Fresh tuna seasoned with sweet pickle relish and scallions creates a tasty burger. Texans use peppers to add flavor to many of their dishes without too much heat. I have used hot pepper sauce in the burgers and jalapeno pepper in the coleslaw.

Serve the coleslaw on the side or spoon some on top of the tuna burger.

Helpful Hints:

-- Any type ...Read more

The patient in the hospital bed had just had a quadruple bypass when the doctor gave him the news:

"You have to restrict your sodium."

Christopher Lower was nearby, recovering from a heart transplant, when he heard his roommate try to order a meal.

Oatmeal was the only option that met the sodium requirements, and the roommate began to cry.

...Read more

Chicken in a spicy tomato sauce is a dish that is a family pleaser. The salad is made with fennel. It has a large, pale green bulbous base with darker green stems and bright green feathery leaves. It's sometimes labeled anise in the market. Both the base and stems can be eaten raw or cooked. It has a very mild, sweet, licorice flavor. The fennel...Read more

Fresh mint, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice brighten this Middle Eastern dish. Bulgur wheat adds an earthy flavor and is made from wheat kernels by steaming, drying and crushing them. One secret to a flavorful tabbouleh is to crush the scallions and wheat together so that the juices from the scallions penetrate the wheat.

Helpful Hints:

-- ...Read more

Salmon, corn and quinoa are typical Chilean ingredients. Here they are combined to make a quick salad supper.

Quinoa is an ancient grain that is indigenous to the Andes Mountains in South America. It's considered a super crop because it contains more protein than any other grain and is a good source of fiber. It can be cooked like rice.

Using ...Read more

Pistachios and hot pepper jelly coat juicy beef cubes for this spicy, crunchy barbecue dinner. To make this a quick and easy dinner, ask the butcher to cut the beef into cubes for kabobs. Mushrooms, red bell pepper and corn on the cob complete the meal.

Helpful Hints:

-- Green or yellow bell pepper can be used instead of red bell pepper.

-- ...Read more

Chicken with a pineapple-laced barbecue sauce served with a tropical salad are an attractive combination in this easy-to-serve dinner.

A barbecue sauce that contains sugar can burn and blacken the food. The secret is to use the sauce as a glaze, painting the food during the last few minutes of cooking.

Helpful Hints:

-- Fresh pineapple cubes ...Read more