Blog Posts by The Editors of EatingWell Magazine

For me, summer is practically synonymous with grilling. I love to grill for two reasons. One, it's a super-quick way to cook lean proteins and guarantees flavorful, juicy results-without having to add a lot of fat or calories. And two: I get a break from cooking. Andy, my fiancé, does all the grilling. I just do the prep work-and this handy chart with marinating and grilling times makes that part easy.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to firing up the grill. Cooking meat at the high temperatures (350°F and hotter) you use to grill-as well as broil and fry-creates compounds linked with some cancers, specifically heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

(You can read the full story on whether grilling causes cancer-including more details on how HCAs and PAHs form-here.)

While some studies suggest that grilling produces compounds linked with cancer, there's no evidence that grilling causes cancer. And the risks associated with eating grilled

I ate vegetarian for a while, and perhaps the most annoying thing about it was going to a barbecue and seeing that a plain-Jane-veggie-burger-from-a-box was my only option for dinner. Now don't get me wrong, a veggie burger can make a mighty fine meal. But when my meat-eating friends were enjoying smoked ribs slathered with homemade barbecue sauce, I felt like my meal was simply an afterthought.

But these delicious vegetarian recipes for the grill are anything but afterthoughts. Who needs ribs when you can have Black Bean & Hominy Succotash with Barbecued Portobello Mushrooms (see recipe below) topped with its own delicious sweet-smoky sauce. Or a hearty Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich, with a fraction of the fat and calories you find in your standard breaded-and-fried eggplant Parm. My go-to vegetarian option is tofu in Pirate Marinade, fragrant with orange juice, allspice, cloves and cinnamon. Every time I make it I get requests for the recipe from vegetarians and meat

Now that summer has finally arrived in Vermont, my garden is planted, our farmers' markets are in full swing and we just released our newest book, EatingWell in Season: The Farmers' Market Cookbook. Good timing, huh? It's all about savoring fresh fruits and vegetables while they're in season.

The book is loaded with amazing recipes, such as Apricot-Almond Clafouti, and the good stuff that's ripe at the market right now (cherries, strawberries, greens, sweet onions and radishes). Plus, there's a whole section on which kitchen tools will make your life easier when you're chopping, slicing, dicing, cleaning and pitting those delicious fruits and veggies.

Here are my top five favorite kitchen tools right now:

Onion Goggles: OK. Let's just get this out on the table. Onion goggles are absurd-looking. Don't believe me? Here's a picture of assistant editor Hilary Meyer sporting the goggles in the EatingWell Test Kitchen:

But if you're not too vain, I highly recommend

I never really tasted a strawberry until I spent a summer visiting my grandmother on her family's tiny island off the southeastern coast of Norway. Sure, I had eaten strawberries before. They usually came from a plastic container, picked out of season, underripe and shipped from some distant location. But after tasting the sweet real thing, I could hardly consider those strawberries anymore. Now, whenever berries are in season, I buy cartons of them (or pick them myself). I love to eat them fresh, but I also have a few great strawberry recipes that I go back to again and again.

Here are a few of my favorite savory and sweet strawberry recipes:

Green Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese (see recipe below): This lively salad captures the essence of early summer with ripe strawberries, chives and baby spinach. To make it a meal, top it with grilled chicken breast.

Strawberry-Orange Muffins (click for recipe): We love the combination of strawberry and orange in this sweet

I went to a cocktail party recently and brought along a platter of these EatingWell Deviled Eggs (recipe below). Let me preface this by telling you that I made a double batch with 24 eggs (48 halves) and I went to a party with about 10 people. I have a hang-up about not making enough food so I always overcompensate and usually end up with lots of leftovers. But not so this time. (Going to a party? Here are 6 light and easy makeovers of my favorite potluck recipes.)

When I walked in, people started rushing me…not to say "Hi," give hugs and kisses, etc. Instead it was more like a stampede with exclamations of "Oh my god, you made deviled eggs!" "I was going to make deviled eggs and I didn't. I'm so glad you did." People were grabbing the little puppies straight off the platter. I was just standing there, still in my coat, with my bottle of wine in the other hand, trying not to drop anything. That platter was clean 15 minutes later. I'm just glad I made this healthier version, as

For me, summer entertaining means I pull out my favorite grilling recipes. But many of these use smaller cuts of meat, which isn't really the best way to go when you're throwing a party. See, when you have individual pieces of chicken, chops or steaks, you are essentially tied to the grill, turning and taking them off as they (unevenly) finish cooking. I hardly have time to chat with my friends! So when I read this story and recipes by master cooks Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough in the most recent issue of EatingWell about roasting larger cuts of meat on the grill, I was intrigued. Their recipes work, serve 6 or more and only require that I turn things occasionally because the meat cooks over low, indirect heat, which means I can actually have a cocktail with my friends. These recipes are going to change the way I entertain this summer. Thanks, Bruce and Mark!

Middle Eastern Roast Lamb with Tahini Sauce (recipe below): The Test Kitchen crew fought over every last bit of

I love cookies! Hands down, they're my favorite dessert.

People's jaws, including a few of my co-worker's, hit the floor when I say that. How could I, a dietitian, love something so inherently unhealthy-and (gasp!) eat them too?

Well, I do! But I like to keep my cookie needs in check-and not waste a day's worth of calories fulfilling a craving-so I often turn to EatingWell's cookie collection to find something satisfying, but not loaded with calories.

Here are my 5 favorite diet-friendly cookies (that don't taste one bit diet-friendly). They're all 100 calories-or less-so you can indulge without breaking the calorie bank.

Think you have a winning cookie recipe? Enter the 5th Annual EatingWell Holiday Cookie Contest today!

5 diet-friendly cookies:

• Almond & Honey-Butter Cookies (recipe below)
• Boot Tracks (recipe below)
• Yummy Molasses Crackles (click for recipe)
• Pineapple Coconut Bites (click for recipe)
• Dark Chocolate

Seared Chicken with Apricot SauceMake a fresh start this spring and learn to cook. And while you're at it, you can learn to cook more healthfully. I know, I know, if you're not comfortable in the kitchen, cooking can seem a bit overwhelming. But if you're armed with some basic knowledge and the right tools, cooking is easier than you think-really! And when you cook your own meals, you'll eat better and save money-both good things, right?

1. Get the right tools. Like any good workspace, your kitchen needs to be equipped with the right tools, such as comfortable knives, mixing bowls and cutting boards. Use EatingWell's Tools for the Healthy Kitchen as a checklist to see what you have and what you should consider investing in. You don't need to buy everything top of the line, but buy the best that you can afford.

2. Plan ahead. Once you're properly equipped, try planning a week of meals. Even if it sounds super annoying, it pays to sit down once a week to make a menu for the coming days. Not only will you