The thing about our kids is . . . they’re not us.  While we try to teach them to act the way we think they should, they’re spending their days trying to prove to us that they’re their own person.  Eventually I guess they completely rebel.  That’s called the teen years.  They scare me.

At least I can have a little sway over what they eat, for now.  Hopefully after their rebellious teen years they will have learned a few good eating habits.  Of course, if they don’t like it they won’t eat it, so I try to make the healthy stuff taste good enough even for the most picky.  Does it always work?  No.  But in the case of this Quick Salmon Tikka, it did.  And not only is this recipe delicious, but it’s really very easy.  You slice some salmon fillets thin, slather them with a curry paste, and saute.  Then you make a sauce with yogurt and cucumber, and serve it all over flatbread.

I found this terrific recipe in a terrific cookbook, Jamie’s Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver.  Jamie has taken it upon himself to try to change the way people eat.  Not just kids in schools, either, but adults and families as well.  In this cookbook, he challenges the person who owns it to learn a recipe from each chapter and then”pass it on” by teaching someone else how to make some of them.  The book has recipes tailored to be simple and quick, but with tons of flavor and variety so everyone can make their meals healthier.

Brilliant.

You can find this recipe on jamieoliver.com.

Ahhh, it’s March.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a time when people were more sick of winter.  Did you ever think there could be too much snow?  And the disastrous things going on with the Earth – I know we are all praying that they will come to an end soon.

In my area we have had a cold, wet winter, and though not nearly as bad as other areas, it’s all relative to what you’re used to, I think.  Even though March is always a tease – one warm day followed by a week of cold ones – at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel, the tunnel named winter.

So today I bring you some sunshine in the form of bright, lemony, and garlic-y Baked Shrimp Scampi.  This dish comes from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, her most recent cookbook.  In a fun twist on traditional scampi, the shrimp is briefly marinated and then covered in a butter, herb, and breadcrumb mixture and baked.  What you find after baking is a wonderful dish of shrimp scampi with a delicate, crispy topping.  Very different and very delicious.

From the Barefoot Bloggers February selections, this recipe can be found here.

Ok, there has got to be a better way to have your mouth numbed at the dentist.  I mean, couldn’t someone invent some kind of trans-gum patch that they could put on while they’re working, and then just take it off at the end and voila, you’re no longer dribbling water down your shirt trying to drink some water?  And it would be much less painful, and that’s the most important thing, right?

Well, maybe being able to eat is important too.  Especially something as good as this Tuna Artichoke Melt.  A tasty twist on the more familiar tuna melt, this recipe adds artichoke hearts to the tuna and is dressed with a mayonnaise-free vinaigrette.  It’s extra good topped with avocado, tomato, and Swiss cheese, and if you’re feeling ambitious you can make your own English Muffins to hold it all.  Yum.

I’m hoping the numbness will be gone by the time I finish making lunch.

Tuna Artichoke Melt

from Shortbread

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup jarred artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 12 oz canned tuna, drained and flaked
• 4 English muffins, split
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• avocado, tomato slices (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl.
3. Place muffin halves on a baking sheet and divide the tuna mixture evenly over them. Top each with avocado and tomato if desired, and half of a cheese slice.
4. Broil until cheese is golden and melted, about 5 minutes.

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