Easy Weeknight Meals: Chicken Curry in a Hurry and more

Mon | Meatless meal

Broken Noodles With Red Sauce and Ricotta can be made with a variety of pasta but I like to use wide pappardelle. I break up the noodles before I cook them so they aren't so long. Drain noodles and add to a simple basil tomato sauce. Fill a bowl with the pasta, add a couple healthy grinds of black pepper, a dollop of ricotta cheese and scatter ribbons of fresh basil. Serve with a green salad and baguette slices....

Ticket sales pushed back for E.A.T. St. Pete food and wine festival

Tickets sales for E.A.T. St. Pete, a November three-day food, wine and arts festival, have been pushed back to July from the originally announced date of June 24.

They will be available for the general public in the middle of July at eatstpetefestival.com.

The event, to be held Nov. 15-17 at various venues in St. Petersburg, was formally announced at a press conference in May. Sponsors HSN, Bill Edwards Presents and Visit St. Pete/Clearwater have joined forces for the festival which will include wine tastings, seminars, dinners and appearances from celebrity chefs, including baker and former Food Network show host Duff Goldman, and restaurateurs Donatella Arpaia and Scott Conant. She is a regular Iron Chef judge and Conant is a judge on Chopped. ...

Weekday dinner inspiration: Middle Eastern Steak Pitas and more

Mon | Meatless meal

Here's another suggestion from meatless-meal devotee Bea Dreier of Tampa: Poached Eggs on English Muffins with sauteed spinach or arugula salad made with toasted sliced almonds and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, olive oil and a squeeze over all plus salt and pepper to taste. Toast the muffins first or even substitute sturdier bagels.

Tues | The big salad...

Weekday dinner inspiration: Soba noodle salad with chicken and more

By JANET K. KEELER

Times Food and Travel Editor

Weekday dinner inspiration: Soba noodle salad with chicken and more

Mon | Meatless meal

Versatile ratatouille can be mixed with brown rice, spooned over pasta or even used as a pizza topping. To make, heat ¼ cup of olive oil in a large skillet, then saute 1 diced eggplant for about 5 minutes. Add 2 sliced zucchini, 1 large diced onion and 1 large diced green pepper and saute for another 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of whole, drained tomatoes, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf and 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves. Season with salt and pepper and simmer, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. ...

Weekday dinner inspiration: Succotash Salad With Buttermilk-Avocado Dressing and more

Mon | Meatless meal

Veggie Mac and Cheese is all about you and your taste buds. While 8 ounces of rotini or medium shells are cooking, saute some uniformly cut vegetables, your choice. I like to start with chopped onions and minced garlic, then add carrots and broccoli. Let them cook about 5 minutes. Drain pasta, add about 1 ½ cups of grated white cheddar and stir in veggies. Place in a casserole dish and sprinkle with seasoned dried bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Serve with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers dressed with red wine vinaigrette....

Weekday dinner inspiration: Creole Shrimp and Rice and more

Mon | Meatless meal

Here's a Stuffed Pepper recipe from Bea Dreier of Tampa. She cuts red, orange or yellow sweet peppers in half, drizzles them with vegetable broth and fills with cooked yellow rice, then layers on cut-up vegetables — her favorites are asparagus, zucchini, tomatoes, red onion — and tops the peppers with shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until peppers are soft. ...

Weekday dinner inspiration: Beef, Black Bean and Corn Nachos and more

This is the introductory column of Stir Crazy. It ran on May 21, 2008, the Wednesday before Memorial Day.

Mon | Memorial Day

Just because you've been off all day doesn't mean you want to spend it in the kitchen. Get outside and grill some Greek Burgers topped with grilled onions, feta cheese and thinly sliced cucumbers. Make a Greek salad or Mediterranean potato salad by dressing cooked chunks with an olive oil vinaigrette, scallions and chopped green pepper. Don't forget the kalamata olives. ...

Weekday dinner inspiration: Orzo with Pecorino and Mushrooms and more

Mon. | Meatless meal

Meaty mushrooms add bulk and earthy flavor to many vegetarian dishes including Orzo with Pecorino and Mushrooms (recipe below). This recipe calls for cremini mushrooms, which are young portobellos and sometimes labeled baby bellas. Slice them thickly to give the dish more heft. Serve with a spinach salad topped with dried cherries, sliced almonds and goat cheese bits dressed with a fruity vinaigrette....

Weekday dinner inspiration: Spicy Mint Beef and more

Mon | Meatless meal

Everybody loves a grilled cheese sandwich and figuring out a way to make it a little differently is always a challenge. Consider a Green Goddess Grilled Cheese, stuffed with herby goodness. In a food processor, blend 2 tablespoons each of parsley, cilantro, basil, shallots, 2 garlic cloves with a bit of olive oil to make it a paste. Stir in grated mozzarella and white cheddar. Spread this on bread and make the sandwiches as you usually do, spreading the outside of the slices with butter. I use sourdough for this. Serve with a white bean salad made with canned, drained beans; diced red onions; lemon juice; olive oil and; any fresh herbs you'd like....