Cooking-for-two/5 recipes

Chocolate cookies can be both tasty and healthy, these low fat and low calorie chocolate cookies will please you.

I recently came across another way to use up some of those cartons of oats and bags of bran spilling out of my pantry. Brandi of Bran Appetit posted an intriguing recipe for Brandi's Cookie Bars. I used her recipe with a few changes to make cookie bars of my own. Please visit Brandi's blog for the original recipe. And if you're a fan of oatmeal cookies and chocolate, make these now! Oatmeal-Bran Cookie Bars (adapted from Bran Appetit)

"Lobster Newberg. Also "lobster a la Newburg"...The dish was made famous at Delmonico's Restaurant in New York in 1876 when the recipe was brought to chef Charles Ranhofer by a West Indies sea captain named Ben Wenberg. It was an immediate hit, especially for after-theater suppers, and owner Charles Delmonico honored the capatain by naming the dish "lobster a la Wenberg." But later Wenberg and Delmonico had a falling-out, and the restauranteur took the dish off the menu, restoring it only by popular demand by renaming it "lobster a la Newberg," reversing the first three letters of the captain's name.

TVP gives the lasagna beefy texture, the tomato sauce makes the lasagna juicy and flavorful; ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses add the creaminess and cheesiness . An absolutely delicious vegetarian lasagna that your meat lover friends may ask for second slice.

Very flavorful. I used baby bella mushrooms and it gave it more depth. If you want to double it be sure to add extra cooking time.

An easy and flavorful weeknight meal is all in one dish.

Classic simple, quick and easy fish cakes. One cake per serving for appetizer or two cakes per person for a main dish.

Such a flavorful and refreshing rice salad that is ideal on a warm spring day or a hot summer day, especially it's best served once chilled. Feel free to add cucumber, radishes or any your favorite spring veggies.

I used to live near Half Moon Bay and remember the Pumpkin Festival well. This recipe does a fitting tribute to the place and the fruits of the harvest. Yum...I'm smelling the loaves bake as I write... My personal preference is to decrease the oil and sugar slightly, but others will enjoy the richness and sweetness as is.

Cheesy dumplings baked on top of creamy sauce with chunks of chicken, bacon, onions and mushrooms. All in one deluxe chicken dinner.

A tasty hummus recipe made with a bit of lemon juice and curry powder. Perfect for dips or as a sandwich spread.

One skillet Chinese style beef and pepper stir fry. Makes a quick and easy all in one weeknight meal.

Bright and spicy, even better it's a great way to use up leftover chicken.

Gooey, moist and tons of chocolate flavor! It's such an easy way to make a decadent dessert that has chocolate cake, fudge and brownie all in one scoop, which definitely makes everyone give you a big "wow" even you don't have too much baking experience!

Skip the expensive store-bought overly salty salad dressing mix and make your own using ingredients found in most pantries. Perfect for a low-salt ranch dressing.