Sunday, May 27, 2012

MEMORIAL DAY RECIPES



Happy Memorial Day!
I just wanted to take a few minutes to suggest some new recipes for the Memorial Day Weekend – I hope you get a chance to spend time with loved ones!

Sweet & Savory Grilled Chicken

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper or freshly ground black pepper
1-1   1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (see Note)

PREPARATION
Combine brown sugar, dry mustard, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Coat both sides of chicken with the rub up to 30 minutes before grilling or broiling.
Preheat grill to medium-high or position a rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.
To grill: Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the chicken, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 4 to 8 minutes per side.
To broil: Line a broiler pan (or baking sheet) with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the foil. Broil, watching carefully and turning at least once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes total.

TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip: Store the rub in an airtight container for up to 3 months; coat the chicken with the rub up to 30 minutes before grilling or broiling.
Note: It’s difficult to find an individual chicken breast small enough for one portion. Removing the thin strip of meat from the underside of a 5-ounce breast—the chicken tender—removes about 1 ounce of meat and yields a perfect 4-ounce portion. Wrap and freeze the tenders and when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry or for oven-baked chicken fingers. If you can only find chicken breasts closer to 8- to 9-ounce each, you’ll only need 2 breasts for 4 servings—cut each one in half before cooking.
Tip: Oiling a grill rack before you grill foods helps ensure that the food won’t stick. Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to coat the food with cooking spray.
NUTRITION
Per serving: 140 calories; 3 g fat ( 1 g sat , 1 g mono ); 63 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrates; 2 g added sugars; 23 g protein; 0 g fiber; 196 mg sodium; 198 mg potassium.


Grilled Corn Salad with Black Beans & Rice
Source: Eating Well

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup short-grain brown rice
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
3 large ears corn, husked
2 medium red onions, cut into 3/8-inch-thick slices
1 green bell pepper, cored and quartered lengthwise
1 small ripe avocado
1/2 cup hot tomato salsa, preferably chipotle
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Baked tortilla chips, (optional)

PREPARATION
Cook rice in a large pot of boiling salted water, until al dente, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. Place in a large bowl, toss with beans and set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat grill.
Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill corn, onions and bell pepper, turning frequently, until tender and charred, 10 to 12 minutes.
Cut kernels from cobs (see Tip) and add to reserved rice and beans. Dice the bell pepper and half the onions; add to the rice mixture. Place the remaining onions in a mixing bowl. Peel and dice avocado; add half to rice mixture and half to the bowl with sliced onions.
Whisk salsa, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, oil and cumin in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss 3 tablespoons of the salsa mixture with sliced onions and avocado. Toss the rest with rice mixture.
Spoon rice mixture onto a serving dish and top with onion-avocado mixture. Serve with chips, if desired.

TIPS & NOTES
To oil the grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to spray the food with cooking spray.
To remove corn kernels from the cob: Stand an uncooked ear of corn on its stem end in a shallow bowl and slice the kernels off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. This technique produces whole kernels that are good for adding to salads and salsas. If you want to use the corn kernels for soups, fritters or puddings, you can add another step to the process. After cutting the kernels off, reverse the knife and, using the dull side, press it down the length of the ear to push out the rest of the corn and its milk.
NUTRITION
Per serving: 421 calories; 11 g fat ( 1 g sat , 5 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 72 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 13 g protein; 12 g fiber; 275 mg sodium; 779 mg potassium.


Farmhouse Feta Salad
Source: Clean Living Recipes, I’ll Start Monday Personal Training – Andrea Graf Nolte – you need to check these pages!

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tsp chopped oregano
1/4 cup EVOO
6 cups salad greens
2 large red or yellow tomatoes, sliced
1 cup sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup assorted Greek olives, or black
3 oz low-feta cheese, crumbled or cubed

Combine vinegar, parsley, garlic, and oregano. Whisking continulously, drizzle in EVOO. Season with sea salt and black pepper if desired. Arrange salad greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese on serving platter. Drizzle with dressing just before serving.



Blueberry Banana Pops

Ingredients:
1 cup plain low-sugar yogurt, Greek
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 med very ripe bananas, broken into chunks

Combine ingredients into blender for about 45 seconds. Pour into wax-coated paper cups (4) and insert a popsicle stick in the center. Freeze for 4 hrs. To serve, run tap water over the outsides of the cup to release the pops.

*raspberries or strawberries can be used for variety




Strawberry Mojito
Travis London

INGREDIENTS
5 strawberries, sliced
3 mint springs
4 lime wedges
2 ounces rum
crushed ice
soda water

DIRECTIONS
Combine strawberries, two lime wedges, and mint in a large glass and crush with a muddler until strawberries are juicy; add your rum and stir gently.
Pour mixture evenly between two glasses, add ice and top with soda water.
Garnish with extra lime.
Serves two.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Mmm...great mix of good stuff. Thanks for sharing the ideas and have a happy Memorial Day!