When a warm summer night entices you to dine outdoors, try these healthy barbecue ideas with a Mediterranean twist. Classic ingredients like sweet basil, charred tomato, pungent olives, and tangy balsamic vinegar awaken the palate. Invite your friends, fire up the grill, and enjoy this savory feast.

Pair grilled shrimp with a relish made with charred green tomatoes.

A mixture of grains often served as a warm breakfast cereal, Kashi's 7 Whole Grain Pilaf also works beautifully as a savory side dish.

Butterflying the chicken -- splitting each piece in half and fanning it open like a book -- creates two layers. They make tasty "sandwiches" with tomato and basil.

Eggplant lovers will adore this easy version of a Sicilian staple, flavored with parsley, capers, and red peppers. Roasting eggplant, rather than sauteing it in a lot of oil, renders it terrifically tender and imparts a smoky taste.

Lighten up your potato salad by using fingerling potatoes, nonfat yogurt, and Kalamata olives.

Chopped fresh veggies add crunch to the creamy texture of chickpeas, which are a good source of protein, folate, fiber, and iron.

Grape leaves prevent the fish from sticking to the grill while keeping it tender and moist. Branzino is a variety of sea bass; if you can't find it, you can substitute whole trout.

Toss together tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese for a healthy summer salad.

Toss sardines in olive oil and grill them to crispy golden-brown perfection.

You can simplify this bruschetta even more by grilling, drizzling very good quality olive oil over, and lightly salting the bread.

Combine plum-tomato wedges with a baby arugula salad that features Mediterranean accents, including briny Kalamata olives and sweet green peppers.

Fennel tastes best thinly sliced. Serve it flat on a plate and topped with a savory mix of blood oranges and just a few oil-cured olives, roughly chopped to give the illusion of volume.

Italian country bread makes this salad a little heartier than most.

Tangy parsley-speckled yogurt marinade both flavors and tenderizes succulent grilled swordfish.

The mellowed acidity of aged balsamic vinegar pairs perfectly with the sugary sweetness of strawberries. For a special presentation, garnish with wild strawberries.