Leslie Revsin
author Great Fish Quick
May 8, 1999

Serve these Asparagus room temperature or chilled — they're good right out of the pan too, but a little sitting lets the flavors penetrate more.

1 ½ pounds asparagus, spears ½ to 3/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 finely chopped large garlic clove
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 ½ teaspoons dried mint leaves
5 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus (save them for a soup or discard them), rinse the spears well in cold water and dry them on paper towels.

Mix the garlic and the parsley together and chop it slightly to mingle the flavors well.

Place the asparagus in a large skillet so they lie flat in about 2 layers. Toss with the olive oil and the parsley mixture and season them generously with salt and pepper.

Tightly cover the pan and set it over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low when you hear sizzling sounds and cook until tender, 10-20 minutes, depending on the thickness.

Transfer them to a platter, reserving the skillet, and toss them gently with the mint. Stir the lemon juice in to the pan juice, season with more salt and pepper, if you like, and pour the juices over the asparagus. Cool to room temperature and serve them right away.

If Dad is doing the cooking, he could definitely grill the salmon instead if poaching it if he wants.

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage
3 cups thinly sliced white mushrooms, about ½ pound
salt and fresh pepper
½ cup thinly sliced scallions, both the white and green parts
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar or other vinegar
1 thin slice of lemon
1 bay leaf
Four 6-ounce salmon fillets, each 1" thick at the thickest part
2 finely chopped, large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or other vinegar

Place a large skillet over medium heat with the olive oil. When it is hot, stir in the cabbage and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook them over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender-crisp, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, set a skillet large enough to hold all the salmon in one layer over high heat with about 4 cups hot water, the distilled vinegar, lemon, bay leaf and salt to taste. Simmer the water 4-5 minutes to infuse the flavors.

Slip the salmon skin side up into the simmering liquid so the water just covers the fish, adding a little water if it doesn't. Adjust the heat so a few gentle bubbles come to the surface and poach the fillets until just cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Transfer the fillets to a platter, skin side up and keep warm briefly.

When the cabbage is ready, add th garlic and cook it together one minute. Stir in the red wine vinegar followed by all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions.

Remove the skin from the fillets by lifting one end and peeling it towards the opposite end. Spoon the cabbage onto dinner plates, turn the fillet over on top of the cabbage, sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve immediately.

Yummy just as it is, but if you like, you can top the bananas with a dollop of whipped cream or sour cream. Or spoon them over scoops of ice cream. If you serve them with ice cream, the recipe serves 8.

1/4 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ripe but firm bananas
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 teaspoon dark rum or to taste

Mix the butter, sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Peel the bananas and cut them across in half. Cut each half lengthwise to make 16 quarters.
Melt the prepared butter over low in a large skillet and add the bananas. Warm the bananas through for a minute and add the lime juice and rum. Remove the skillet from the heat and spoon the bananas with sauce into bowls and serve them right away.

Entree
Salmon
10.00
Cabbage
.81
Mushrooms
.74
Scallions
.33
Bread
2.25

Dessert
Bananas
.61
Lime
.20

TOTAL
$18.04