• If you're a new visitor to this blog, please read "how to use this blog" off to the right-hand-side.
• Starting this week, you’ll see at least one or two recipes for the grill. Summertime is here and there is nothing better than yummy grilled meats & veggies!
• The ribs in Meal (2) require 3 hours of baking before grilling for 30 minutes so plan ahead. The ribs can actually be baked then stored in the fridge up to one day ahead of time so you can just throw them on the grill when you’re ready to eat them (see more info in NOTES under Meal (2)).
• Check NOTES under each meal for ahead-of-time preps.
• By clicking on “older posts” at the bottom of this page, you can look back at previous week’s recipes.
• If you are looking for a particular recipe, use the search box at the right-hand-side then scroll to the top of the page to see search results.
• For Sides: Meals (1), (2), and (3) include sides this week. Meals (4) and (5) do not need a side but you could add a side salad or veggie if desired.
RECIPE 1: GREEK GRILLED CHICKEN SALDAS & QUICK SOFT ITALIAN BREADSTICKS (1.5)
Modified from Cooking Light and Quick Cooking (http://www.recipezaar.com/)
INGREDIENTS - SALADS
• ½ c. chicken broth
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 8 c. torn romaine lettuce
• 1 c sliced cucumber (about 1 small)
• Pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 4 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 2 (1/4-inch-thick) slices red onion, separated into rings
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
DIRECTIONS – SALADS
1. Preheat grill to medium heat (350 degrees).
2. Combine the first 8 ingredients in a small bowl. Brush the chicken with 2 tablespoons dressing; set remaining dressing aside.
3. Place chicken on grill coated with cooking spray; cook for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done (170 degrees). Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
4. Combine the romaine lettuce and the next 4 ingredients (through red onion slices) in a large bowl, and toss with the remaining salad dressing. Divide the salad evenly among 4 plates; top each serving with sliced chicken, and sprinkle with feta cheese.
INGREDIENTS – QUICK SOFT ITALIAN BREADSTICKS (1.5)
• 1 c. warm water (70 to 80)
• 3 tbsp softened butter
• 1 ½ tsp salt (see note by garlic powder below)
• 3 c white all-purpose flour (or bread flour if you have it)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (I used a mixture of oregano, basil, black pepper and a little crushed red pepper)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (if using garlic SALT, omit the other 1 ½ tsp salt)
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• Topping: 1 tbsp melted butter & 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS – BREADSTICKS
NOTES:
• Homemade breadsticks in about 30 minutes! Great with salads or soups.
• Be careful not to overbake them or they will become tough.
1. Place all ingredients (except toppings) in a large mixer fitted with a dough hook.
2. Mix on medium speed until dough has a formed a ball, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times.
3. Remove and knead by hand on a lightly floured surface several times.
4. Divide dough into 18-24 portions (depending on how large you want your breadsticks).
5. Roll out by hand into 4-6 inch rope-like pieces and either twist each piece, “braid” two pieces together, or leave in rope style. Place on a greased cookie sheet, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
6. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Immediately brush with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
RECIPE 2: SWEET & SPICY GRILLED RIBS WITH GRILLED CORN-ON-THE-COB
Modified from myrecipes.com
NOTES:
• This homemade Chipotle Maple BBQ sauce calls for a lot of ingredients but it’s worth it! Double the recipe and freeze some for next time. Store-bought sauce will work fine too…nothing can make these ribs taste bad!
• The ribs need to bake for 3 hours in the oven before grilling for 20-30 minutes. You can prepare sauce (if making homemade) and bake ribs (steps 1 and 2) up to one day ahead of time then just continue with step 3 when you’re ready to make dinner. Leave ribs out at room temp for 30 minutes or so before grilling or leave on grill longer to heat through.
• Baking the ribs make them tender and juicy. Grilling them for 30 mintues gives them that crispy outside and griled flavor. Yum!
Ingredients
• Fresh ears of sweet corn with husks and silks removed
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 ½ lbs (about 2 slabs) baby back ribs
• 1 12-oz bottle beer
• Sea salt, to taste (or regular salt if you don’t have sea salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 c. Chipotle Maple BBQ sauce (2.5) - see ingredients below - OR your favorite bottled sauce
For sauce:
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
½ c. maple syrup
½ c. firmly packed light brown sugar
3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced (note: not 3 CANS, just 3 peppers)
1 c. white vinegar
¼ c. Worcestershire sauce
½ c. apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
Juice of 2 lemons (about 6 tbsp)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. For the sauce (if making your own): Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 30-35 minutes or until sauce is thickened and reduce by about ¼. You can refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
2. For ribs, preheat oven to 350°. Spread onion slices evenly on a rimmed baking sheet, and place ribs, bone side down, on top. Pour beer over ribs, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and cover tightly with foil. Bake 3 hours or until tender.
3. Brush both sides of ribs with BBQ sauce (either the homemade or store bought). Grill over medium heat, meat side down, 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly charred and crispy, basting several times with sauce. Flip ribs over, and baste cooked side liberally. Close grill lid, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, basting often. Remove from heat; let rest 10 minutes. Cut individual ribs apart, and serve warm.
4. For corn, brush with olive oil and salt and grill over medium heat, covered for 15-20 minutes, turning every 3-5 minutes.
RECIPE 3: SPICY PAPRIKA-RUBBED GRILLED CHICKEN WITH VEGGIE KABOBS (3.5)
From Taste of Home & Southern Living
NOTES:
• You can premix the spice rub and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Double this recipe – you’ll want some to store and have on hand! You can also use this rub for red meat.
• To save time, chop up veggies (except the eggplant) for kabobs ahead of time and mix ingredients for veggie marinade and store in a container in fridge until ready to use. Veggies need to marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
• If using wood or bamboo skewers, it’s good to soak them in water for 1 hour before sliding veggies on them. This prevents them from burning on the grill (and charring your veggies to the skewer).
INGREDIENTS
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground mustard
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion salt (or granulated onion)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne (omit this if you don’t want them to be a little spicy)
• Assorted veggies for kabobs (3.5): mushrooms, bell peppers (cut into 1 – 1 ½ inch chunks), zucchini and yellow squash (cut into ¾-inch slices), eggplant (cut into ½-inch slices/wedges), tomatoes (quartered), onion (cut into chunks).
• Veggie marinade (3.5): ¼ c. dry white wine (cooking wine), ¼ c. honey, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 ½ tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix ingredients for the veggie marinade. Reserve ¼ c. to serve over cooked veggies if desired. In a rectangular baking dish or other large shallow bowl, combine veggies and the veggie marinade. Toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
2. In a small bowl combine all the rub ingredients (garlic powder through cayenne).
3. Rub over chicken breasts.
4. Coat grill with cooking spray and grill until chicken measure 170 degrees.
5. For Kabobs, grill each about 3-5 minutes per side, turning once until tender. Tomatoes take less time (1 minute per side) and eggplant may take a little longer than the other veggies.
RECIPE 4: BLACK BEAN, RICE & POTATO BURRITOS WITH HOMEMADE CORN SALSA (4.5)
• I pre-made the rice & bean mixture, salsa, and boiled small chunks of potatoes for about 10 min until softened ahead of time and stored them in separate containers in the fridge. When we were ready to eat, we simply reheated the rice & bean mixture and fried the potatoes in a skillet on the stove then assembled the burritos.
Ingredients
• 1 ½ c. cooked rice
• 1 can black beans
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ¼ - ½ c. water
• Diced potatoes, cooked (see NOTES above)
• Corn salsa (from Cooking Light) (4.5): 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 ear), 1 1/4 cups chopped tomato, 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Toppings: avocado, shredded lettuce, sour cream, Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
• Flour tortillas
Directions
1. Prepare corn salsa by mixing all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside or place in fridge.
2. Sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic on medium-low heat until veggies are tender.
3. Add cilantro, salt, cumin, chili powder, cooked rice, beans, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until water is mostly evaporated.
4. Fry potatoes in a saucepan in oil until browned on one side (about 5 minutes). Give them a stir and cook about 3-5 min longer.
5. Prepare burrito toppings of choice.
6. Heat tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel or kitchen hand towel in microwave until warm. Fill with bean and rice mixture, potatoes, corn salsa, and other desired toppings. Fold in sides of burrito then roll up starting with end closest to you.
RECIPE 5: PESTO PENNE CHICKEN CASSEROLE
From Taste of Home
NOTES: • Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of this one!
• This recipe will make two smaller casseroles for 8-inch square baking dishes. You can eat one for dinner and freeze the other or make one large casserole in a rectangular baking dish.
• Make this casserole the night before then pop in the oven when you’re ready to eat the next evening.
• To reheat the casserole, thaw in fridge overnight, let sit out at room temp 30 minutes before baking then bake at 350 for about 45-55 minutes until bubbly.
Ingredients
• 1 pkg (16 0z) penne pasta
• Cooked cubed or shredded chicken (use as much or as little as you want or leave it out all together)
• 4 c. (16 oz shredded Italian cheese blend (or just mozzarella if that’s what you have))
• 3 c. fresh baby spinach
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes (use ones with garlic and basil or other appropriate seasonings if you have them)
• 1 15-oz Alfredo sauce (or make it homemade – see Week 8, Recipe (5))
• 1 10-oz jar prepared pesto (or make it homemade)
• 1 ½ c. milk
• ½ c. seasoned (or plain) bread crumbs
• ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
Directions
1. Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese (except Parmesan), spinach and tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, pesto and milk. Drain pasta and add to chicken mixture; toss to coat.
2. Transfer to two greased 8-inch square baking dishes. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil; sprinkle over casseroles.
3. Cover and bake at 350 for 40-45 min or until bubbly (see NOTE above for what to do with second casserole).
SHOPPING LIST:
NOTES:
• I have organized the shopping list by category and then within each category by meal. After each item you’ll see a number in parenthesis which corresponds to the meal number. That way you can easily pick which recipes you want to try and then find those items (or cross items out) on the list. • Under Veggies/Fruit I have italicized anything that is a veggie or fruit but NOT found in the fresh fruits and veggie area of the supermarket.
• For Sides: Meals (1), (2), and (3) include sides this week. Meals (4) and (5) do not need a side but you could add a side salad or veggie if desired.
Meat/Fish
• Chicken breasts – 2-4 boneless skinless (1), 4 boneless skinless (3), cooked cubed or shredded chicken (amount of your choice or leave out completely) (5)
• 3 ½ lbs (about 2 slabs) baby back ribs (2)
Veggies/Fruit
• Garlic – 2 cloves (1), 4 cloves (2.5), 3 cloves (3.5), 3 cloves (4)
• Romaine lettuce for salads (1)
• 1 cucumber (1)
• Tomatoes – 4 plum or 2 regular-sized (1) 2 large (4.5)
• Onion – 1 small red onion (1), 1 large white or yellow (2), 1 medium white or yellow (4), 1 small red onion (4.5)
• Fresh ears of corn-on-the cob - however many you want per person (2), 1 (4.5)
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes (2.5) – if you can’t find crushed or don’t have them on hand, use diced or whole and pulse in your food processor for a few seconds
• 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (2.5)
• 2 lemons (2.5), 1 (4.5)
• Various assorted veggies for kabobs (3.5): mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini & yellow squash, eggplant, tomatoes, onion
• 1 green bell pepper (4)
• Cilantro – 3 tbsp chopped (4), ½ c. chopped (4.5)
• 1 large russet potato (4)
• Toppings for burrito: avocado, chopped lettuce (4)
• 3 c. baby spinach (5)
• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes with Italian seasonings or garlic & basil (5) – if you can’t find crushed, buy whole or diced and pulse in your food processer for a few seconds
• 1 10-oz jar prepared pesto (or make your own) (5)
Breads & starches
• 1 ½ c. cooked rice (4)
• Flour tortillas (4)
• 1 16-oz pkg penne pasta (5)
Spices/Sauces/Vinegars/Oils/Condiments
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Dried oregano – 2 tsp (1)
• Small amount of sugar (1), (1.5)
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar (1)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (1.5) or use a mixture of oregano, basil, & red pepper
• Garlic powder – 1 tsp (1.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• Homemade BBQ sauce ingredients (2.5) or your favorite bottled sauce
• ½ c. maple syrup (2.5)
• Brown sugar - ½ c. (2.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• 1 c. white vinegar (2.5)
• ¼ c. Worcestershire sauce (2.5)
• ½ c. apple cider or unfiltered apple juice (2.5)
• Dry mustard - 2 tbsp (2.5), 1 tbsp (3)
• 1 tbsp paprika (3)
• 1 tsp onion salt or granulated onion (3)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary (3)
• Cumin – 1 tsp (3), 1 tsp (4), ¼ tsp (4.5)
• 1 tsp dried thyme (3)
• ½ tsp cayenne (3)
• ¼ c. dry white (cooking) wine (3.5)
• ¼ c. honey (3.5)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (3.5)
• 1 tsp chili powder (4.5)
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (4.5)
Dairy
• Feta cheese – ¼ c. (1)
• Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated – 1 tbsp (1.5), ½ c. grated (5)
• Butter – 4 tbsp (1.5)
• Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded to top burritos (4)
• Sour cream – for topping burritos (4)
• 1 ½ c. milk (5)
• 4 c. Italian cheese blend, shredded or mozzarella (5)
Other
• Olive oil
• Pitted kalamata olives for salads (1) – get however many you need at your grocer’s olive bar if they have one
• Chicken broth – ½ c. (1)
• All purpose flour or bread flour – 3 c. (1.5)
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1.5)
• 1 12-oz bottle beer (for baking ribs) (2)
• 1 can black beans (4)
• 1 15-oz can Alfredo sauce (or make your own, see Week 8, Recipe (5))
• ½ c. seasoned or plain bread crumbs
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