Easy Weeknight Dinners

These aren't the best meals if you're looking to stay lean and fit, but they're fairly good for you if you don't go overboard on portion sizes. But they're quick and easy to fix when you don't have a lot of time, and they make great leftovers so they'll save you even more time later on. I wouldn't advise these as a frequent addition to your diet, but once or twice a week probably won't hurt. Of course in the summer when you're really active portion size won't be as big of a concern.

We've tried a lot of new recipes over the past several weeks, and these are three that stand out as being tasty, easy to make, and pretty healthly choices:

Easy Layered Meatloaf: Meatloaf and veggies in one easy casserole.

Easy Bake Strata: A simple egg-based casserole. We plan on doubling the recipe next time and baking it in a 9"x13" casserole. We may also add some chopped broccoli as well.

Ham and Spinach Bake: This is probably the healthiest recipe of the bunch. We were pretty excited about it because of the interesting mix of spices. It makes it pretty unique compared to our usual eclectic menu mix. Substituting parmesan for the mozzarella can drop the calories a bit if you want to make it healthier.

Enjoy!

Salmon Doesn’t Get Any Easier Than This

Not long ago my wife and I were what you would consider cooking-challenged. Anything more difficult than boiling water or grilling a steak was way out of our league. I got the following simple tip from a butcher working for Fred Meyer. From that positive experience our cooking ability has blossomed.

Dilled Salmon Fillets

Preheat oven to 450º.
Cut a sheet of aluminum foil big enough to enclose the fillets.
Spray it with olive oil or your favorite cooking spray.
Place the salmon on the foil, skin side down.
Slice some ¼” cucumber slices on the salmon.
Seal the foil.
Cook for about 25 minutes.
You’ll need to adjust either the time or temperature depending upon the thickness of the fillet. 25 minutes is a good starting point, and you’ll soon figure out how to fine tune things. Until then, if it's not quite done, just toss it back in the oven for a few more minutes.

The result is that the cucumber will infuse the salmon with a mild dill flavor, your salmon will remain moist and tender, and you’ll get some good cooked veggies to boot! Who knew cooking fish could be so easy?