dinner

When I get home late, it's easy to rush through making a dinner that's often not the healthiest. That's why salmon cakes are my new favorite: they take a mere 20 minutes to make, and they make a delicious but healthy dinner. The most involved part is giving your food processor a couple whirls to chop up the salmon and mix in the other ingredients. After that, it's a less-than-five-minute affair. I topped off the fish cakes with a little bit of sour cream and scallions just before serving, and noted to myself that they'd also make a great appetizer served atop crostini. For my most recent dinner, though, I served the fish cakes alongside a raw kale salad.

Keep reading for this incredibly fast and easy dinner recipe.

Just one bad decision — like quieting your rumbling stomach with greasy takeout — can undo a day of healthy eating. If you've been sabotaging your diet because of unhealthy dinner decisions, use these tips to cook a healthy meal without sacrificing time.

Double the amount: Week already looking full? Make extra servings the next time you cook so you can have healthy leftovers for the rest of the week. If you're worried about overeating, separate the leftovers into single-serving containers.

Prep your veggies: Spend time at the beginning of the week washing, cleaning, and cutting veggies, so you always have salad ingredients or something to snack on. Having veggies cut will also encourage you to use them more in your cooking since you know you have them at the ready.

Keep unhealthy food out of the kitchen: When I'm hungry, I reach for the first snack I can find, which usually isn't nutritious and often comes in a bag. If you're the same, stocking the fridge with healthy snacks can help, but not if you're tempted by all the junk food in your pantry. Keep unhealthy foods out of the house or divide your snacks into smaller portions to avoid ravenously going through an entire bag of chips before you even make dinner.

Eat a balanced lunch and snack: A lunch full of fiber and protein from fresh veggies, fruits, and lean meats will keep you full throughout the afternoon much more than a carb bomb or a too-restrictive meal. Following lunch with a healthy snack can lessen the temptation to order takeout once you get home since you'll be feeling full and satisfied. Check out our healthy snack ideas to get started.

Carbs may be needed to fuel your body and your brain, but if you're looking to drop a few pounds fast, cutting them out (especially in the evening, as celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson suggests) may help. Make sure to do it the right way with these low-carb snack and meal ideas, which will keep you full throughout the evening (and don't forget to enter to win a year of KIND bars and a juicer in our Get Fit For 2012 giveaway!)

1. At dinner: If pasta is your downfall, there are several ways you can trick taste buds into (almost) thinking they're tasting the real deal. Here are a few delicious low-carb pasta alternatives for your next pasta night.
2. Light meal: If your idea of the perfect light meal comes stacked between two slices of bread, you don't have to give up your love of a good sandwich when it's time for an evening snack. Stick to low-carb options that still give you the satisfaction of biting into a multilayered snack with these no-bread sandwich ideas.
3. Late-night snack: Made it through dinner without spooning heapfuls of rice on your plate? Keep your low-carb commitment when hunger strikes late at night with healthy and nutritious low-carb snacks. From fruit slices paired with prosciutto to a quick tuna salad heaped onto tomato halves, we've got 10 filling, fresh, and nutritious low-carb snack ideas that will help satisfy cravings.

Sources: Flickr User DannyNic, Jason Perlow/Off the Broiler

You can't go wrong with corn, chicken, cheddar cheese, and chiles wrapped up in a warm tortilla. This simple supper is a great recipe to cook up in a pinch and everyone is bound to enjoy it. I had chicken tenders on hand, so I used those and the recipe was even easier and quicker to cook. Employ fresh corn since it's in season and adds great flavor. You can serve this in a tortilla (like I did) with a little salsa and avocado or offer it with rice and a side salad. Bring this tasty Tex-Mex dish to your kitchen table by reading more.

Are you planning or attending a wedding and need help with a finance or etiquette question? Ask for help from our Savvy Bride in our Ask Savvy group.

Dear Savvy,

My fiancé and I can't seem to agree on how we want to serve dinner at our wedding. I'm leaning toward a traditional plated sit down dinner, but he's pushing for family style. What are the pros and cons to each, cost- and experience-wise, that we should be considering?

To see the Savvy Bride's advice, read on.

Now that you know the technique to making perfect steak, here's a delicious-sounding recipe for marinated filet mignon. It comes from reader Aimee3242; she shared it in the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community.

I cooked dinner for my boyfriend for Valentine's Day.  I marinated the meat overnight, and it tasted delicious, sweet, salty, tangy, with little citrus hints.  Let the meat rest for a few minutes before serving; it will let the juices redistribute and ensure that your steak is juicy.

Keep reading for the succulent recipe!

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

For Valentine’s Day, we asked LearnVest readers the question: Who pays on a date? It was a close tie between: “After date one, split the bill or take turns” and “I’m kind of still old fashioned; I’d rather the man pay.” Interestingly enough, not many of you think income level should come into play.

Nonetheless, times were simpler when men made all the money and nontraditional couples were few and far between. In an age of higher earnings for women and online dating—in which nothing is traditional—it’s tempting to land on the side of “who the hell knows nowadays?” (which, as a matter of fact, got 16%).

Dates 3 to 10: Murky Waters.

Most agree that whoever does the inviting is the one who should pay—this often means that the guy pays the first few times. Of course, the dynamic is fuzzier with same-sex couples, or once the pair passes beyond the initial threshold but hasn’t yet entered into couple territory. One of our friends offered to pay on the third date, the guy accepted her offer, and from then on every time the bill came, there was an awkward silence. She didn’t want him to stop treating, but they’ve been splitting the bill ever since, and it has dampened her enthusiasm.

What’s the solution? We suggest a little role-playing and surprise.