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!