Category Archives: Quick Dinner Ideas

Decadent Broiled Lobster Tails

"New Year's Eve Tradition" We have a family tradition that's been around almost as long as my sister and I have been. Almost every New Year's Eve we spread old newspapers on the kitchen table, get out the nutcracker and cook up some fresh whole Maine lobsters or lobster tails. The idea originally was to …

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The Best Cauliflower Recipe

"A Vegetable Everyone Loves" Cauliflower is the Rodney Dangerfield of the veggie world. It often cooks up dry, tough and flavorless, causing the kitchen to smell like dirty socks for a week. That being said, this recipe is an exception to the personification and my father states in our family cookbook that this is his …

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Fresh Summer Salad with Orzo, Tomato & Basil

"Fresh as a Summer Breeze" In the middle of a hot summer, the last thing you want to do is light up the stove or oven. To the rescue comes this fresh summer orzo salad. It's best prepared in the morning while the kitchen is still cool. Plus sitting in the fridge all day melds …

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Asparagus, Penne Pasta, Shrimp and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

"When Only Shrimp Will Do" My dad has mentioned several times how shrimp used to be strictly a Sunday dinner type of meal growing up. Obviously, over the years the price of this delicious crustacean has come down dramatically, making it a wonderful weeknight option. This recipe takes less than a half hour, including the …

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How to Make Delicious Store Bought Macaroni & Cheese

AKA "Frozen Mac & Cheese on Steroids!" Interestingly, my roommate and myself just invented this recipe the other night when we looked at the frozen Stouffer's Mac & Cheese in the freezer and felt inspired to make it into a dish that's not just edible, but delectable! This Mac & Cheese recipe takes a large …

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Wild Caught Tilapia with Tomatoes & Capers

AKA "One-Skillet Fish" The problem with cooking fish indoors is that you can smell it when you get home for weeks after you've prepared it. My dad takes pride in the fact that since this recipe uses tilapia, a mild white fish that's really delicious, it doesn't add that unwanted smell to your living space. …

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Quick and Easy Sauerbraten

AKA "A Quick Trip to Germany" We have a family tradition of going out to our favorite local German restaurant, Edelweiss German Bierhaus, for special family celebrations. The best dish they serve is a juicy sauerbraten plate which just biting into instantly transports me to back to my ancestral home, ze Deutschland. This is my …

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Classic German Red Cabbage

AKA "Omi Knows Best" The word "Omi" in German means "grandmother". When I hear this word I immediately think of the strong matriarch of my family, caring and loving who always made sure that you never went home hungry, may she rest in peace. When I sit back and think about my Omi, I can't …

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Penne Pasta with Asparagus, Smoked Mozzarella & Prosciutto

AKA "The Old Standby" This recipe is an old family recipe which my father calls 'Klodt family comfort food'. Whenever one of us is having a tough day, this is what we crave for dinner. It's easy to make, requires only one pot, and contains all of the basic food groups. In fact, double this …

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