Sometimes you can act quickly and get dinner on the table, pulling the proverbial rabbit out of the hat. Other times, you think and plan and take your time and find yourself scratching your head.

The former happened to me today, which was quite a thrill since the latter occurred just yesterday. Today, as two hungry kids were in the back yard playing with their father, I had precious little time to get a meal together, I grilled up some cod in a frying pan with a bevy of peppers and onions (photos above). Sweet potato fries were whipped up and in less than a half hour, dinner was on the outside table. A coup.

Yesterday, I spent all day shopping for ingredients to cook up some new delights I discovered in a cookbook I received that is full of gluten-free, dairy-free recipes. "The Autism Cookbook" by Susan K. Delaine begins with an author's note explaining that Delaine's "intention is for you to experience joy and ease in your gluten free/casein free journey with your loved one." I'm hoping that will come as I try more recipes. But so far, the few I tried failed miserably.

I was inspired by Delaine's simple, family friendly recipes. The instructions were short, as were the ingredients lists. The sweet potato fries, for example, were from the book and cooked up with no problem. However, the other two recipes I attempted included a list of things I haven't cooked with, such as coconut milk, buckwheat, pumpkin seeds and evaporated cane juice. When I was finished making the Rocky Trail Mix Bars, they tasted alright, but they were dark, dark brown and looked nothing like the photo in the book. The kids were turned off by the color of the bars, unfortunately.

Next up, I tried the Thai Noodles with Sesame Butter Sauce. The sauce is to be cooked separately, blending pumpkin seeds, agave and oil. Then, you take 2 tablespoons of that and blend coconut milk, curry powder and cumin. Sounded good to me. But I hate to admit, it was not. It was bright yellow and not the nutty brown it appears in the photo. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I'm sure I can eventually make these recipes work as I become more familiar with the ingredients.

I would recommend this cookbook, however. Just leafing through the recipes, I am inspired by a slew of new ingredients and ideas. And there are two charts in the first 10 or so pages that I know will continue to be valued resources. For example, a chart on page XI reveals healthy alternatives for sugar, soy sauce and wheat/barley/oats. Some examples are using honey, agave or evaporated cane juice to replace sugar. A chart on pages XII and XIII includes a guide to reading food labels I know I will bookmark. It includes a list of words on labels that contain gluten, such as caramel color (contains barley) and hydrolyzed vegetable protein (hvp).

So, all in all, a good read. I have much more to attempt in "The Autism Cookbook: 101 Gluten Free and Dairy Free Recipes." I can't wait.

Here is one from the book. Get it at your local bookstore or here.

Sweet Potato Fries
1 large sweet potato, peeled if desired
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon each of nutmeg, garlic powder and salt
Pinch of ground clove

Wash and pat dry the sweet potato. cut into slices and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add oil and seasonings. Stir until blended. Place the slices in a single layer on a non-stick baking dish. Bake 30-40 minutes (I used a 350F oven, no temp was listed in the recipe) until potatoes are light brown on the edges.

And here's one I lucked out on:

Mexican Cod
4-5 pieces cod
1 red bell pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/2 red onion
1 clove garlic
2 vine ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon buttery spread
3 tablespoon Adobo Seasoning (Penzey's) --or a mix of cumin, tellicherry, black pepper, oregano and cayenne

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add garlic, 1 clove garlic whole, sliced red bell pepper, sliced red onion, corn and 1 tablespoon seasonings. Saute 2-3 minutes or until desired doneness (we like our veggies still a little crispy.) Remove from pan and place on serving platter. Remove garlic clove. Melt butter in pan. Add cod to pan and top with remaining seasonings. Dice tomatoes and add to pan. Cook cod about 10 minutes on each side, or until middle is cooked through. Place on top of veggies and serve immediately.