Tag Archives: Summer

Summer Soup

This is a perfect summer soup – full of great fresh garden offerings…zucchini, squash, parsley, basil. Just a bit of pasta and cheese make this perfectly amazing.

Summer Soup
Summer Soup

4 servings
304 calories per serving

6 c vegetable broth
3 c water
6 oz. uncooked pasta (ditalini, orzo, elbows – anything small)
2 c diced yellow squash
2 c diced zucchini
1 T chopped parsley
1/3 c chopped basil
1 T lemon juice
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 t onion powder
1 t thyme flakes
1 t oregano flakes
Red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
½ c grated parmesan cheese

In a large soup pot bring broth and water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 5 minutes less than the suggested cooking time and then at that point, add squash, green beans, zucchini, chopped parsley and basil, lemon, onion powder, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to the broth. Cook for 5 minutes and then place in bowls. Sprinkle with cheese.

Butter Pecan Ice Pops

I recently got a Zoku Quick Pop Maker. BEST THING EVER ! I love making pops but hate the wait time. Now I have ‘em in 7-9 minutes 🙂 This is one of the recipes I pulled from the Zoku book – of course, I’ve tweaked many of the recipes to suit my own tastes, bring down calories, and to get creative with the pops, but some are in their original goodness.

The maker gets sooo cold that sometimes the first batch come out with a crackling motif on them – looks kinda cool !

You can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku 🙂

Butter Pecan Ice Pops
Butter Pecan Ice Pops

6 servings
178 calories per serving

¾ c pecan halves
½ T salted butter
1 T brown sugar
¾ c water
2 ½ oz. butterscotch morsels
½ c half and half
½ t vanilla extract

Toast the pecans in a skillet with the butter and sugar. Cook about 3 minutes stirring often. Let nuts cool completely.

In a saucepan over low heat whisk water and butterscotch morsels and cook until melted, but don’t boil. Cool 10 minutes then stir in the half and half and vanilla and then refrigerate until completely cool, about 20 minutes. Whisk occasionally so that a skin does not form on top of the mixture.

Working in 2 batches – place approximately 6 pecan halves in each mold and then pour in the butterscotch mixture up to the fill line. In 7-9 minutes you’ll have rich, flavorful pops that rival the experience of butter pecan ice cream 🙂

If you are using traditional molds, freeze 6 hours.

Grilled Hawaiian Pork Chops

Great chops grilled to perfection ! The Hawaiian marinade is world class.

Grilled Hawaiian Pork Chops
Grilled Hawaiian Pork Chops

4 servings
219 calories per serving

2 lb. bone in pork chops (4 chops)
3 oz. pineapple juice
3 T soy sauce
4 T water
½ t pepper
½ t ground mustard seed
2 t minced garlic

Prepare marinade and let pork chops marinate for at least ½ hour. Heat grill and cook pork chops until done.

[FA_Lite id=”9343″]

Key Lime Pops (from the Zoku recipe book)

Even though I make these pops in a Zoku maker, you can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku 🙂 Their recipes turn out fantastic pops – I often skinny them up a bit, but I mostly use their measurements and basic recipe and am always pleased with the results.

The layer of graham cracker in this one really makes it taste like a slice of key lime pie – awesome !

Key Lime Pops
Key Lime Pops


6 servings
83 calories per serving

1 c skim milk
¼ c sweetened condensed milk
¼ c key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
2 T clover honey
¼ c crumbled graham crackers (optional)
Lime slices (optional)

Whisk all ingredients. If you want to place a lime slice along the side of the mold, do so. Then pour in ingredients and freeze completely (7-9 minutes in the Zoku, 6 hours in the freezer). If you want to use layers of graham cracker (like a graham cracker crust on a pie), then let a layer of lime freeze all the way – then add a layer of the graham crumbs and pack them down before adding more base liquid.

Grilled Asian Drumsticks

Sometimes when you marinate or cook with a glaze on, all the best flavor is worn off before you get to eat. But by slathering on the glaze at the very end, you end up with TONS of flavor. And this is a great one – vinegar, soy, honey and garlic – yummy !

Grilled Asian Drumsticks
Grilled Asian Drumsticks

4 servings
210 calories per serving

8 chicken drumsticks, skinned
Pam
3 T balsamic vinegar
3 T soy sauce
3 T honey
1 t garlic chili sauce (available in the Asian section of your market)

Preheat your grill and spray the rack with high heat Pam. Coat chicken with spray and grill 10 minutes then turn and cook another 10 or until done. Mix vinegar, soy, honey and chili sauce in a pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and cook until reduced to 1/3 c of glaze. Put chicken on a large baking sheet and pour the glaze over the legs.

Caribbean Chicken

This recipe makes a nice mellow flavored meal full of Caribbean richness and warmth. Try serving with a tossed green salad and some rice.

Caribbean Chicken
Caribbean Chicken

4 servings
187 calories per serving

¼ c minced onion
1 T sugar
1 T finely chopped jalapeno pepper (seeds removed)
2 t cider vinegar
2 t soy sauce
½ t salt
½ t ground allspice (or a mix of ground cloves and ground nutmeg)
½ t thyme
½ t pepper
¼ t red pepper flakes
1 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Pam

Combine all except chicken and Pam in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss well to coat. Heat a grill pan (or the BBQ grill in the backyard !) on medium high heat and spray with Pam. Cook 5 minutes per side or until done.

Glazed Grilled Steak

This recipe includes a simple marinade that makes the steak taste like a million bucks ! You’ll never grill a naked steak again !

Glazed Grilled Steak
Glazed Grilled Steak

4 servings
280 calories per serving

½ c steak sauce
½ c low fat balsamic vinaigrette
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t oregano flakes
1 t onion powder
2 beef rib eyes (total 1 lb.)

Mix all ingredients other than the meat and reserve ¼ c for later use. Place the meat in a zip loc along with the sauce, mush it around so the sauce coats the meat evenly, then refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to a couple hours). Heat grill and cook steak 4-5 minutes per side or to desired doneness. Serve topped with extra sauce.

Grilled Pork Salad

This tasted equally as good all nestled inside a wrap for easy portability…what a great brown bag lunch !

Grilled Pork Salad
Grilled Pork Salad

4 servings
400 calories per serving

¼ c oil
2 T lime juice
1 T Dijon mustard
½ t salt
1 lb. pork tenderloin
Raspberry Vinaigrette
3 bunches watercress torn into pieces
1 small peach, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ c raspberries

Mix oil, lime, mustard, and salt in a zip loc bag and add pork. Mix up and refrigerate in the sealed bag at least 1 hour. Heat grill and cook pork 10 minutes each side or until done. Cut diagonally into ¼ inch slices and set ½ of it aside for another meal. Arrange meat on watercress pieces and drizzle with vinaigrette then garnish with fruit.

Vinaigrette
¼ c oil
2 T raspberry vinegar
1 t honey
½ t salt
½ t ground mustard

[FA_Lite id=”9343″]

Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki give the chicken a great glaze that then gets nice and crispy when you put it on the grill. The flavor is simple and that means this dish pairs up well with a myriad of different sides.

Teriyaki Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken

4 servings
160 calories per serving

4 4 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c teriyaki sauce
¼ c lemon juice
2 t minced garlic
¼ t pepper
2 t sesame oil

Marinate chicken in all the mixed ingredients in a zip loc bag in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Heat grill and cook the chicken 6 minutes each side or until done.

Grilled Tomatillos

Tomatillos are spicy little green fruits in the tomato family – you have probably eaten them in some salsas (salsa verde which translates to green salsa) and tomatillo sauces. Grilling them brings out a nice sweet flavor. This is a nice spicy addition to a meal that may be a bit on the blander side.

I served it aside Broiled Cod with Chili Powder – it was a great double whammy of flavor 🙂

Grilled Tomatillos
Grilled Tomatillos

4 servings
154 calories per serving

¼ c basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 T lemon juice
6 tomatillos cut into 1/2″ thick slices
1 T oil

Heat grill and oil grates or a grill pan. In a food processor mix the basil, garlic and lemon juice until smooth (adding 1-2 t water if needed). Brush tomatillo slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and then serve with basil sauce.

Related Posts with Thumbnails