Fish

Why you'll make it: Because it's tuna done differently, and a spicy Asian take on kebabs.

This classic "green sauce" (not related to the Mexican tomatillo salsa of the same name) can be used as a dip for crudités, grilled shrimp, or focaccia; or spooned over grilled fish, chicken, or lamb.

This gorgeous centerpiece dish comes together in three easy steps.

A lovely vinaigrette, enhanced with pan juices and the flavorful punch of a little tapenade, makes this simple broiled fish taste deep and complex.

Catfish stays tender and moist when baked in a crunchy crust of bread crumbs and cornmeal. A take on traditional New Orleans rémoulade adds a piquant punch.

The vegetables, along with the canned Italian tuna, in this colorful tossed salad create a positively satisfying meal. (Using an imported brand of tuna will make all the difference.)

• Filling can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before using. • Pissaladière strips can be baked 3 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature.

We're convinced that red trout is well worth looking for. We love its firm texture, its delicate flavor, and its gorgeous pink flesh, which here contrasts beautifully with the green pesto—an all-purpose sauce that would taste great with just about any type of fish or pasta.

If a bite of this clean, bright "pâté" transports you to a sunny beach on Nantucket, that's because it's inspired by a similar spread offered at the island's Straight Wharf Fish Store. This rendition can be whipped up effortlessly, but it's a substantial and statement-making appetizer nonetheless.

Look for fish that's 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. It sounds counterintuitive, but farmed fish is a better choice when raised inland, in recirculating water (rather than in crowded netpens in the wild). At the market, ask your fishmonger where the fish comes from.

This halibut recipe is perfect for warm weather. While the grill is fired up, throw on some asparagus or another quick-cooking vegetable for an easy dinner.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Bikini Bootcamp: Two Weeks to Your Ultimate Beach Body, by Melissa Perlman and Erica Gragg. This fabulous salad is the most requested recipe in our Bikini Bootcamp repertoire! It works great with either grilled fish or chicken, and over the course of the program, you'll enjoy it both ways. It packs quality nutrition into very few calories, plus it delivers a hefty dose of healthy fiber to fill you up so you're never hungry. We guarantee that you'll be making it long after these two weeks are up!

This dish showcases salmon and the bright, fresh flavor of early-summer sugar snap peas in a dish that's perfect for a lunch with friends or a light dinner eaten outdoors. Broiling the delicate paillards seals in the juices and makes preparation a breeze.

Removing the bones from salmon steaks is surprisingly easy, and you'll get filletlike quality at a lower price. Here, we've grilled the steaks to intensify their flavor, and paired them with the sharp bite of horseradish.

We adopted contributing editor Jon Rowley's technique for poaching salmon in water salted like the sea. This method imparts a touch of brine and enables the other seasonings to permeate the fish. Cut into very thick steaks instead of left whole, the fish is easier to handle and doesn't require a poacher. The creamy sauce makes for a sophisticated finish.

Slow-roasting at a very low temperature results in extremely tender salmon. The richness of the fish is accented by a salty-sweet red-wine sauce, which thickens into a syrupy glaze during cooking.

Bacon and a little cream give this chowder lashings of decadence — but, because there are no thickeners, it's surprisingly light.