Red Snapper with Ginger-Lime Butter

This fish is the perfect entrée to ring in the spring. It's very fresh and takes no time to make, a perfect combination! Even though the recipe serves 4, Todd and I tend to eat all of the butter between the two of us, so make sure to judge your love of butter before preparing this zesty topping!

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (6-ounce) red snapper or other firm white fish fillets
Salt and pepper to season the fish
Cooking spray
Lime wedges

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Stir in salt. Cover and chill.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and black pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Top each fillet with the butter and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4.

Baked Risotto with Asparagus, Spinach, and Parmesan

I made this side dish for the first time last night and it was amazing! It was easy to make and and you just put the pot into the oven after you're done with cooking the dish on the stove. Very simple!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
5 oz package of fresh spinach
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
~1 1/2 cups grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups (1-inch) diagonally sliced asparagus

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender. Add rice; stir well. Stir in spinach, broth, salt, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer; cook 7 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese.

Cover dutch oven and bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Stir in asparagus; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Cover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed.

4 servings

Ziti Baked with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Smoked Gouda

Kenneth and I made this for the first time last night. It was very easy so I think I'm going to add this to one of our week night dinners. I love dishes that you finish cooking in the oven...it gives me time to clean up the kitchen (I make such a mess and have yet mastered the clean-as-you-go method).

Substitute smoked cheddar for the Gouda, if you like.

8 ounces uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 (10-ounce) can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes (such as Rotel Bold Italian)
4 cups baby spinach
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded, smoked Gouda cheese, divided
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach to pan; cook 30 seconds or until spinach wilts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add pasta and 3/4 cup cheese to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Yield: 5 servings
CALORIES 382(30% from fat); FAT 12.7g (sat 5.7g,mono 4.6g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 17g; CHOLESTEROL 33mg; CALCIUM 334mg; SODIUM 977mg; FIBER 4.3g; IRON 4.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 52.3g Cooking Light, MARCH 2004

Linguine with Asparagus, Parmesan and Bacon

This recipe came my way via my friend Mariah. All I needed to know was that she was serving me a dish that included bacon and I was in.

3 cups (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 pound)
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated linguine
5 bacon slices (uncooked)
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper object2=">
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded Parmesan cheese
Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan, crumble and set aside. Reserve 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Add onion, garlic, and oregano to drippings in the pan; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil.

While the tomato mixture is coming to a boil, cook asparagus and pasta according to pasta package directions. Drain.

Once the tomato mixture comes to a boil, stir in butter, salt, and pepper; remove from heat. Place asparagus mixture in a large bowl; add tomato mixture. Top with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. Garnish with shaved Parmesan, if desired.

Serves 4.

Sacred Cow Stew

This recipe comes from Barbara Hanlon. We call it Sacred Cow stew because Barbara wanted to make it with beef instead of lamb and the butcher harshly reminder her that cows are sacred in India.

Lamb curry is a classic dish from northern India and the most popular of all curries. You can vary by substituting other ingredients in place of the lamb and adjusting the cooking time. For example, use an equal quantity of beef or veal, a 3-pound skinned and cut chicken, 1 1/2 pounds shelled and deveined shrimp, or 1 1/4 pounds mixed vegetables, such as cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots.

Cooking spray
2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
5 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Garam Masala
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups finely chopped plum tomato (about 1/2 pound)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add lamb, and cook for 5 minutes on all sides or until browned. Remove lamb from pan.

Heat the oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 4 ingredients (onion through cinnamon); cook for 4 minutes or until onion is browned. Stir in coriander and next 6 ingredients (coriander through garlic); cook 1 minute. Add lamb, tomato, water, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until the lamb is tender. Stir in 1/4 cup cilantro. Serve over rice; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup lamb mixture and 1 cup rice)

CALORIES 457 (22% from fat); FAT 11.2g (sat 3.5g,mono 4g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 40.4g; CHOLESTEROL 112mg; CALCIUM 70mg; SODIUM 477mg; FIBER 4.5g; IRON 5.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.8g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2001