Column Linda Gassenheimer
- Crusty scallops bed down on spinach
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Chopped peanuts and flaked coconut form a savory-sweet crust for fresh scallops. Sauté the scallops and serve them on a bed of sautéed spinach flavored with coconut milk. Rice microwaved for a minute, tossed with shredded carrots and al... Full story
- Pear salsa spices up salmon
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Juicy pink salmon is topped with a sweet and spicy pear and red pepper salsa for a meal that takes only minutes to make. The salsa gives just the right sparkle to the rich salmon.
Picking a ripe pear, or one that will ripen, can be tricky. Here are ... Full story
- Lamb steaks are a festive dinner for two
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Lamb steaks drizzled with mint pesto sauce is a perfect dish for the Easter holiday weekend or any weeknight dinner. Slices of lamb are cut from the leg to make a steak 3/4- to 1-inch thick with a round bone in the center. They are sometimes displaye... Full story
- Spice up steak with peppery sauce
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Neapolitan bistecca alla pizzaioli (Steak with Spicy Tomato Sauce) was originally used to disguise the poor quality of meat in this region of Italy. Today we can enjoy excellent meats with this sauce for a quick and delicious meal.
Fennel has a larg... Full story
- Quick Fix: Wine-spiked bath yields moist, flavorful salmon
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Poaching salmon in white wine produces a moist, flavorful result. Broccoli and carrots, poached with the salmon, add to the flavor and the resulting sauce. Sauteed grape tomatoes complete the dish.
All that’s needed is a quick-cooking rice to ... Full story
- Celebrate with speedy steamed fish
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- The Chinese New Year has begun — the year of the snake. To celebrate, cook up a one-pot dish, Hong Kong Steamed Fish flavored with ginger, soy sauce and scallions.
Chinese food takes only minutes to cook, but the chopping and cutting to prepar... Full story
- Soup is a comforting meal in a bowl
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Known as Pasta e Fagioli, this may be one of Italy's most famous soups. The combination of pasta and beans is heart-warming, and it can be served for two or a crowd. It's perfect to serve to friends. Leave the pot on the stove for everyone to help th... Full story
- Tomato-based sauce lends Neapolitan zest
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Tomatoes, olives and garlic are staples for zesty Neapolitan cooking. This tomato-based sauce takes only a few minutes to make and goes well with fish, chicken or beef. I have used swordfish, but any meaty type of fish — such as tuna, halibut o... Full story
- Tangy sauce complements lean pork
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- A tangy Dijon mustard sauce flavors juicy, tender pork for this French-style dinner. Red peppers and tomatoes tossed with pasta complete this quick meal.
Dijon is a small town in the Burgundy area of France in the heart of some of the most famous vi... Full story
- Microwave cooks fish in flash
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Fish fillets topped with melted Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese can be made in minutes using a microwave. Penne pasta tossed with fresh basil is a simple side dish. The secret to this recipe is using best quality Parmesan.
The recipe calls for cooking th... Full story
- Frankfurter soup brings hearty German flavor
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Sitting on a hilltop overlooking the vineyards of the Kurger-Rumpf winery nestled in the rolling hills of the Pflaz area of Germany, I was thrilled by the scenery and the sumptuous spread laid out before me. In this idyllic setting, I had a hearty an... Full story
- Simple spaghetti transports diners to Bologna
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- This simple dinner will help you get through the busy holidays. Spaghetti Bolognese with a side dish of herbed zucchini is a simple, satisfying Italian meal. The gastronomic city of Bologna claims the origin of this dish, although it seems that every... Full story
- Pepper steak a quick, festive choice
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- A perfect quick dinner for the holiday season is steak au poivre, French for steak with pepper sauce. I used a small piece of beef tenderloin, but any other quick-cooking steak — strip, rib-eye, skirt or flank — can be used.
The accompan... Full story
- Bread adds heartiness to spicy shrimp
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Hot, spicy shrimp with lots of garlic is popular as tapas. It's normally served on its own, but by adding thick country bread and a quick salad, it becomes an entire meal.
Belgium endive, sometimes called chicory, is a small, compact head of lettuce... Full story
- Mushrooms add rich taste to chicken
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Orange juice, honey, sage and thyme flavor chicken breasts with a burst of the woods from wild mushrooms.
There are several types of wild mushrooms available in supermarkets. Shiitaki have good flavor. Portobello or oyster mushrooms can also be used... Full story
- Maple syrup adds touch of fall to mini burgers
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Mushrooms, onion and a hint of maple syrup add an autumn flavor to these mini-burgers. Using a microwave shortens the timing for this dinner and saves washing extra pots.
Look for extra lean ground sirloin in the market. Ground turkey or chicken can... Full story
- Give turkey leftovers an Asian accent
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Bring a taste of Asia to your leftover turkey. Crisp, fried vegetables and turkey in a sweet teriyaki sauce makes a quick, colorful quick dinner.
Teriyaki sauce is made with soy sauce, sugar, ginger and seasonings. This dinner only takes minutes to ... Full story
- Moussaka offers a taste of Greece
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Moussaka, a layered eggplant casserole, is traditional fare at every Greek taverna.
Making moussaka brings back memories of delightful evenings in the Plaka district, a charming section of Athens with narrow winding streets filled with tiny restaura... Full story
- Mulligatawny soup transports you to India
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Mulligatawny soup has Anglo-Indian origins attributed to servants for the English Raj in India. Curry powder and ginger give the soup a pungent flavor, while chicken and freshly diced apple provide a contrast in texture. There are also vegetarian ver... Full story
- Mexican fish dish delivers sweet heat
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Olives, capers, peppers and cinnamon add a sweet touch and some heat to this typical dish from Veracruz, Mexico. I recently tasted this dish at a Mexican food fiesta at the Intercontinental Hotel in Doral, Fla. Chefs Darren Lee and Deivid Rojas share... Full story
- Sweet, hot, cool, crisp – this dish has it all
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Stir-fried chicken, walnuts and vegetables in lettuce puffs is one of my favorite dishes in a Chinese restaurant. Sweet Hoisin sauce spooned over crisp cool lettuce and then topped with warm chicken and vegetables combines to create a taste and textu... Full story
- Enjoy flavorful Philly cheese steak without the guilt
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Cheese, steak, onions and sweet peppers combine to make one of Philadelphia's most famous dishes, the Philly Cheese Steak. Just back from a trip to Philadelphia, I craved one — but not all the calories that go with it. Here's a version that has... Full story
- Super spuds, snapper make quick supper
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- An Italian friend, Vittorio Porciatti, told me: "Potatoes — boiled or steamed — with just a delicate flavor of garlic and rosemary are the perfect side dish for fresh fish." His wife told me he makes the best potatoes she ever tasted from... Full story
- Tangy sauce tops veal cutlets
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Thin veal cutlets are bathed in a sauce of tangy balsamic vinegar, onions and pine nuts for this simple dinner. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be substituted for the veal. Using fresh diced or chopped onions from the produce section and mince... Full story
- Zesty sausage-bean toss a hearty meal
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Beans are paired with pasta in this one-dish, Italian-style meal. The sauce for the White Bean and Sausage Linguine is a light white sauce with only a little cream; it takes its flavor and texture from the fresh herbs and vegetables.
I used an Itali... Full story
- Try these saucy, quick-cooking chicken cutlets
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Almonds and honey flavor chicken cutlets for this quick dinner.
Boneless, skinless chicken cutlets are about 1⁄2-inch thick. They cook in just four to five minutes. To keep them juicy and flavorful, a sauce made with orange juice and thickened... Full story
- Get a kick from nutty kabobs
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- These steak kabobs get their crunch and spiciness from unexpected sources — peanuts and hot pepper jelly. To make this a quick and easy grilled dinner, ask the butcher to cut the beef into cubes for kabobs. Mushrooms, red bell pepper and corn o... Full story
- Stove-top sliders deliver barbecue flavor
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Enjoy barbecue flavor in these chicken sliders without heating up the outdoor grill. They can be made on a stove-top grill or in a skillet.
I've doctored up bottled barbecue sauce for a smoky, hot flavor. The secret to keeping the sauce from burning... Full story
- Top chicken with tomato-mayonnaise blend
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- Dress up chicken with this fresh tomato-mayonnaise sauce for a simple summer supper. Adding the juice from fresh tomato pulp to mayonnaise creates a refreshing topping for poached chicken.
Poaching the chicken and letting it cool in the liquid keeps... Full story
- Caesar-flavored wrap goes together in a snap
- By Linda Gassenheimer / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
- This dinner is wrapped and ready to eat. Shrimp, Caesar dressing, romaine lettuce and Parmesan cheese fill tortillas for a quick summer supper.
If you buy pre-cooked shrimp, washed, ready-to-eat Romaine lettuce, grated Parmesan cheese and bottled Ca... Full story
