Even more easy dinner ideas from the Los Angeles Times California Cookbook

Recipe: Yotam Ottolenghi’’s savory green pancakes

Recipe: Blueberry ricotta pancakes

This rich and creamy dessert delivers chocolate accented with a hint of port.
Recipe: Frozen chocolate zabaglione
  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Lucques serves its yogurt sherbet with beignets and zabaglione. Read the recipe »  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Poblano sorbet is a spicy, icy and sweet treat involving peppers, sugar, tequila and lime juice.
Recipe: Poblano sorbet

Recipe: Beer ice cream

Recipe: Tangy frozen lemon yogurt

Recipe: Goat cheese ice cream

This comfort food is a one-dish meal.
Recipe: New Mex migas
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Asparagus with bread crumb-fried eggs

Light and airy.
Recipe: Sour cream waffle
  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

A recipe for walnut pancakes from Clinton Street in New York City.

Egg yolks + sugar + cream = heaven  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Zucchini, feta and basil frittata

Recipe: Pumpkin-spiced French toast

Cold and refreshing, and so easy to make.
Recipe: Cucumber granita

Recipe: Tierra Sur’s heirloom melon gazpacho

Recipe: Curried cantaloupe slaw

Recipe: Grilled watermelon with mint, lime, honey and yogurt

Recipe: Cherry and apricot fruit salad

Recipe: Watermelon with mint and lime

Recipe: Smoked chicken and cantaloupe salad

A refreshing summer salad from The Hungry Cat.
Recipe: Tomato and watermelon salad
  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Watermelon salad with feta, mint and cumin-lime dressing

Throw the vegetables on the grill to give your ratatouille subtle smoky notes.
Recipe: Grilled ratatouille
  (Anacleto Rapping / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Tuscan kale salad

Grilled eggplant with red and yellow peppers

Green beans are quickly softened over the grill, the lightly charred beans dressed with olive oil, salt and tangy quick-pickled shallots.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A hearty first course, or light dinner, that comes together in 30 minutes.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Grilled fig salad

Colorful, bright with flavor, and simple to make.
Recipe: Swordfish with tomatoes and fennel
  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Grilled shrimp skewers with charmoula make for a quick yet flavorful dinner. Recipe: Grilled shrimp skewers with charmoula

Slow-poached shrimp is tender and flavorful.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Rich with bright flavors, this salad comes together in only 20 minutes.
Recipe: Romaine salad with shrimp and Green Goddess dressing
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Canele’s pan-seared snapper

Fresh and bright and ready in less than 30 minutes, this dish goes perfectly with grilled salmon or other fish.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

The Peruvian ceviche from Marinitas in Marin County is full of salmon fillet.  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

If you’re looking for easy, it doesn’t get much better than oven-steamed salmon.  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Roasted salmon with red pepper hazelnut pesto. Recipe here.

Whole Maine lobsters are grilled and smothered in lemon and herbs. Read the recipe

The salt crust retains moisture and deep flavor, making for an intensely-flavored dish.
Recipe: Salt-roasted spiny lobster with saffron aioli
  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Grilled lobster with shallot butter and cucumber ‘noodles’  (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Grilled fresh mahi-mahi with jalapeno cilantro sauce

Recipe: Capellini al gambaretti

Recipe: Cafe des Artistes’ fillet of sole Provencal

Quinoa lentil salad with tomatoes  (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Quinoa is cooked with finely diced beets, which tint the quinoa a vibrant shade of red.
Recipe: Scarlet quinoa salad
  (Ann Johansson / For the Times)

Try this combination of quinoa, meaty shiitake mushrooms, caramelized fennel and crunchy toasted cashews.
Recipe: Quinoa salad with shiitakes, fennel and cashews
  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

The kale salad from Napa Valley Grille.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Quinoa and kale salad

Quinoa salad with grilled corn, tomatoes and cilantro. Read the recipe  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Fig Restaurant was happy to share its recipe for this warm, colorful salad.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

This rich chicken dish comes together in under an hour.
Recipe: Braised chicken with capers

Chicken thighs with honey, olives and oregano. Recipe

No. 7: Tuscan chicken stew

Bright and fresh and mildly spicy.  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Greek lemon chicken.

Recipe: Roasted chicken with grape sauce

Recipe: Roast chicken with fried artichokes and lemons

Creamy texture, but not a drop of dairy.
Recipe: Broccoli soup
  (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)

Creamy scrambled eggs

Grilled halibut soft tacos with a lime-garlic vinaigrette.
Recipe: Halibut tacos
  (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Shrimp tacos with pumpkin seed sauce

Recipe: White gazpacho with grapes

Recipe: Black mussels with fennel salt

Recipe: Calabacitas

An almost infinitely flexible recipe.  (Ifran Kahn / Los Angeles Times)

Mustards Grill’s curried slaw

Beet greens can be stewed with golden raisins and pine nuts and then served at room temperature in a dish that is popular during the hot summer months. Recipe: Beet greens with golden raisins and pine nuts

Best meatloaf ever? Maybe.
Wildcat Willies wild game meatloaf
  (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

A reader favorite from The Overland Cafe.
Turkey meatloaf
  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: H.T. Grill classic meatloaf with roasted tomato sauce

Recipe: Thomas Keller’s gazpacho

Fresh and bright, with a subtle hint of spice.
Recipe: Urth Cafe’s gazpacho
  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe: Fusilli with spicy eggplant.   (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)