Southwestern Chopped Salad With Cilantrol Lime Dressing

Ingredients
Large head of romaine
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn (I used frozen, thawed)
5 green onions
Optional: avocado

Dressing:
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime), more to taste
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
Optional: cumin, honey/agave

Directions
Make the dressing: puree all ingredients in a food processor/blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Toss with desired dressing.

Recipe and image from http://www.thegardengrazer.com/2013/04/southwestern-chopped-salad-with.html?_szp=343154

BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

2-3 pork tenderloins  

2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch  

1 green_onion, finely chopped   

1 tsp salt 

Marinade: 1/2 cup (125 mL) orange juice  

1/4 cup (50 mL) tomato paste  

2 tbsp (25 mL) grainy mustard  

3 cloves garlic, minced 

4 tsp (20 mL) chili_powder 

1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) sugar  

1 tsp (5 mL) each ground cumin and coriander  

1/2 tsp (2 mL) Worcestershire sauce  

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

Preparation:

Marinade: In bowl, whisk together orange juice, tomato paste, mustard, garlic, chili powder, sugar, cumin, coriander, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Add pork, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Remove pork from marinade, letting excess drip back into bowl. Pour marinade into small saucepan; set aside.

Place pork on greased grill over medium heat; close lid and grill, turning 3 times, until browned and just a hint of pink remains inside, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring reserved marinade and 3/4 cup (175 mL) water to boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 cup (250 mL), 7 minutes.

In small bowl, whisk cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 mL) cold water; whisk into marinade. Simmer until thickened and glossy, about 1 minute. Keep warm.

Transfer pork to cutting board and tent with foil; let stand for 10 minutes before slicing across the grain. Sprinkle with onion and coriander. Serve with sauce.

Grilled Balsamic Chicken

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces

MARINADE


1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/3 cup chopped green onion

Rinse and dry chicken pieces. Place breasts, thighs and drumsticks in a large ziplock bag. (Save the back and wings for Homemade Chicken Stock.) Mix marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Seal bag and refrigerate for 24 hours, keeping meat submerged, turning if needed.

Preheat oven to 325F. Place chicken in a baking dish in a single layer, pour marinade over top. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes. (If making in advance, cover and refrigerate. Return to room temperature.)

Heat grill, wipe rack with wad of paper towels dipped in vegetable oil. Finish chicken on the grill, cooking each side 4 - 5 minutes, brushing with marinade.

***I used chicken breast, not whole chicken***

Recipe Found on the Kitchen Parade Website.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

I found this recipe when I was searching for summer BBQ ideas. It intriqued me because I have always wanted to try Quinoa.

The flavor is really fresh and I think it would be a real crowd pleaser. I am going to take this to the next BBQ we go to. I did not have the jalepeno, so I did not include it the first time I made this, but I will definately try it next time.

3 cups water
1-1/2 cups quinoa
2 teaspoons table salt

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Zest & juice from 3 limes (about 5 tablespoons juice)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1-1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 cups frozen corn (no need to thaw or cook)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, minced
2 cups cilantro (about 1 bunch), chopped

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium high. Rinse quinoa well under cold running water. Add salt and quinoa to water, return to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Transfer to colander to drain and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add quinoa. Taste and add salt if needed. Let cool at least 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 8 cups
NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Half Cup Serving: 153 Cal; 5g Protein; 5g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 23g Carb; 4g Fiber; 449mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 3 points
Recipe found on the Kitchen Parade Website.

Spice Rub for Meat

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons white sugar
4 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch dried thyme

Directions:
1.In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, paprika, mustard, pepper, oregano and thyme.
2.To use: coat meat in mixture, and then grill as desired.

Found at Allrecipes.com

Thai Chicken Satay

4 chicken breasts cut in small enough pieces to scewer.
Scewer 4 pieces onto each scewer.

Marinade
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup soya sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp oil
Mix together and place in a plastic container with chicken scewers. Marinade for 1-2hours and then grill.
Server with Thai Peanut Sauce

Grilled Pizza

I watched this cooking show last night all about grilling. One of the things I have never tried was pizza on the grill. I was making lunch for my family and thought I would give it a try. It was really easy.

PREPARING THE DOUGH

You can find my dough recipe here. Once you have prepared it and let us rise, turn on your BBQ and heat to about 400 degrees.

Roll out your dough. (I divided it into four smaller pizza's since I was doing a few different kinds.)

Once BBQ is up to temperature, brush one side of dough with olive oil, place that side down right on the grill. Leave for about 2 minutes or until it bubbles and is firm enough to flip with a metal flipper. Make sure to brush with olive oil before turning over. Cook for about 2 more minutes and take it off the grill.

Load on your toppings and either return to the grill (I would turn it down to low about 250 degree) or put it in the oven at 375 until toppings are warmed and cheese is melted.





PIZZA VARIATIONS

Pesto Chicken





I spread about 1/4 cup pesto on the pizza dough
Top in order with:
1/8 cup mozza cheese
Balsamic onions (1/2 red onion, sauteed in olive oil. Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar when cooked).
1/8 cup Sun dried Tomatoes (drained)
1 Thinly Sliced grilled chicken breast (I grill it with basil and garlic salt)
Mozza cheese (your desired amount
1/8 cup feta

Mexican Pizza





Brush onto crust, 1 tbsp olive oil mixed with 1 Clove minced garlic
Top in order with:
1/8 cup mixed mozza and cheddar cheese
1 Thinly sliced Mexican chicken breast (2 tsp each chili powder and cumin, 1 tsp each Cayenne and paprika, mix together and coat chicken before grilling)
Mozza and cheddar cheese (as desired)
Cook

Before serving cut pizza into pieces and top with fresh salsa, sour cream and avocado slices.

Slow-Cooker Orange-BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I love my "What's Cooking" magazine. It is a free publication from Kraft Foods. You can also find great recipes on their website.

This recipe comes from the magazine and is on the website. I have made it a few times. It is quick and easy; it would be great if you are having company over for dinner and you are out all day.




1 C BBQ sauce
1/4 C pure orange marmalade
3lbs boneless pork shoulder (I use 3-4 boneless pork loin chops

1/2 C miracle Whip
Sandwhich rolls, split and toasted (I use WW kaiser buns)

MIX barbecue sauce and marmalade in small bowl. Place meat in slow cooker; top with barbecue sauce mixture. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 8 to 10 hours (or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours). Remove meat from slow cooker; cut into small pieces or shred with fork. Return meat to slow cooker; stir until meat is evenly coated with the barbecue sauce mixture.

SPREAD dressing onto cut sides of buns. Fill rolls evenly with meat mixture.

:::I also grill some onions and serve that on top of the pork buns:::

I have served it over wild rice with a side of green beans, that was good too!

Thursday night madness

Thursday night is always a crazy night to get dinner on the table. My daughter has ballet that runs right over the dinner hour. Needless to say, if I am not organized prior to leaving for ballet, it is a take out night...

All week I have been craving Greek food, so here is what we had. I prepared all of this ahead of time so it was ready to put together upon our return.

Greek 'salsa'



1 red pepper - chopped
1/2 long English cucumber - chopped
1 clove garlic - minced
Olive Oil (I just dumped, but if I am guessing...) 3 TBSP
1 TBSP Greek Seasoning (I buy the big container of it at Costco)
Feta Cheese - crumbled - as much as desired

Mix all ingredients together and cover with saran and let marinade in the fridge. Serve either in a pita with hummus and chicken or alongside your souvlaki.

Souvlaki





Bamboo Skewers (about 8)
Store Bought tzatziki

3 Chicken Breasts (You can use steak, lamb or shrimp too)- cut into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes
Sea Salt (enough to lightly season chicken)
After cutting the chicken, season with the salt and let rest while you mix up the marinade.

About 4 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
2 TBSP Greek Seasoning
Mix these three ingredients together in a bowl. Add salted chicken cubes and coat. Put 6 cubes onto each skewer. Place in a container or on a plate (with saran) and let them rest in the fridge until ready to cook. This will allow the flavors to really get into the chicken

Cooking them on the BBQ gives them a nice char-broiled taste. But you can cook them in the oven by broiling them. Simply place them on a broiling pan and broil at 450 degrees for about 10-15 mins (or until cooked through). I would suggest rotating them half way through to get them cooked evenly. Serve hot with tzatziki.

Pita & Hummus





Nothing fancy here... I have made my own hummus at times, but honestly, I have not found a recipe that compares to the store bought kind (let me know if you have one I can try). I cut the pita into 6 pieces and lightly cover with butter. I then heat them in the oven until butter is melted and the pita is heated through (a toaster oven works great for this). I then serve with hummus.

LEFTOVER IDEA - I use leftovers to make a stuffed pita. Simply cut open one side of the pita, spread hummus and tzatziki on the pita, add chicken and Greek salsa and close to enjoy for lunch or dinner. You can have this cold or hot. Add a bit of extra feta for some more flavor.