Wow! Lots of good ideas. We have frozen broccoli in the fridge. I'll give the combination a try when I make mac & cheese this week. I usually barely thaw the broccoli with a little water in a covered sauté pan and then drain the water, turn up the heat, and finish it with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. msazadi - I've followed DW's example in cutting way back on, rather than completely eliminating, problematic foods. Catsup is a good example. Instead of slathering my cheese steak with catsup, as I did in the good old days, I used just enough to taste that it was there when I made them for lunch today. And I will probably try a slice of Jersey tomato on a burger this summer.

I second Dill with roasted chicken. I can eat it every day. I was going to say braised beef short ribs, but then re-read that you wanted 'simple'. Then I saw Ann_T's post on Lamb shanks and figured it couldn't hurt to add it. So here it is followed by some real quick meals to prepare. BEEF SHORT RIBS I am totally in love with beef short ribs. What an amazing taste - absolutely heavenly. Doesn't fit well into my low-fat diet, but it's ok every once in a while. This is one of those dishes you can add/change the ingredients to suit your taste. Here's the one I used last: BRAISED SHORT RIBS OF BEEF Serves 4 3 T. Flour 2 t. Salt Pepper to taste 2 t. Rosemary 4 lbs. Beef short ribs, rinsed and dried Vegetable oil 1 C. Chopped onions ¾ C Chopped celery 2 C. Chicken stock boiling (can substitute chicken broth) Preheat oven to 300°. Combine flour, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Dredge ribs in seasoned flour. In skillet, heat 2 T. oil and add onions and celery, sauté for 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to heavy Dutch oven with lid. Add 2 T. oil to skillet and brown ribs on all sides. Add extra oil as needed. Transfer ribs to Dutch oven. Add boiling chicken stock to ribs and cover tightly. *Bake 2.5 hours. Skim off excess fat and reduce gravy until thickened. *Alternatively: Simmer ribs slowly on stove top. Baked Flounder Coat a cookie sheet (jelly roll pan) with a thin coating of oil. Place in pre-heated, 400° oven for 5-8 minutes. Dredge the fish in flour, then beaten egg white, then a mixture of fresh (or store bought) breadcrumbs, panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), garlic and onion powders, a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt, and fresh grated parm cheese. Press crumb mixture so that it sticks to the fish. Lay fish on heated cookie sheet, top with a spritz of oil, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish is golden brown. Stuffed Chicken Cutlets For each serving, pound a chicken cutlet to even thickness. Layer with salt, pepper, Swiss cheese (I like Jarlesburg), ham, and optionally, a stalk of asparagus. Roll up and tie with string at each 1" interval (make sure the ends are tied tight so that the filling doesn't ooze out during cooking) and dip into beaten egg whites, then seasoned breadcrumbs. Place in a baking dish to which you add 1 cup or so of chicken broth. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. ======= This is fast a very flavorful: GIANFRANCO'S PASTA 16 Oz. Pasta (Penne, Rigatoni, and bowties work well) 4 Links Sweet sausage 10 Oz Mushrooms, sliced 1.5 C Grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese Prepare pasta according to directions (Penne, Rigatoni, and bowties work well here)- make sure not to overcook. Meanwhile, remove sweet sausage from casing and saute in a fry pan, breaking it up as it cooks. Slice mushrooms and add to cooking sausage until they are both well cooked - keep warm. When pasta is done, drain (reserve some pasta water) and toss with sausage/mushroom mixture and grated cheese. Add some of the reserved cooking water if pasta seems dry. Just one more then I'll shut up: Grilled Pork Tenderloin I buy pork tenderloins at Costco. They come two packages to a pack. Each package contains 2 tenerloins. For 3 people, I make 2 tenderloins. Just rub with your favorite dry rub (or marinate in your favorite sauce) and put on a hot grill for about 25-30 mintues. I take them off when the internal temp reaches about 150°-155°.

Every now and then you'll find a woman who is breastfeeding who prefers to keep her diet milder...like no strong garlic, spices, etc... I think they believe the strong flavors are carried into the breastmilk and that some babies may not like the taste or something. I never noticed it, but thought I would mention it, just in case. I liked chicken dishes, and as woodie suggested, soup and salad may be good too. You may even consider including a quiche or breakfast food since they will be home all day long. I'm sure they'll appreciate anything and all you bring.

My favorite asparagus recipe: Mustard-Dressed Asparagus Cooking Light, April 1998 4 lbs asparagus (I used 1 bunch) 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon mustard seeds Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Bring 4 qts water to a boil in an 8 qt stockpot. Add half of asparagus; cook 3 minutes. Remove asparagus from stockpot. Rinse with cold water; drain and pat dry. Repeat procedure with remaining asparagus. Combine the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add mustard seeds; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add asparagus and mustard mixture, and cook 2 minutes of until thoroughly heated. Yield: 8 servings