Tomato & Avocado Salad

This is a good use of fresh summer vegetables.  If you can still get good tomatoes, this would be a lovely transitional salad to have with grilled chicken or steaks this month.

Recipe Notes

For the champagne vinaigrette, I like Girard's light champagne vinaigrette.

Ingredients

• Large tomatoes (preferably heirloom), sliced
• Grape tomatoes (preferably mixed colors), sliced in half
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced into strips
• Champagne vinaigrette (store bought or homemade)
• Chopped tarragon
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1.  Arrange large tomato slices on a plate, followed by the avocado slices.

2.  Scatter grape tomatoes and red onion slices over plate and sprinkle with tarragon, salt, and pepper.

3.  Drizzle with champagne vinaigrette and serve.

(Almost) Ina Garten's Roasted Eggplant Spread

I don't like eggplant at all....I would never order it in a restaurant.  Somehow, though, I love this dip.  And it is essentially made of vegetables (with very little added oil and no cheese or other added fats) so it's a pretty healthy appetizer.  I have adapted this recipe slightly from Ina Garten's original recipe (found here) that was included in her original Barefoot Contessa cookbook.

Recipe Notes

This recipe takes some time because of the prep time and roasting time, but once the vegetables are out of the oven, the only work is done in your food processor and it is quick!  Serve with Wheat Thins or vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant (peeled and cut into one-inch cubes)
• 2 red bell peppers (seeded and cut into one-inch cubes)
• 1 red onion (peeled and cut into one-inch cubes)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

2.  Toss eggplant, bell peppers, and red onion in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet.

3.  Roast for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly charred and soft.  Toss once during cooking.

4.  Cool vegetable mixture slightly and place in a food processor.

5.  Add tomato paste and pulse until blended and chunky.

6.  Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed.



Creamy Avocado Basil Pesto

I found this recipe on Pinterest (original recipe credit to Ambitious Kitchen) and I modified it slightly.  The original recipe may be found here.  This was a great topping for grilled chicken and would likely work with several other meats as well.  It is creamy and tastes like a pesto, but there is no oil, so the result is better for you!

CREAMY AVOCADO BASIL PESTO

Recipe Notes

The original recipe calls for pine nuts, but I used walnuts instead.  I also used more avocado than the original recipe called for, which made it extra creamy.  The original recipe also called for the cook to stir in the Parmesan at the end.  I added it to the food processor instead.

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 large ripe avocado
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. walnuts
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
• 3 tbsp. water, plus more to thin if desired
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1.  Place first five ingredients in a food processor and pulse until chopped and roughly combined.

2.  Add 3 tbsp. water and process until smooth.  Add more water at this stage, if needed, to achieve desired consistency.

3.  Add Parmesan cheese and pulse until combined.

4.  Store in an airtight container (or sealed mason jar) and refrigerate.  Pesto will keep for a few days in fridge if properly stored on the front end.

Frankie's Topping-for-Anything

I have slightly adapted this recipe, which I found in InStyle Magazine, as noted below.  Credit for original recipe goes to New Yorker Frank Castronovo of Frankie's Spuntino and Frankie's 457 fame.

FRANKIE'S TOPPING-FOR-ANYTHING

Recipe Notes

I modified this from the original recipe by cutting the olive oil in half and swapping red onions for white onions.  I put my tomatoes on small, individual beds of arugula tossed with a little Wishbone balsamic vinaigrette.

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 c. pitted Castelvetrano olives, chopped
• 2 tbsp. brined capers, rinsed and chopped
• 1/4 c. finely-chopped red onion
• 1/4 c. loosely-packed small basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 c. loosely-packed flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• Sea salt
• Heirloom tomatoes, sliced thick

Instructions

1.  Combine all ingredients through crushed red pepper in a bowl.

2.  Season to taste with sea salt and toss.

3.  Arrange tomato slices on a platter and season with salt and black pepper.  Spoon olive topping over tomatoes and serve.

Stuffed Jumbo Shells

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home monthly edition and made some modifications to make it healthier.  Comes together quickly once the jumbo shells are cooked!

STUFFED JUMBO SHELLS

Recipe Notes

The original recipe calls for much more cheese.  I also used Aidell's fully-cooked refrigerated chicken meatballs, while the original recipe calls for frozen (beef) Italian meatballs.

Ingredients

• Jumbo pasta shells (one package)
• Aidell's fully-cooked chicken meatballs (refrigerated section of grocery store)
• Bottled marinara sauce of choice
• 4 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella (approximately 1/2 package)

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cook pasta shells according to package directions.  Rinse in cold water and drain.

3.  Stuff one meatball in each cooked shell.  Arrange in a greased 9x13 baking dish.

4.  Top with marinara and shredded cheese.

5.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted.

Spinach & Vidalia Onion Dip

This recent Southern Living recipe is a different spin on a traditional spinach dip.  The caramelized onions make it sweeter.  Serve with blue corn tortilla chips or other chips and vegetables of choice.

SPINACH & VIDALIA ONION DIP

Recipe Notes

I decreased the butter from the original recipe.  You can also use any sweet onion (such as 1015's) if Vidalias are not available.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 4 c. chopped Vidalia onions (about 2 large)
• 5 oz. package fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper, divided
• 16 oz. container sour cream
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Instructions

1.  Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.

2.  Add onions and cook, stirring often, until golden and very tender (20-30 minutes).

3.  Add chopped spinach, stirring until wilted.

4.  Sprinkle with half of salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes.

5.  Stir together onion/spinach mixture, sour cream, and chives.  Add remaining salt and pepper.

6.  Cover and chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

7.  Serve with chips and vegetables.

Honey Garlic Chicken

Good low-calorie crock pot recipe.  Easy to put together and ready in about four hours.

HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN

Recipe Notes

From the blog slenderkitchen.com.  Nutritional information below is for chicken only.  Does not include information for rice as seen above.

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 6)

201 calories - 1 g. fat - 17 g. carbohydrates - 33 g. protein - 0 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 tsp. dried basil
• 1/3 c. low-sodium soy sauce (Do not use regular.  The result is too salty.)
• 1/3 c. ketchup
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

Instructions

1.  Whisk together garlic, basil, soy sauce, ketchup, and honey.

2.  Add chicken to crock pot.

3.  Pour sauce over chicken and mix everything together.

4.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until chicken is cooked through but not dry.

5.  Remove chicken from sauce to a baking sheet covered with foil.

6.  Broil for 5 minutes to create a crispy outside.

7.  Return to sauce and serve over rice.

Mexican Street Corn Dip

Really excellent dip that I slightly adapted from the blog cookingandbeer.com.  Serve with blue corn tortilla chips.  They add both good flavor and good crunch to the recipe.

MEXICAN STREET CORN DIP

Recipe Notes

The original recipe calls for either fresh corn or thawed frozen corn.  I made it with fresh and I think that is likely best.  If you buy the cotija cheese in a block use a microplane grater to grate it into the recipe and then also over the top of the finished dish.

Ingredients

• 8 oz. less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 3 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• Salt & freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 3 c. corn kernels (approximately 4 ears) cut from the cob or thawed from frozen
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. sliced green onions
• 1/4 c. cotija cheese
• Blue corn tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

1.  Add softened cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

2.  Beat on low speed until very well-combined and set aside.

3.  Add butter to a large skillet and melt over medium heat.  

4.  Add corn and jalapeno.  Cook until softened (approx. 10 minutes).  

5.  Add cilantro and green onions, cook 1 minute.  

6.  Remove vegetables from heat and add to cream cheese mixture.  Grate cotija cheese into the mixture and stir well.

7.  Pour dip into a serving bowl.  Garnish with additional chili powder, cilantro, green onions, and/or cotija cheese if preferred.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

Texas Crock Pot Chili

My husband loved this chili.  I was able to put it in the crock pot before work and came home to the whole house smelling wonderfully and dinner (basically) finished.  Original recipe credit to Cooking With Melissa.

TEXAS CROCK POT CHILI

Recipe Notes

Original recipe post available here.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 small roma tomato, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 30-oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 c. chili powder (I used more like 2 tbsp.)
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. salt & pepper
• 1/2 cube beef bouillon
• 1 c. water
• 4 oz. can chopped green chiles
• 16 oz. can pinto beans, drained
• 16 oz. can chili beans in sauce (undrained)
• 1-2 tbsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions

1.  In a large skiller, heat ground beef and onion until cooked through.

2.  Drain mixture and set aside.

3.  In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients including ground beef and onion.  

4.  Stir and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

5.  Serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado, or anything else you like on your chili.

Note: this is a great recipe to use a Reynolds slow cooker liner for easy cleanup.  They are available with the food storage items in your local grocery store.

Greek Baked Ziti

As far as pasta casseroles go, this Southern Living recipe seemed pretty nutritionally harmless.  It's made with lean ground beef and a reasonable amount of dairy.  I tweaked it a bit to make it slightly more healthy.  The ingredient list may look a bit daunting below, but most of these items you will already have in your pantry (or can very easily get them from the store).

GREEK BAKED ZITI

Recipe Notes

For the milk, I used 2%.  You should be able to use skim as a substitute without issue.  The original recipe calls for a very large amount of the milk/cheese mixture.  I halved this portion in my version and didn't miss any of the milk, butter, and cheese that we did not use.  I did not use the entire 8 oz. package of mozzarella indicated below.  I used between 4-6 oz. for my dish.

Ingredients

• 12 oz ziti pasta, cooked and drained
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 15-oz. cans of tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1-1/2 tbsp. butter
• 1-1/2 tbsp. flour
• 1-1/2 c. milk (I used 2%)
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 8 oz. package shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 c. fine dry breadcrumbs

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Saute onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until tender (4-5 minutes).  Add garlic and saute 30 seconds.

3.  Add beef, stirring occasionally, and cook 5 minutes or until crumbled and browned.

4.  Drain mixture and return to the skillet.

5.  Stir in tomato sauce, lemon juice, oregano, sugar, cinnamon, and 1 tsp. salt.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

6.  Cook and stir occasionally for 2 minutes and remove from heat.

7.  Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Whisk in flour and cook, whisking continuously, for 2 minutes.  Gradually whisk in milk.

8.  Increase heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, for 5-7 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

9.  Stir in Parmesan cheese, pepper, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt.

10.  Add cooked ziti pasta to cheese sauce mixture, stirring to coat.

11.  Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly-greased 9x13 glass baking dish.  Top with beef mixture.

12.  Sprinkle mozarella cheese and breadcrumbs on top of beef mixture.

13.  Bake a 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.  (Cheese will be melted.)

14.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Magazine note: this dish may be fixed ahead and frozen (unbaked) for a future meal.  If frozen, let stand 30 minutes before baking, and add 15-20 minutes to the baking time in the oven.