Masala Shrimp Kebabs with Yogurt Sauce

Serves 4

1 & 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (plus a little extra for garnish)
2 tablespoons minced scallions
grated zest of 1 lemon
4 pieces whole wheat flatbread
4 nectarines, pitted and halved
4 teaspoons honey (optional)

1. Spray grill with cooking spray and preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Stir together chili powder, garam masala, oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in large bowl; add shrimp and toss to coat. Thread shrimp onto metal skewers. Place skewers on grill and cook, turning once, until just opaque throughout, about 5 minutes.

3. At the same time, place nectarines, cut side down, on grill and cook until slightly softened, also about 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, to make sauce, stir together yogurt, mint, scallions, lemon zest, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Serve shrimp with flatbread and sauce. Drizzle nectarines with 1 teaspoon honey and extra mint for garnish.

Results: Stop reading this and go buy the ingredients to make this for dinner tonight! Oh my yum, it is so good. I was sad when I finished this because there was no more to eat. We buy 2 lb bags of frozen shrimp and Chris suggested that next time I make this dish, I just use up the whole bag. DELICIOUS. AMAZING. I think I'm drooling a little just thinking about it.

Oh, and this is such a pretty meal too, that it would be great to serve to dinner guests. I already said the next dinner guests we have are getting this meal.

The recipe is from the Fresh, Fabulous, Fast cookbook by Weight Watchers.

Steak Salad with Spinach and Oranges

Serves 4

1 (1-pound) sirloin steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 navel oranges
1 (6-ounce) package baby spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted salted almonds

1. Spray grill rack with cooking spray. Preheat grill on high.

2. Sprinkle steak with cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Place steak on grill pan and cook 3-4 minutes on high. Reduce temperature to medium-high, flip steak and cook 3-4 minutes to desired degree of doneness. Transfer steak to cutting board and let stand 2-3 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices.

3. Meanwhile, to make salad, peel oranges, removing all white pith. Cut oranges into rounds; cut rounds into quarters. Place oranges in large bowl. Add spinach, tomatoes, lemon juice, oil and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat.

4. Divide salad evenly among 4 serving plates and top evenly with steak. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.

Served with grilled red potatoes.

Results: I tell you, I wrinkled my nose up at putting any kind of rub on sirloin. It doesn't need it! But, I was wrong, because the cumin blend tasted so great on this steak. And can I give my husband some props for grilling this steak to PERFECTION. I mean, for realsies! Look at that picture!

So, in case you couldn't tell, I really liked this meal. I loved the cumin on the steak and the salad was yummy. Very filling and satisfying meal. Chris loved it too. I didn't even realize until I was typing in the recipe that I forgot the almonds. They would have been great on this salad.

The boys had this lovely creation. That's all Chris, baby!

This recipe came from the Fresh, Fabulous, Fast cookbook by Weight Watchers. If you can get your hands on one of these cookbooks, I HIGHLY recommend it. Almost every recipe in this book has been amazing. Or, Fabulous, I guess!

Maple-Glazed Chicken Thighs

Serves 4

1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
8 chicken thighs
Sesame seeds (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, soy sauce and lemon juice; set aside.

2. Place chicken, meaty side down, on greased grill over medium heat; cover and cook, turning once, for 10 minutes.

3. Turn chicken and baste with syrup mixture; cook, turning and basting again, for 10 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).

Served with roasted potatoes and watermelon. (It was Canada Day, so I used a cookie cutter to cut the watermelon into maple leaf shapes. I would NOT do this again...way too much effort, but they were cute!)

Results: Doesn't it seem like some marinades are so difficult to make, and you can barely taste them? This is not one of those. Super simple to make (no chopping, come on!) and a very subtle sweet taste to the chicken. Keeper!

Recipe from Canadian Living's Best Barbecue Cookbook

Grilled Flank Steak with Mango Chutney

Serves 4
Prep time: 12 minutes, Marinating time: 15 minutes, Cooking time: 10 minutes

cooking spray
1 pound flank steak, trimmed of fat (also called skirt steak)
1/3 cup mango chutney
1/3 cup pineapple juice
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp vinegar, tarragon-flavored (I used white wine vinegar)
1 1/2 Tbsp hot pepper sauce
2 clove garlic, minced

1. Coat grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray; preheat grill or broiler.

2. Combine steak and remaining ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Remove steak from bag; reserve marinade. Place steak on grill rack or broiler pan and cook 5 minutes on each side,
turning once, or until done.

3. Meanwhile, pour reserved marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

4. When steak is finished cooking, let it rest for 5 minutes, then cut it diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with chutney sauce.

Served with green beans and roasted potato slices (drizzled with olive oil and coarse sea salt, baked at 400 until done.)

Results: this was very easy to make and so good! Chris said the FedEx man actually stopped by while he was grilling to ask what we were having because it smelled so good. The marinade was sweet, with just a hint of spice to it. Definitely making this one again! Henry said the meat took "too long to chew." Both boys loved the potatoes.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Caribbean Chicken and Pineapple Kebabs

Serves 4

1 bunch scallions
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons canola oil
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 pound chicken tenders
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
(Note: I added cherry tomatoes and whole mushrooms to our kebabs)

1. Cut white ends of scallions into 2-inch pieces and set aside. Chop green tops of scallions and place in blender with Worcestershire sauce, water, oil, thyme, allspice, pepper flakes, and garlic; blend until smooth, adding additional water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary. Transfer to medium bowl; add chicken and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes.

2. Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat grill to medium-high.

3. Thread chicken, reserved scallions, bell pepper, and pineapple onto 8 metal skewers. Place skewers on grill rack and grill, turning often, until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

Served with rice

Results: I've come to the conclusion that kebabs are never a good idea. The meat doesn't cook because everything is crammed together. The tomatoes are burnt to a crisp after 30 seconds on the grill. The pineapple gets so charred that the boys won't even look at it...No matter how many times I think, "Cool! Kebabs! That'll be easy." It never is. Taste-wise, this was very good. Cooking-wise, this was a huge pain in the ass.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle-Peach Glaze

Serves 4

2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 cup peach preserves
1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced chipotle in adobo sauce
4 peaches, halved and pitted

1. Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine chili powder, 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar, the cumin, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Rub mixture all over pork to coat. Stir together preserves, vinegar, mustard, chipotle, and remaining 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Set aside.

3. Place pork on grill rack and grill, turning occasionally, 15 minutes. Brush pork with 1/4 cup of the preserves mixture and grill, turning, until pork is glazed and browned, 6-8 minutes longer. Transfer pork to cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, lightly spray peaches with nonstick spray. Place on grill rack and grill, brushing with remaining 1/4 cup preserves mixture, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes on each side.

Cut pork into 12 slices and serve with peaches. Served with Lemony Fennel and Radicchio Salad from this recipe.

Results: This was my Mother's Day dinner, so I can't vouch for the prep time or the cooking time, but Chris didn't have any problems making it. I think the cooking time for the pork needed to be longer. Peaches are no where near being in season in Colorado, so we couldn't find any. I'm looking forward to making this again with the peaches, which sound really good. The pork was delicious! I loved the flavor the peach sauce added to the tenderloin.

Pepper Steak and Watercress Sandwiches

Serves 4
Prep time: 1 minute (seriously), Cooking Time: 6-8 minutes (steak fries add 20 minutes)

2 (1/4-pound) filet mignon steaks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
4 whole grain rolls, split and toasted
1 cup watercress sprigs*

*Note: if you don't want to buy watercress, you can substitute any other lettuce. I did buy it, and I've been using the leftovers (because there are a lot) to add to sandwiches the rest of the week.

1. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add steaks and cook until medium, 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to cutting board and let stand 3 minutes. Slice steaks into 3/4-inch slices. (Note: you could obviously cook these on the grill too.)

2. Meanwhile, stir together yogurt and horseradish in small bowl.

3. Spread cut sides of rolls evenly with yogurt mixture. Fill rolls evenly with steak and watercress.

Served with steak fries.

Results: Delicious and soooooo easy to make! The yogurt spread was yummy too. I added chopped chives to it because I had some that weren't going to last much longer. I will say this is not nearly enough meat for four sandwiches though! I bought two (4-oz) filets and used them for two sandwiches (the boys didn't eat these.) So, these are great for dinner guests, but make sure to buy one filet per person. My only complaint about an otherwise perfect recipe!

Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Blue Cheese Dressing & Garlic-Herb Steak Fries

Serves 4
Prep Time: 25 minutes (Say WHAT? It took 5 minutes to prep the fries, 10 minutes to prep the chicken burgers and 10 minutes to make the dressing. But the chicken and dressing can be made while the fries are baking, so dinner was ready in 35 minutes) Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Steak Fries:
3 cups frozen steak fries
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt (I thought this was too much, I used 1/2 teaspoon)

1. Preheat oven to 450*.

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Arrange fries in a single layer on a large baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake at 450 for 17 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring once.

Burgers & Dressing:
1 pound ground skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
1 tablespoon dried bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1 small celery stalk, finely chopped
2 tablespoons reduce-fat blue cheese crumbles
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
4 lettuce leaves
Tomatoes, sliced

1. Preheat grill to medium high heat.

2. While fries are baking, combine chicken, scallions, bread crumbs, salt and pepper sauce in a large bowl and mix well. With damp hands, shape mixture into 4 (1/2-inch thick) patties.

3. Place patties on grill and cook until done, about 5 minutes on each side.

4. Meanwhile, to make dressing, stir together yogurt, mayonnaise, celery, and blue cheese in a small bowl.

Place burgers on buns and top evenly with dressing, lettuce & tomatoes. Serve with steak fries.

Results: I have nothing but raves for this recipe. It was delicious, and a great way to get the taste of some buffalo wings, if you are having a craving. The fries were fantastic too. Henry devoured his burger, but didn't like the fries. Steven liked the fries (and gladly took Henry's fries), but wouldn't touch the burger. Chris and I ate every single bite, and may or may not have licked our plates. The dressing could be made ahead of time, if you are looking to save some time.

Pork Chops with Asian Pineapple Salsa

Serves 4
Prep Time: 6 minutes, Cooking Time: 25 minutes (Doh! I just missed the 30 minute mark on this one, but admittedly, I'm a slow chopper. I'm going to list it as 30 minutes anyway. Interestingly enough, the original recipe claims you can make this meal in less than 15 minutes. Uh huh...)

4 boneless pork chops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup pre-cut fresh pineapple
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
Pinch red pepper flakes
Rice (optional)

If preparing meal with rice, get that going first. You can finish all the chopping and grilling while the rice is cooking.

1. Spray grill with cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Place pork on grill and cook until done, about 4-5 minutes each side.

3. Meanwhile, to make salsa, place pineapple, shallot, fish sauce, brown sugar, cilantro and pepper flakes in food processor and pulse 2-3 times, just until pineapple is coarsely chopped.

Serve pork chops with salsa and rice.

Results: A perfect summer meal! This was really great. I ended up over-pulsing my pineapples, so if you have a super tiny food processor like me, you might want to put the cilantro in first. I had to keep pulsing to get that cilantro chopped up. That would be the only thing I would change about this recipe. It was DELICIOUS! (Leftovers were great too!)

Rosemary-Grilled Pork Chops with Potatoes and Zucchini

Serves 4
Prep Time: 12 minutes, PLUS several hours to marinate
Cook Time: 15 minutes

1/8 tsp lemon zest, or to taste
1 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus 1 lemon, halved
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
3 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 4-oz boneless pork chop, center-cut
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 pound(s) uncooked Yukon Gold potato(es), or any baby potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1⁄8-inch-thick slices

1. Combine the lemon zest, rosemary, garlic, and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle the pork with 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the pepper. Rub half of the rosemary mixture over the pork. Put the pork on a plate, then cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to several hours.

2. Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray; prepare the grill.

3. Place the halved potatoes in the microwave and cook for about 3 minutes. They don't need to be done, just cooked enough so they don't take so long to cook on the grill. Toss the potatoes with the remaining rosemary mixture, 1⁄4 teaspoon of remaining salt, and 1⁄8 teaspoon of remaining pepper. Lightly spray the potatoes with nonstick spray, then place on the grill, cut-side down. Grill the potatoes 5 inches from the heat, turning once, until tender, 5 minutes each side.

4. Sprinkle the zucchini with the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper; lightly spray the zucchini with nonstick spray. Put the pork and zucchini on the grill. Grill the pork until no longer pink, about 6-7 minutes on each side. Grill the zucchini until tender, about 4 minutes on each side. Put the pork and zucchini on a platter.

5. Meanwhile, place the halved lemon, cut-side down on the grill and grill for about 5 minutes.

6. Drizzle the grilled lemon juice over the zucchini. Serve with the potatoes.

Results: First of all, I really HATE, HATE, HATE it when a recipe says "Prep Time: 13 minutes" and they CONVENIENTLY leave out that part about letting the pork marinade for "up to several hours". So frustrating! So, obviously, in case you missed the meaning of my rant, I missed that step when I started preparing dinner, so I ended up ordering pizza. We had this pork the next night.

Other than my disdain for the way the recipe was written, this is a great dinner. Low on ingredients, but really delicious! I drizzled the lemon juice over everything, but I wish I had left it off the pork because I felt like I had lemon overload. (Chris disagrees, and liked all the lemon juice.) Once everything was on the grill, you know, after SEVERAL HOURS of marinading, you really need to keep an eye on everything to make sure the veggies aren't burning.

Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato Paninis

Serves 2
Prep Time: 18 minutes, Cook Time: 6 minutes

1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
4 oz Italian bread, cut into four slices
2 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, fresh, thinly sliced
1 cup basil leaves
1 medium plum tomatoes, cut into eight thin slices
olive oil cooking spray
1 clove garlic, peeled and cut in half

1. Preheat grill.

2. In a small bowl, stir together vinegar, oil, oregano, salt and pepper until blended. Brush mixture onto 1 side of each slice of bread. To make each sandwich, layer 1/2 of cheese over brushed side of bread and then top with 4 tomato slices and 1/2 cup of basil. Top with another slice of bread, brushed side down and then coat sandwich with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3. Grill, lightly pressing with a spatula from time to time, until bread is toasted
and cheese melts, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. (I found it easier to flip the sandwiches off the grill.) Rub grilled bread with garlic clove.

Served with Chive Parmesan Chips

Results: Mmmmmmmm...these are so wonderful. I love Caprese salad, so this is a fantastic sandwich. I've made these before, and I'll make them again. One of my favorites!

Grilled Salmon with Garlic, Lemon, and Basil

Serves 4

Sauce:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 garlic cloves, minced

Salmon:
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare sauce, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper; add fish to grill, skin side up. Tent loosely with tin foil. Grill four minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with sauce.

Served with mashed potatoes and peas.

Results: This sauce was super easy to make, and would also taste great on chicken. I didn't think this made enough sauce for four people, but it worked for Chris and I, because the kids didn't want any of the sauce. So tangy and fresh tasting...a keeper!

Grilled Fusion Chicken

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons each tequila and fresh lime juice
1&1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle chile
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Chopped cilantro (optional)

1. Pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. In a shallow dish, whisk oil, tequila, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, ginger, chile, and salt. Reserve 1/3 cup of this marinade, then put the chicken in dish, turning to coat, and marinate 30 minutes.

2. Grill chicken on a charcoal or gas grill over medium heat, turning once, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total.

3. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved marinade until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cream, then remove from heat. Serve chicken drizzled with sauce and garnished with cilantro, if you like. Serve extra sauce on the side.

Served with rice and a tropical salad (recipe below)

Results: My mother-in-law sent me this recipe and I wish I had tried it sooner. This was delicious and could not have been easier to make. The sauce was so tasty and this was a perfect summer meal. I'm pretty sure I would have licked my plate, had I not been trying to set an example for the boys. I did not have the dried chipotles, and it still tasted great, so if you don't have them, I wouldn't rush out to buy them.

Henry had no problems eating this, Steven would not even try it. How about in the future, I just let you know when Steven actually tries something, OK?

Tropical Salad: Whisk 1/2 cup strawberry yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 & 1/2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar* in a bowl until blended. Add 5 cups spring mix salad, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup thinly slice strawberries and 1/2 cup mandarin orange slices. Toss to coat. (*note: I used regular balsamic vinegar, and it was just fine. It discolors the yogurt a bit, but once the salad is mixed, you can't even tell. I refuse to buy an $8.00 bottle of vinegar for less than two teaspoons.)

Grilled Salmon with Tangy Cucumber Sauce

Serves 6

1 cup cubed seeded peeled cucumber
1½ cups sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
1 (3-pound) salmon fillet
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

2. Prepare grill.

3. Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place fish, skin side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes. Rotate fish one quarter-turn for diamond-shaped crosshatches. Grill 3 minutes. Turn fish over; grill 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with cucumber sauce and garnish with dill sprigs (optional).

Served with rice cooked with grated lemon peel (yum!) We really needed a veggie with this dish though. I don't know what I was thinking by not making one!

Results: Yum...the cucumber sauce was so delicious and easy to make. It just screamed SUMMER, which was nice on this cold, rainy day in Denver! Henry is a big salmon fan, and had no problem eating his. Steven (no surprise here!) wouldn't try it. Everyone liked the rice, which had just a hint of lemon flavor. A definite keeper!

I think this sauce would make a great spread for a sandwich too.

Note: I halved the sauce recipe above, and we still had a ton of it leftover.

Korean Barbecue Wet Rub

Serves 4

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 pork loin chops

1. Preheat grill.
2. Combine all ingredients. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week at this point). Rub marinade onto pork chops and grill until finished.

Served with Sesame Cucumber Salad and Mac & Cheese

Results: I so cheated on this dish and made Mac & Cheese for Steven to eat. My requirement was that he could have the Mac & Cheese after he ate one bite of pork without gagging. You should have seen him struggle to eat this teeny, tiny dime-sized bite of pork! He finally did, and got his Mac & Cheese. Henry had no problem eating his, but didn't like the cucumber salad. (Not surprising.) This rub is very easy to prepare and very delicious! (The recipe says it can also be rubbed on salmon, steaks or chicken.)