When your cupboard is bare, with only a few cans of staples left, you probably have a can or two of salmon or tuna around. If you're also short on time and want something quick and simple for dinner, this works great!

1 or 2 cans salmon (w/bones is ok too, extra calcium!) OR tuna
Bread crumbs
Seasonings: I use about 1 tsp of Mrs. Dash, maybe some pepper, sweet (salad-type) or italian herb seasonings, garlic, etc. (anything on hand that sounds good)
Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (whichever you prefer)

Flake fish (mash bones if you have the salmon), add bread crumbs and seasoning, add Miracle Whip and mix. This is just like making a meatloaf ;) you want a moist, but not wet texture. You don't need to add an egg (I don't, as I worry about cooking more with the egg).

Form mixture into patties and sauté until lightly browned on each side. Serve with a side of tartar or cocktail sauce, or on toast. A baked potato or fries goes well, as does a salad! Very quick and easy as I said!

This is good, and fast too!

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup minced onion and cook about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine (or cooking wine) and cook over high heat until almost all liquid evaporates. Stir in 1 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; boil 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add 1/2 pound salmon fillet, cubed, 1 cup peas, 3 green onions (white will do), and 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel (optional); cook until salmon is opaque, about 5 minutes. Toss with 1 pound cooked fusilli.

I'm always short on time, though sometimes I like to try to have dinners that look and taste like I spent all day in the kitchen cooking! ;) When you want a nice romantic dinner, or have company coming, this works out really well and no one will know how easy and quick (or affordable) it really is. I buy a 3-pound bag of frozen scallops at the warehouse store (Sam's Club) for about $7 and can easily get 3 or 4 meals out of it. Cooked this way, frozen tastes *very* good. I have not used the imitation scallops, but they should work fine, too.

(3/4 to) 1 pound scallops
1 whole onion (sweet, spanish, or purple so not too strong)
garlic (as many cloves as you like)
1 (to 1 1/2) cups white wine (depending on taste) ;)
1/2 cup milk
seasoning (pepper, Mrs. Dash seasoning blend)
pasta (spaghetti, linguini, etc.)
flour (Wondra or another fine flour for sauces work great -- no lumps)

In a large pot, bring salted & oiled water to boil (oil will help noodles from sticking to each other when cooking). In a large skillet, sauté onion until translucent, and add garlic (garlic takes less time to cook). Continue cooking until onions are lightly brown. Your water should be boiling now, so add your pasta to cook. In your skillet, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup white wine. Add scallops (I even added them frozen one time). When the scallops have been in for about a minute, add the remaining wine and milk. Cook a few minutes until bubbly. Your pasta should be done, so drain it while you're waiting. Now to the scallop mix, add flour to thicken the sauce -- don't add too much! Season to taste and spoon over pasta.

You can serve this with finely shredded cheese over the top to look even nicer. Some candles, garlic bread, and salad are finishing touches, too! (I told you this works for romance!) :)

Total time, about 20 minutes.

1 medium onion, chopped
4 Tbsp butter
1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes
1 can (12 oz.) V8 juice
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 lb "popcorn" shrimp (cooked)
1 can clams
1 clove garlic, minced
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 can (16 oz) okra
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper season
1/2 cup cold water
Hot rice

Sauté onion & garlic in butter until softened. Stir in vegetable broth or cubes, tomatoes, okra, clams, V8 juice, and seasonings. Heat to boiling, then turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir cornstarch into water. Stir that into soup mix. Cook, stirring constantly, until soup thickens slightly and boils 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp, cook 2-3 minutes longer. Spoon over rice.

Here is my mother's New Orleans recipe for Gumbo. It is a mixture of many different recipes from friends and family. Enjoy.

1 stick butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped small
3 stalks celery, chopped small
1/2 cup flour
4 cups water (including oyster water and canned tomato water)
2 cups (15- or 16-oz. can) whole tomatoes, chopped
3 bay leaves
2 dozen oysters (12-16 oz. canned oysters)
2 cans crabmeat
2 cups raw shrimp (with heads, 3 lbs), shelled and deveined
3 cups okra sliced thin (or 1 large bag frozen chopped okra, thawed)
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

In a 5-quart heavy saucepan or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat; add celery, onions, and garlic. Sauté until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Then stir in the flour and cook until golden brown. This is called a roux, the basis for most Louisiana dishes.

Carefully blend in the liquid, then tomatoes, and simmer about 5 minutes. Add bay leaves, crab, oysters, shrimp, okra, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Continue cooking on low heat for 20 minutes. Don't overcook.

Remove from heat and add 1 Tbsp gumbo file, if desired. Serve over hot fluffy rice, with warm French bread on the side.

NOTE: Never cook okra dishes in an iron pot.