Simple family dinners: Salmon salad, grilled chicken

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the vinaigrette:
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, sugar, lemon juice and oil and set aside.

To make the salmon:
Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Roast in a foil-lined baking dish for 15 minutes. (If you prefer to grill the fish, brush with a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of honey and cook over medium-hot coals, 4 to 5 minutes on each side.)

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until a knife slices through them with no resistance, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes to a large serving bowl. Add the corn to the same pot of water. Boil for 4 minutes. Remove to a cutting board, allow to cool, slice off the kernels and add to the serving bowl. Add beans to the same pot of water and cook for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, scallions and cilantro to the bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette and serve.

Our family never liked grilled chicken — it was always too rubbery or dry — until we discovered the yogurt technique. Now it's our number one choice for summer dinner. On the blog we called it "grilled chicken for people who hate grilled chicken." Here's how to make it:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, salt, lemon juice, honey, oil and pepper until emulsified. Pour the yogurt marinade into zipper-lock plastic bag. Add the chicken to the bag and mush around until coated. Seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours. When the grill is ready (and oiled), shake off the excess yogurt from chicken breasts and grill 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until flesh is firm but not rock hard.