Grilled Veggie Kebobs

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I love this time of year…fresh fruit and veggies become my main staple and a reminder of my early years on a farm in Eastern Washington. I try to grow a few things in my little city garden, but I’ve found that with way less effort, I can go to farmer’s markets or farmstands and get a wider variety of seasonal ingredients. Over the years, I’ve discovered that I’m a way better cook than a gardener!

One of my favorite summertime side dishes is baby root vegetables such as beets, potatoes and carrots. You can find them in the summer and they’re smaller, but because of their density, they take longer to cook. To cook these outside on the grill, you just need to do a little pre-planning (some may call this “cheating”). If you like it, it’s healthy, and a little “cheating” makes it easier to cook on a busy week night, then it’s ok!

Grilled Veggie Kebobs

4 each golden & red beets (cut stems & leaves off)

10 each golden and orange baby carrots

10 baby Yukon Gold potatoes

10 fresh Brussels sprouts

2 small zucchinis

2 small yellow squash

¼ c. olive oil

1 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning

¼ tsp. liquid smoke (careful, a little bit of this goes a long way!)

Soak 10 wooden BBQ skewers in water for 20 minutes as you rinse and clean all veggies. In a microwave safe dish (a round glass pie pan works great), cook the beets for 8* minutes or until fork tender. Let cool, then peel with a knife and cube and put in a large bowl. In another microwave safe dish, cook the potatoes and carrots 7-8* minutes until fork-tender. Then cook the Brussels sprouts 5-6 minutes until tender. Add to the beets in the large bowl.

Cut the zucchini and squash into 1” slices or chunks and add to the microwaved veggies. Add the olive oil, seasoning, and liquid smoke and toss until evenly coated. Then put on skewers. Cook the skewers over medium heat on BBQ grill and turn once, 3-5 minutes each side until veggies are finished cooking and tender. Serve immediately.

Options:

• Add fresh chopped rosemary or thyme to the veggies before grilling

• Drizzle with flavored balsamic vinegar when serving (I recommend lemongrass mint white balsamic from Benessere in downtown Portland!)

• Other veggies to try: mushrooms, baby onions, chunks of red/green/orange peppers

• If you prefer, toss the vegetables in a grilling basket instead of on skewers (just be sure to stir while grilling so the bottom layer doesn’t burn)

 

BBQ Pork & Pesto Corn Salad

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Dilemma: for 2 weeks now, my kitchen has been ripped out for an unplanned remodel. Tired of sandwiches and eating out, I went online and searched for “kitchenless cooking” ideas. There are so many blogs, websites and Pinterest posts that it was overwhelming. If you have no oven, pull out one of your long-lost appliances­ – you can use your microwave, crockpot, electric grill, BBQ, waffle iron, rice cooker, or griddle to make parts of your meal, and then just buy pre-made side dishes.

I thought I’d get a little creative and pull together some old favorites but made in a new way. I used my washing machine as a countertop. Utility sink to rinse veggies and wash dishes. The crockpot? Made my garage smell like a southern BBQ joint. And the electric griddle went on my bathroom counter. It was like camping out in my own house, but a little less rainy.

BBQ Pork & Corncakes

(1) 4-5 lb. pork roast

1 c. BBQ sauce

2 T. Dijon stone ground mustard

I box cornbread mix

Place roast in crockpot and smear with ½ c. BBQ sauce and mustard. Cook on low 6 hours or until meat falls off bone. Spoon off fat and shred meat with two forks. Toss with ¼-1/2 c. more BBQ sauce.

Mix cornbread according to directions. Scoop ¼ cup onto each section of a well-oiled waffle iron or electric griddle (like a small pancake) and cook until crisp on outside and done on inside. Serve on plate with a heaping scoop of the shredded BBQ pork. Options: add a bit of chipotle or hotsauce to the crockpot for spicier pork, or, try with chicken breasts instead.

Pesto Corn Salad

(2) 11-oz. cans southwestern style corn (with peppers, black beans & onions)

(1) 10-oz bag shredded carrots

1 container each red grape tomatoes and yellow cherry tomatoes (cut in ½ if you prefer)

¼ c. pesto

juice from 2 lemons (or approx. ½ c.)

Mix the pesto and lemon juice together. Pour over and toss with the corn, tomatoes, and carrots. Refrigerate 1-2 hours to let flavors meld. Serve in small bowls alongside BBQ pork. Options: Try with lime juice or sundried tomato pesto.

Cool as a Cucumber Salad

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Next to potatoes, cucumbers are my favorite vegetable, year-round. My mom used to throw together a light summer salad with our garden-harvested cukes and it was one of my preferred side dishes. Once I ventured off the farm and started dining out in Portland more, I discovered that this salad tasted very much like tzatziki, a Greek appetizer/sauce made with yogurt. So gourmet!

Our household preferred Miracle Whip® over mayo, and it gives this dish a signature tang, but yogurt, sour cream or mayo can be substituted. I added the melon to Mom’s recipe because I love the sweet/salty combo. This is a perfect salad, even for the dead of winter because all the ingredients are readily available.

Cool as a Cucumber Salad

Cool as a Cucumber Salad

Cool as a Cucumber Salad

½ honeydew melon, peeled and chunked or in balls

2 large cucumbers, sliced (peeled if you prefer)

½ c. Miracle Whip® salad dressing

2 tsp. chopped fresh dill

2 T. white vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix salad dressing, dill, vinegar, salt and pepper together. Toss with the melon balls and cucumber and serve in chilled margarita glasses. Best if refrigerated for few minutes and served immediately.

If you want to make this ahead of time, make dressing and refrigerate. Chunk or make the melon balls and refrigerate (drain before using). Toss cucumber slices with a bit of salt and set in strainer for 20 minutes to drain juices, or slice and refrigerate. Toss all ingredients together just before serving.

Options:

• Add chopped onion or garlic to taste.

• Use fresh chopped basil instead of dill and include sliced strawberries.

• Substitute cantaloupe for honeydew melon for a bit more color.

• Try with lemon cucumbers or other varieties for different texture and color.

• Chop up cucumbers smaller, toss with dressing, use lemon juice instead of vinegar, and serve with pita bread for tzatziki-like appetizer.

• Experiment with flavored vinegars such as citrus champagne, lemongrass mint, or white balsamic

 

Fiesta Black Bean Dip

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With Cinco de Mayo and outdoor dining season coming up, try this simple recipe that uses only a few ingredients. The best part is that it’s easy to flavor it up even more to your specific taste and preferences.

Fiesta Black Bean Dip

2 (15 oz) cans of black beans, drained & rinsed

2-3 fresh limes

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. sea or kosher salt

In food processor, blend beans, juice from the limes, cumin and salt. Add more lime juice if needed for spreadable consistency and more salt or cumin if needed after tasting. Spread on plate and garnish (optional) with shredded cheese, chopped fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve at room temperature with taco or pita chips to dip and a scoop of sour cream and/or guacamole.

Options:

  • To add some zip, sprinkle on or blend in hot sauces such as Chipotle Tabasco, Aardvark Secret Sauce, or Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.
  • Layer on a deep plate or bowl with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, cooled & shredded chicken and shredded cheese for an easy and filling party dip.
  • Spread on a soft tortilla and wrap up with chopped chicken, shredded cheese and lettuce for a great lunch wrap.
  • Drizzle chile pepper olive oil on top or sprinkle with chile powder before serving for a hotter flavor.
  • Want a zestier flavor? Add chopped garlic or jalapenos!
  • Try it with shredded cheese blended in and warmed up in the oven or microwave.

 

key lime pasta tuna salad

Key Lime Tuna Pasta Salad

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I hate onions and mayo – the two standard ingredients in most pasta salads! I created this recipe with all my favorite things. Try this bright, fresh version for a side dish at dinner, at your next potluck or picnic, or packed in your lunch the next day! And if you just happen to love onions, go ahead and throw those in, too!

Key Lime Tuna Pasta Salad

1 lb. box medium shell pasta (cooked until tender according to directions)

2 cans (12 oz each) white albacore tuna in water, drained

Zest of 2-3 key limes (about 3 T.)

1-2 red, orange or yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 medium cucumber, sliced and quartered

2-3 c. loosely packed spinach leaves, chopped

¾ c. shredded 3-cheese Italian blend (parmesan, romano, asiago)

1 c. sliced, pitted kalamata olives

2 c. frozen sweet corn, cooked according to directions, then cooled and drained

After cooking the pasta, drain and rinse in cold water. In large bowl, place all of the ingredients above. Toss lightly with the dressing (below) and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight for flavors to meld.

Dressing:

1 packet zesty Italian dressing mix

¼ c. key lime juice

3 T. water

½ c. olive oil

Place all dressing ingredients in a small jar or plastic covered container and shake until mixed.

Other ingredients you can add to your salad to customize it for your taste:

½ c. chopped onions (if you really love them, but go light as they will overpower the tangy key lime flavor!); 2-3 T. chopped fresh herbs such as cilantro or dill; black or green olives instead of kalamatas; ¼ c. capers; chunks of steamed asparagus or broccoli – use your imagination and let me know what you tried that you love!

 

Grilled Asparagus

Chicken Cordon Light Bleu

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In college, I was into eating on the cheap, eating light, and cooking once a week so I’d have leftovers! I’ve altered this recipe a bit over the years, and it does have to bake for a little while, but it results in moist chicken that is great even cold as leftovers or on a sandwich.

Chicken Cordon Light Bleu

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed out

1-1/2 c. plain, nonfat yogurt

¾ c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

¾ c. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

6 lowfat and/or low sodium ham slices

6 lowfat Swiss cheese slices

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Trim off extra fat if needed. In a shallow dish or pie pan, stir together breadcrumbs and panko. Put the yogurt in a separate shallow dish or pie pan. Dredge chicken in the yogurt to coat, then in the bread crumb mixture. Place in shallow baking dish that’s been sprayed or greased. Bake at 400° for 40-50 minutes, until the chicken juices run clear or internal temperature at thickest part reaches 160°.

Place a slice of ham and slice of cheese on top of each breast and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts. Serve with grilled asparagus (recipe also on this site).

Helpful hints:

• Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and let come to room temperature for about 25 minutes, it will cook more quickly and evenly.

• Experiment with different breadcrumbs or adding 2 tsp. of dry seasonings such as sage, thyme, rosemary.

• Try different kinds of light cheeses, such as Monterey Jack, Muenster, bleu or mozzarella.

• Because of the enzymes in the yogurt, the chicken will be tender but the breading will not end up crispy. If you prefer crispy, try the traditional beaten egg instead of yogurt before the coating and use more panko.

• If you don’t mind a “heavier” version, try it with cooked bacon and bleu cheese!

 

Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Asparagus

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Grilled Asparagus

1 bunch fresh asparagus spears

2 T. olive oil

1 T. Montreal Steak Seasoning

Juice from ½ fresh lemon

Rinse and trim ends off asparagus. Toss spears with olive oil and seasoning. Put crosswise on George Foreman or outdoor grill and cook 5-6 minutes until tender (alternatively, can cook in skillet over medium-high heat). When done, toss with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and serve.