My friend Debbie, who is a godess, and working tirelessly on Weight Watchers to lose weight gave me this recipe, and I modified it slightly. It is a PERFECT accompaniment to grilled fish, or chicken and is JUST as good the next day for lunch.  Modify the recipe to make as many salads as you need. This recipe serves two, with some leftover for lunch the next day for one. The sesame ginger dressing is the key to the salad and the flavors marry very well together.

• Sliced, fresh strawberries
• 1 chopped, fresh cucumber
• ½ cup cooked pasta, such as whole grain mini penne (Debbie uses quinoa and swears by it!)
• Crumbled feta cheese to taste
• Fresh arugula, or mixed salad greens
• Low –fat sesame ginger salad dressing

Cook the pasta according to the package directions and then run under cold water.  Toss the pasta with the other ingredients.

I have been a hiatus from my blog for a couple of months but I’m back now! I have a couple of new recipes to share for the warm, summer months with the fresh produce and bounty that you can get at the Farmer’s Market.  Here in Renton we have the greatest Farmer’s Market ever—so I’m continually surprised to hear that some folks have never been there!  Tuesday’s from 3:00-7:00 pm—downtown Renton at the Piazza. This recipe is from Rachael Ray’s cookbook—365: No repeats.*

This dinner I made recently for my godson’s parents! Many of the ingredients you can find right at the market!

• 4 T olive oil
• 1 medium red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• ½ to 1 tsp, red pepper flakes (depending upon the heat you prefer)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 limes (juiced)
• 3 T honey
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 4, 6 oz. salmon filets
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 10z bag of frozen corn, or if it is in season the equivalent fresh
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 15 oz can black beans
• 2-3 T fresh cilantro
• 6 cups fresh baby spinach

Preheat a medium skillet with 2 T olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until onions are soft.

In a small bowl, combine juice of one lime, honey, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the salmon, and toss to coat. Cook the salmon in the remaining 2 T olive oil in another skillet.

Add to the cooked onions, the bell pepper and corn and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the black beans until the beans are heated through. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the juice of second lime, cilantro and spinach. Toss to wilt the spinach.

Serve the salmon on top of the warm black bean and corn salad.

I served this with mini jalapeno corn muffins and a nice Chardonnay. Enjoy!

I just returned from a sunny Palm Springs vacation, where fruit trees bloom in abundance! On any given day, you can walk outside of your patio, pick a lemon, a grapefruit, an orange, or a lime. This recipe, adapted from The Barefoot Contessa—suits just such an occasion.

• ½ cup gold tequila
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 ½ Tablespoons minced fresh jalapeno peppers
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 chopped green onions
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 4 boneless, skin on chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients, except for the chicken in a bowl. Pour the marinade in  a large zip lock bag and add the chicken breasts. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and grill skin side down about 5-6 minutes per side until chicken is done.

Serve with a simple salad with sliced avocados, sliced oranges, and red onions and your favorite vinegarette.  

Now, for a poll?

What is your favorite pizza of all time? I’d like to get a read on this and then see if I can make it myself—and teach all of you how to make your own pizzas, too.

St. Patty’s Day is under our belt, but I’d like to share a St. Patty’s Day favorite—and one of my husband’s favorite dishes year round. It’s a stick-to-your ribs dish, like much Irish fare, but it’s great on a cool rainy night. And, we all know that we get enough of those in Seattle. And, for my midwestern friends and blog readers–I make this all the time when we are hunkered down in Michigan!

I’ll give you the basics, but encourage you to make it your own dish. This serves 4 ample servings.

Preheat your oven to 375.

• ½ pound mushrooms, chopped into quarter
• ½ large onion, chopped (in a pinch, I add frozen pearl onion which is super!)

Heat 2 T oil in a skillet and saute mushrooms and onions until brown. Set aside.

• 1 lb ground beef (or turkey, or chicken or lamb, the way the Irish like it)
• 3 cloves, chopped fresh garlic. (Yes, you can use the stuff in the jar, but I frankly find it bitter, but go ahead, if you must!)

Add meat and garlic until the meat is no longer pink. Medium high heat is sufficient and will ensure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Return the mushroom mixture to the skillet. Then add:

• 1 ½ cups water
• Brown gravy seasoning mix—if you are lazy and in a pink. (You can also add 1 ½ cups beef broth)

Then add:

• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables of your favorite kind—mixed veggies are good, peas/carrots mixed are good, limas are good, or just peas.

In the meantime, make your favorite kind of mashed potatoes. I’m not going to tell you how to make mashed potatoes. You can use the new “steam and mash” kind that you can put in the microwave, which are actually quite acceptable for someone that used to ONLY make from scratch mashed potatoes. But, whatever you do not use “potato buds” or some such thing. Or, if you do just don’t tell me about it—it might give me heart palpitations.

After you have added your veggies, season quite well with:

• Salt and pepper and 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley.

Transfer the meat mixture to a glass pie plate. Spoon mashed potatoes on top. Bake about 15 minute until the potatoes are slightly brown. If you are from Wisconsin, like we are—everything is better with cheese, so your final step can be to add:

• ½ cup grated, mild cheddar cheese.

This is a real comfort food dish. Enjoy! My next installment will be more in keeping with Spring. Watch out for my dinner party menu for Friday night….

 Crab cakes with a spicy peanut vinegarette, spring green risotto, and FRESH homemade lemon and raspberry sorbets. The specialty in the Bressler house!

As always, bon appétit!