BoomerGirl.com

Your favorite primetime TV shows are coming back, and you've waited so long, you don't want to miss a single minute - even if it's dinnertime.

You could order take-out or you could plan a simple dinner to celebrate the TV characters you missed for months when the writers' strike sent them into rerun limbo with unfinished story lines. Or you could serve a themed dinner on a divided plate like the TV dinners of the 1950s, when primetime television was in its heyday.

The individual compartments of those iconic aluminum TV dinner trays held rubbery Salisbury steak, soft corn or peas, mashed potatoes with gravy and sticky fruit cobblers. They took awhile to heat in the oven, but their simplicity was a thing of beauty, like "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet."

You can find divided plates at www.target.com that give those retro plates a modern twist.

If you prefer the TV dinner classic, writers at the foodie Web site chow.com have updated recipes for Salisbury steak, meatloaf and mac `n' cheese paired with the traditional cubed veggies, mashed potatoes and dessert.

We took the TV dinner concept one step further and asked two Milwaukee restaurants to create simple culinary spins for three popular shows, pairing a simple menu for each show with its characters or setting.

'Ugly Betty': South of the border

It's Thursday evening (starting April 24th). Is your TV turned to ABC for "Ugly Betty"?

If so, it's also time for chicken fajitas and all the fixings, including guacamole. For dessert: churros and Mexican hot chocolate.

Would Betty Suarez, personal assistant to the editor-in-chief of fictional Mode magazine in New York City, sit still long enough to savor such a meal? She might if she were watching herself on TV. And she might appreciate that this menu is dental braces-friendly with a nod to her proud family heritage.

Bryce Clark, owner of the regional Mexican restaurant Cempazuchi, in Milwaukee, came up with the menu and recipes in honor of the workplace comedy that's set in the sleek, chic offices of a high-fashion magazine.

Churros are long, thin and crispy Latin American-style doughnuts available plain or with a filling of custard or strawberry. (Make sure you have a napkin handy.) To make Mexican hot chocolate, combine 1 tablet Abuelita chocolate with 4 cups whole or skim milk. Heat and stir until the milk starts to boil, then remove from heat and serve.

Chicken fajitas

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Juice of 6 limes

½ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons Mexican or standard oregano

2 teaspoons pepper

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 clove of garlic, minced

½ cup freshly chopped cilantro

3 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, sliced

2 medium yellow onions, sliced

½ red bell pepper, sliced

½ green bell pepper, sliced

½ yellow bell pepper sliced

4 to 6 large flour tortillas

2 to 3 cups shredded red leaf lettuce

Sour cream for garnish

Guacamole for garnish (see recipe)

In a small bowl, prepare marinade by combining lime juice, olive oil, oregano, pepper, salt, cumin, garlic and cilantro. Add chicken breast and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.

When ready to prepare, heat a large saute pan. Remove chicken from marinade with tongs and cook until done. Reserve some marinade.

Heat a medium saute pan, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved chicken marinade and cook onion and bell pepper slices until just softened.

When ready to assemble, divide chicken among tortillas. Add onions and bell peppers and roll up. Garnish with sour cream. Serve guacamole over lettuce and use for garnish.

Guacamole:

3 large semi-soft but firm avocados

½ medium onion, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1 finely chopped serrano pepper

Juice of 2 small limes

Tortilla chips (optional)

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mash until chunky. Use as a condiment with the fajitas and use the rest for dipping chips if desired.

"Grey's Anatomy": Steamy, dreamy and cute as a cupcake

It's still Thursday evening (starting April 24). If you just finished watching "Ugly Betty," don't move. Next up on ABC is the medical drama "Grey's Anatomy."

Some people don't eat dinner before showtime If you're one of those people, enjoy some fare from the Northwest with the doctors at Seattle Grace Hospital. It's anyone's guess whether doctors "Mer" and "Der" will end up together by the end of the season, but one thing is for certain: This is one steamy hospital.

This TV dinner menu, developed by Coast restaurant sous chef Pete Gohsman, celebrates three of the show's main characters.

Can't you picture McDreamy (Dr. Derek Shepherd) cooking up a simple salmon melt (you can mix the salmon salad a day ahead), and McSteamy (Dr. Mark Sloan) enjoying a sensual wild mushroom ragout?

No doubt Izzie (Dr. Isobel "Izzie" Stevens) will be stressed out at least one more time before the season ends - maybe enough to send her back to the kitchen to do some baking. Gohsman cleverly capitalizes on Izzie's name by substituting Izze sparkling fruit juice for the water in his cupcake recipe, giving it a hint of fruity flavor.

McDreamy wild salmon melts

Makes about 6 servings

1 can (14.75 ounces) canned Alaskan wild salmon, drained

½ cup chopped Vidalia onion

½ cup chopped bell pepper (color of choice)

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup capers, drained

¼ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

12 slices mozzarella cheese

6 whole-wheat English muffins, sliced

Preheat broiler.

Combine salmon with onion, bell pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, capers and Parmesan cheese.

Spread salmon mixture over open-face English muffins and top each half with a slice of mozzarella.

Place in oven about 5 inches from broiler and broil until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Can also be heated in a toaster oven.

McSteamy mushroom ragout

Makes 2 servings

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped shallots

½ cup chopped chanterelles (see note)

½ cup chopped porcinis (see note)

½ cup morels (if available, see note)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons sherry wine

¼ cup whole-grain Dijon mustard

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup loosely packed torn arugula leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces linguine, cooked

Saute garlic, shallots and mushrooms over medium-high heat in 3 tablespoons butter until mushrooms begin to release their juices, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add thyme and deglaze the pan with sherry. Add mustard and cream and reduce cream by about 1/3. This will take about 3 minutes.

Add arugula and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over linguine.

Note: If you don't feel like spending the money for fancy mushrooms, substitute baby Portobello or button mushrooms for any or all three.

Izzie Clementine cupcakes

Makes 2 dozen

1 bottle (12 ounces) or less orange flavored Izze brand sparkling juice

1 box (18¼ ounces) yellow cake mix

Vegetable oil, as directed on box

Eggs, as directed on box

1 can (16 ounces) prepared vanilla frosting

Orange zest for garnish (optional)

Blueberries for garnish (optional)

Prepare cupcakes according to package directions, replacing the water with an equal amount of Izze juice and using amount of oil and number of eggs called for on box.

Cool and frost with vanilla frosting. Garnish with orange zest and a single blueberry on each cupcake, if desired.