It’s Nacho Night at our house. Yes, I confess. Foodie I may be, parent I certainly am, and health-minded ... almost without fail. But there is always a time and place for nachos. We can all do with a little cheesy nacho goodness from time to time to balance out a healthy diet, to dig into with our hands, and to wash down with an ice-cold drink. And as a heaping platter of chips goes, this one is relatively, um, light. Is it possible to call nachos healthy? Where there is a will, there is a way.

This recipe for fun food isn't as decadent as you might think. On the nacho scale of goop and weight, it scores relatively high on lightness and freshness. Sure, it’s layered with the requisite melty cheese (as any bona fide nacho plate should be). Otherwise, it is not bogged down with mounds of meat, cream and beans, rendering its nest of chips soggy and heavy. Instead, there’s a generous helping of plump, garlicky shrimp and a colorful smattering of chopped fresh vegetables and herbs, such as tomato, onion, avocado and cilantro, layered throughout the chips in the spirit of a deconstructed salsa.

The point is that these nachos are tasty finger food, inviting interactive, family-style dining. And we can also all do with a little fun and togetherness when it comes to sharing our food and eating. These nachos score top points for that.

Shrimp Nachos

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 6

Shrimp:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 pound medium (21/25) shrimp, shelled and deveined

Salsa:

1 large ripe, but not mushy, avocado, diced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 to 10 ounces salted tortilla chips

4 cups grated sharp Cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese

3 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced

2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup

1 large vine-ripened tomato, cored and seeded, diced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper flakes, and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the shrimp in one layer and cook until pink and just cooked through, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes. (It's OK if the shrimp are a little under-done. They will continue to cook in the oven.) Transfer the shrimp to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Combine the avocado, lime juice, remaining cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl and gently stir to coat.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread half of the tortilla chips in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or sheet pan. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheese, half of the white scallions, half of the jalapenos and half of the red onion over the chips. Spread the remaining chips over the top and sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheese over the chips. Scatter the remaining white scallions, jalapenos and red onion over the top. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and the nachos are hot, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn on the broiler.

Arrange the shrimp over the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese over the shrimp. Transfer to the oven and broil until the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and scatter avocado, tomatoes, green scallions and cilantro evenly over the top. Serve immediately.

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I discovered this fresh and light-handed salad years ago when I lived in Denmark. Most likely it was at one of our frequent family gatherings, seated outdoors at a long wooden picnic table in the shadow of a thatched roof farmhouse with the summer sun hanging, as if caught on the hook of the horizon, refusing to sink as the evening set in. It was certainly summer, because that's when new potatoes are at their peak in Denmark, and considered not only a staple but a delicacy to be greedily devoured.

I was smitten by the salad's restraint, simply tossed with oil and vinegar, and generously layered with freshly snipped flowering sprigs and herbs from the garden. As an American, my experience with potato salads to that point had been the heavy-handed mayo and egg sort -- tasty for sure, but more of a cloak to disguise the mild-mannered potato. I would prod a fork through those murky salads swathed in cream, sugar and oil in an attempt to fish out any intact morsel of potato, which by then had no flavor except that of the coating with which it was blanketed.

The Danish potato salad was delightfully different, and appropriately Scandinavian in its understatement and use of fresh ingredients, celebrating the humble potato with a confetti of garden herbs. Most important: I could taste the potato. And when the season's newest potatoes are available, delicately sweet and faintly redolent of butter, there is nothing as sublime as that flavor.

I chose blue potatoes for this salad, since I love their unusual color and how they contrast with the flowering yellow mustard greens I found at the farmers market. You can also use yellow or red new or small potatoes. The combination of herbs is up to your taste and whatever might be growing in your garden or stashed in your fridge. If you can find flowering mustard, add it to the mix or use it as a garnish, since it adds a nice peppery bite and vibrant color to the salad.

Danish Potato Salad With Garden Herbs

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes plus cooling time

Yield: Serves 6

3 pounds new potatoes or small potatoes (red, white or blue), washed

Salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, chervil, chives or tarragon, coarsely chopped

Flowering mustard sprigs for garnish

Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water and add 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Partially cover the pot and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, but not mushy, 10 to 15 minutes depending on the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and let stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Cut the potatoes in half or into large bite-size pieces. Add the potatoes, oil, vinegar, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper to a large bowl and stir to thoroughly combine. Cool to room temperature.

Before serving, taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if desired. Add the fresh herbs and stir to blend. If the salad is too dry, add additional olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

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Who doesn’t like fresh berries and whipped cream for a simple summer dessert? Berries and cream are the height of ease and good flavor, and a combination I rely on throughout the summer season.

Sometimes, though, if I want to up the presentation a notch, I make this frozen dessert. The good news is that this version is also easy to make, and it should be prepared at least eight hours in advance of serving, so it’s a great do-ahead dessert when entertaining.

To make it, I fold crumbled store-bought meringues into the whipped cream and freeze the cream in a loaf pan. The meringues add a nice light crunch and a jolt of sugar to the cream. Once frozen, the “loaf” can be sliced and served with fresh berries spooned on top. It’s fresh, light and luscious, and always a crowd pleaser.

To make the frozen cream, first lightly oil the loaf pan, and then line it with plastic wrap. This allows for easy removal from the pan once frozen. The whipped cream is delicate, so should only be frozen for eight to 24 hours. Once the loaf is removed from the pan and sliced, eat it immediately, because the cream will quickly begin to soften. Also, in the past I’ve added berries to the loaf, but I find that they remain frozen while the cream softens, which is not ideal for eating, so I spoon fresh berries, or in this case, a compote, over the top.

Iced Meringues and Cream With Berry Compote

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes, plus freezing time and cooling time

Yield: Serves 8

Iced Meringue Cream:

3 ounces meringues, divided� 2 cups heavy cream� 3 tablespoons sifted confectioners' sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Compote:

3/4 pound fresh berries, such as raspberries, blackberries or strawberries� 2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Lightly oil a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Line with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides. Crumble 1/3 of the meringues, leaving large chunks intact, and spread over the bottom of the pan.

Beat the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until traces of the whisk appear. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

Crumble the remaining meringues and gently fold into the cream. Pour into the pan and spread the cream evenly on top. Cover with the plastic overhang, and then cover the pan entirely with another piece of plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Prepare the compote: Combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the berries break down and release their juices, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

To serve, remove the frozen meringue cream from the freezer. Unwrap the plastic and invert the cream onto a serving platter. Remove any remaining plastic. Cut into serving slices and serve with the compote spooned over each slice.

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