Like eating out, only better

One of my favorite restaurants is Ko Sho. They used to have teriyaki salmon, but last time I went, it was no longer on the menu. That's ok, they still have plenty of delicious food and I can make the salmon at home. Soy sauce, brown sugar, spicy brown mustard, garlic and pepper. Combine and pour over salmon. Bake at 450 for approx. 10 mins/inch of thickness, basting once or twice.

I wanted to expand our veggie tastes. I'm not a big fan of cooked greens, but thought I'd try something new. I made a frittata -- in oven-proof pan, saute onions and mushrooms in oil, add salt, pepper and garlic, then swiss chard until wilted. Add eggs beaten with milk or cream. Cook until almost set. Add grated Parmesan and fontina, bake at 400 until completely cooked. The entire family loved it! I added a side of salad greens with orange and grapefruit sections and citrus dressing -- citrus juice, spicy brown mustard, honey, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Another popular take out item, pizza. I made ours with a 100% whole grain Boboli crust, brush with olive oil, add lots of minced garlic, some salt & pepper. Add a layer of sliced zucchini, a little more salt & pepper. Bake 5 mins, add basil, oregano, sliced black olives, grated mozzarella and grated Romano. Bake 5-7 mins more. Yum!! Side salad of baby spinach with fresh pears and balsamic dressing -- balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, olive oil.

Benihana @ home -- more veggies, less show. I like to cook, but I have neither the equipment nor the talent of the grill chefs at Benihana. I sauted onions, mushrooms, zucchini in oil, salt & pepper. Added garlic, shrimp, pre-cooked whole grain rice and soy sauce.

We also love pasta. A couple we had recently:
Whole grain pasta shells, onions, broccolini, garbanzo beans, roasted red pepper, garlic, salt & pepper in olive oil, add Parmesan.

Sauted onion, asparagus, garlic, salt and pepper in olive oil. Add diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, shrimp and spaghetti. Top with Parmesan.

Some treats we've had recently:
Ricotta sweetened with a little honey, topped with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of chocolate.

Sparkling lemonade -- Simple syrup (sugar water), freshly squeezed lemon, sparkling water.

Grandma's mountain cobbler -- flour, sugar, milk and baking powder in a buttered baking dish. In a pan, heat fruit (we used fresh blueberries), sugar and flour. Pour into center of batter, don't stir or try to level. Bake about 30 mins at 375.

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Two at a Time

Well, it's been more than 2 (very busy) weeks since I posted last, so I'll give you some of the good stuff for 2 weeks this time.

We had a birthday party a few months ago and had one guest that is vegetarian. I wanted something easy to make and serve, as well as filling, for a group. I decided on veggie lasagna. After reading several recipes, I came up with my own. (As a side note, in addition to using recipes as suggestions for inspiration, I don't measure much unless I'm making jelly or pastries. For anything else, it's just according to what you have or what you like.)

In large pan, saute diced green pepper, onion and mushroom in olive oil until tender. Add minced garlic, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, marjoram, salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer. If you will be using this as spaghetti sauce, you can reduce it some. A little extra liquid will be ok for the lasagna. Thaw, dry and chop some frozen spinach, cook and chop some broccoli, combine the two. You could use thawed frozen peas too, if you like. Coat pan with non-stick spray. Layer sauce, no-boil lasagna noodles, ricotta, green veggies, grated Italian cheese, sauce...top layer: noodles, ricotta, sauce, Italian cheese. Bake covered at 375 for an hour, uncover and bake 5-10 minutes more. To save time on another day, make 2 at a time and freeze one.

Another day I combined onion, green pepper, broccoli, fresh pineapple, garlic, shrimp, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and served with curry mashed potatoes. Fast, easy and delicious. For a veggie version, try cubed tofu or garbanzo beans instead of shrimp.

One of our favorite super fast meals is salmon and asparagus. Drizzle salmon with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes/inch of thickness. If the fish is straight from the fridge, it might take longer, but it's a good idea to let it sit out a few minutes first. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, salt, pepper and just the tiniest bit of sugar. I know, but you know what they say about a spoonful of sugar... and my family eats it even better than with hollandaise. Spread asparagus out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once fish is done, pop the asparagus in the oven, broil for 3-5 minutes, depending on how thick the stalks are. Nuke a little whole grain rice (what do you want, we're going for fast here). Dinner's done. Yum!

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