Lighten up: 32 healthy summer recipes

Also known as ‘Gypsy Pilaf’, this Turkish recipe from Mediterranea: Life-perfected Recipes from Grandmothers of the Mediterranean by Anastasia Miari makes use of fresh vegetables and salty cheese

In an extract from Mediterranea: Life-perfected Recipes from Grandmothers of the Mediterranean, Anastasia Miari shares a Turkish recipe that makes for a perfect snack.

In an extract from Mediterranea: Life-perfected Recipes from Grandmothers of the Mediterranean, Anastasia Miari shares a time-honoured recipe for flavour-filled eggs from Turkey

Absolutely scrumptious chicken lettuce cups: these are the perfect light lunch.

Step aside, hummus, there's a new dip on the menu.

Thomas Straker, founder of acclaimed London restaurant Straker's, shares some of the delicious seasonal recipes included in his new cookbook Food You Want to Eat (Bloomsbury Publishing, £25). Perfect for the home cook, they use trusted techniques and quality ingredients with a chef's balance of flavours.

Pair your fresh falafel with a drizzle of tahini, a piece of pickled turnip and a radish slice and mint

The classic Levant salad is packed with fresh flavours.

‘In a world that shies away from carbs, this is a gift that is as satisfying but far more nutritious’ says tasha's Natasha Sidaris 

Natasha Sideris' Texas salad is a fresh and flavourful chicken salad recipe that's a classic at tasha's Battersea 

A light pilaf with a smoky flavour and delicate nutty taste with fresh tomatoes and parsley.

Salty, crispy capers are the perfect foil for zesty, lemony sea bass

Diana Henry's recipe for this pretty and light salad

Perfect, easy and impressive for summer parties

Squid spiced up with a homemade chilli oil and sweet tomatoes

Fish tacos from Jamie Oliver's Everyday Super Food recipe book. Just one haddock fillet provides us with a source of seven different essential vitamins and minerals, plus this colourful dish gives us three of our 5-a-day

This punchy starter is like Caesar salad in overdrive

A potato fritters recipe for a Danish summer dinner party from Trine Hahnemann. "You can make the batter 2–3 hours in advance if you do not add salt, which will make it wet. Add salt before cooking instead. Makes about 18 (3 per person)."

Diana Henry's salmon tartare recipe with roast beets and dill creme fraiche, is a clean and fresh dish that makes the perfect starter.

An elegant starter you can prepare in advance with a citrusy dressing