For those of you who prefer to stay home and cook a sweetheart meal for two, here are some simple but delicious recipes for you to give a try.

Tender Steaks and Pepper Sauté

2 teaspoons olive oil

¼ cup sliced onion

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 small red bell pepper, cut in strips

1 small orange bell pepper, cut into strips

¼ cup dry wine

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

½ teaspoon salt, divided

2, 4-ounce beef tenderloin steaks

Cooking spray

2 teaspoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon chopped chipotle chile (they often come in adobo sauce and that will be fine)

Heat a large over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, and swirl to coat. Add onion, garlic, and bell peppers to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in ¼ teaspoon black pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steaks evenly with remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steaks to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Combine butter and chopped chili in a bowl. Divide butter mixture over steaks. Serve with bell pepper mixture. Serves 2, each serving contains; Calories 298, Fat 16g., Protein 26g., Carbohydrates 8 g., Fiber 2g., Sodium 489mg.

Tender Stuffed Chicken Breast for Two

2 chicken breast

2 ounces low-fat mozzarella cheese

2 artichoke hearts, from a can is fine, you can use spinach or asparagus here if desired

2 teaspoon sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

10 large fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon paprika

2 pinches of pepper

Toothpicks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

About halfway up each chicken breast, cut a slit lengthwise to create a pocket for filling. Chop up the mozzarella, artichoke, basil, tomato, and garlic. Mix to combine. Stuff half of the mixture into the pocket in chicken. Use a few toothpicks to close the chicken breast around the stuffing.

Place the chicken breast on a baking sheet and season it with pepper, curry powder, and paprika. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of chicken breast. Remove toothpicks and serve.

Serves 2, each serving contains; Calories 262, Fat 4g., Protein 46g., Carbohydrates 8 g., Fiber 2g., Sodium 338mg. Cilantro Pesto Shrimp and Pasta

For the pesto:

¾ cup packed fresh cilantro

1/3 cup shelled roasted pistachios

1 jalapeno, seeds removed

2 cloves garlic

½ lime, juiced

3 tablespoons avocado or olive oil

2-3 tablespoons water, to thin to desired consistency

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

For the shrimp:

½ tablespoon olive oil

1-pound medium shrimp, cleaned, tails removed

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

For the pasta:

10 ounces whole grain spaghetti noodles

To garnish, if desired:

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Cilantro, chopped

Chopped pistachios

For the pesto; Make the pesto by adding the following to the bowl of a food processor, cilantro, pistachios, jalapeno, garlic cloves, lime juice, olive oil, water, salt and pepper. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides and processing again, if necessary. For the shrimp; Cook the shrimp, by adding olive oil to a large skillet or pan and place over medium-high heat. Add in shrimp, garlic powder and salt and pepper, cook until shrimp is no longer pink. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the pasta and dish; Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the directions on the package. Drain pasta, then add back to the pot. Stir in the pesto and the shrimp until well coated. Add pasta to the bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese, a few cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. Serves 4.

Flaky Crab Cakes

2 tablespoons plain whole-wheat breadcrumbs

1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

1 tablespoon light mayonnaise

½ teaspoon grated lemon rind

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

8 ounces lump crabmeat, drained and any shell pieces removed

1 tablespoon butter

1 ½ teaspoons canola oil

Place first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring to combine. Add crab; toss gently to

combine. Chill crab moisture in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Divide crab mixture into 4

equal portions. Slightly wet your hand and gently shape each portion into a 1-inch-thick

patty.

Heat in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter, swirl until butter melts. Add oil,

swirl to coat. Carefully add patties to pan, cook 4 minutes on each side or until crab cakes

are golden brown and done.

Salmon Taco Bowls for Two

For the salmon;

2, 6-ounce wild salmon filets

½ tablespoon olive oil

½ lime, juiced

For the taco seasoning;

1 tablespoon brown sugar

¾ teaspoon cumin

¾ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

(in the interest of time, you may purchase a premade low sodium taco seasoning)

For the rice;

2 teaspoons olive oil

¼ cup onion, finely diced

¼ cup green bell pepper, finely diced

¼ cup cilantro, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup tomato sauce

½ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 ¼ cups water

¾ cup brown or jasmine rice

For serving, optional toppings;

Avocado, sliced

Greek yogurt, or sour cream

Salsa, or hot sauce

Cilantro

Diced green onion or red onion

Lime wedges

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and grease lightly with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray. Place salmon skin side down.

Drizzle salmon filets with olive oil and a squeeze of lime juice.

Prepare your salmon seasoning mix, in a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Sprinkle your taco seasoning on the salmon. Rub the seasoning evenly over the salmon. Set aside.

To prepare your rice, add olive oil to a medium pot and place over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in green pepper, onion, cilantro and garlic. Sauté until the onions and green peppers soften, about 2-4 minutes. Bring medium-low and add in tomato sauce, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes until sauce comes together.

Add in water and bring to a boil. Once it boils, stir in rice, cover an reduce heat to a low simmer for 15- 20 minutes or until rice is tender. **the amount of water and time for cooking rice may vary with the rice, be sure to check the instructions on the box. Fluff rice once tender.

While rice is cooking, place salmon in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon easily flakes with a fork.

Once you are done with the rice and salmon, pile the rice into two bowls, then add salmon filet on the side. Serve with the optional toppings according to taste. Serves 2.