Lobster Pasta Salad with Cucumber and Dill

Mother nature treated us to some nice weather last week and I need a little taste of summer. I found this recipe in the March issue of Everyday Food and loved it with a few modifications!

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/2 lb small shell pasta

8 oz imitation lobster meat (shrimp was called for in original recipe)

1/2 english cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 Tbsp dried dill

2 Tbsp light mayonnaise

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp dijon mustard

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again.

Transfer pasta mixture to a bowl; toss with cucumber and dill. In another bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, oil, lemon juice and dijon; season with salt and pepper.

Add dressing to pasta mixture right before serving and toss to coat.

To store, refrigerate pasta mixture and dressing separately, up to 1 day.

Spaghetti with Creamy Turkey Sausage and Mushroom Sauce

This recipe is an adapted from Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals cookbook. It was really good and made enough for dinner and leftovers for my husband, daughter and myself.

12 oz thin spaghetti (I think any type of pasta would work great!)

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used baby portobellos, but any combination of mushroom would work)

1 lb sweet or hot turkey or chicken sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups low fat sour cream

1/2 cup frozen green peas

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and gook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring a few times, until they are tender and releasing juices, about 3 to 7 minutes depending on the mushroom type. Add the sausage and brown on all sides about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and stir until well combined and the herbs are fragrant.

Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pan and simmer until the sausage is cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.

Add the peas and simmer 1 minute more. Stir in the sour cream and parmesan cheese and simmer 1 minute to heat through. Remove from heat, with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cooked pasta and enjoy!

Balsamic Roasted Pork Tenderloin

This a great recipe for a Sunday when there's not much going on. Quick and easy and makes a ton for leftovers. From Robin Miller's book "Quick Fix Meals."

Two 2 lb pork tenderloin (trimmed of silverskin if necessary)

Salt & fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp dijon mustard

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Place the pork in the prepared pan and season the top and sides with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Spoon the mixture all over the pork, then roast until an instant-read therometer inserted into the thickest part reads at least 160 degrees, about 45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes if possible.

Let the pork stand 10 minutes before slicing.

This meal can easily be cut in half cooking only one pork tenderloin.