One of my passions is cooking and baking. I love it so much, that I have well over 100 cookbooks and have often thought of penning my own. The challenge I have faced as a single parent raising two children is their finickiness. While I will eat just about anything, neither of my children like the same foods. Hence, over the years I have often found myself cooking two different “kid-friendly” meals, meaning pasta, Stromboli, and burgers.

Now that my children are in college, they have finally gravitated to have healthier meals; in fact they insist of it. Rarely will you see them divulge in spaghetti, eat a hot dog, or have a piece of dessert. Today when they are home for dinner, I’m almost always at the supermarket after work, picking up fresh meats and vegetables to whip up a meal we will all enjoy.

So I thought I would begin to share some of my favorite recipes. We all love to eat, so why not have another recommended recipe to try out? The following is one of my summer dinnertime meals. It’s simply and easy to prepare. More importantly, it’s delicious! So print this out and tuck it away in your favorite recipe book or collections. I’m sure they will become favorites with your family as they are with mine.

Fresh Herbed Halibut. Preheat the oven’s broiler and coat a baking sheet or broiling pan with olive oil. Rinse the one 2 pound halibut fillet and pat dry. Place on the greased pan, and brush with olive oil or coat with olive oil cooking spray. Squeeze the juice from the wedges of 1 large lemon over the entire fillet, and season generously with 1 teaspoon sea salt first, then 1 teaspoon garlic powder and finally 1 tablespoon dill weed. Broil for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the fillet is opaque and can be flaked with a fork. Broiling time may depend on the thickness of your fillet. Serves four.

Grilled Lemon-Pepper Zucchini. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. When hot, lightly oil the grate. Combine the 2 sliced small yellow squash, 2 sliced small zucchinis, 1 diced small onion, and 1 minced red bell pepper in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle in 1 tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning. Stir to coat. Place the vegetable mixture in the center of a large sheet of aluminum foil and cover it with another large sheet of foil. Roll the edges of the foil sheets together to seal into a packet. Place the packet on the preheated grill. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes, turning the packet every 5 to 10 minutes. Serves four.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse 2 sweet potatoes with cold water and drain. Cut into French fries and spread them onto a baking sheet. Mix t1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, and an optional 2 tablespoons light brown sugar together in a bowl; sprinkle over the fries. Drizzle 3 tablespoons light olive oil over the fries. Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 30 minutes. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste. Serves four.

For dessert in the summer, I always recommend fresh fruit, especially chilled watermelon! There’s nothing better on a summer night than sitting out back, chatting and eating a good meal with a sweet ending.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana