Email Linda at lgassenheimer@miamiherald.com.
Here's a cool meal for a hot summer evening. The wonderful flavor and texture of fresh tuna tops a refreshing salad of lettuce, sugar snap peas, corn and grape tomatoes.
DESSERT CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS Cooking oil spray 1 cup peanut butter (any type) ¼ teaspoon salt (optional) ½ cup confectioners' sugar
MARINADE DR PEPPER MARINADE Combine this with chicken or beef in a gallon-size bag (add more Dr Pepper to cover if necessary) and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Once you have the meat on the grill, boil the marinade for 5 minutes to thicken and use for basting.
MAIN DISH SEARED FRESH TUNA SALAD ½ pound sugar snap peas, trimmed and rinsed 4 tablespoons reduced-fat vinaigrette 1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
DINNER IN MINUTES
Celebrate the start of the Beijing Olympics with this main-dish salad, a simple meal made with shiitake mushrooms, chicken, cashew nuts and an Asian dressing. It's perfect summer evening fare, warm or at room temperature.
MAIN DISH CHICKEN SALAD WITH ASIAN DRESSING 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 ½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil (divided use)
DINNER IN MINUTES
Mango chutney makes a sweet-savory topping for sautéed tilapia, a flaky-white, farm-raised fish that's one of the most reasonably priced in the seafood case.
SIDE DISH BLACK BEAN AND RICE SALAD 1 packet microwaveable brown rice ½ cup rinsed and drained canned black beans 1 cup chopped cilantro
MAIN DISH TILAPIA WITH MANGO CHUTNEY 1 tablespoon canola oil ¾ pound tilapia fillets Salt and freshly ground pepper 6 tablespoons mango chutney
DINNER IN MINUTES
Here's a cool, fresh berry and steak salad for warm summer evenings. It's a one-dish meal that can be ready in less than 15 minutes.
MAIN DISH BEEF AND BERRY PASTA SALAD 4 ounces fusilli (corkscrew) pasta (about 1 ½ cups) Vegetable oil spray ½ pound skirt steak
DINNER IN MINUTES
guing combination of sweet, hot and savory flavors make this quick dinner of plump shrimp a passage to India. I use curry powder from the supermarket, a Western adaptation of the spice blends that Indian cooks make from scratch. Curry powder is best replaced after three or four months, as it loses potency.
MAIN DISH CURRIED SHRIMP 1 teaspoon canola oil 1 cup diced green bell pepper ¼ cup diced onion 1 tablespoon curry powder
DINNER IN MINUTES
Father's Day is around the corner. Tempt Dad with juicy, Sicilian-style swordfish steak. Tomatoes, olives and garlic are staples of zesty Sicilian cooking. Raisins add sweetness and a tantalizing contrast.
MAIN DISH SICILIAN SWORDFISH 1 cup canned, drained, low-sodium, diced tomatoes 3 teaspoons minced garlic 5 pitted black olives 2 tablespoons raisins
SIDE DISH BROCCOLI LINGUINE ¼ pound linguine, preferably fresh ½ pound broccoli florets (about 3 cups) 2 teaspoons olive oil
DINNER IN MINUTES
Salmon steaks are thick and juicy and a nice alternative to salmon fillets. The lemon dill sauce takes only minutes to mix together. Gentle poaching is a fail-safe method of cooking salmon -- it remains moist, juicy and flavorful. The secret to poaching salmon is to slightly undercook it. It will continue to cook in its own heat for a few minutes after it is removed from the poaching liquid.
SIDE DISH HOT ARUGULA PASTA ¼ pound fresh fettuccine 2 ounces arugula, washed (about 4 cups) 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic
oncrline From Linda Gassenheimer's Dinner in Minutes MAIN DISH POACHED SALMON WITH LEMON DILL SAUCE 1 cup bottled clam juice 2 6-ounce wild salmon steaks
DINNER IN MINUTES
Teriyaki, a sweet sauce, glazes a juicy steak for this quick meal. Frozen diced onion, minced garlic and sliced mushrooms, all ready-prepared in the supermarket, are added to bottled teriyaki sauce to give it a homemade touch.
MAIN DISH TERIYAKI GLAZED STEAK ¾ pound skirt steak Vegetable oil spray 1 cup frozen chopped/diced onion 4 teaspoons minced garlic
SIDE DISH CHINESE NOODLES ¼ pound fresh or steamed Chinese noodles or dried noodles 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 6 scallions, sliced
DINNER IN MINUTES
Get a jump on Cinco de Mayo, next week's celebration of Mexican patriotism, with a speedy meal that finds its inspiration south of the border.
SIDE DISH ESQUITES (Fried Corn) 2 teaspoons canola oil 1 cup diced onion 1 cup diced green bell pepper 1 cup frozen corn kernels Several drops hot pepper sauce
MAIN DISH TURKEY AND REFRIED BEAN ENCHILADAS 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas ½ pound reduced-sodium, sliced turkey breast ½ cup canned non-fat refried beans
DINNER IN MINUTES
Fresh herbs, sautéed veal and tiny creamer potatoes makes a light spring dinner. Romaine and radicchio cooked with garlic until they start to wilt lend flavor, color and crunch.
MAIN DISH GARLIC GREENS WITH SAUTEED VEAL 2 teaspoons olive oil ¾ pound veal scallops Salt and freshly ground pepper 4 garlic cloves, crushed
DINNER IN MINUTES
Whiskey lends a subtle, intriguing flavor to boneless pork chops. With very little fat and no bone, the chops can become dry. A secret to keeping the pork juicy is to brown the meat on both sides, lower the heat and let the pork cook, covered. Brown sugar and mustard add a sweet and tangy finish.
MAIN DISH WHISKEY PORK 2 (6-ounce) boneless, pork loin chops Vegetable oil spray ¼ cup whiskey 1 tablespoon brown sugar
SIDE DISH ROSEMARY LENTILS 1 ½ cups canned rinsed and drained lentils 1 medium garlic clove, crushed ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
