Avedano's braised lamb

This recipe is the foundation of Avedano's well-known Lambwich, perfect for cold-weather months. It's also a great dinner entrée.

Pomegranate quinoa salad

Piccolo Chef pizzettes

Think outside the box—the pizza box, that is. Kids can use cookie cutters or shape dough by hand to create their own mini-pizzas (pizzettes).

Strawberry, avocado and greens with ruby dressing

The berry dressing is so colorful and brings tender greens together withstrawberries and avocado for a delicious combination, fit for any posh spa menu.

Mexplosion salad

Greenleaf Chopshop's version of taco salad is lighter in calories, but still packed with flavor!

Honeydew melon soup

Stir-fry bitter melon beef in oyster sauce

Soil conservationist and radio host Sam Vang calls this his favorite Hmong dish. "The bitterness and crunchy texture of the bitter melon, combined with the flavor of soy and oyster sauces melting in your mouth, makes the dish incredibly tasty."

Stuffed zucchini

Ever stuff a zucchini? We think this recipe will help turn a "no" into "I can't wait to do it again!"

Baked summer squash

Fun fact: The most popular types of summer squash grown in California are zucchini, crookneck and pattypan.

Heirloom tomato soup

You can use any combination of heirloom tomatoes for this colorful, easy-to-make soup. It's a perfect complement to soft shell crab or Dungeness crab salad.