Friday, July 29, 2011

Grilled Summer Squash Caprese



I love this time of year. Fresh farm picked veggies & fruit AND the grill. As I was looking through some magazines, this recipe caught my eye. I love yellow squah and I love caprese salad. But together? I sounds wonderful. I am going to try this out tonight.



  • 3 pounds yellow summer squash (5 medium), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips

  • 5 TBSP olive oil

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

  • Brush squash with 3 TBSP of oil; sprinkle with salt & pepper. Grill squash for about 6 minutes. On a platter arrange squash, tomatoes, and basil. Drizzle with remaining oil.


    Bon appetit! Recipe taken from Better Homes and Garden Garden Fresh Recipes 2011 magazine.










    Thursday, July 21, 2011

    Cool Honey Lime Gazpacho

    It is just plain HOT! With record tempuratures, and a heat bubble (whatever that is) hanging over most of the United States, it is to hot to do anything, let alone cook something. So, hear is a simple recipe to use what is in season, and beat the heat.



  • 1 large ripe red tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut up

  • 2 medium cucumbers, seeded and cut up

  • 1 medium orange sweet peppers, seeded and cut up

  • 1 jalapeno chile pepper; seeded and cut up

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 2 TBSP raw honey

  • 2 TBSP fresh cilantro leaves

  • 1 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

  • ice cubes

  • lime wedges and/or green onions



    • In a large bowl combine tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, chile pepper, and garlic. Place half tomato mixture in a food processor; pulse several times in to large chunks. Repeat with the remaining tomato mixture. Return all of the mixture to the food processor. Add lime juice, honey, cilantro, ginger, and 1/4 tsp of sea salt. Cover and pulse several times until the mixture is chunky. If desired, season to taste with additional sea salt.



      To serve: place 2 or 3 ice cubes in each of four shallow bowls or glasses; ladle soup over ice. If desired, serve with lime wedges and/or green onions to garnish.

      Friday, July 1, 2011

      Dinner needs to be simple tonight!



      When you are trying to take back control of your eating and workout goals, cooking gourmet just doesn’t cut it. There is an old saying, K.I.S.S. – “Keep it simple silly (well, it technically is stupid, but I don’t like that word).

      Thankfully, it is summer – heat up the grill, and grill your dinner tonight. No fuss, little mess and yummy food.

      SO…here is a yummy, dinner menu that is simple, easy, and oh so yummy!

      Meat Dish:
      1 boneless, skinless chicken breast marinated overnight

      Mediterranean Marinade
      1 1/2 cups olive oil, 1 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons oregano, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

      Side Dish:

      Roasted Brussel Sprouts

      Place foil on the grill, spray with a little coconut oil spray. Then place the following on the foil.

      Brussel sprouts washed and cut in half
      Drizzle with olive oil (about 2 TBSP)
      Sprinkle with Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper

      Dessert:

      Grilled Pineapple

      Ok, the easiest part of the evening: buy already sliced fresh pineapple rings or spears from your produce case. Place on the grill long enough to get some grill marks.

      There…a simple, but very tasty meal. Increase the amount of chicken you grill, and that could be your meat for some of the salad for the upcoming days ahead.

      The Trick to Making Salads a Week Ahead of Time and a Simple Salad Recipe


      Sandra sent me this salad recipe awhile back. She said that she had no idea what to do for lunch one day, and needed to make it simple. So, she looked in her cupboard & fridge to see what she had – and here is what she came up with.

      For the Salad:
      • Bowl full of Mixed Greens
      • ¼ c up chopped apple
      • ¼ cup chopped zucchini
      • Handful of raisins
      • ½ cup chopped leftover turkey

      For the dressing:
      • 1 ½ TBSP of olive oil
      • The juice from ½ can orange
      • Dash of cinnamon
      • Dash of red wine vinegar

      Need help getting back into the swing of things, eating healthy again and to save you time in your busy schedule? The key is to plan out your meals in advance and prepare them ahead of time if you can. Here’s a simple trick for preparing salads for you lunch for your work week on Sunday:

      1. Get enough containers for each of your lunches you are preparing. Tall ones for the salads and small one for the dressings.

      2. Wash and thoroughly dry all your greens you will be using. I mean thoroughly dry, no drop of moisture. Portion out all the greens for each days lunch.

      3. Gather & prep all your ingredients you would like to use. Eating the same thing everyday can be boring and you will be more likely to eat something you shouldn't. So, VARY what you put in your salad.

      4. The trick is to layer your salad. Place heaviest items in first. Items that sink to the bottom and crush the lettuce will make for soggy salads, as crushed veggies release moisture. The lettuce should be the last thing in the container.

      5. Place nuts and fruit in separate bags and place on top of the salad container. Nuts absorb moisture and fruit contains a lot of moisture, so packing them separately is best.

      6. Make your dressing(s) and place in the small separate containers.

      7. Store all in the fridge.

      How simple is that? This takes approximately 1 hour on a Sunday, and you have a week’s worth of lunch. This will save you time during your weekday mornings AND help get you back on track. There is now no excuse for going through the drive through or hitting those vending machines.