It's Memorial Day, which means summer is right around the corner. Summer food is an entity unto itself. It's lighter and fresher and often eaten outside.

Sara Elliot published a list of the "Top 10 Summer Foods" on the howstuffworks.com Web site. Here's Ms. Elliot's list:

1. Snow cones
2. Gazpacho
3. Ice Cream
4. Grilled burgers, brats, and ribs
5. Green salad
6. Chicken - either grilled or cold fried
7. BLT sandwiches
8. Fresh fruit
9. Fair food (cotton candy, corn dogs, funnel cake, cheese fries, etc. etc.)
10 Corn on the cob

How many of the above foods will you be enjoying this summer? Or do you have a favorite summer food that is not on Ms. Elliot's list?  Happy Summer! Happy eating!

Here's a Mother's Day dinner that's easy to prepare (it can actually be prepared and/or cooked a day in advance) and delicious. Surprise Mom on her day with this special meal.

Ingredients:
 
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups zucchini or eggplant cut in rounds
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 package frozen spinach, cooked and drained
4 cups fresh or bottled marinara sauce 
1 (15-ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ tsp. each basil and oregano
1 box lasagna noodles, previously cooked and kept warm
1 small package part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
 
Directions
 
Preheat oven to 375º.
 
Add oil to frying pan and heat.
Add mushrooms, zucchini or eggplant rounds, the bell pepper and onion. Sauté for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring often.
Combine egg, ricotta cheese and spices in a medium size bowl.
Heat marinara sauce
Coat the bottom of a 9 X11 inch baking dish with cooking spray and then pour about ¾ cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish. Lay noodles over the sauce.
Begin building the lasagna by alternating noodles, cheese and egg mixture, sauce, vegetables and spinach, in that order. Finish layering with noodles on the top. Cover top layer of noodles with marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.
 
Cover and bake at 375º for 45minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.
 
Serve with Italian bread and a green salad.