Vegetarian

Special equipment: 2 (12-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes 

For the squash
1 (4-pound) spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon brown sugar

For the glaze
1 cup chicken broth

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a high-protein cereal grain from South America. The tiny seeds have a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture and mild nutty-grassy taste when cooked. To remove any traces of the seeds' natural residue called saponin, rinse the quinoa well with cold water before cooking.

Who needs meat? The cumin scented black bean filling is hearty, satisfying, and incredibly easy to prepare. Round out the meal—and get a complete protein—by adding Mexican rice.

South Beach Diet - Phase Two

Nothing is better than homemade pesto. This simple sauce highlights basil's cool flavor and bright color, and it's so easy to make. Spinach-Basil pesto brings life to a mixture of pasta, beans and corn. Just be sure to blanch your greens to keep the pesto from turning dark and dull. The problem with green pestos is that when tossed with hot pasta, their color can go from vibrant to murky in seconds. So keep your pesto bright by blanching the greens briefly in boiling water, and then 'shocking; them in ice water.

Pappardelle [pah-pahr-DEHL-lay] is long, wide (5/8 inch) pasta often found in Italian markets. Fettuccine is a fine substitute.

It's the possibilities in that blank crust that make pizza so much fun. Lately, we've been obsessed with white pizza. Brush the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with mozzarella, and then let the fun begin. Without the acidity of the tomato sauce to contend with, you can really experiment. In this version, asparagus adds freshness and a hit of color, goat cheese brings a creamy tang, and fingerling potatoes (yes, potatoes) round out the pie with their richness.

This healthy main is cooked completely on the grill and is flavored by a simple, four-ingredient marinade—so there's very little cleanup required. Some grilled rustic bread would be nice alongside. And if you happen to have fig balsamic vinegar, use it in place of regular. It makes an excellent complement to the other flavors.