Salmon with Vegetables is an easy meal that frees up the day. Karen Schneider / For The Forecaster
This easy-peasy sheet-pan meal is the best for days when you just don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. For example, when my little grandchildren come to call, my focus is taken up 100%. I can barely blink without one or both of them getting into some kind of mischief! On those days, the last thing on my mind is cooking, but part of the delight of the day is serving them a meal they and their parents will enjoy.
Karen Schneider cooks and writes in the village of Cundys Harbor. You can reach her at iwrite33@comcast.net.
This healthy salmon and veggie one-pan meal can be prepped then roasted in the oven in minutes. Toss up a simple salad, add some crusty bread and everything is good to go.
If you want some variety around this idea, try shrimp or chicken tenders, adjusting cooking time accordingly. Fresh basil or other herbs, such as dill, can also be substituted.
If you don’t have room for two big sheet pans in your oven at once, cook the veggies first then keep them warm while the fish has its turn. Just don’t crowd the components too much.
Dessert can be made days ahead, wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer. I showed the children this wonderful, frosty, pink-and-white wonderment before dinner, and guess what. My grandma bribery worked and they cleaned their plates. Their mother (my daughter) loves a good strawberry ice cream cake so she was on board as well. I made something similar to this dessert every year for her birthday when she was little because she didn’t care for cake and I can see that it’s still her favorite. She cleaned her plate, too.
If you like strawberry Good Humor Bars on a stick, you will most certainly love this dessert. Use real whipped cream if you would rather, and if you can’t find freeze-dried strawberries, anything crunchy and sweet will do. I’ve even used Trix or Special K with strawberries cereal in a pinch.
Take the dessert out of the freezer about 10 minutes before cutting it into squares. The addition of fresh smashed-up strawberries is nice, as is a dribble of chocolate sauce!
Salmon with Vegetables
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
2 medium zucchini
3 pints cherry tomatoes
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for the table
1 small bunch fresh basil for garnish, optional
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line one or two large rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper and spray with a light coating of cooking oil or paint on oil with a brush.
Gently pat salmon dry with paper towels and place on pan(s).
Cut zucchini into 1 1/2-inch-wide sticks. Place on sheet pans. Add tomatoes. Drizzle everything with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat, leaving salmon skin-side down.
Sprinkle Parmesan and herbs on everything. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon. Gently stir vegetables halfway through cooking time.
Test salmon for doneness by flaking with a fork. The zucchini should be tender and beginning to brown and the tomatoes should be bursting to create a sauce to spoon over all. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with extra Parmesan. Yield: 4 servings
Strawberry Ice Cream Cake
36 Golden Oreo cookies, divided
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
5 cups strawberry ice cream, softened
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package (1 ounce) freeze-dried strawberries, coarsely crushed
Fresh strawberries, optional
Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Finely crush 24 cookies. In a small bowl, mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake until firm, 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Spread vanilla ice cream onto crust; freeze, covered, until firm. Spread with strawberry ice cream then whipped topping; freeze, covered, until firm.
Coarsely crush remaining cookies. Combine cookie crumbs and freeze-dried strawberries; sprinkle over whipped topping. Freeze, covered, until firm, about eight hours or overnight. Remove cake from freezer 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh strawberries. Yield: 9 servings
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