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These are a great starter or main part of a meal with bread and salad. The recipe is based on the mussels served at Westport, Mass., standout The Back Eddy. It isn't exactly like the restaurant's version (which is exquisite, especially eaten with a view of the water), but pretty close and very tasty. Done in a flash:

 

Put 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a hot saute pan. Add 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger and a sprinkling (up to 1 Tbsp.) of ground chilis or red pepper flakes. Cook hot for one minute.

Add 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed and 1 lb. mussels in their nice closed shells. Spread 'em around then cook till they open.

Add 1/4 c. hoisin sauce, cook another minute. Add 1/2 c. coconut milk and cook for 1 minute longer. Turn off heat. Add juice of one lime.

Garnish with fresh cilantro, if you happen to have it. Serve with crusty bread.

This soup is actually kind of dry, more like a wet pasta, but very tasty and springlike. It’s very quick to make and satisfyingly efficient—you can be chopping the stuff that comes later while the first stuff is cooking. Here's how:

 

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 1 chopped leek (white & light green parts) and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add 6 c. chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in 1 c. small pasta (ditalini, stars, etc.) and ½ t. salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add 10 skinny asparagus stalks cut into 1-inch lengths, 1 small fennel bulb (diced), ¼ lb.sugar snap peas, 1 c. chopped Swiss chard and 1 can drained cannellini beans. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 5 minutes longer.

Add 1 c. frozen peas (thawed). Recipe called for 2 Tbsp. chopped mint (I didn't have it). Salt and pepper and simmer for 1 minute longer. Ready to eat! Grate parmesan on top.

This soup is actually kind of dry, more like a wet pasta, but very tasty and springlike. It’s very quick to make and satisfyingly efficient—you can be chopping the stuff that comes later while the first stuff is cooking. Here's how:

 

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 1 chopped leek (white & light green parts) and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add 6 c. chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir in 1 c. small pasta (ditalini, stars, etc.) and ½ t. salt. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add 10 skinny asparagus stalks cut into 1-inch lengths, 1 small fennel bulb (diced), ¼ lb.sugar snap peas, 1 c. chopped Swiss chard and 1 can drained cannellini beans. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 5 minutes longer.

Add 1 c. frozen peas (thawed). Recipe called for 2 Tbsp. chopped mint (I didn't have it). Salt and pepper and simmer for 1 minute longer. Ready to eat! Grate parmesan on top.

Roasted cauliflower apparently made the rounds in the food blogosphere awhile ago, but I have never claimed to not be behind the times.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Take a head of cauliflower, break or cut it into small bite-size pieces, a bit smaller than you might usually. Toss it with a few Tbsp of olive oil, 2-4 cloves garlic minced, kosher salt and a sprinkling of fresh lemon juice. Spread it on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Take out of oven and grate Parmesan cheese over it.

Meanwhile, heat a few Tbps. of olive oil in a saute pan, add another few minced up garlic cloves. In a minute add half a pound of peeled shrimp (ideally fresh wild-caught Maine shrimp, button-cute and tender). Saute till they whiten.

Serve together with a green salad, Chardonnay. Good.

Slap some oil, salt and pepper on a little pork tenderloin and grill till cooked thru, not dry—depends on size. The simple recipe below comes (slightly adapted) from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

Boil 3 c. water. Add 1/2 t salt and 1-1/4 c. rinsed quinoa. Lower heat, cover, simmer till tender, 12-15 min. Drain.
Chop 1 mango into bite sized squares.
Toss cooked quinoa with mango plus 3 sliced scallions (including an inch of green), 1 jalapeno seeded and diced or a smaller portion of whatever spicy chile you have around, and the vinaigrette—see below.
Sprinkle with 1/3 c. almonds, roasted.

Vinaigrette
Pound 1 clove garlic with 1/4 t. salt in mortar until smooth. Combine with 2 T yogurt, 1 t curry powder. Stir in 1-1/2 T lemon juice. Then whisk in 5 T light oil (safflower, sunflower). Let stand 15 minutes. Stir in 2 T finely chopped cilantro.

This is adapted from a recipe on Down Home Soul Food Cooking Blog.

1-1/2 lb. shrimp, shelled & deveined
1 can coconut milk
1/3 c. fresh lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t salt
1 t ground black pepper

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Place in large sealable plastic bag. In a bowl, combine coconut milk, lime juice, garlic, S&P. Pour that over the shrimp, seal bag and marinate in fridge for 30 min.

That gives you some time to make some rice or a salad, shuck some corn, or contemplate your wine selection (dry riesling was nice).

Fire up your grill. Toss shrimp in a grill pan, or put them on skewersand grill until just pink. Very nice, delicate sweet flavor. Reasonably healthy. Fast and painless in hot weather.

 

Got this recipe from a friend—don't know its original provenance. It suits all requirements of being good for you and fast. Can even make it vegan by replacing milk with almond milk and butter with o.o. Here 'tis.

Heat 1/4 c. olive oil and 4 T butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 1 onion (chopped) till soft, not brown—about 5 min.

Add one 2-lb. butternut squash (peeled and chopped), 1 tsp. curry powder, salt and pep to taste. Cook 5 minutes.

Add 2/3 c. milk and 2 c. water, bring to boil.

Simmer 30 min. Add 1 c. chopped cashews. Blend, blend, blend till smooth and thick.

I used roasted unsalted cashews, seemed to work. A swirl of yogurt or creme fraiche looks pretty on top and adds a nice tang.