A New Day

Everyone's slate is clean on Monday, isn't it? Time for a new week, a new attitude, maybe even something new for dinner. Crab Louis, which is the true San Francisco treat if you ask me, has a clean, crisp taste. Just the thing to kick start the week. (If you're from Seattle and want to claim the Crab Louis originated there, go ahead. But you won't take my memories of Crab Louis and Cioppino at the Cliff House restaurant!)

You can substitute Thousand Island dressing but it won't be quite the same. C'mon, make your own. Everything else about the recipe is so simple. Grab some sourdough and pretend you're on a cable car. Is that the fog rolling in?

Crab Louis
For dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup French dressing
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons minced green olives
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
For salad:
Chilled lettuce, torn in bite size pieces
3 cups cooked crabmeat, flaked (a mixture of canned and imitation is easier on the wallet though lump is the best)
4 hard boiled eggs, quartered
4 medium tomatoes, cut in wedges
Capers
Salt and pepper to taste

To make dressing, combine mayonnaise, French dressing, chili sauce, chives, olives and seasonings. Chill. Arrange lettuce in four shallow, chilled salad bowls and mound the crabmeat equally on top of each. Spoon the dressing on top and garnish with eggs, tomatoes, and capers.

Serves 4.
Source: www.cdkitchen.com.

How about some Hungarian?

Normally the thought of gravy in a jar grosses me out. So thick and gummy. (And the high sodium ain't no picnic either.) But the gravy in this recipe from the Internet Recipezaar acts in much the same way a can of cream of something soup does in a casserole. Adds depth to the background and body to the sauce.

Cooking on the stove is nearly always a fast way to make a meal (compared to baking) and using frozen Italian meatballs also makes for a quick Friday night meal. I say grab a hunk of bread and start sopping. A big green salad never hurt anyone.

Have a great weekend. Meet you back here on Monday!

Skillet Meatball Goulash
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (12 ounce) jar beef gravy
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons chili sauce
12-16 ounces frozen cooked italian meatballs
8 ounces uncooked mini lasagna noodles (aka mafalda)
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray; Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add bell pepper and onion; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add gravy, broth, water, chili sauce and meatballs; mix well. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium. Cover; cook 5 minutes or until meatballs are thawed.

Add uncooked noodles; mix well. Cover; cook about 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and meatballs are thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream until well blended.Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4.

Mangia pasta!

A quick pasta dish is a natural fit for Thursday night. TGIF is almost here and the week is quickly becoming the weekend. I found this recipe on the Internet and like it quite a lot because it makes just enough for two and is easily doubled. This recipe calls for the dish to be served chilled but I've substituted penne for the macaroni and served it warm.

Lots of people don't like non-fat sour cream but I don't mind it here. Low-fat would also work and of course high test would be fabulous. I think some roasted green beans and a nice hunk of sourdough (or just a hunk?) would be nice companions if you go the warm route.

Pasta with Salmon Cream Sauce
8 oz. elbow macaroni, medium shells or other medium pasta shape, uncooked
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. non-fat sour cream
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1 6 1/8-oz. can skinless, boneless salmon (make sure to pick out any bone)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers, very coarsely chopped
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. In a small mixing bowl, combine chicken broth and flour. Whisk until flour is dissolved. Add sour cream and dill and whisk until smooth.

Pour the sauce into a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the flaked salmon, peas, red peppers and ground pepper. Warm just until heated through, stirring once or twice. Add the pasta to the skillet and stir gently until coated with sauce. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Holy mole!

Welcome to Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday! If you're new to Stir Crazy, Wednesday is the day we rely on a rotisserie chicken to make dinner easy. Sure, you can just carve it and serve, but I like the idea of using it as a short cut for something more fabulous.

Chicken mole is a luscious Mexican dish that uses cocoa powder as a background ingredient. I use it in my chili. It normally cooks for hours but here's a short-cut version, with the nutty addition of peanut butter, from Better Homes. Serve it over rice with an avocado and tomato salad.

Quick Chicken Mole
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed with press
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup golden or dark raisins
One 2- to 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed if you like
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Lime wedges for garnish

In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, chili powder, cocoa, and cinnamon; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in chicken broth, peanut butter, and tomato paste. Add raisins; heat to boiling. Add chicken pieces to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer about 5 minutes (10 minutes if chicken has been refrigerated) to blend flavors, turning chicken pieces over halfway through cooking to coat all sides with sauce.

Sprinkle chicken with cilantro. Serve chicken and sauce over rice with salad if you like. Garnish with lime wedges.

Happy Tuesday

Shrimp Scampi is such a great weeknight dish because it takes no time to prepare, just minutes really. Don't scrimp on garlic, that makes the dish. Serve with linguine if you like, a big green salad and a glass of pinot grigio. Mangia!

Shrimp Scampi
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (about 16 to 24)
1/3 cup clarified butter
4 tablespoons minced garlic
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh if possible
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Rinse shrimp and set aside. Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic 1 or 2 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add shrimp, green onions, wine and lemon juice; cook until shrimp are pink and firm, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side.

Do not overcook. Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper before serving. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley sprigs if desired.

Makes 4 main -course servings.

Have a Monday night picnic

The weekend's creeping temperatures remind me that picnic weather is coming to an end here in soon-to-be sweltering Florida. Unless, of course, you like eating outdoors with lightning, no-seeums and sweat. I don’t.

There’s still time for a lovely alfresco dinner in the park or near the water, bay or gulf. It doesn’t get dark until about 8 or later so you’ll have time to stop at the market and put together these easy wraps for a picnic with your sweetie. This recipe is from Bon Appetit 1998, courtesy of www.epicurious.com. Cut up some strawberries and kiwi and bring along cookies or cupcakes for dessert. The bakery at your local grocery store will give you plenty of ideas.

Cranberry juice and club soda spritzers would be refreshing, especially if you can bring along ice. (Vodka will spice things up but you know how the man is about drinking in public places.)

A picnic on Monday night? Now that’s looking out for No. 1 (and 2).

Roast Beef Wraps with Horseradish Coleslaw
Horseradish coleslaw:
1 cup purchased creamy coleslaw (not too sweet)
1-1/2 tablespoons purchased white horseradish
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried
For wraps:
2 10-inch-diameter flour tortillas
8 ounces thinly sliced roast beef
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained, sliced
1/2 cup chopped green onions

To make coleslaw, stir coleslaw, horseradish and thyme in small bowl to blend. Set aside. Makes about 1 cup.

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla to skillet and heat until soft, about 1 minute per side; transfer to work surface. Repeat with second tortilla. Spread half of coleslaw mixture on each tortilla or all of coleslaw on lavash, leaving 1/2-inch border at edges. Arrange beef, roasted peppers and green onions over coleslaw mixture. Starting at edge of tortillas or at 1 long side of lavash, roll up, enclosing fillings. Cut tortillas in half. Wrap in wax paper for packing.

Serves 2, but can easily be doubled.

Fishy Friday

I like this recipe from Kraft because the veggies are included. Also, if you're nervous about cooking fish, specifically overcooking it, this is a great recipe. You can't mess it up ... really.

Grouper would work well, though it's sort of pricey. Not a bad way to class up tilapia, and cod would be delicious. Serve it with rice or flavored couscous.

Foil-Package Fish with Horseradish Sauce
1/4 cup chive & onion cream cheese spread (Philadelphia brand makes one)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 white fish fillets (4 oz. each), each cut crosswise in half
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 small zucchini, cut into match-stick pieces (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red peppers
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese spread, sour cream, horseradish and lemon juice until well blended; set aside.

Cut four 12-inch squares of heavy-duty foil. Place one fish piece in center of each square; top with 1 cup of the spinach and a second fish piece. Sprinkle evenly with zucchini and peppers; top with the cream cheese mixture. Bring up foil sides to enclose fish; double fold top and ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place foil packets in single layer in 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

Bake 15 min. or until fish flakes easily with fork. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 min. Open packets carefully. Place one packet on each of four dinner plates.

Eat light tonight

This recipe is so light and refreshing that you'll want to get it into your regular Florida swelter meal repertoire. Before you plunge in for tonight, be warned the mixture needs to marinade 1 to 2 hours. Ah, what the heck, give it 60 minutes while you walk around the block. Twice.

Serve it with buttery crackers for scooping and a wine spritzer. Can I come over?

Vidalia Onion, Lump Blue Crabmeat and Tomato Salad
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
1 medium Vidalia onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium vine-ripe red tomato, diced
1 medium vine-ripe yellow tomato, diced
12 ounces fresh blue lump crabmeat, picked over to remove shell fragments
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
4 basil leaves, julienned

In a large bowl combine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Add Vidalia onion and cucumber slices to vinegar mixture, toss to coat. Marinate for 1 to 2 hours.

Add tomatoes, crabmeat, olive oil, scallions and basil. Toss gently and adjust seasoning. To serve, divide salad among 4 chilled plates.

Makes 4 servings, or 2 for hearty dinner servings.

It's Our Favorite Day of the Week!

Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday, Baby. This recipe, from a Fine Cooking magazine special publication on chicken, utilizes the tender, flavorful dark meat from a rotisserie chicken. Save the breast meat for cold chicken salad or use it to top your green salad for lunch tomorrow.

Don't let the number of ingredients put you off here; many are pantry items. You could substitute the roasted peppers with 1 cup sauteed corn.

Cook up a bag of Vigo yellow rice and beans to go with.

Roasted Poblano & Bell Pepper Chicken Taco
1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and flattened
1 poblano chili, stemmed, seeded and flattened
1 rotisserie chicken
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne
1 large clove minced garlic
Juice of 1/2 lime
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
4 small (6- to 7-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated (You might want a bit more)
Salsa, your choice of heat

Position an oven rack close to the broiler and heat it. Put the peppers skin side up on a baking sheet and broil until blackened. Transfer the peppers to a small bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the skin from the legs, thighs and wings of the chicken and shred the meat; you should have about 1-1/2 cups. (Save the breasts for another use.) In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, cumin, cayenne, half of the garlic and the lime juice. Season with salt. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat it well with the vinaigrette.

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the blackened skin, and chop the peppers finely.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, onion, the other half of the garlic, the cilantro and the chopped peppers (or sauteed corn).

Put the tortillas on a baking sheet. Divide the chicken among the tortillas leaving a little space around the edge. Top with the sour cream mixture and then the cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Garnish with a little fresh cilantro and serve with salsa.

Eat with knife and fork. Serves two amply or four as a light meal.

Pork Chop Tuesday

You can get everything else at Target so why not recipes? This one, curiously named Black Forest Braised Pork Chops, is from www.supertarget.com. I guess the Black Forest part has something to do with the beer in the sauce. Serve it over mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles. Asparagus is in season now so roast some spears rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, turning once. Roasting makes them sweeter.

Black Forest Braised Pork Chops
2 tablespoons butter
1 (20 ounce) package boneless pork chops center cut (at least four chops)
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beer
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown both sides of pork chops in butter. Remove chops.

Add mushrooms, onion, garlic and salt to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2 to 3 minutes or until onion has softened. Stir in flour until well mixed. Stir beer into vegetables, mixing well.

Return pork chops and any accumulated juices to pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 7 to 8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Stir in parsley.

Serves 4.

Smackin' Mac 'n' Cheese

Roy Finamore is a cookbook editor who has worked with La Martha, the Barefoot Contessa, Mexican cooking guru Diana Kennedy and high sugar priestess Gale Gand. I guess some of that cooking prowess has rubbed off because now he's written another cookbook. (The first one was "One Potato, Two Potato.") This recipe for high-falutin macaroni and cheese is from "Tasty."

It's a good anedote to manic Mondays. The goat cheese adds interesting tang to the gooey goodness. Make a big green salad.

Ziti with Ricotta
Coarse salt
1 pound ziti or penne rigati
1/2 pound spinach, cut in ribbons
1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter
1 pound ricotta
2 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted buter
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Pecorino, for serving

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and pour in the pasta. Stir. Set your serving bowl on top of the pot to warm it.

While pasta is cooking, saute spinach ribbons in olive oil and butter until tender. Set aside.

Whip ricotta and goat cheese together with a fork.

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, ladle out about a cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the butter and cheeses and season with pepper. Stir in enough of the pasta water, a little at a time, to make a smooth sauce. Fold in the sauteed spinach.

Scrape the pasta into the serving bowl and serve immediately. Pass the grated cheese at the table.

Serves 4.

Friday is for flavor

This is give-me-a-break day. I'm picking up a bunch of sliced meats and cheeses from the deli, jars of roasted red peppers, olive tapenade and anything else that can be slathered on 2 loaves of ciabatta or other crusty bread. I'm also getting several kinds of ice cream, toppings, berries and bananas. It's do-it-yourself sandwich and sundae night!

   I'm making the sandwiches a little more interesting by pressing them, sort of like new-age grilled cheese. I have one of those paninni makers, but a skillet is fine.

   Slice the ciabatta lengthwise then across into good-sized portions. Let everyone pile up whatever weird mixture they want. Discourage using the ice cream or butterscotch sauce. Have some fun and name your sandwich. You know like the Porky Pig or the Britney, lots of flash but no substance.

   Put them into a skillet heated to medium, lightly cover with foil, then a plate, then a heavy can or brick to weight them down. Check after about 3 minutes. When one side is brown and the things that are supposed to melt start melting, turn and weight down again.

   Put onto a big platter and encourage sharing.

   After a decent waiting period, bring out the ice cream and related stuff, repeat the creative process of mixing, naming and sharing, and thank goodness for Friday.

Yeah, it's chicken again

If you haven't checked out the recipes on www.about.com, I highly recommend it. The site is a gold mine for not only recipes but cooking and shopping tips.

I found this recipe there and it looks pretty quick. "The bacon keeps the chicken white meat moist while the orange marmalade makes a delightful contrast to the smoky flavor of the bacon. Fast and easy to put together, this chicken dish bakes in less than 30 minutes," so the Web site says.

I'd serve it with some simply cooked vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli or spinach. A rice pilaf from a box mix would be good too.

Such luxury for a Thursday evening!

Orange Bacon Chicken Breasts Recipe
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup orange marmalade

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a shallow baking pan with non-stick foil. (Omit foil and reduce temperature by 25 degrees if using a glass baking dish.)Sprinkle each chicken breast evenly with poultry seasoning, then season generously with salt and pepper.

Wrap each chicken breast with one slice of bacon and place in baking pan with bacon ends tucked under.
Melt together butter, Worcestershire sauce, and orange marmalade in the microwave for about 45 seconds on high. Stir until combined. Pour evenly over bacon-wrapped chicken breasts.

Bake until bacon is crisp and chicken tests done in the center (180 degrees), about 25 to 30 minutes. (If the chicken breasts are thick, bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes.)
Yield: 6 servings

Pizza pie, the easy way

All hail Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday! Hump day is as good as any for some homestyle junk food and this pizza recipe will do the trick. And chicken is healthier than pepperoni, right?

This recipe originally called for the onions to be arranged raw on the crust but sauteeing them for just a few minutes takes out the bite and adds mellow sweetness. Wednesday is harsh enough without burping up raw onions all night. You still need your veggies so make a green salad with some healthy color from peppers and tomatoes.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Prebaked 11-inch pizza crust (or Boboli)
1/2 cup red onion, sliced thinly and sauteed in vegetable oil until limp, about 5 minutes
1-1/2 cup cooked chicken
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 to 1 cup Gouda cheese
1/2 to 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Cilantro for garnish

Arrange the sauteed sliced onions on the pizza crust. Combine chicken and barbecue sauce and spread on the pizza.

Combine the Gouda and mozzarella and sprinkle on the pizza. Bake in a preheated 450-degree oven for 12 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling.

Kid friendly dinner

This recipe from www.recipesource.com isn't exactly high culinary art but it's always a hit with kids. Serve it with fresh fruit and steamed green beans or whatever veggie they'll eat. This can easily be reheated to feed stragglers.

Come back tomorrow for Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday!

Enchilada Casserole
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup (low-fat, low-sodium will do)
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes & chilies
12 corn tortillas
12 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion; drain off grease. Set aside. Mix mushroom soup and tomatoes in blender. Add to ground beef. In a greased 9x13 inch casserole dish, layer 5 to 6 tortillas, torn into bite size pieces, half the ground beef mixture and 1/2 the grated cheese. Repeat layers; ending with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sea scallops, eat scallops

Hope your weekend was good. I spent mine making a Paul Revere costume for the 10-year-old. God bless the Good Will where I found a puffy shirt AND a brown suede vest, both for less than $10. The British are coming ...

Now, about food. I love giant sea scallops, even the ones that come frozen in the bag. So sweet and so quick to prepare; they are perfect for a weeknight dinner, especially on Monday when we are often dragging by the end of the day.

I like to lightly bread them in fine Italian bread crumbs. You can dredge them first in milk or beaten egg. Saute in a bit of olive oil or cook them on a grill pan. They only need a couple of minutes on each side; just until they are opaque.

Two ways to eat them:

No. 1, healthy: Make a big salad with your choice of dressing and place the hot scallops over the top. I use a combination of baby spinach and spring mix (minus the frisee which is intolerably bitter) with julienned bell peppers in green, yellow and red. Add a few sweet grape tomatoes and a good vinaigrette. If you'd like to bulk it up, a spoonful or two of leftover couscous is a good addition.

No. 2, decadent: Plop a bunch of sauteed scallps in a split French roll with crispy-cold romaine lettuce leaves and mayo (or Thousand Island) and call it a scallop po' boy.

Freaky Friday

I am in love with the Aviva Goldfarb book I mentioned earlier this week and I am also in love with Fridays. Like everyone else, including Lover Boy, I am working for the weekend.

Earlier this week we ate the first corn on the cob of the year and it was sweet. It only takes about 5 to 7 minutes to cook after being plunged into a boiling pot of water. Make a big green salad and serve them with Grilled Steak Mojito from Goldfarb's "The Six O'Clock Scramble." Inspired by the Cuban Mojito rum drink that some say was born in Ybor City, the steak is flavored by mint, lime and cocoa.

Grilled Steak Mojito
2 pounds boneless New York strip or Delmonico steaks
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
5 fresh, coarsely chopped mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon olive oil

Put the steaks in a flat container with sides, one just large enough to hold in a single layer. Combine all the other ingredentis together in the blender and pour the marinade over the steaks. Flip the steaks in it several times.

Preheat the grill to high heat. Cook the steaks on the preheated grill with the lid closed to the desired doneness, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium rare.

Remove the cooked steak to a plate of cutting board and slice them into strips.

Serves 4.

A quick dinner for a busy Thursday

When I am brain-drained I like to rely on one of my old standbys that always pleases everyone. It's adapted from an old Williams-Sonoma tapas recipe. I do it so often, I have everything except the shrimp and baguette on hand.

Sizzling Greek Shrimp for 4
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (the tails can stay on - you buy them that way rozen or at the fish counter.)
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons capers
4 or 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry sherry or, even better, Pernod if you have some

   Position oven rack several inches from the broiler and preheat. Put in a large oven-proof skillet to preheat while you assemble shrimp. (I don't recommend Pyrex for this technique; heated empty it can crack.) Combine all ingredients. Quickly but carefully pour shrimp into hot skillet (it can spatter). Broil until shrimp are light golden, about 4 or 5 minutes. Serve with the baguette for dipping and some fresh fruit.

Who You Calling Chicken?

It's Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday and this week just eat it! Rather than pulling meat from bone and fashioning it into another dish, simply carve up the bird and serve with this delicious couscous dish. If you can, find yourself a lemon chicken to complement the citrus flavor of the fluffy grain.

If you want to know more about couscous, watch for an upcoming article in the St. Petersburg Times' Taste section. I'll be exploring the possibilities of this Mideastern delight in the April 18 issue. Talk about a busy cook's best friend. It cooks up in no time flat and, like tofu, can be paired successfully with many flavors. Try this recipe from www.about.com as a warm up. A simple salad of sliced tomatoes with vinaigrette OR broiled half tomatoes with a seasoned bread crumb topping would go great.

Lemon Mint Couscous
6 oz. pkg. instant couscous
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted if desired

Prepare couscous according to package directions, which will take about 10 minutes. When done, fluff couscous with fork and add remaining ingredients. Stir very gently with a fork and serve.

Gather round for dinner

Today I am missing my family and thinking about my dad who has been gone more than 20 years. He was born in Germany and immigrated to the U.S. with his parents and sister in 1930. This is an easy skillet dinner that has the flavors of the old country even if it's not truly authentic.

GERMAN SKILLET DINNER  
5-6 potatoes, scrubbed, not peeled
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cup cubed smoked sausage
1 16-ounce can Bavarian sauerkraut

Cut potatoes into thumb sized pieces. Add onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Brown in 1/4 cup oil 25 minutes until tender. Add sausage, heat, stir occasionally. Drain kraut and spread on top surface. Do not stir. Cover and heat through.

Just another panic Monday

Are you like me and spend the first week of Daylight Savings Time looking at the clock when it's noon (or whenever) and saying it's really 11 a.m.? Geez, one hour less in the day to make dinner for the family.

A new cookbook crossed my desk last week that looks promising. It's called "The Six O'Clock Scramble" by Aviva Goldfarb. It's the product of her online newsletter which you can see at www.thescramble.com. My only complaint is the meager portions which are factored in to the nutritional information. For instance, she says this recipe feeds 8 but it only calls for 6 half chicken breasts. I guess some people have to split a half. Not likely unless you're feeding kids.

Still, this quick Lemon Feta Chicken sounds good. Serve it with couscous and steamed baby carrots.

Lemon Feta Chicken
6 boneless, skinless cicken breasts halves (2-1/2 to 3 pounds total)
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken in a baking dish. Drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Sprinkle it with the oregano and pepper. Top it with the feta, then the remaining lemon juice.

Bake the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes or until it is just cooked through in the thickest part. (Check it with a meat thermometer or sharp knife. The chicken should have an internal temperaure of 160 degrees and no longer be pink inside; juices should run out clear.) Do no flip the chicken while cooking it.

Serves 6. (That's what I think.)