Side Dish Recipes

Since I didn't want to spend an inordinate amount of time in the kitchen, our meals revolved around some type of meat on the grill, deviled eggs, a vegetable relish plate with dip, and a fruit plate. I made the deviled eggs, the vegetable relish plate, and the fruit plate up at the beginning of the week and replenished them daily as we ate all of certain items. So when dinnertime rolled around each day, I simply had to turn on the grill to cook the meat and bring out the various plates of side dishes.

My mother, rest her soul, had a phobia about pork. She was absolutely certain that if she did not incinerate it until it looked like an old, discarded boot we would all get trichinosis and die. So she did what she was supposed to do - PROTECTED HER FAMILY - and happily cremated pork throughout her life.

It's Easter a very special time for celebration, family, friends and food! It's also a time to do a "double check" on counting carbs, fats and calories. No, Easter does not give you permission to stuff a whole box of those little yellow Easter chicks in your mouth! What's that got to do with Asparagus with Toasted Walnut Butter? Nothing, so let's get cookin' this special dish that is oh so easy... be ready for, "may I have this recipe?"

We moved into a new home last month (finally!), and my husband bought a new grill to celebrate the occasion. It's a mammoth thing, all stainless steel and shiny, and looks something like a not-so-miniature aircraft carrier. This is a "manly man's" grill, huge and professional-looking, containing all the bells and whistles. The problem is, my husband can't cook.

Low Carb Cooking 101 Tonight’s simple menu features very simple salmon fillets, one of my husband’s favorites. (He likes fish more than he does beef.) And even though salmon season isn’t quite here, salmon still tastes good, especially when it’s grilled or broiled. When salmon season does roll around in …

This is a quick meal to put together - assuming that you remember to thaw the chicken breasts. If you forget, go to Plan B and prepare something else. I've found that chicken breasts thawed in the microwave tend to come out tough and dry. Chicken breasts are expensive; it's not worth ruining them to stick to your original pan. Put them in the refrigerator to thaw and fix something else.

Since we are coming to the end of the gardening season (at least for those of you up north), I thought I'd base tonight's meal on bounty from the garden.

The inspiration for tonight's menu comes from Susan M., someone I've known from various low carb lists and a CarbSmart Magazine reader. The Sizzling Steak Salad she suggested sounded so good that I asked her if I could use her idea for Low Carb Cooking 101. Thank goodness she said yes, because I really wanted to share it with all of you. Thanks, Susan!

I served this meal last week out in the sunroom with all the windows up and the ceiling fans creating a mild tempest. Judy went nuts with her crayons and markers and made Mexican placemats and napkins. She wanted me to buy a pinata, but I drew the line at that. After all, we're moving in a few weeks and the one thing I don't need is anything more to pack!

Ah, Memorial Day! It's not just a day off work. It's time to take the opportunity to remember those military personnel who have given their lives so that we can remain a free nation. Take a moment to remember our fallen men and women. Fly your American flag, and be thankful.