2,200 light recipes

Strawberry Dream Dessert layers an oat-brown sugar crust with a fluffy strawberry mousse of fresh berries, whipped cream, and egg whites. A cool, cloud-light icebox dessert for summer.

Whipped shortbread cookies that practically melt on the tongue. Beaten with cornstarch and powdered sugar for a cloud-light, almost feathery crumb. Top with a candied cherry or pecan half.

Quinoa salad with fresh apricots, currants, scallions, toasted pine nuts, and bell pepper. A light Mediterranean-inspired grain salad that balances sweet dried fruit with crunchy nuts and herby alliums.

Alice's lemon pie is a heritage 9-ingredient meringue pie with a cornstarch-thickened lemon filling and powdered-sugar meringue topping. Light, tart, and finished in a deep dish pastry shell.

Minted peaches and melons is a fresh summer fruit salad of ripe peaches and cantaloupe in a light orange-lemon dressing, finished with chopped mint and toasted almonds. No cooking, and easy to make ahead.

Cucumber yogurt soup is a cool, no-cook summer starter blended with fresh dill, garlic, scallions, and tangy yogurt. Light, herbaceous, and ready in 10 minutes plus a chill. The answer to a sweltering afternoon.

Light, crisp almond meringue cookies made with just 4 ingredients: egg whites, a touch of sugar, almond extract, and wheat germ. Slow-baked until dry and airy, these diabetic-friendly macaroons satisfy a sweet tooth without the guilt.

Orange chiffon pie folds whipped egg whites into a citrusy gelatin-set orange custard for a cloud-light filling in a flaky pastry shell. A retro chilled pie topped with whipped cream and orange slices.

Speedy no-fuss rice pudding made with vanilla yogurt instead of slow-simmered custard, sweetened with honey and cinnamon, then layered with fresh summer berries and peaches. A light, chilled dessert.

Asparagus vichyssoise made in the microwave with fresh asparagus, potatoes, and skim milk. This light, low-fat cold soup is blended silky-smooth and chilled overnight for a refreshing make-ahead starter.

Flourless chocolate mousse cake with three ingredients in the base: bittersweet chocolate, butter, and eggs. Naturally gluten-free, water-bath baked, finished with optional ganache glaze.

Sole fillets rolled around leeks, parsley, and sun-dried tomatoes, then baked on a bed of parsley in white wine. A light, elegant fish dish with concentrated tomato flavor and no added fat.

Microwave meringues made with just egg white and powdered sugar in under 15 minutes. No oven needed. These two-ingredient meringue cookies puff up light and crisp in 90 seconds flat.

Pasta with asparagus, an aglio e olio-style dish with five cloves of garlic, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, fresh asparagus, and Parmesan over mostaccioli. Light, garlicky, ready in 40 minutes.

Jumbo shrimp marinated in brandy, garlic, and lemon then skewered with bok choy and broiled until charred and succulent. A show-stopping appetizer or light dinner ready in under an hour.

Brennan's-style banana beignets fried golden in a light beer batter, dusted with powdered sugar, and drizzled with homemade bourbon caramel sauce. A New Orleans classic you can make at home.