Cornflake-Crusted Turbot with Cilantro Aioli and Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Mmmmmm... some pictures just make me start craving the fish all over again! And this is one of them. I just can't help it. Delicious Turbot that practically melts in your mouth surrounded by the crispness of corn flakes and served with a delicate aioli. Creamy, warm pumpkin soup that makes the autumn air feel that much fresher. And while not listed above since I've made it before, I rounded out this meal with a deliciously springy zucchini bread that mixes together the delight of fresh bread with some added (yet tasty) nutrition. Have I convinced you to try this meal yet?

As we move into cooler weather you'll find me experimenting a lot more with warm soups and winter vegetables. I am a big fan of squashes - acorn, butternut, spaghetti - and also of pumpkin, zucchini, etc. Jump in and experiment with these rich, naturally delicious vegetables and get creative with your meals. Nothing is better when there is a chill outside than curling up on the couch with some delicious homemade food.

Cornflake-Crusted Turbot with Cilantro Aioli
If you haven't experienced the wonders of crusting foods with cornflakes yet, you are in for a treat. This kid-friendly cereal turns out to be startlingly gourmet when paired with a delicate fish and a glass of wine. The crunch adds a unique texture that goes especially well with creamier fishes.

I worked off of this recipe from Cooking Light. You'll notice the title is slightly changed. If you are a follower of my blog you know by now that I am NOT a big fan of spicy - and here is where that rings true once again. I skipped the serrano chile in the aioli, but feel free to add it back in and let me know below how it worked.

You'll also note that this recipe calls for Halibut and I used Turbot. These are both creamy, white fishes that switch out fairly well. My only real reason for choosing the Turbot here is that Halibut is now out of season and widely available. Turbot, which is in season, is fresher and easier to find. Use whichever you can find and that looks best!

Finally, beware when cooking the fish. I cut my one large piece of turbot into three smaller ones to allow for easy coating and flipping. This worked out quite well and I recommend trying this yourself. However, the cornflakes will burn if cooked for too long. Keep in mind that the fish will cook fairly quickly and while you want to ensure that it is fully cooked, you also don't want to end up with black cornflakes. Just cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Use a knife to check to see if they are done. You can cook longer if needed but that should be enough!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup
You truly know it is fall when it is time to start pulling out the pumpkin! Pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie... they will all start coming your way in the next few weeks. This might also be attributed to the fact that I have a pumpkin-enthusiast gobbling down everything pumpkin that I prepare for him...!

Once again, Cooking Light has provided the recipe for this occasion. Make sure that when you buy your pumpkin you select the ones for cooking. While technically you could use any of them those ones will produce the best results. They are generally denoted as pumpkins for pumpkin pie but they work well for any cooking. They are also smaller - you'll only need about 3 cups for a generous serving of soup. Just make sure you have a sharp knife when you start- pumpkins are NOT the easiest vegetable to cut.

While I did peel the pumpkin, I neglected to do so with the apple. Apple skin is light and full of nutrition. And I just like it and get lazy. So why bother? I doubt using it v. not using it will truly make a difference. I also, as usual, skipped the salt. There's enough in your diet and this soup doesn't benefit from its flavor, so why bother?

You can keep the soup simmering very quietly at the end if you need to in order to time your meal. Pair with zucchini bread in addition to the fish recipe for an absolutely delicious meal. Enjoy!

Ziti with Spinach, Tomato, and Brie

This dinner is a simple pasta dish made a bit healthier and spiced up with some fresh veggies. Almost an "adult" mac and cheese, the brie provides a creaminess, the spinach and tomatoes assuage your guilt over the calories, and the warmth and delicious taste hit home. I made this at the beginning of the week and took in leftovers all week for lunch. Do that or simply serve this as a dinner.

Making it as a dinner? Serve with a nice salad and some fresh french bread for a classic and elegantly simple meal. Keep in mind that while there is not a lot in the pasta, the cheese gives you protein and fills you up. A little of this dish goes a long way towards satisfying hunger!

Ziti with Spinach, Tomato, and Brie
Ingredients:
ziti
olive oil
leeks
cherry tomatoes
garlic
black pepper
half-and-half
brie
mozzarella
spinach

Ready to dive into this meal? Cook your ziti according to the directions on the package. I like my pasta best al dente but prepare as you prefer.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add diced leek. I used one large leek in this recipe. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the leek just begins to soften. Add halved cherry tomatoes. I used 1 really big container, or about 2 cups of cherry tomatoes. (I love tomatoes!) Add 1 minced clove of garlic. Continue to stir to avoid burning and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Cut up your brie into as tiny pieces as you can - dice very finely. I used about 2/3 of a normal wedge of brie. Add 6 tablespoons of half-and-half and the brie to the pan. Stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes. Unfortunately, while Brie is delicious, it does not melt well into a liquid sauce. Add about 1/4 cup fat-free shredded mozzarella and another 2 tablespoons of half-and-half. This will provide a creaminess to the sauce. Stir until it begins to melt (should just be about 1 minute.) Lower the heat to medium low.

Continue to stir frequently and let the cheese fully melt. When the mozzarella is melted (will be quick) add ground black pepper and a bag of baby spinach. Put a lid on the pan and let cook for about 3 minutes. Remove lid. The spinach should be wilting at this point. Continue to stir and cook for another 2 minutes or until the spinach is melted.

Remove from heat and enjoy!

Moo Shu Shrimp with Vegetable Gyoza

This meal was full-throttle Asian, although mixing a few cultures. Moo Shu, one of my favorites, is a popular Chinese dish. It can be made with chicken, beef, shrimp, or just vegetables. I'm a fan of both the shrimp and vegetable varieties, and they can be made in exactly the same fashion... if you want vegetable moo shu simply skip the shrimp in the recipe below! Not familiar with moo shu? It's the one that gets wrapped up in a pancake with some hoisin sauce and eaten a bit like a burrito. And yes - I made the pancakes from scratch as well. Read in to find out how!

To supplement the moo shu I also prepared some vegetable gyoza, a Japanese appetizer. These are more or less dumplings. Once again, gyoza can be filled with a variety of meats but I went for the vegetarian version here. Making the gyoza wrappers from scratch is very time intensive so make sure you start these well before dinner time. These take longer to prepare and then the moo shu comes together very quickly - especially if you can con a friend or spouse into being your sous chef!

Vegetable Gyoza
We'll start with this one since it took a long time to prepare. I nearly entirely used this recipe from Cooking Light, but I do have some tips and changes to go over, of course.

As you'll see in the recipe and as mentioned above, I followed instructions and made the gyoza wrappings from scratch. To me, everything made from scratch is more fun and better tasting - and usually far healthier. However, if you are in a hurry, you can always buy frozen wonton wrappers instead. While I recommend the "from scratch" option if you have time, the wrappers are a good substitute when in a hurry.

You'll also find that this recipe calls for using a steamer for your dumplings. While steaming is an excellent cooking method and one I have used many times before, I am now a city dweller in an apartment without a lot of extra space. I don't have a steamer in my kitchen these days. If you do have one, go ahead with steaming and pan frying as directed. I, however, have a good work around if you do not.

Heat some peanut oil in a pan as directed for the pan-frying part of the cooking process. Place 6 or so dumplings, however many fit, in the pan. Saute for about 5 minutes or until they begin to sizzle and start to burn. Pour about 1 teaspoon of water per dumpling into the pan. For instance, for 6 gyoza you will want to add roughly 3 tablespoons of water. Err on slightly more - as in maybe 4 tablespoons for 6 gyoza. The water will sizzle as soon as you put it in. Let it cook away, which should take just about 2 minutes. Flip your gyoza if needed, stir fry for another 2-3 minutes or until browned, and they are ready to go.

Using water in the fry pan as part of the cooking process helps to replace the steaming action. While still a different cooking method, it comes close and is a great substitute when needed.

Shrimp Moo Shu
Now ready for the main course? I did consult a number of recipes online in order to decide how to best approach this one. I diverged enough from each that I will write out my own recipe below, but you will find the recipe for moo shu pancakes here and can link from that to my biggest inspiration for the recipe below.

Ingredients:
dark sesame oil
vegetable oil
eggs
garlic
green cabbage
green onions
wood ear mushrooms
baby corn (optional)
rice vinegar
sherry
soy sauce
shrimp

Using a wok or a large pan, heat a small amount of both dark sesame oil and vegetable oil - probably about a teaspoon each- over medium high heat. When the oil is getting hot (heat for 3-4 minutes) add 3 beaten eggs and stir fry them. They should look well scrambled by the time you are done. Put them on a plate to the side.

Add another drop of sesame oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add 2-3 minced garlic cloves and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring to avoid burning. Add 1 can of straw mushrooms. Add 1 can of baby corn if you are choosing to use the baby corn in this recipe. Add several cups of thinly sliced cabbage. I purchased two heads but ended up using about 1.5 of the heads. Feel free to downgrade or upgrade the amount as appropriate to how much you are making. Finally, add about 1 cup diced green onions.

Stir fry your vegetable mixture, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. The cabbage will shrink a lot in size. I found that as it wilted I was able to add more to the pan, getting closer to using the full 2 heads.

As your vegetables are sauteing, heat a small amount of sesame oil in a separate fry pan over medium heat. Add your shrimp, tail removed, to the pan. I used 1 lb of shrimp for 2 heads of cabbage and that fed 4 hungry people with a lot of leftovers. Stir-fry your shrimp for about 5-7 minutes or until they are fully pink. You'll want to make sure you are flipping them over about midway through as you stir to ensure that they cook equally on both sides. The shrimp should curl a little tighter and be pink when done.

Add 5 tablespoons rice vinegar, 4 tablespoons sherry, and 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce to your vegetables. Stir to mix well. Add your fully cooked shrimp. Add the eggs. Make sure everything is mixed well and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm - your pancake filling is ready to go!

...Which brings us to the pancakes themselves. My favorite part of homemade moo shu (or freshly made moo shu in restaurants) is when the pancakes are fresh. Most restaurants use the same thin, papery pancakes that are clearly purchased en masse. Some, however, give the personal touch and it makes all of the difference. After making these pancakes myself, thicker and warmer and tastier than the paper variety, I think I'll have to whip them up every time I get take-out Chinese!

The pancake recipe comes straight from Cooking Light with no real changes here. I just used a small fry pan to make the pancakes, but I did follow their 1/4 cup strictly and it worked out well. I also just plopped my pancakes on top of each other on a plate (as you'll see in the picture) and had no problems with this.

Serve the meal with your gyoza, pancakes, and moo shu warm. To make your pancakes lay one out on your plate, put about a teaspoon of hoisin sauce on top and smear it around, and then place your moo shu inside. Roll it up, fold up an end, and enjoy. Make sure not to overstuff your pancake to avoid bursting moo shu. Delicious!

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

Familiar with spaghetti squash? Surprisingly, many people are not. And it's truly the coolest thing ever. It's a mild squash that is now in season, like most squashes are. It's round like a melon and yellow on the inside. So what makes it so special? Well, when you cook it, it turns into spaghetti. Crack open your squash, grab a fork, and pull up long strings of squash that seriously look like spaghetti. Healthy spaghetti!

Get creative with spaghetti squash and you can almost substitute it for noodles. Think of it - noodles that are actually a vegetable and therefore very good for you. Sure, it doesn't taste quite like spaghetti, but its appearance makes you want to dump on some tomato sauce and chow down. And you can. Here I combine it with a few other veggies, but then the familiar cheese and tomato sauce. Feel free to experiment as you get used to this (I know I'm a nerd) incredibly interesting vegetable. But, seriously, it looks like spaghetti!

Spaghetti Squash Gratin
Ingredients:
spaghetti squash
olive oil
garlic
black pepper
tomatoes
oregano
basil
crushed red pepper
zucchini
mushrooms
tomato sauce (can)
mozzarella cheese
breadcrumbs

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pierce your spaghetti squash several times with a fork and then bake for 1 hour. Cool slightly so that you can cut it in half. Use a fork and scrape the insides of the spaghetti squash out into a bowl. This is when you'll discover the squash spaghetti strands!

Heat a small amount of olive oil (1 tsp-ish) in a large pan over medium heat. Dice two-three zucchini (about 2.5-3 cups total) and add them to the pan. Add sliced mushrooms - also 2.5-3 cups total. Saute, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until both are wilted and soft. They will shrink a fair amount in size as well.

Preheat oven to 450. Chop up 1-2 fresh tomatoes (2 small or 1 large) and add the tomato to the pan. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add a small can of tomato sauce (or maybe even just part of it depending how it looks... you do not want a "sauce-y" meal but just a little for flavoring.) Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, black pepper, oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper. I used the black pepper, oregano, and basil liberally but very little crushed red pepper since I do not enjoy spicy food. Add more if you are a fan. Continue cooking and stirring for another 3-5 minutes.

Combine about 1/3-1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese with your squash. Place the squash/cheese mixture in a greased 9x13 (or similar) glass baking dish. Pour tomato/veggie mixture over top of the squash. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup or so of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. Sprinkle about 1/3-1/2 cup of breadcrumbs over top. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes and then be amazed at how delicious this vegetable dish is!

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Pineapple Salsa with Vegetable Pakoras and Strawberry-Mint-Goat Cheese Salad

Tonight was a bit of a smorgasbord. The entree is a tuna with pineapple salsa - utilizing my ever-exciting Foreman grill and whipping up a last taste of some tropical vegetables in the salsa. One side was vegetable pakoras - or at least a fusion/modern version - taken from the fried vegetable fritters that are so tasty when eating Indian. The final piece was a strawberry salad complete with mint and goat cheese which could almost serve as a dessert. All in all, an unusual meal that fit together well in the end.

Each of these pieces has a few steps involved, so while none of them takes a particularly long time make sure you plan in advance and leave enough time for cooking. If you're like me it always runs over - read the recipes, guesstimate, and then make sure those numbers are well-padded before diving in.

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Pineapple Salsa
Once again, this was a night full of Cooking Light goodness. If you, like me, are not a fan of spicy make sure to leave out the serrano pepper. I also skipped the salt on the Tuna.

I used my Foreman grill for the pineapple, onions, and fish and it worked out very well. Just make sure that you are keeping an eye on your fish as you are cooking it. The grill cooks quickly and many people are very picky about the level of "done-ness" of Tuna. I prefer mine cooked through but if you like it pink make sure not to wander off or leave it for too long.

Finally, I found that although the salsa was delicious I ended up with far more than I could possibly use on my lb of Tuna. Use the leftovers in wraps with chicken or fish the next day for lunch or even use them atop a sandwich or burger. The grilled texture of the pineapple and onion is tantalizingly juicy and sweeter than normal with a slight caramelizing finish. You won't be able to resist using the salsa elsewhere!

Vegetable Pakoras
Have you ever had vegetable pakoras at an Indian restaurant? They're delicious, but deep fried. This version is not, and so therefore while delicious, is a variation from the norm. Enjoy these healthier pakoras but know in advance not to expect the fried kind!

Cooking Light brings us a more fusion type version that doesn't utterly deplete the calorie bank. I found I went a little overboard with the sweet potato and cauliflower and ended up having to make more of the flour mixture to compensate...but still not in quite direct proportion. I barely had enough mixture to even lightly coat the veggies, nevermind keeping them together as patties. Make 1.5 times the patty mixture for 1 times the amount of sweet potatoes and cauliflower for best results.

I also chose to purchase Tamarind sauce rather than Mango chutney. This is probably mostly a taste preference, but whenever I've gone for Indian I've always eaten it with the sweet taste of the dark Tamarind sauce and greatly enjoyed it. I found a jar at Whole Foods in this case.

Eat this while they're hot, then pack any leftovers in plastic bags and refrigerate. They make great snacks at work the next day after popping them in the microwave.

Strawberry-Mint-Goat Cheese Salad
Finally, we turn to the salad which is barely a salad at all! Simply mix the 5 ingredients together and serve.

Although you can always serve this over spinach or lettuce, I actually enjoy it very much as it is. But keep in mind this is far from a traditional salad. Serve it with the meal or after as a fruity dessert.

The strawberries get a little soggy if you store this dish and the goat cheese blends in a little too much to look appetizing. Keep it for sure, since it'll still hit the spot, but it's best if you make what you'll eat that night!

Seafood Risotto

Wow. That's all I can say about this seafood risotto. Wow. I'm not going to lie - this is a very time consuming dish to make with a fair amount of grunt work, but it's truly worth it in the end. Think of risotto as a restaurant dish? Think again and make it at home and watch the faces of your diners in delight.

Not entirely sure what this is? Risottos are essentially rice dishes. They are made with very short-grained rice, such as Arborio, and are slow-cooked and allowed to soak up liquids over a long period of time. And they soak up enormous amounts! In the end this provides a creamy texture that literally melts in your mouth. I chose to pair this one with a simple salad to allow the risotto to take the spotlight. So grab your apron and start stirring!

Seafood Risotto
Ingredients:
Olive oil
shrimp, peeled and deveined
scallops
onion
garlic
uncooked Arborio rice
white wine
chicken or vegetable broth
cherry tomatoes
goat cheese
black pepper

Add a small amount of olive oil (1 tsp at most) to a pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and scallops. I would pull the tails off the shrimp before adding them but you can choose not to do this if you prefer. I do not like tails in my cooked dishes but some people prefer it that way. Cook the shrimp and scallops for about 5 minutes, stirring and flipping a couple times, or until they are cooked. The shrimp should now be pink and a solid colored white. Place the shrimp and scallops to the side.

Keeping your pan over medium heat add another tsp of olive oil. Add diced onions - about 1 large Vidalia onion or 1- 1.5 cups. Stirring regularly cook the onions for about 5-7 minutes or until soft. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic. Stir and cook another 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of uncooked rice. And let's pause - 1 cup of uncooked rice will make enough food for 3 hungry people or 4 light eaters. Trust me! It expands A LOT. Please keep that in mind when figuring out if you need to change the amounts in this recipe.

Cook the rice for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 3/4 c. white wine. Stir often and let the rice cook until it has completely absorbed the liquid. This should take about 5 minutes but keep stirring and watching in case it is faster or slower.

Once the wine is absorbed turn your attention to the broth. You'll use 4 cups in all, working with 1/2 cup at a time. Add 1/2 cup once the wine is absorbed. Stir frequently and cook the rice until it has completely absorbed the liquid. Once it has, add another 1/2 cup of broth. This is where patience and constant stirring/watching is required. Do not let the tedium get to you or you will destroy this absolutely delicious meal! You do not have to stir every second, but should be stirring very frequently. Make sure to look carefully and not add the next 1/2 cup of broth until the previous is fully absorbed - it really will absorb all of it. But, do not overcook the rice by continuing to let it cook once the broth is absorbed. Basically, don't watch Mad Men as you're making this or something will surely suffer....!

As soon as the last half cup is absorbed add in the shrimp, scallops, 3 ounces of goat cheese, black pepper, and 1/2 - 3/4 cup of halved grape tomatoes. Stir until all of the new additions are mixed in and the cheese has melted and is evenly distributed. If you buy a goat cheese log cut it up and sprinkle it in when you add it to the risotto; in this form it should melt very quickly. You should not cook these additions for more than 1-2 minutes at the most.

Remove the risotto from the stove and enjoy! And enjoy. And enjoy. Because trust me, your stomach will be stuffed and this will be amazing.

Swordfish Skewers with Cilantro-Mint Pesto and Honey-Chipotle Corn on the Cob

Mmmmmm, just thinking about this meal makes me hungry all over again. These skewers delicately presented the meatiness of Swordfish and kept the last remnants of summer alive with fresh tomatoes and a deliciously herb-filled sauce. The grilled corn continued the end of summer theme and some perogies with apple sauce rounded out the meal. A perfect September evening.

Enjoy this meal with a glass of cold white wine or perhaps a Mojito to bring out the mint in the swordfish's sauce. And make this meal on a night to impress without a ton of prep time - this all comes together very quickly and looks harder than it really is. Most importantly, have fun. Homemade meals are always delicious and this one is a new classic you'll enjoy again and again.

Swordfish Skewers with Cilantro-Mint Pesto
This recipe caught my eye as soon as my Cooking Light magazine arrived. Honestly, it's just a beautiful dish - the bright colors and kebabs arrayed simply and elegantly. When I purchased my Foreman grill a few weeks ago I knew it was time to dig in!

Make this meal on a real grill if you have it, but the Foreman one works exceedingly well if you live in an apartment as I do. Simply look up the directions for heat and time of fish, but otherwise prepare the meal in the same way you would otherwise.

The only changes I made were to skip the salt on the fish, as always, and to pour the pesto over the kebabs at the end as you will see in the picture above. I served the rest of the sauce on the side but wanted to jump-start the process.

The swordfish came out tender and luscious, hitting the spot, and the pesto, a mixture of mint and cilantro, worked to perfection when I was a little worried about how it would turn out. Divine!

Honey-Chipotle Corn on the Cob
Once again I tried to mix up corn on the cob to provide some new flavors while remaining healthy!

Ingredients:
corn on the cob
fake butter
garlic
honey
chipotle (spice)

Prepare your corn as you would normally - in my case microwaving in wax paper. Melt your fake butter in a bowl when the corn is either done or about to finish. Remember that fake butter melts quickly and splatters liberally! For about 3 tablespoons of fake butter add 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 cup honey, and 2 teaspoons chipotle. Mix well and pour over the corn before enjoying.

This sweet-spicy blend, which truly is not spicy and I have no tolerance for spice!, keeps the corn interesting and fresh. Anyone with a sweet tooth will enjoy this spice blend and devour the corn eagerly.

Blackened Cumin-Cayenne Tilapia and Pesto Caesar Salad

This dinner featured the return of one of my favorites, added a new one, and rounded it out with some tender fish. I combined spice, tartness, and sweetness here to create a dish that you could easily serve up at any time of the year. The crispness of the salad balanced out the warmth of the homemade bread and both served to prop up the tender yet lightly spiced fish that served as the entree.

This meal also works well since it combines more difficult and easier preparations. The bread takes the longest to prepare, and must be started well before the other pieces. But then the salad and fish come together quickly, allowing you some breathing room in between the start and finish of this dinner. Which bread, you may ask? Well, I decided to recreate one of my favorites from a previous post, the Asiago and Caramelized Onion Focaccia. Unbelieveable. So let's get to it!

Blackened Cumin-Cayenne Tilapia
This name belies the fish slightly in that, in the end, it's not a particularly spicy entree unless you serve it that way. And, it's probably one of the simplest recipes that you will ever see. Nice, huh?

As you'll find, you're lightly spicing the fish and then broiling it. Broiling is essentially like super-powered toasting. The heat comes from the top of the oven rather than the bottom and at extremely high temperatures. This allows the fish to cook very quickly while locking in moisture and giving it a unique flavor. I'm a big fan of broiling over baking since I find that baking often ends up drying out fish too much.

As usual, I also recommend leaving out the salt in this recipe. In my opinion, unless you are making french fries there is truly no reason to include salt. Be healthier and I promise you will NOT even miss it! I guarantee there is already far more than enough salt in your diet than you would ever need. (And yes, I make that as a blanket statement to basically everyone in a first world nation.)

Mix up the spices, broil, and you're good to go!

Pesto Caesar Salad
This new recipe is now one of my absolute favorites and I am sure to use it again and again. It provides a twist on the classic Caesar salad (the pesto) while also making it far healthier than you would ever find in a store. Think all salads are healthy? Think again. When you buy a Caesar salad in a restaurant it typically uses lettuce with almost no nutrition (the whiter the lettuce the less there is; always purchase dark green and red leaf lettuce such as mesclun mixes, arugula, spinach, and spring mixes to maximize your nutrition). It also piles on the croutons, full of oil/butter, and makes the dressing with lots of mayo, egg, and salt. Not good. You may as well eat the hamburger.

But here, the Caesar salad is healthy and the pesto addition is absolutely divine. You'll even make your own croutons, which are far healthier than store-bought ones. But remember, even as you make your own, limit how many you are creating. Just make a handful and eat them sparingly. And buy dark green lettuce! A couple croutons per person provides a nice touch without the ridiculous number of calories.

I skipped the anchovy paste (just not a fan) and also the hot pepper sauce (not a fan of spicy.) This left me loving the salad. But if you want those ingredients as well, then toss them on in. Just make sure there are no vegetarians digging into this salad. (Or just people who are grossed out by anchovies, because, well, they're disgusting!)

You'll find everyone wolfing this down and you'll quickly need the extra pesto on hand to whip up some more. Enjoy!

Salmon with Apricot-Mustard Glaze with New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette and Jerk-Grilled Corn on the Cob

I was excited for this classic meal with a twist heading into dinner and it certainly did not disappoint. The apricot-mustard glaze worked to perfection with the meaty/hearty taste of Salmon. The garlic vinaigrette added a spark to the roasted potatoes that worked out absolutely deliciously, and the jerk-grilled corn on the cob kept the classic fall vegetable feeling new. All in all, a successful meal.

This meal blended together seamlessly for an early-autumn treat, but feel free to split the pieces apart if you do not want to make it all at once. You can make extra apricot-mustard glaze and add it to some sauteed veggies if you're not in the mood for corn or make the garlic potatoes as a basic side to nearly any meal. And remember, even if you pair some dishes once it doesn't mean you always must do so. Creativity is always key to keeping a kitchen interesting!

New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Guess where I found this recipe? That's right! If you said Cooking Light, you're a winner. As always, Cooking Light did not fail to disappoint. I am a huge fan of roasted potatoes.. and also a huge fan of garlic.. so I was looking forward to this with high expectations. The garlic added an edge that I wasn't expecting but worked perfectly. I was hesitant about the vinegar and mustard when I was mixing everything together, worried I would ruin some delicious looking roasted potatoes, but I am extremely glad I went for the plunge. Mix this up, eat it, and you'll be coming back for seconds and thirds. I'm already looking forward to making this recipe again!

For once, I didn't really change the recipe so simply follow along and enjoy! Start these first since it takes a while to roast the potatoes.

Salmon with Apricot-Mustard Glaze
This recipe also came from my favorite cooking site. I suppose it was just a Cooking Light night! But a few comments...

This recipe calls for grilling the Salmon and only adding a little bit of glaze at the end. I, however, could just not fathom that this would suffice considering how delicious the sauce was. I cooked the fish on the stove with black pepper and garlic (there really is no reason to add salt... fish doesn't need it and as humans we already consume far more salt than we need to!) I prepared the sauce as instructed in a pan on the stove as well. However, when the sauce was done I poured it over the salmon in the pan (the Salmon also being basically done) and let it saute for another 1-2 minutes before removing from the heat. In this case I used up all of the delicious apricot glaze and allowed it to be sealed with heat against the fish.

This part of the meal takes about 15 minutes to complete, or 20 if you must still find all of the ingredients in your kitchen. I would recommend starting this when your potatoes have about 10 minutes left to roast. That way the garlic can cool and you can prepare the vinaigrette as the salmon finishes cooking and everything can be served immediately.

Jerk-Grilled Corn on the Cob
And, finally, our last Cooking Light creation of the day. In late summer/early fall when corn is in season there is truly nothing better than enjoying nice, ripe, locally grown cobs. As a girl growing up in New Jersey (yes, make the jokes) I especially appreciate this vegetable that comes largely from my home state. And yes - they really do have lots of farms in NJ and I lived near Philadelphia, thank you very much, just 15 minutes outside of Center City and far from the congestion of northern New Jersey. Farms abounded.

But, as delicious as corn may be, it is fun to spice it up with different creations. Not one to ever butter my corn - instead preferring it plain - I'm now having fun with healthy spices that keep the cobs interesting without adding calories and fat.

As always, I used fake butter in place of real butter in this recipe. Keep in mind it melts extremely quickly. For a couple tablespoons of fake butter just microwave for about 10 seconds. I also chose to microwave the corn in wax paper (2.5 minutes per cob) and then pour the butter over the corn just before eating. In fact, I leave the melted jerk mixture with a spoon for people to place on their corn individually.

Enjoy this blend of spices! Make the butter mixture and microwave your corn about 5-10 minutes out depending on the number of cobs you have so your meal is completed all at once.