Lemony Cucumber Salad

This isn't the most beautiful picture of this salad, but don't let it deter you from making it...it is so delicious!  You can, of course, make it with English cucumbers, which would make a much more eye pleasing salad...but regular old cukes were on sale in my grocery four for a $1!  So I peeled, and seeded and used them in this refreshing cucumber salad.

I honestly, would have never thought to pair cukes and lemons.  But what a great taste surprise this ended up being!  And all for ONE PP!  Who could ask for more??

Lemony Cucumber Salad

adapted from Allrecipes

Servings - 6   Serving Size - about 1/2 cup or 1/6th of the recipe   Points+ per serving - 1 Point+

Calories - 27,   Total Fat - 0g,   Carb. - 6.4g,   Protein - 0.5g,   Fiber - 0.4g

2 English cucumbers or three large regular cucumbers

2 TBSP chopped onion (optional)

1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 TBSP granulated sugar

2 tsp. celery seed

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1.  Slice English cukes or if using regular cukes, peel, seed and slice.  In med bowl, combine the cukes and the onion, if using.  

2.  In small glass measure or canning jar, combine the rest of the ingredients and shake or stir until sugar and salt are dissolved.  Pour over cukes/onions.  Toss to coat and allow to sit in fridge for about 30 minutes before serving.  

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What a yummy summery salad to go with just about anything!  I have to confess...I love cucumbers, so this loving this salad for me was easy.  I've had marinated cuke salads before...and I loved them all, but I have to say, the addition of lemon took this one to a whole new place.  Who would have thunk it?  

Of all the summer veg/fruit, I do think cucumbers and watermelon sit at the top of my favorite list.  What summer veg/fruits are your favorites? 

Roadside Chicken

I'm not sure how it got its name, but Roadside Chicken is one of the most delicious grilled chicken recipes I've made! The secret is in the marinade.

Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers

How do you jazz up plain old grilled shrimp?...with an easy and tasty grilled shrimp marinade! I replaced some of the ingredients in this shrimp marinade out of pure necessity.  Use what you have on hand, right?  I had no tomato sauce, as called for in the recipe, so I substituted ketchup with really good results!

I will tell you, I have been buying Heinz Ketchup with NO HFCS.  I really do try to stay away from any products with this ingredient.  Besides the controversial health issues surrounding it, I simply think it makes stuff taste fake.  IDK if it's in my head or not, but I avoid it whenever I can.  I am so happy companies are starting to offer products without it these days.  Heinz offers two varieties that are not sweetened with HFCS.

Depending on prices and availability, I will choose either variety. 

Ok...so back to the grilled shrimp marinade...

It's a very easy marinade to put together with most items already in your kitchen and it gives the shrimp a nice tasty coating. Using ketchup in place of the tomato sauce, makes the marinate nice and thick so it clings well to the shrimp.  I'm actually kind of glad I didn't have any tomato sauce afterall!

I used my flat metal skewers, but if you use disposable wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water before you string the shrimp, so they don't burn up on the grill to quickly.

Marinated Grilled Shrimp Skewers

adapted from Allrecipes

Printable Recipe

Servings - 6   Serving size - 1/6th of recipe   Points Plus per Serving - 2 Points+

Calories - 98.2,   Total Fat - 3.1g,   Carb. - 0.7g,   Protein - 15.8g,   Fiber - 0g*

*When calculating the nutrition information, I included the marinade stats using the amount left after marinade, which for me, ended up being about a 1/4 of the recipe per serving.  The shrimp absorbed very little of the marinade.  

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup ketchup

2 TBS red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne (or more to taste)

1 pounds of raw fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (the bigger shrimp you can get the better)

 6 skewers

1.  Combine the garlic, olive oil, ketchup, red wine vinegar, dried basil, black pepper, salt and cayenne in a small bowl.  Put shrimp in a gallon sized zipper bag and pour the marinade over it.  

2.  Put the zipper bag in a clean container and pop into the fridge for 1-2 hours.  If using wooden skewers, soak in water while shrimp is marinading. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers, dividing equally between the 6 skewers.

3.  Heat grill to med/high.  Grill shrimp skewers until shrimp is opaque and cooked through.  You can baste skewers with the marinade while cooking if you like.

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This grilled shrimp marinade helps give the shrimp a kick.  Substitute bottled chili sauce for the ketchup for a whole different flavor.  Since it uses items most of us have in our pantries, it's easy to put together too!   

I know I have bombarded you with an abundance of grilling recipes since the weather got warm.  What can I say?  I loved grilled food!!  I do all of the grilling in my house, and I love it.  No pans to wash and I get to be outside while I'm cooking.  How about you?  Do you love grilled foods?  Do you do the grilling in your house if you do, or is it someone's else s domain? 

Don't forget, if you can't go out and grill, you can also make this recipe indoors on the stove in a grill pan and it will be just as delicious.  

Mini Peach Cobblers

I came across this recipe on my Facebook wall the other day.  One of my friends had saved it to their wall.  It sounded so easy and wouldn't you know it?...I had a pile of peaches that needed eating before they got bad.  Even with AC, in this heat, peaches ripen almost more quickly than we can eat them!  The original recipe called for canned peaches, which is just fine, but fresh peaches worked out great...and I decided NOT to peel the peaches because I don't like peeling peaches (does anyone LIKE peeling peaches? ) But I liked how they came out.  It gave the mini cobblers a nice rustic look and feel.

The original recipe also called for quite a bit of butter and sugar, which I reduced.  These are best served slightly warm...with some whipped cream or maybe a big old scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Be careful not to over fill the muffin wells with the batter ( I did that for a few of them...oops) or you will have some of the cake part crawling out of the wells and onto the surface of the pan.  But, these were definitely quick and easy to make and even easier to gobble up! 

This is a good recipe that you could substitute all kinds of fruit to make mini cobblers with...blueberries, raspberries, nectarines, blackberries.  Or how about combining some of the fruit flavors together?  Yum!  Fresh, canned or frozen fruit will work too.  The possibilities are almost endless. 

Mini Peach Cobblers

adapted from HERE

Printable Recipe

Servings - 11- 12 mini cobblers   Serving Size - 1 mini cobbler   Points Plus per Serving - 4 Points+

Calories - 136.4,   Total Fat - 4.2g,   Carb. - 23.9g,   Protein - 1.8g,   Fiber - 0.8g

about 2-3 medium sized (2 1/2" diameter) fresh peaches, pitted and sliced thinly

4 TBS unsalted butter, melted

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup 1% milk

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly spray wells of muffin pan with cooking spray.

2.  Pour about 1 tsp. butter in each of the muffin pan wells.  Mix together milk and lemon juice.  Let sit.   In medium bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar (save remaining 1/4 cup for topping), salt and baking powder.  Whisk to combine.  Whisk in the milk/lemon juice mixture until a smooth batter forms.  

3.  Drop about 2 TBS of batter into each muffin pan well on top of the melted butter, dividing equally between the 11-12 wells.  Place 2 - 3 slices of peaches on top of the batter.  Combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle evenly on top of peaches and batter. 

4.  Bake in 350 degree F oven for about 12 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottoms and fruit is bubbly.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly in pan (10-15 minutes).  Remove cobblers from pan with large spoon and enjoy while still slightly warm. 

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This was quick, easy and yummy.  I'd like to try this with blueberries next time!  

How about you?  What fruit would you fancy in this quick dessert recipe?  

Quick and Easy Shrimp and Pasta Primavera

Can you believe you can have this tasty, healthy and under 400 calorie dish on the table start to finish in about 10 minutes??  Let's face it.  There are times when we need to get dinner on the table FAST.  Or maybe you just don't feel like cooking (been there!) or it's so hot out you don't want to spend a lot of time over the stove or turn the oven on...THIS is the recipe you need for those times. 

And it's all possible thanks to these products:

Birdseye® just came out with these new Recipe Ready® products (currently available at Walmart) that make putting together a dish like this a snap.  The flavors of this pasta dish are perfect for a warm summer evening and the quick prep and cook time is perfect when you don't want to spend a lot of time in a hot kitchen.

You will find recipes included on every package of the Recipe Ready® products as well.   I chose to combine two of the vegetable combos to make the delicious dish pictured above.  This was my first time trying Bertolli® jarred Alfredo sauce and I really liked it.  I would definitely buy it again.

Sure, you could buy fresh veg, chop them up and make your own Alfredo sauce but can you do all of that and have dinner on the table in 10 minutes?  I know I couldn't. 

Quick and Easy Shrimp Pasta Primavera

adapted from Allrecipes

Printable Recipe

Servings - 6   Serving Size - 1/6th of recipe   Points Plus per Serving - 9 Points+

Calories - 375.9,   Total Fat - 7.5g,   Carb. - 45g,   Protein - 28.3g,   Fiber - 5.3g

1 lb. raw, tail on shrimp, (thawed if using frozen)

1-12 oz. package Birdseye® Recipe Ready Primavera Blend (frozen)

1/4 cup Birdseye® Recipe Ready Chopped Onions and Garlic Blend (frozen)

12 oz. dry Barilla Plus Farfalle pasta (or pasta of your choice)

1-15 oz. jar of Bartolli® Light Alfredo Sauce

1/4 cup white wine

Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper for garnish (optional and not included in nutrition information)

1. Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking prepare the rest of the steps. 

2. In large nonstick skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray and heated to med/high add shrimp and allow to begin cooking.  When it just starts to turn pink, add in frozen veggies (Primavera and Onion/garlic mixture)  Stir and cook until shrimp is opaque and vegetables are heated through.  

3.  Add the jar of Alfredo sauce to the skillet on top of the shrimp and vegetables.  Pour the wine into the empty jar of sauce and put the lid on.  Shake it up to get the rest of the sauce clinging to the sides of the jar.  Pour into the skillet and mix with the rest of the sauce.  Heat until the sauce is warm.  Add in the cooked pasta and serve.  You can add additional Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper if you wish. (Not included in nutrition information listed above)

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This cooked up so fast I didn't even have time to throw together a salad!  lol  The boys all enjoyed this meal.  The pasta needs to be enjoyed immediately, or it has a tendency to soak up all the sauce and become dry. 

I didn't take the tails off the shrimp before I cooked them.  I think they do tend to give more flavor to the dish if they are left on...much to the dismay of my youngest son, who doesn't like the work of taking the tails off!  lol  Of course, this is the kid who loves crab legs, but won't eat them because of the work!  haha 

Last but not least...a few pics from my vacation...enjoy! 

Southwest Chipotle Steak Salad with Fresh Corn Salsa

An absolutely mouthwatering combination of southwest flavors in a healthy and low calorie salad!  If you follow my blog, you might remember a few months ago, as an Allrecipe Allstar assignment, we were given samples of Herdez® cooking sauces and asked to create dishes featuring them.  Of the hundred or so recipes submitted, Herdez® then chose 25 dishes to publish on Allrecipes using their sauces.  I am pleased to announce that MY VERY OWN recipe using the Tomatillo Verde cooking sauce was one of the recipes they chose.  This month, we were asked to make a few of the published 25 recipes.  Several ambassadors made my recipe for Turkey and Zucchini enchiladas in Tomatillo Verde sauce and loved it.  I decided to try out this salad recipe for my assignment...and I was not disappointed.  Delicious!

I tweaked the recipe just a tad to match some of the ingredients I had on hand.  It was submitted by a fellow Allstar. For my version, I used a flat iron steak instead of a flank steak, because that is what I had in the freezer.  Have you ever tried flat iron steak?  It's delicious and cooks up so tender.  For beef, it is still a pretty economical cut too. Many stores now carry flat iron steaks so it's not too difficult to find.  Of course, if you can't get flat iron, flank steak or a good sirloin or ribeye would work just as well!  ( note that if you change up the cut of beef used in this salad, the nutrition information may also change)  I also made up a quick chipotle cream to drizzle on top of the salad, that wasn't called for in the original recipe.  Next time I make this, I will also add some cilantro (because I adore the stuff) to the corn salsa. I did use fresh corn for the salsa, because we had some leftover from dinner last night, but you could use defrosted frozen corn in place of fresh if you wish. 

You can now find Herdez® cooking sauces in many grocery stores across the country as well as order them online.  I have now tried all four varieties and love them all!  Look for them in your grocery store or ask them to order them for you...they are so good. 

Southwest Chipotle Steak Salad with Fresh Corn Salsa

Printable Recipe

Servings - 4   Serving Size - 1/4 of recipe (about 3 oz of steak per salad)  
Points Plus per Serving - 9 Points Plus

Calories - 321.6,   Total Fat - 14.9g,   Carb. - 26.6g,   Protein - 26.4g,  Fiber - 4.8g

For marinade:

12 oz. flat iron steak

1/4 cup Herdez® Traditional Chipotle Cooking sauce

1 clove garlic, smashed

2 TBS. fresh lime juice

1 TBS olive oil

For the corn salsa:

1 cup fresh corn kernals (or frozen defrosted ones)

2 TBS fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1/4 cup diced orange pepper

1 small jalapeno pepper, diced (discard ribs and seeds for less heat)

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

dash of kosher salt

3 TBS Herdez® Traditional Chipotle cooking sauce

For the salad:

8 cups shredded romaine lettuce

1 small tomato, sliced into wedges

1/4 cup sliced red pepper

1/4 cup sliced orange pepper

1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheese, divided

For the chipotle cream drizzle:

1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 - 2 TBS skim milk

1 tsp. Herdez® Traditional Chipotle Cooking Sauce

1.  Combine all ingredients for marinade in small bowl.  Place flat iron steak in zipper plastic bag and pour marinade on it.  Let marinade in refrigerator for 2 hours.

2.  After you make the marinade, make the corn salsa.  Combine all ingredients and allow to sit in fridge until ready to assemble salads. 

3.  Once meat has marinaded.  Heat grill to MED/HIGH.  Grill steak until it has reached desired doneness.  I like medium rare.  Remove steak from grill and allow to rest under foil for about 10 minutes before slicing. Slice thin on diagonal and against grain.  (you can also cook the steak on an indoor grill pan if you can't grill outside)

4.  Assemble salads by dividing the lettuce, sliced peppers, tomato, and cheese between plates.  Top vegetables and cheese.  Divide the corn salsa between each salad.  Top with sliced beef, dividing beef evenly between plates.  (about 3oz of steak per salad)  To make drizzle, combine all ingredients and drizzle on top of meat.  Enjoy!  

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There is no doubt about it, this makes a wonderful main dish for the summer time.  If you love southwest flavors you are going to love this salad!  Yum!  If you can't find the Herdez® cooking sauces, try subbing your favorite chipotle sauce...there are several brands out there.

Hope all is well with everyone!  Was on a wonderful beach vacation last week...will be posting pics soon.