I know I said I was not going to post this week but it is almost Memorial Day weekend and that has me thinking a lot about summer. Summer is one of my favorite seasons because we fire up the grill almost ever night!
Here are some of my favorite summer dishes for you to enjoy:
1. Grilled Fajita Chicken - If you know me you know how much I LOVE tacos. Or just Mexican food in general. But this is one of my favorite chicken marinades and it is soooo easy to make! All you need is a gallon storage bag and to put three chicken breast in with one cup of soy sauce (get the low sodium if you are watching your salt intake), 1/2 c. of orange juice, 1/2 c. of lime juice and 1/4 c. of olive oil. Throw some salt and pepper with a little bit of minced garlic in there and you are set. Let it marinade for 4-8 hours. You will LOVE this recipe. My Dad used to make this at least once a week when I was living at home. And still makes it when we all come home! This is the lighter recipe but if you are looking for the really good stuff - make this with one cup of Dales Sauce (again low sodium if you are watching your salt intake) and 1/2 cup of orange juice. Mmm. Mmm. Good! To finish out your fajitas saute some green peppers and onions, grab a whole wheat tortilla and add your favorite toppings. Mine are black beans, salsa, lettuce, and a little bit of sour cream.
2. Grilled Veggies - This is so easy and does not really require a "recipe" but it is the only sure way I will eat my veggies during the summer. You will need as many of each of these as you would like: zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, onions, and mushrooms. Dice all of the veggies up and put them into a grill basket. Make sure you have the veggies covered in olive oil and sprinkle a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, and any of your other favorite dried herbs (basil, parsley, oregano) on them and you have a delicious side dish of healthy veggies in less than 10 minutes.
3. Grilled Pineapple with Rum Sauce - I LOVE dessert and I love pineapple. Especially when it is grilled. This is a recipe I tried last year from Food Network. It is a light dessert that allows you to indulge a little. Grab a pint of vanilla frozen yogurt for an even healthier version. Seriously one of my favorite desserts!!! The pineapple gets soo sweet on the grill.
4. Homemade Salsa - No not everything has to be grilled for a summer recipe. And this is a staple in our house because well again, I love Mexican food! I make it every other Sunday (it keeps for about two weeks in a tupperware bowl) and we eat it throughout the week on dinners or as a snack with some pretzels. I took the base of my recipe from Pioneer Woman but I made some tweaks because her recipe makes enough to feed a village! I use one 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes, 1/2 can of Original Rotel, 1/4 of an onion (white or yellow) - P.S. I do not like a lot of onion so feel free to add more, 1 bunch of cilantro, 1/2 of a jalapeno - P.P.S. I do not like a lot of heat so feel free to use the whole pepper... also WEAR GLOVES. I have burned my eye, face, and lips from the stupid jalapeno juice wayyy too many times and I have just learned you have to wear gloves. No matter how much soap you use, you cannot get that juice off your hands! I digress. 1 tsp. of cumin, 1 tsp. of sugar 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/4 c. lime juice. Put all of this into a blender (or food processor) for a smooth salsa! I do not care too much for chunky salsa so I blend, blend, and blend some more until it pours out THREE cups of restaurant style salsa! That is a lot of salsa.
5. Chicken Lemon Pasta - Yes, this dish includes pasta which I know normal people probably only eat once in a blue moon but splurge a little because this dish is to die for! You will need one pound of chicken breasts. I like to grill it of course... just use light Italian dressing and some minced garlic to marinade for 30-60 minutes. Then once it is cooked, cut into strips and let it rest. You can also prep this and keep it in the fridge. Heat it up in an oven safe dish on 350 degrees for the same amount of time it takes to prep the rest of the dish. Boil a pot of water for the pasta. Then in a small saute pan, you will need 3 tbsp. olive oil, three 1/2 tsp. minced garlic, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes. Heat this on low until you start to smell the garlic or until the garlic starts to burn (maybe 2-5 minutes). After pasta is al dente, drain and put pasta in to a bowl, pour the olive oil mixture on top of the pasta, add the chicken to the bowl, and then squeeze two lemons into the bowl. Stir and enjoy. For some added flavor add Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley. NOM!
BONUS: Shrimp Scampi - This dish is basically the same as the chicken lemon pasta except you cook the shrimp in the olive oil mixture and instead of olive oil use 1 tbsp. butter. Put the butter and garlic in a large saute pan until you smell the garlic, then throw in one pound of shrimp. Cook until they are all pink then add the red pepper flakes and squeeze the two lemons on the shrimp. Let this marinade while you finish the pasta and then you are done! You can add olive oil if you need more "juice" this keeps it lighter than adding more butter.
I hope this gives you some healthy ideas for summer recipes. And just in time for your Memorial Day weekend. Especially that grilled pineapple... I am dreaming about it now! Remember, do not deprive yourself of foods you enjoy. It will just make you have a harder fall when you jump off the healthy bandwagon. Keep your splurging to about 20% of your eating and then find healthy alternatives to your already favorite dishes (i.e. this shrimp scampi recipe).
What are your favorite summer recipes? Let me know in the comments below.
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