meat on the grill without the glaze. After turning the meat, I spoon a small amount of the glaze over the cooked side. I spoon the remaining glaze on the meat just after it is taken from the heat.

Roasting red peppers until their skin is bubbly and black gives them a delicious, smoky flavor. The same is true for tomatoes.

For this quick sauce, I've roasted all of the vegetables under a broiler, which leaves you free to make the rest of the dinner while the vegetables cook. To skin the peppers, just pull away sections that remove easily; don't worry if some is left on. A light sauce like this needs thin, light angel hair pasta.

This meal contains 674 calories per serving with 31 percent of calories from fat.