Fish Fillets With Baby Spinach & Balsalmic Vinagerette

Page 283 in the BHG New Cookbook. I was hesitant to make this dish, because Ryan isn't really a vegetable guy. But, even he loved it! It was super fast at 30 minutes from start to finish, really fresh and "spring" tasting and, best of all, it is heart healthy and low fat. I served it with asparagus and baked sweet potato. I would highly recommend this dish if you're looking for something fast, fresh and extremely delicious. The spinach wilted just enough that it still had that fresh, crisp taste to compliment the hot fish and crisp-tender onions and sweet bell pepper. Some might think the asparagus to be too many greens, but I'm a veggie gal myself. It would also have been great with pears on the side.

By the way, I should note that I am not "5-star-ing" myself for my awesome cooking skills when I give a rating to the recipes. :) Ryan and I got this cookbook when we were first married and decided we would try recipes then mark it with a 1-5 rating based on whether or not we liked it or would make it again.

Inspired by "Julie & Julia"

I saw the movie Julie & Julia when I was up visiting Jenni, and I feel somewhat inspired. I'm not going to set a deadline and be all "I'm going to cook every recipe in this book - one a day" or anything like that; however, I have realized that my dinner routines have become rather blah lately, and I want to change it up. I am a big fan of the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook. The recipes almost always taste good (I say almost, because there are things I don't like or Ryan doesn't like - the recipes containing those things are obviously not a hit), the directions are pretty clear-cut and they're pretty easy. The other morning I decided to try making new recipes once or twice a week. At first I almost went back on my decision, because some of the recipes looked kinda' tricky. But I persevered and started with some easy ones.

First, I made "Ham Balls in Barbecue Sauce" on page 353. I bought a smoked ham from the meat department and ground it in my food processor (which on a side note has become my favorite appliance for cooking!). I made my own bread crumbs. True to the book, the prep only took me 20 minutes and really wasn't that hard - even with making the sauce, bread crumbs and grinding the ham. Because of the high altitude and a faulty meat thermometer, the recipe did take longer than 35 minutes; it was closer to 55 minutes, but I think if we had a good thermometer, it would've been more like 45. These meatballs were delicious! Everyone loved them. We will definitely be making these again. The meatballs are about 1/3 cup mixture each, and I think if I made them smaller and made a bit more sauce that this would also be a great potluck recipe. Overall, a 5.

Second, I made "Artichoke-Turkey Casserole" on page 434. The recipe was also pretty easy, and the preptime was accurate at 20 minutes. I substituted canned artichoke for frozen, because I couldn't find it. I steamed a turkey breast for the meat. I forgot the bacon, which may've made this recipe better. The recipe called for 1/2 tsp. thyme; Ryan and I both felt the thyme was overpowering. I will probably try this recipe again and only use 1/8-1/4 tsp. thyme and definitely use the bacon. Overall, a 2.