Every Wednesday, a rotating group of local mom bloggers will write about what they're eating and what their kids are eating. Sarah Lindenfeld Hall will write on the second Wednesday of the month.

I'm not super creative in the kitchen. Most days, I do as little as it takes to get some food on the table without using lots of processed foods. My husband is a big help with cooking and prepping.

Roasts are a staple of mine so I can used the leftovers for sandwiches or stir fry or tacos. Spaghetti is on the menu almost every week. And I love frozen vegetables in those bags you can put in the microwave. (Archer Farms at Target has a fun little green and yellow bean mix with carrot balls that my three-year-old loves - most of the time).

I try to scan cookbooks or Web sites for recipes, searching for inspiration. My goal has always been to try something new each week. I'm not always successful.

So the new cookbook by Robin Miller, star of Food Network's "Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller," is a help. Miller, the mom of two young boys, is a nutritionist and food journalist and married to a Duke graduate.

She'll be in the Triangle later this month to promote the book, "Robin to the Rescue: Quick & Simple Ideas for Delicious Home Cooking" (The Taunton Press; $18.95), which came out last month.

Miller will appear at a luncheon and signing at noon, April 20, at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill. At 4 p.m. on April 20, she'll be at the Barnes & Noble on Maynard in Cary for a talk, questions and book signing.

This is the eighth cookbook for Miller. I talked to her last month.

"My goal has always been to help crazy busy people get meals to the table," Miller said. "This is no different."

The cookbook has 200 recipes and a section where Miller tells you how to stock your pantry. At the end of each recipe, Miller recommends how to stretch the recipe, prep parts of it ahead of time, morph it into another meal for later in the week or slow cook it.

The recipes aren't entirely surprising. Using leftover chicken to make chicken salad is hardly a breakthrough.

But it's the kind of kick in the pants I needed. The food is tasty. And the recipes typically don't require a lot of work. Many have half a dozen ingredients or less.

Miller said her kids were picky eaters until she included them in the prep work. Now, they cut herbs with kid-safe scissors, crack eggs, or season with salt and pepper.

"They want to taste the project," Miller said. "If people get their kids in the kitchen, I guarantee they'll be better eaters."

I tried three recipes from Miller's book and all were good. They're added to my rotation.

Here they are:

Turkey Tenderloin with Olives, Parsley & Lemon

Cooking spray
One 1 1/2 -pound turkey tenderloin (I actually used chicken breasts because I couldn't find a turkey tenderloin that wasn't already marinated at the store)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup finely chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a roasting pan with cooking spray.

2. Season the turkey all over the salt and pepper and place in the prepared pan. Brush the mustard all over the top and sides of the turkey. Press the olives and parsley into the turkey, allowing the mustard to act as glue. Squeeze the lemon juice and sprinkle the lemon zest over the turkey. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers at least 160 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes before cutting it crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Miller recommends morphing this into a couple of other recipes in her book, including Warm Chicken-Cherry Waldorf in Romaine. So that's what I did. I prepped part of the salad ahead of time — mixing the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and lemon zest ahead of time and chopping up the chicken. Then my husband prepared the rest that night. It was all very easy.

Warm Chicken-Cherry Waldorf in Romaine
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup sweetened dried cherries or cranberries (I used cranberries)
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and chopped
1/2 cup walnut pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used light mayonnaise.)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 leaves romaine lettuce (I actually just used a bag of chopped romaine)

1. (If it's not already cooked), place the chicken in a large saucepan and pour over enough water to cover. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.

2. Drain and, when cook enough to handle, cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Transfer the still warm chicken to a large bowl and add the cherries, apples, fennel, walnuts and chives. Toss to combine.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and lemon zest. Add to the chicken mixture and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the chicken mixture evenly into the lettuce leaves and serve. If chilled, you can make the chicken mixture up to 2 days in advance and store in a sealable container in the refrigerator.

The salad can be served warm or cold.

For my daughter, we actually did a deconstructed salad for her. She could dip all the different ingredients into the mayonnaise sauce.

I also served Miller's recipe for Garlic-Herb Couscous with the first recipe. Miller calls couscous her "wingman" in the book because it's so easy to prepare. I love it too and I like this recipe because it's an easy alternative to the boxed mixes, which have all that sodium.

Garlic-Herb Couscous

1 1/4 cups water
1 cup couscous, regular or whole wheat
1 teaspoon garlic-and-herb seasoning (preferably salt free)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs — cilantro, mint, parsley, basil or any combination
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous, garlic-and-herb seasoning, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and mix well.

2. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

This was a little dry for me. I might have added too much couscous, but I might also add a dash of olive oil the next time I make it. Miller writes in her book that you can freeze this couscous for up to three months.