Sesame Cucumber Salad

This blew my mind, I can't stress how good it was. Light and refreshing but the kind of dish that everyone would talk about at a cook out. It was the perfect summer side to go with our steaks.  You can add less red pepper flakes to make it more kid friendly too. 

1 1/2 TBS sesame seeds, toasted (toasting instructions below)
2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
1 TBS rice vinegar
1 TBS honey
1 TBS hot water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (more or less depending on how much spice you like. I usually go a little less to keep it kid friendly.)
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
4 cups thinly sliced cucumber

1. Spread sesame seeds out on baking sheet. Preheat oven to 325. Bake until they are slightly browned and you start to smell them. (it's a great smell, you can't miss it!)

2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except for the cucumber. Stir well with a whisk. Add the cucumber, toss to coat.  You can let it chill for a little while before serving but the cucumbers will start to get mushy if you wait too long.  

*recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

Ginger Hoisan Glaze

We slow cooked steaks on the grill and brushed this glaze on during cooking and also when they done. It was incredible. We literally licked our plates clean. Great flavor without being too overpowering and super easy to make. Can't wait to try it on chicken and even shrimp!

1 1/2 TBS Hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, stir with a whisk.

*Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

Shrimp Cobb Salad

This recipe comes from a Cooking Light mag. It rocked!!! The avocado definitely made it stand out. It was also one of the most filling salads I've ever had (I find avocado to be one of the most filling foods ever). I grilled my shrimp instead of making them on the stove so I included the directions for grilling but the original link from the magazine recipe tells you how to cook them on the stove.

The only thing that I can say is that I wasn't a huge fan of the dressing but my husband had it and wants me to make a huge batch and bottle it up for him because he swears it was incredible. I preferred a balsamic vinaigrette but to each his own.... I recommend keeping the dressing on the side.

Ingredients:
4 slices turkey bacon (the original recipe calls for regular bacon, but I prefer the low calories of the turkey bacon instead)
1 lb raw large shrimp, peeled & deveined
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 TBS EVOO
1/2 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard (regular dijon works also)
Romaine lettuce
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 carrots)
1 cup frozen whole kernal corn, thawed
1 ripe peeled avocado, cut into 8 wedges

1. Cook bacon according to instructions. Let bacon rest on paper towels to cool and drain. Once cooled, crumble up.

2. Sprinkle shrimp with paprika, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Spray aluminion foil with cooking spray, then add shrimp, spreading out evenly. Grill over medium high heat, until shrimp are cooked, turning occasionally.

3. While shrimp cooks, combine remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, oil, and mustard in a large bowl, stir with a whisk.

4. Arrange about 1 1/2 cups lettuce mixture on each plate. Top each serving with about 6 shrimp, 1/2 cup tomatoes, 1/4 cup carrot, 1/4 cup corn, 2 avocado wedges and a handful of the crumbled bacon.

Makes 4 servings. The original recipe (with their dressing & regular bacon) is 332 calories per serving. However, the turkey bacon cuts that down.

Skillet Pork Chop Saute with Peaches

Besides the Funky Fusion Fajitas recipe, this is by far the best new meal that we've had in a very long time. It was light, yet had incredible flavor. The peaches, shallots & thyme together created an amazing taste, without being overwhelming or too sweet. A definite family pleasing dinner. Can't wait to make again. And only 235 calories and 8.6 grams of fat per serving (makes 4 servings)!

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (4oz) center cut boneless pork loin chops, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 TBS thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 peaches, each cut into 8 wedges
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat free, low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons butter

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirl to coat. Sprinkle chops evenly with the salt & pepper. Add chops to heated pan; cook for a few minutes on each side until done. Remove chops from pan & keep warm.

2. Add shallots, thyme & peaches to pan, cook for about 2 minutes.

3. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 2 minutes). Then stir in broth & honey; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup again.

4. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Spoon sauce over chops. Enjoy!


*Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine

Pretzel and Peanut-Crusted Chicken

This is a Rachael Ray recipe. It is super yummy and quick! I made a homemade honey mustard sauce to go with it.

Ingredients
2 Cups salted pretzels, any shape
1/2 cup coarsely chopped honey-roasted peanuts
pepper
2 eggs
16 chicken tenders or 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips half an inch thick
1/4 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil (eyeball it)
Honey mustard or barbeque sauce, for drizzling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F
Place pretzels and peanuts in a food processor or blender and grind until fine. Transfer to a shallow dish, season with pepper, and mix to combine.

Crack and beat 2 eggs in a second shallow dish with a splash of water.

Coat the chicken in the egg, then the pretzels.

Place coated chicken in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes.

Homemade Honey Mustard

1/4 C prepared mustard
2 TBS honey
1 TBS dijon mustard
2 TBS fat free dijon mustard dressing

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Roasted Jalapeno Butter

Wow! This was amazing!! You grill the pepper first before adding it so it kills the hotness, but adds the best amount of flavor ever! We ended up using this butter on multiple things!!!! We served this with the Indian Inspired Chicken Kabobs, amazing combo!

1 Jalapeno pepper
Cooking Spray
7 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened (that is for a serving of 6 - we cut our recipe in half)
1 tsp grated lime rind
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
6 ears chucked corn (or less if you are cutting recipe in half)

1. Preheat grill to medium - high heat.
2. Place jalapeno on grill rack coated with cooking spray, cover & grill for 10 minutes or until blackened & charred, turning occasionally.
3. Place jalapeno in small paper bag and fold tightly to seal. Let stand for 5 minutes. Peel & discard skins, cut pepper in half lengthwise. Discard stem, seeds & membranes.
4. Finely chop jalapeno.
5. Combine jalapeno, butter, lime rind, honey and salt in small bowl, stir well.
6. Place corn on grill rack. Cover & grill for 10 minutes or until slightly charred, turning occasionally. Place corn on serving plate, brush with jalapeno butter.

*Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home Magazine

Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts - Slow Cooker

This was a light and easy meal for a weeknight. It went great over brown rice with broccoli. The flavor wasn't too bold, it could use a bit more lemon.

Ingredients
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp lemon juice
lemon zest - about 1 TBSP
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 Cup low-sodium chicken broth


Directions:

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Sprinkle with italian seasoning. Zest lemon over top of chicken. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours (3 hours on high).
Chicken is very tasty served on a bed of brown rice with steamed broccoli!