Easy Date Night Dish

By David Hu

I have a standing date night with my wife every Tuesday. Sometimes we’ll eat out, sometimes we’ll catch a movie and sometimes we’ll cook at home. When it’s my turn, I always like to make something special – but because date night is mid-week, whatever I cook can’t take too long.

One of my favorite ingredients is mussels; they’re elegant, require very little prep and the best way to eat them is steamed, which doesn’t take a lot of effort. My favorite mussel dish is Moules Marinière. It’s a classic dish with only five ingredients so prep and cook won’t take more than 30 minutes.

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Asparagus, when Company’s Coming

By Sandy Hu

I love vegetables but I’m not big on preparing them. Usually I steam them and dress with good-quality butter, salt and pepper, and I’m done. Or I blanch them, then sauté quickly. Or I toss them in olive oil and roast. I’m happy with such simple treatments because the natural vegetable flavors shine through and besides, it’s almost no work.

But when company is coming, I feel the need to do a little more. Not much, but a little something extra to make the vegetables seem company-worthy. In the spring, when asparagus is in season, I turn to Baked Asparagus with Goat Cheese and Breadcrumbs. It’s hardly more effort than simple roasting, but the topping looks just a bit fancier. Also, I happen to have a colorful, rectangular asparagus-patterned platter that’s the perfect size and shape for this recipe.

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Crazy for Quinoa

By Colleen Boyd

Like most people with a tight schedule and long work days, the last thing I want to do when I come home is spend a lot of time in the kitchen making dinner. Recently I’ve rediscovered the versatility of quinoa; a delicious, quick cooking, and easy to prepare grain-like edible seed.

Quinoa is packed with protein, and is a good source of iron and other minerals, making it a great addition to salads, soups, veggie burgers, breads, and all sorts of baked goods. My favorite way to use leftover quinoa is to add it to a whole wheat waffle batter, a special breakfast to enjoy on my days off.

This ancient grain isn’t only a side dish anymore! Here I’ve mixed quinoa with a few simple ingredients and spices to make a quick and satisfying weeknight meal. You can customize this recipe by adding or omitting as many vegetables as you like, or even throw in leftovers from yesterday’s dinner.

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Frittata – the Perfect Last-Minute Dinner

By Zoe McLaughlin

This dish is as simple as it gets. With just a few pantry staples, you'll have a delicious and satisfying meal in minutes.

Growing up in a household where both parents worked outside the home, this dish was perfect for the nights when we all got home late. We served it with a simple green salad.

A frittata is essentially an open-faced omelet. It's prepared in one pan so clean up is easy. I used a nonstick sauté pan but you could also use a cast iron skillet and finish the frittata off in the oven at 375°F for about 10 minutes, instead of cooking it on the stovetop.

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A Simple, yet Sophisticated First Course

By Sandy Hu

I love to start a diner party with a first course already set at each place when my guests come to the table. Of course, it has to be something easy to make, since there’s the rest of the meal to tend to.

This fennel salad is a lovely starter for a romantic dinner for two; you can double or triple the recipe for a larger group.

If you don’t have a mandoline to slice the fennel bulb, try using a sharp potato peeler or a sharp knife to create thin, almost-transparent ribbons.

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