Tag Archives: Summer

Spicy Hot Glazed Chicken

May 30, 2012 admin 1 Comment

Just enough spice, just enough glaze – this is a great grilled chicken.

4 servings
361 calories per serving

3 T honey
3 T soy sauce
1 t grated lime zest
3 T lime juice
1 t red pepper flakes
½ t hot chili garlic sauce (available in the Asian section of your market)
4 5 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix honey, soy, lime zest and juice, and red pepper in a zip loc bag. Add chicken, seal and refrigerate for 2-12 hours. Preheat grill and spray with high heat cooking spray and cook chicken 5 minutes each side or to desired doneness.

Dinner, Sides, Summer

Quick Potato Salad

April 17, 2012 admin Leave a comment

No peeling, quick boil time, easy dressing – this one is GREAT ! You could not even guess that low fat yogurt makes up half the dressing 🙂

8 servings
112 calories per serving

1 ½ lb. small new potatoes quartered (16 or so)
1 c celery, sliced thin
1 c sliced baby carrots
1/3 c light mayonnaise
1/3 c plain low fat yogurt
¼ c thinly sliced green onions
2 T white vinegar
¼ t pepper
½ t salt

Cook potatoes 8-10 minutes in salted water. Add carrots and celery and cook another 4 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl and chill 2 – 24 hours. Mix mayo, yogurt, onions, vinegar, salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve. When ready to serve mix dressing with potatoes.

Dessert, Kid Friendly, Summer

PB and Chocolate Smores

December 22, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Smores – sweet, delicious and they bring out the kid in you – here we do it all without the camp fire !

9 servings
170 calories per serving

3 T creamy peanut butter
9 reduced fat Honey Grahams, broken in half to make 18 squares
3 T hot fudge sauce
1/2 c mini marshmallows

Take 9 squares and spread each with 1 t peanut butter, then 1 t fudge then place 3-4 marshmallows on top. Cover with another cracker to make a sandwich.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place Smores on a baking sheet and cook 9-11 minutes or until chocolate is melted and marshmallow are puffed.

Beef, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Summer, Tex Mex

Southwest Sirloin

December 11, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This simple sauce turns out a spicy, smoky, sirloin. Try it on chicken or pork as well !

4 servings
265 calories per serving

1 lb. sirloin steak
2 t oil
1 ½ T taco seasoning
1/3 c steak sauce

Heat grill. Run steak with oil and then coat with taco seasoning. Grill steak basting with steak sauce as you go. Cook to desired doneness. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into thin slices.

Dessert, Kid Friendly, Summer

Orange Sorbet

September 14, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Sweet and citrusy, cold and refreshing – a great way to top off any summer meal.

12 servings
93 calories per serving

2 1/2 c water
1 c sugar
Orange rind strips from 2 oranges
2 2/3 c fresh orange juice
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
Grated orange rind

Mix the water and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil Add the orange rinds and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the mix into a bowl and get rid of the solids. Let cool to room temperature then add the juices and stir well. Refrigerate for an hour or more. Pour into ice cream maker and follow your maker’s instructions. Then freeze for one hour. Garnish with orange zest.

Dinner, Sides, Summer, Vegetables

Summer Squash Deluxe

August 31, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Crisp summer veggies with a twist ! The lemon, pepperoni and feta cheese add a nice Greek flair to this dish. If you have garden fresh zucchini, this tastes even better 🙂

4 servings
69 calories per serving

1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium cucumber
½ t salt
2 T sliced basil
1 T oil
1/2 t grated lemon zest
1 t lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 oz. sliced turkey pepperoni
1/4 c crumbled feta cheese

Peel the zucchini, cucumber and squash and then using a vegetable peeler, peel off thin strips or ribbons and place in a bowl When you get down to the seeds, discard the remainder. Sprinkle with salt and let sit. Whisk together basil, oil, lemon juice and lemon zest and then add to the zucchini. Heat a skillet and crisp up the turkey pepperoni and then garnish the zucchini with the pepperoni and cheese.

Dessert, Dinner, Fruit, Kid Friendly, Sides, Summer

Grilled Pineapple

August 26, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is a great side to ham and other pork dishes. It’s sweet, but not too sweet and the grilling brings out all the great pineapple flavor – it’s pineapple to the 10th degree ! 🙂

4 servings (2 slices per serving)
123 calories per serving

1 small fresh pineapple, peeled and cored – about 8 slices
(most supermarkets have fresh pineapple already peeled and sliced available in the produce section near the fruit salads)
Cinnamon

Heat grill or a grill pan on medium. Spray with Pam. Heat pineapple in the grill until light brown, about 10-15 minutes. Immediately sprinkle with cinnamon so it ‘melts’ in.

Dinner, Lunch, Soups, Summer, Vegetables

Chilled Cucumber Soup

August 12, 2011 admin Leave a comment

What a burst of flavor you get from the fresh herbs in this soup ! Totally refreshing and so summery. Serve next to your lunch sandwich or as a quick palate cleanser in between courses of your favorite summer grill fare. At only 61 calories per serving, don’t think twice about adding this into a meal for a nice taste of summer.

4 servings
61 calories per serving

1 c fat free sour cream
1/2 c fresh basil
1/2 c fresh mint
1/4 c sliced scallion
1 c water
½ of a large English cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into a few pieces
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t Tabasco sauce
Salt to taste

In a food processor mix sour cream, basil, mint, water and scallions very well. Then add cucumber, lemon juice and salt and just pulse a few times making sure you leave cucumber chunks. Chill up to 6 hours.

Dinner, Sides, Summer

Grilled Onions

August 6, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Serve these next to just about any chicken, beef or pork dinner for a great zesty side.

4 servings
100 calories per serving

2 large onions, cut into ½ inch slices
2 T oil
2 T Dijon mustard
1 t chili powder
Kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
Pam

Preheat grill. Mix mustard and chili powder. Toss onions with oil then place onion slices in a grill basket or on a grill plate sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill 5 minutes or so per side basting with the sauce along the way.

Dessert, Summer

Lime Basil Sorbet

August 4, 2011 admin 1 Comment

Basil is in the mint family – don’t let its addition to a dessert throw you – but if you can’t get past it, then just substitute mint instead. But whatever you do, don’t skip this recipe – it is a FANTASTIC summer dessert.

8 servings
220 calories per serving

1 ½ c sugar
2 c lime juice (about 20 small limes)
½ c light corn syrup
¾ c basil leaves, chopped
2 c water
1 T grated lime zest

Mix sugar, 1 c juice and syrup and cook for 2 minutes to melt sugar then add the basil or mint and remove from heat. Pour into a metal bowl (mixture will cool quicker) and add rest of the juice, water and the zest. Cover and chill completely. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions then move to your freezer for an hour or so. If you don’t eat it right away, then defrost 10 minutes or so before eating.