Get ready to do a little dance in your kitchen after you spend 15 minutes putting together this fall-off-the-bone rib dinner. My kids love pork ribs — meaty, savory and just plain good. BBQ is life in Texas, and while I wouldn’t dare suggest that these are the best pork ribs in the state (there…
Dinner
Kale and White Bean Minestrone
Clean out your fridge soup. Pantry soup. Everything soup. I wasn’t quite sure what to call this one. It’s always chock full of vegetables, with canned tomatoes and white beans and leafy greens thrown in for color and texture. White bean minestrone seemed like the most accurate title, or maybe I just gave up and…
Fish Tacos
PrintFish TacosPrep 10 minsCook 15 minsTotal 25 minsAuthor Marcia W. Smart Growing up in Southern California, I love good Baja-style beer battered fish tacos. This is a healthier, quicker alternative that’s easier to clean up. Keep all the condiments on the side and let kids or guests top their own tacos. Ingredients1 1/2 pounds halibut1…
Simple Roasted Salmon
Simple salmon to the rescue! Roasted salmon keeps the mess off your stove and in the oven. No more splatters of fishly smelling oil hitting your stove and counter top after sautéeing filets in a pan. White wine keeps the fish moist, and a fresh sprinkling of herbs and lemon wakes up the flavor after…
Arugula, Watermelon and Feta Salad
1 votePrintArugula, Watermelon and Feta SaladPrep 15 minsTotal 15 minsAuthor Marcia W. Smart I use toasted pine nuts in this recipe. Slivered almonds or toasted pecan pieces would also be delicious, or if you have nut allergies leave them out entirely. Ingredients3 cups baby arugula1 cup watermelon, cut into small bite-size pieces2 tablespoons pine nuts,…
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
PrintSlow Cooker Chicken Tortilla SoupPrep 10 minsTotal 10 minsAuthor Marcia W. Smart This is a simple Mexican soup. If you would like to add corn tortillas as a garnish, toast and cut them into thin strips. I prefer my soup with a lot of lime – about a whole juiced lime on top of every…
Spring Pea and Leek Tartine
Spring has sprung, evident in my corner of Texas by the fine layer of yellow-green pollen covering just about everything. But we can’t complain, this is the one brief respite of good weather we get. We’re ready for al fresco dinners, evenings in the Little League stands and weekends at the farm (not that I…
Super Fast Miso Soup
Miso soup: A warm, steamy bowl of liquid umami. I sometimes struggle with what to serve for “meatless Monday,” but this one is a surefire hit with my crew. It also checks the box on almost all special diets: It’s low-fat, low-carb, low-sugar and vegan if you buy a variety of miso paste without bonito (fish…
Weeknight Lasagna
For birthday celebrations, welcome-home-from-camp and back-to-school dinners, this is our go-to easy family meal. It’s a creamy, rich lasagna without much effort or mess. That’s why we call it “weeknight lasagna!” You can make it even faster (and meatless) by eliminating the sausage. Pop open a jar of store-bought tomato sauce, open a box of no-cook noodles and mix up…
Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot
The slow cooker is a revelation. There may be nay sayers (you know who you are) but there are some days that just scream for plug-it-in-and-forget-about-it in my house. It’s a no-brainer dinner when you’re running in a million different directions and know you’ll be energy depleted at the end of the day, or when you’re trying to feed several different…