Glad to hear that you are back in your house "A FIRE" OM
How about a salmon pie. Simple and easy to make..here's a recipe but I don't know whom I got it from.
Salmon Pie

Ingredients:
8 medium potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 cans Pillar Rock Wild Salmon, drained
Boil potatoes till tender. While the potatoes are boiling sauté onion in butter, set aside.
Mash potatoes; add buttermilk, salt and pepper, eggs, parsley and onions. Mix well.
Fold in Salmon and spread mixture in 9X12 lightly oiled baking dish.
Cover with pastry dough. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

Linda

This is excellent for breakfast or lunch. I made itthis weekend for family, instead of ham I used turkey sausage:

Ham and Tomato Pie

Ingredients
1 (8-oz.) package diced cooked ham
1/2 cup sliced green onions (about 4 onions)
1 (9-inch) frozen unbaked pie shell
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 large egg
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Garnishes: fresh basil sprigs, tomato slices
Preparation
1. Sauté ham and green onions in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until ham is brown and any liquid evaporates.
2. Brush bottom of pie shell evenly with mustard; sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon ham mixture evenly over cheese, and top with single layer of sliced tomatoes.
3. Beat egg and half-and-half with a fork until blended; pour over tomatoes. Sprinkle evenly with basil, pepper, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
4. Bake on lowest oven rack at 425° for 20 to 23 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Cool on a wire rack 20 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve; garnish, if desired.
Yield
Makes 4 to 6 servings

A seafood quiche or marinated grilled chicken could be for the aunt who doesn't do salads. These are easy to make ahead of time and can be served at room temp or cold. NancyLouise

Grilled or poached salmon served cold makes a lovely lunch. Especially with a homemade remoulade. Perhaps some cooked and then chilled asparagus and a rice based salad as sides.....or does she do no cold salads at all. Maybe some deviled eggs.

A selection of cold seafood would be dazzling.....shrimp, lobster, crab again with remoulade and also a seafood sauce....or maybe a Crab Louis.

Tomato Tart, quiche, all good choices. I also have a recipe, that is always well received, for a Stuffed Baguette but it would need a salad or something along with it.

I know there are many good recipes here for all those things . If you settle on something then just shout for the recipes.

GRILLED CHICKEN CORN SALAD

4 Chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless, seasoned to your liking, grilled and sliced diagonally (do in advance and serve cold)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lime or lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (11 oz.) cans whole kernel corn, drained, or FRESH CORN IN SEASON
1 (16 oz.) can black beans, rinshed and drained
2 plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add garlic and cook just until it sizzles. Add chili powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, zest and juice. Mix well. Add corn and beans, mix well. Spoon mixture into large serving bowl, add chicken, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. Toss and serve immediately.

Or (and this is my preference), place corn and beans mixture on a platter and arrange chicken, tomatoes and onions on top and sprinkle with cilantro.

6 servings

Cold cuts and a good artisan bread is good too.
"Vinagered" or Sour cream cukes.
Fruit trifle.
Shredded pork or chicken sandwiches.
Wraps with a variety of stuffings: chicken, tuna, egg, veggies.

Do we have your thinker jump-started yet??? LOL
That's what usually happens to me when I request help!
Everyone posts and MY brain shifts into high gear too.

Deanna

You're stressed, recovering from a fire, reletives, elderly aunts etc...
Make your pasta salad, and a simple chicken salad, some crudites ( the vareity depends on your ambition....could be celery broccoli and carrots, or strips of jicama, crisp turnip, mulit-colored peppers, whole baby mushrooms and Calamata olives) A nice crusty loaf (home made or bought).
Be easy, poach some chicken...you could use boneless skinless breasts, cut them up and add enough good quality Mayonaise to moisten, lots of fresh lemon and your choice of things like dried cranberries and slivered almonds, or pineapple chunks a bit of curry powder and toasted pecans, or diced red and yellow peppers adn red onion...
Be easy...
Linda C

A frittata is an elegant and almost universally acceptable (barring vegans) lunch dish that you can make ahead of time, serve room temp, and is amenable to adjusting to one's budget. Here is my recipe for a veggie cheese frittata, to which you could easily add seafood, pre-cooked chicken, ham or bacon.

Vegetable & Cheese Frittata

8 eggs
2 t lemon juice (preferably Meyer)& 1 t zest (optional)
Chopped fresh herbs (For mild, leafy herbs, 1 T or more but if you use rosemary, use significantly less, as it's so strong)
4 oz of cheese(s)grated or crumbled
2 green onions, chopped (or 1/3 c carmelized red onions)
Minced garlic (I like garlic, so I use 4 or 5 cloves, but if cooking for folks whose tolerance I'm unsure of, I use 2)
Salt & pepper
olive oil
A mixture of vegetables-your choice, 1 to 1 1/2 c, after precooking.
1/2 c Balsamic vinegar, simmered until reduced by half.

Preheat the oven to 325.

Prepare your vegetables. Most veggies will need to be at least partially precooked, both to reduce water content and to ensure tenderness, so saute them in olive oil with the garlic and some salt & pepper. Roasted red bell peppers is one of my favorites for this dish, with sauteed mushrooms or greens of some kind. Asparagus is wonderful with some oil-packed sun dried tomatoes (saute the asparagus in some of the tomato oil...yum!). Eggplant works well also, I usually brush it with oil and cook it on the grill, as it absorbs too much when sauteed...I like the eggplant coupled with the tender tips & leaves of celery hearts.

As for the cheese, I like to use a combination, but it isn't necessary. I like blue with mozzarella or jack, or feta with Parmesan, but sharp cheddar is good as well.

Mix all the ingredients except for the eggs & Balsamic in a bowl and mix well.

Whip the eggs with a whisk until good and foamy, then pour over the other ingredients.

In a 9 inch frypan with an oven proof handle, heat one T of olive oil very hot but not smoking. Turn the pan to coat it with oil, and then pour in the egg mixture. The pan should be hot enough to sear the bottom of the eggs, but then immediately move it to a low heat. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the sides begin to set up, and then finish in the oven for about 20 minutes. The frittata should be firm and turning gold on top, not brown.

Use a heat proof rubber spatula to loosen the frittata in the pan, and when it is free, put a plate over it and turn over, so that the bottom of the eggs are facing up.

Brush the frittata with the reduced balsamic just before serving

How ya doing, Ms. M?

Thanks everyone...the recipes all sound so yummy...dh decided that he has no problem grilling...OY!!! so, we have decided to do chicken shish-kabobs (marinated the day before) and a cold pasta salad and cold string bean salad (very easy blanche string beans and once cooled add 2 tbsp grainy mustard!)

I really appreciate everyone's imput.

Jessy girl...we are doing good...thanks so much...I have missed you!