Dinner Tonight

Tonight we are heading back to the grill (we like to take advantage of the beautiful summer weather). It is dinner party night tonight. Some simple entertaining with a few close friends and a good game of back yard Bocce Ball...after a long day at work it is a great way to relax and make a midweek day feel like the weekend.

Wine and Herb Infused Tri Tip Roast
Roasted Corn on the Cob
Spring Green Salad with Feta Cheese and Cranberries
Crusty Garlic Sourdough Grilled

Trip Tip

Soak the Tri Tip in the following for at least 2 hours prior to cooking:
1/2 bottle of "2 Buck Chuck" Cabernet (AKA Charles Shaw from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup of chopped fresh herbs- Thyme, Sage, Rosemary
4 chopped garlic cloves
1 T salt
3 T Cracked black pepper

Cook Tri Tip on Grill- I like it medium rare...some like it well done, so the time on the grill will vary. Plan for an hour or more for cook time.

One important tip- don't sliced into the Tri Tip for at least 20 minutes after you take it off the grill. This will allow all the juices to stay in the meat.

Roasted Corn on the Cob
2 ways to do this-

1. Remove the husk from the corn. Brush with a little olive oil and wrap in foil. Place on grill for about 20 minutes- rotating a few times to allow all sides to cook.

2. Pull the husks back from cob, but keep intact. Tie the husk with a little cooking string. Cook directly on the grill. This is a fun presentation...very rustic.

Spring Green Salad
1 bag of fresh organic spring greens from Trader Joe's (or your favorite store)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnut pieces or halves

Dressing-

• 3/4 cup tomato juice
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (white or red)
  
• 1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
• 4 teaspoons sugar

Crusty Sourdough Bread

• Slice a large round loaf of sourdoug in half
• brush on a cup of melted butter
• sprinkle with garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• lightly sprinkle with dried parsley flakes
• Wrap each half in foil (this keeps the butter from dripping off)
• Place on grill for about 10 minutes- butter side down.

Have a few friends over tonight to enjoy this tasty meal. Make Tuesday feel like Saturday! Open an nice bottle of Zinfandel and Enjoy!

Dinner Tonight and Tomorrow Night

Tonight is salad bar night. The weather continues to be in the 90's so no heat in the kitchen for me. What I like to do is get up early, before the heat, and make these ahead of time. When dinner comes, all I need to do is bring it out and serve. I am making enough to last through tomorrow too. So this is a 2 day meal maker!! EASY!!!

Green Salad
Italian Pasta salad
Fruit Melon Salad
Tuna Pasta Salad

For the green salad- tonight I am going Bag-o-salad style! Hey, if its good enough for Rachel Ray, its good enough for me! To the mix I will add some cucumber, tomatoes, kidney beans, grated cheese, sunflower seeds, and frozen green peas. These are some of my favorites- just change to suit your taste. I prefer Balsamic Vinegar for this one,- but any dressing is good.



Cook 2 boxes small Penne Pasta in boiling salt water until soft.
Rinse and cool

Pasta salad-

Add to 1 box cooked pasta about 1/2 cup each-
Chopped cucumber
Chopped tomatoes
Black olives
Feta cheese crumbles
Cooked broccoli flowerettes (about 10 bites worth)
Cubed dry Italian Salami
1/2 cup of your favorite Italian dressing

Mix all together with the pasta and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Fruit Melon Salad
Cube:

• Watermelon
• Cantaloupe
• Honeydew
• 3 Kiwis

Tuna Salad
1 box cooked pasta
1 cup mayo
1/2 small med. onion
1 med green pepper diced
1 small can of diced black olives
2 celery stalks sliced thin
1 jar pimentos- drained
2 cans Albacore packed in water- drain well
1 T each- salt and pepper

Stay cool in the summer heat! Have fun and enjoy your evening.

Dinner Tonight

The weather prediction is a high of 95 today! Wow- with that kind of heat, I don’t want to add more to the kitchen…you know what they say- “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”.

Here is a great meal that I got from my friend Susie. This is a make-ahead meal, assembled when it’s time to eat. The only part you need to cook at dinner are the muffins.

BLT Salad

Toasted English Muffins

Sliced Cantaloupe

Iced Green Tea Sweetened

In the morning cook up 1 lb. of bacon very crisp. Drain and crumble.

Shred 1 head of iceberg lettuce and place in your serving bowl. Cover the top with saran wrap and keep in the fridge until time to mix and serve.

Chop fine-

· 3 tomatoes- seeded. To seed tomatoes, cut in half and squeeze firmly over the sink to let all the seeds and some of the juice out.

· 4 stalks of green onions

· 1 cucumber seeded – to seed a cucumber, slice in half and run a spoon down the center to scoop out all the seeds.

The reason to seed the tomatoes and cucumbers is to keep your salad from having too much extra moisture. Otherwise when you add the mayo, it will turn watery.

Place the cucumber, onion, and tomatoes in a baggie. Place bacon in separate baggie. Place in fridge.

At dinner- assemble your salad and mix in 1 cup of mayo. Toss well, coating everything in the mayo. Toast you muffins, slice your melon, and serve with some ice cold green tea. Enjoy your evening and stay cool!

Dinner Tonight

After spending time by the beach, I always get a craving for seafood. Tonight’s menu will hit the spot!

Grilled Salmon with Garlic Dill Sauce

Grilled Red Potatoes

Steamed Asparagus tips

Raspberry Sorbet

Potatoes-

Cut medium red potatoes in half. Place in a microwave safe dish and cook in microwave- about 6 to 9 minutes for 4 potatoes. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes after cooking. After potatoes are done, place on grill for a few minutes just until the outside gets nice charred grill marks on the cut side.

Grilled Salmon with Garlic

Dill Sauce recipe-

4 decent size fresh salmon steaks (farm raised is good for grilling because the fat content is higher)

Prepare the following sauce

1 cube butter- melted in microwave for about 1 minute

Add-

· 2 T garlic powder

· 1 T Kosher Salt

· 1 T Cracked black pepper

· 2 T fresh chopped Dill weed (or 1 T dry dill)

· ¼ cup dry white wine

· 1 T fresh lemon juice

Cook sauce over low heat until reduced by 1/3. Set aside half of the sauce to drizzle over salmon after cooking.

Grill salmon and baste often with sauce- cook until desired doneness. Some prefer salmon rare, I am not one of those people. I like salmon cooked well but certainly not dry. Take care with fish as it can dry out fast.

While salmon is cooking, steam the asparagus about 8 minutes. After it is done, drizzle butter and a squeeze of lemon juice over it.

Plate the Salmon and lightly drizzle remaining sauce over each steak. Serve the asparagus and potatoes on the side. Garnish with a sprig of dill and 2 lemon wedges. After dinner finish with a nice light raspberry sorbet.

Yummy!!

Dinner Tonight

Tonight my honey and I are going to have a picnic under the stars at the beach. So come join us for a relaxed evening of being with someone you are close to.

On the menu:

• Deli/Relish Platter
• Crusty Sourdough Rolls
• Four Layer Hummus Dip
• Pita Chips
• Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Hot Peets Coffee in a thermos
• Bottled Water

This dinner is more about personal taste. I will be packing the following for my deli/relish platter:

• Sliced deli turkey
• Sliced Italian dry salami
• Manchego cheese
• Irish cheddar cheese
• Claussen Kosher dill wedges
• Deli Variety of cured olives
• Pearl tomatos
• Baby carrots

The four layer hummus dip is found at Trader Joes in the cold section where the cheese is. I also get the cheese and meats from Trader Joes. This is a really easy and fun dinner. Just choose a couple of deli meats and cheeses that you like.

For the chocolate chip cookies- I have tried many recipies but my favorite is the one on the Toll House Chips package. You can spiff them up by adding nuts, m&ms, raisins, or just make the recipe as it is.

If you aren't a coffee drinker, hot tea or cocoa is great too. It can get a little cool on the beach at night (even in the summer). And if you are going to a location that allows, a nice bottle of wine is a good add on. Our local beach is a non-alchoholic beach, so we will stick with coffee.

Now here is the fun part- bring along a lantern, a big cozy blanket to sit on, sweatshirts, and a deck of cards. When was the last time you played Rummy or Crazy Eights? Well tonight's the night.

Get there while it is still light and watch the sun go down. Take time to talk about stuff that you never take time to talk about. Eat, laugh, play, and be silly...enjoy the time! I know we will.

Dinner Tonight

Porcupines
Steamed Veggies
Tangy Wedge Salad
Fresh Sliced Strawberries



Tonight's meal is reminiscent of moms cooking. My mom used to make meatballs that she called "Porcupines". They are a mixture of rice and hamburger that make a wonderful gravy as they cook. This dinner is one of those comfort food dinners. No diet worries tonight- just happy eating!


Porcupines Recipe

• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 2 lbs hamburger
• 2 eggs
• 1 T salt
• 1 T black pepper
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 3 T Worchestire sauce
• 1 T Italian herbs

Mix all the above ingredients together and form into small golf ball size balls
Place in a skillet with a lid on medium heat
Brown the outside of the meatballs, turning to cook all sides (about 20 minutes)

Once the meatballs are browned, turn the heat down to simmer.

Now add:
1 can concentrated mushroom soup diluted with 1 can water (just like the soup directions)
Pour over meatballs
Simmer for 45 minutes
Check often. If it gets too thick or dry, add a little more water.

Steamed Veggies

• 2 carrots sliced thin
• 2 Broccoli flowers broken into bite sized pieces
• 2 yellow crook neck squash cut into bite size cubes

Steam veggies for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of dill weed (optional).

Tangy Salad Wedge

Cut a head of iceburg lettuce into 4 wedges
Pour your favorite Italian dressing over the wedge (I like Newman's best)
Sprinkle with diced tomato and chopped green onions.

Dinner Tonight

Easy Entertaining Idea Tonight-

Burrito Bar
Green Salad
Chips
Guacamole
Your favorite Adult beverage
Ice Cream Sundaes for dessert

Tonight's dinner is a great for easy entertaining. You can make what I call a "burrito bar". This is a serve-yourself-style way of dining. This makes an easy, casual summer get together with friends, family, or groups without a lot of fuss.

Everything can be cooked or heated on the grill, this way you avoid messing up the kitchen. All the ingredients can be made ahead and stored in plastic containers. Some you can buy prepared (shredded lettuce and cheese). Make this a fun night and have a burrito bar party. The skies the limit on how many people this will feed.


Burritos- build your own

• Meat- shredded, cubed, or ground
  
• Beans
• Cheese
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Green onions
• Jalepenos
• Rice
• Black Olives sliced
  
• Potato Chunks
• Avocado
• Salsa
• Pico D Gallo
• Sour Cream

Meat- any kind of meat you like.

Beans- Refried, black, or pinto beans are all good choices

Tortillas- Whole wheat handmade tortillas from Trader Joes are awesome! They are much healthier than the standard white flour ones.

Having a tossed green salad on the side adds crunch to the meal.

Guacamole- there is a debate on what makes good guacamole. My personal favorite is VERY simple. Mashed avocados, salt, and a dash of garlic powder....done!

If you want to make it go further, you can start adding things like sour cream, tomatoes, onions, etc. Its a personal taste thing.

Chips- Get good tortilla chips, like the kind you would find in a Mexican Restaurant. Heat them up for extra crunch and freshness.

Dinner Tonight

Low Carb "Chicken Italiano"
Green Salad

Garlic Toast *optional


Tonight's recipe is really easy (a little time consuming though) and is a one-dish meal (you know how fond I am of these!).

I made this as a low-carb meal because we like to stay away from eating a ton of pasta, rice, and potatoes. You can always add a side dish of your favorite pasta with this recipe and a nice piece of crusty sourdough garlic bread, however.

Low-Carb "Chicken Italiano" Recipe:

• 4 chicken breasts- boneless and skinless
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 large zucchini squash sliced thick
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 1 med. onion
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (avoid the sweet ones for this dish- you can also use 1/4 cup of beer)
• 3 cloves garlic chopped (Christopher Ranch's chopped garlic is great for this- it is in the grocery produce section usually)
• 1 T salt
• 1 T cracked black pepper
• 1 T dried Italian herbs or 1/4 cup fresh (thyme,rosemary,sage,parsley)
  
• 2 cups Mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese

In a large oven-proof skillet (that has a lid)- heat olive oil on medium high. Place chicken breasts in oil and cook till golden brown on each side. It doesn't need to be cooked through as we will simmer them to complete the cooking.

Remove chicken breasts and set aside.
Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil to pan and heat on medium. Saute the garlic, mushrooms, and onions until carmelized.

Drain oil and leave the garlic, mushrooms, and onions in the pan.

To this mix add the chicken back in, and the tomatoes.
Add 1/4 cup dry white wine
Simmer for 30 minutes on low heat, covered
Remove lid and add the squash
Cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring as needed (stir gently as not to break up the soft veggies and chicken. **depending on the amount of liquid, you may need to cook a little longer in order to reduce the sauce.

Top with cheese and place in oven on broil just until the cheese melts


Serve with a crispy green salad and garlic toast and/or pasta if desired

Dinner Tonight

Hello- I will be out of town for a few days and won't be cooking- I will catch back up with you when I return. I will be eating out so...hey- let's all eat out and take a break from the kitchen.


See you then..in the meantime, if you are cooking something interesting this weekend- share your recipes and menus with us if you have a moment to post. I'd love to know what you made.


Be back Monday!

Dinner Tonight

Tonight's meal is based on having leftover chicken from last night.

Shredded BBQ Chicken Rolls
Tangy Slaw
Chili Beans

Shredded BBQ Chicken Rolls recipe

1 chicken breast, 1 thigh, 1 leg- shred all the meat
Add:
1 Cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
2T worchestire sauce
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t liquid smoke
1 T Tabasco

Simmer on low heat all the ingredients for about 10 minutes. Served over a toasted Kaiser roll (or other sturdy bun)

Tangy Slaw
1 package shredded cabbage
1 package broccoli slaw
2 carrots shredded
1 T Poppy seeds
1/2 cup Italian dressing

Mix well and put in the fridge for about 1 hour before serving

For the chili beans- I usually make my own, but for this menu, we will just stick to your favorite canned beans. This meal is all about fast and easy so you can enjoy the evening without being in the kitchen too much. Enjoy!

Dinner Tonight

Citrus Herb Chicken
Pan Grilled Asparagus
Roasted Red Potatoes


Citrus Herb Chicken

1 Whole Free Range Chicken from Trader Joes
1/4 cup olive oil
4 T kosher salt mixed with 2 T Italian Dried Herb mix

Stuffing

• 1 orange cut in wedges (keep peels on)
• Whole sage- handful
• Rosemary stalks- handful
• Thyme- small handful
• 1 whole clove garlic quartered

Take all the above stuffing items and stuff into chicken cavity- no need to chop. Brush olive oil over chicken and rub with salt/herb mix.

Cover loosely with foil and cook in oven at 350 for appx 1 hour (this will depend on the size of the bird. Allow at least 20 minutes per pound). The last 20 minutes uncover to allow skin to brown.

Pan Grilled Asparagus-
Snap each asparagus stalk to remove the ends that could be woody. Place the tips (usually about 2/3 of the stalk) in a frying pan in about 3T olive oil. Cook on medium high heat cooking on all sides until desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a lemon wedge on the side.

Roasted Red Potatoes-
Cut 4 red potatoes into wedges and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper. Baked for appx. 1 hour or until done. This will depend on how big the wedges are.

Take stuffing out of chicken prior to cooking. Let chicken cool enough to cut into pieces and serve on a platter surrounded by the roasted potatoes.

Good Eating!

Dinner Tonight

I am calling these Italian Sausage Hoagies
Green Salad
Watermelon


"I am calling these Italian Sausage Hoagies" recipe:

6 hot Italian sausages cooked (grilled is best)
2 green bell peppers med size
2 yellow bell peppers
1 yellow or white onion
8 oz. sliced White or Crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil

Slice and saute all veggies in olive oil over hot enough heat to carmelize the onions. For the last few minutes, add the sausage and simmer to add more flavor to the veggies. The veggies will be well done, not crispy.

Serve over a Hoagie roll or your choice of bun with Dijon mustard and mayo.

Yummy and fast!

Dinner Tonight

OK...tonight is really easy!! It is Sunday and the weather is BEAUTIFUL...about 70. This just begs for being outside.

Tonight's menu-
Grilled Ribeye Steaks Marinated in Wine
Pico D Gallo Salad
Grilled Zucchini
Tropical Fruit Salad
Warm tortillas
Make ahead-

Pico d Gallo Salad
1 can corn drained
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
4 tomatoes diced small
1 red bell pepper diced small
1 med red onion
1 cup cilantro (more or less to taste
2 firm avocados diced small
3 T lemon juice (fresh is best, Lime juice is good too)
2 T Tabasco for heat
1 T Kosher Salt
1 T cracked black pepper
1 t Garlic powder

Mix all together and chill. Serve over a bed of shredded lettuce and warmed tortillas on the side.

Tropical Fruit Salad
1 small whole fresh pineapple diced
2 bananas
3 kiwis
2 cartons strawberries
1 orange
1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional) toasted in oven for 10 min or until brown

Peel and cube or slice all fruit. Toss in toasted coconut. Let chill for 1 hour before serving.

When its time to grill the steaks and they are almost done- slice the Zucchini longways in 1" thick slices. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on each side. Grill for about 3-5 min on each side.

One of the best things you can do with a steak is marinate it in red wine for a couple of hours prior to cooking. Toss some garlic cloves, rosemary, and thyme in a large baggie. Place 4 Ribeyes in the baggie, fill with about 2/3 bottle of decent red wine. Believe it or not- "2 Buck Chuck Cabernet" from Trader Joes makes a great wine for this purpose (aka Charles Shaw). Don't go for the other cheap wines though. If you don't have 2 Buck- try a bottle that runs at around $6-$9. Once you have marinated the steaks- massage a light crust of Kosher salt and fresh herbs onto both sides and grill to desired "doneness". Yummy!

Serves at least 4 people

Dinner Tonight

Since its the weekend- I have a little more time to cook so tonight's dinner will take more preparation.

Breaded Pork Chops
Black Eyed Peas
Roasted Herb Veggies
Marinated Tomato Slices


First marinate your tomatoes-

Marinated Tomatoes
Slice 4 tomatoes
3 chopped green onions
place in a baggie
add
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 cup fresh diced parsley

Place in fridge for at least 1 hour

Now cook your veggies-

Roasted Herb Veggies
4 large red potatoes
4 large Carrots
1 whole white or yellow onion
8 stalks of asparagus halved

Chop all veggies in large bite size chunks, except the asparagus- cut in 1/2.
Coat all veggies lightly in olive oil
and toss with:

• 1 T Kosher salt
• 1 T Cracked black pepper
• 1 T fresh chopped Rosemary
• 1 T fresh chopped Thyme
• 1 T fresh chopped sage

Place on a cookie sheet pan
Cook at 375 for 1 hour or until done (check at 45 min. for desired consistency)
(if the fresh herbs are unavailable- use a bottled Italian herb blend and use about 2 T)

After the veggies have been in for 30 minutes cook-

Pork Chops

Moisten Pork Chop by dipping in buttermilk (or egg and milk mixed)
Coat each side with Italian bread crumbs (Progresso makes this and it is usually on the same isle as the flour in the store).

• In a large skillet heat on med high 1/2 cup olive oil- let it get hot (test with a little crumb tossed in- if it sizzles - the oil is ready- if it smokes- it's too hot and needs to be turned down a little)
  
• Place each chop in the hot oil and cook on each side until browned- about 8 min.
  
• After they are browned- turn the heat down to low and allow them to cook slowly for about 10-15 minutes more. The whole idea is to have a nice browned crust (not burned) but get the inside cooked well enough- no pink.
• When they are done, place on paper towles to drain before serving

Black eyed peas are just straight from a can. Open 2 cans of peas, place in a microwave dish- juice and all- and heat for about 3 minutes. Homemade black eyed peas are really tasty, but they take a while to cook. I will save that recipe for another time.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dinner Tonight

Tonight we are all about being outside. The weather is in the 70's and will be the perfect night for grilling.

Dinner tonight:
Grilled Hamburgers
Tossed Green Salad
Watermelon
Peach Cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream (yummy!)

Recipe:

Peach Cobbler

1- 15 OZ can or jar of peaches in juice (drain well)
1 cup Self Rising Flour (don't use regular flour it won't work right)
1 Cup Milk (whole, 1% or 2%)
1 Cup white sugar
1 stick of butter (butter tastes better than margarine but you can use it if you need to)

Melt butter in a 9x9 glass baking dish in the microwave for appx. 1 minute.

Mix in a bowl:

• flour
• sugar
• milk

Place peaches on top of melted butter
Pour batter evenly over peaches (don't mix)

Don't worry if the peaches are not all covered- the batter rises and surrounds them when it cooks.

Cook at 350 for 55 minutes.

Serve while warm. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This is a fast and delicious dessert...not for the lo-cal audience :)

Dinner Tonight

Stir Fry Veggies with Steak Strips
Steamed White Rice
Sliced Oranges
Green Iced Tea

Once again I am going for the one dish meal. These are the kinds of meals that make healthy eating and are fast enough to keep me out of the drive-thru!

You can almost make this one blindfolded...LOL

Fresh Veggies

• 2 stalks Celery
• 2 to 3 Broccoli heads
• 3 Carrots
• 2 cups Green Beans (you can also use Chinese Pea Pods)
• 8 oz package of sliced Mushrooms (no canned mushrooms...yuk!)
• 1 whole med Onion (white or yellow)
• 2 to 3 cups Bean Sprouts (optional)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper (not green- too bitter for this recipe)

Cut and slice all veggies (except bean sprouts leave whole) in nice bite size pieces and slices- about the same size.

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
Whole chopped Garlic (because its easy-I use Christopher Ranch's fresh whole peeled garlic from Raleys-Nob Hill grocery store- you can find it in the produce section usually)
Green onions and Wonton strips (optional for topping)
Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
Olive Oil

Meat- any kind of steak, chicken or pork will work for this one. It is a matter of preference. If you are a vegetarian or vegan- throw in a little Tofu if you like. this is a great way to use up any left over meat too. The amount is also a matter of preference. I will be using an 8oz. Rib Eye.

It tastes best to grill the meat on the BBQ because it gives it a great flavor, but if you can't grill, just fry in some olive oil in a frying pan on the stove. Sprinkle some Salt and Cracked Black Pepper while cooking it. Set the meat aside and let it cool. Don't cut it yet. This allows the meat to retain all the juice. This is always true for any kind of meat- you want to "let it rest"before you slice into it.

While the meat is resting:
On med high heat-
In a large frying pan add 1/4 cup olive oil- add:

• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Garlic

Cook for about 10 minutes or until the onions and mushrooms are carmelized (browned) and the garlic soft.

Once these are done add all the other veggies and cook for about 7-12 minutes depending on how soggy or crunchy you want your veggies. My preference is crunchy.

Slice the meat while this is cooking. Periodically stir the veggies to cook evenly on all sides.

In the last couple of minutes add the meat slices (they just need to be warmed up) and pour in the soy sauce. Stir the mixture to coat evenly with soy sauce.


Now place stir fry on a bed of white rice** topped with chopped green onions and fried wonton strips, salt (easy on the salt because soy sauce is very salty) and pepper to taste ...place orange slices on the side.....and dinner is served.

Done!

**white rice can be made in the microwave
2 cups white rice (not instant)
4 cups water
3 T olive oil

Pour olive oil onto the rice and stir around to coat the rice grains...makes it less sticky...add water.

Put all ingredients in a covered microwave dish for 20 minutes on high. This is not an exact science and the top may blow off the dish so you will have to do a little experimenting with how your individual microwave and dishes will work. I have also tried putting it in a microwave bowl and covered with saran wrap...poked with a few little holes to allow the steam to escape a teeny bit. This may work well for you too. A note of caution- when you take the lid or saran wrap off- the steam can seriously burn you so be careful.

Dinner Tonight

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Homemade BBQ sauce
Garbanzo and Fennel Salad
Lettuce Wedge with Blue Cheese dressing
Watermelon Chunks

Tonight is all about fresh, easy, and outdoor dining! While my honey grilles the chicken I will throw together the salads and...walaaa.... dinner is served in no time.

I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I have made my own BBQ sauce for years and have included the recipe below. It is so much more economical and I like the taste better.

The Garbanzo Bean salad is a matter of personal taste. Some people don't like the bean (also known as chickpeas). But try this recipe, it may change your mind (If you really object, just make a few bake potatoes instead...this will keep the dinner easy) This recipe can be made a day ahead of time too.

Garbanzo and Fennel Salad
2 cans Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas- drained
1 Fennel Bulb (it looks like a root with fern like fronds on it)
1/4 onion (any color but red onion makes it look better)
2 stalks celery
1 med size red apple cored (leave the peel on)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Chop all the veggies, and apple, above in thin bite size slices and pieces. On the Fennel Bulb .... you want to slice thin and discard the very end and core that may be too thick. Also chop up fine about 1/4 cup of the green fronds- it gives the salad a little more licorice flavor and also more eye appeal.

Toss all together in the following dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin is best for dressings)
1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 Splenda
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 t salt
1 t cracked black pepper

(You can also just use a nice tangy sweet white balsamic vinegar with olive oil, or store bought light Italian or balsamic herb salad dressing in a pinch).

Let the salad marinate for at least 30 minutes. You will have leftovers with this recipe and it gets better the longer it sits. This is a great potluck-picnic recipe as it needs to only be kept cool, but not refrigerated. Just a note... my dad (who hates veggies) loves this salad.

Homemade BBQ Sauce Sweet and Hot
2 cups ketchup
1 1/4 cup brown sugar (white is OK..Splenda is OK but may turn a little funky on the grill)
1/2 cup Worchestire sauce
2T Tabasco sauce (more or less depending on how hot you like it)
1 T garlic powder
1 t salt
1 T cracked black pepper
1 T liquid Smoke (you can usually find this in the same section as worchestire sauce in the store)

Mix all ingredients together and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes to melt the sugar. That's all there is to it.

If you want a tangier style BBQ sauce- cut the sugar back to about 1 cup and add about 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard.

Lettuce Wedge Salad

1 head iceburg lettuce cored and cut into 4 wedges
Blue Cheese dressing (buy the good stuff loctaed in the refrigerator section of the store- don't buy the bottled stuff. Marie Callender's is a good brand as is Trader Joes).
Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles
Bacon crumbled (I get the real bacon bits from Smart and Final. It comes in a huge bag and lasts for a long time. It is real bacon and is nice for many dishes that need a little smokey flavor)
Tomato wedges

Place the wedge of lettuce on the plate. Drizzle Blue cheese dressing over it. Sprinkle cheese and bacon bits. Add tomato wedges on the side.

Dinner Tonight

Pineapple Chicken Rice Bowl

I love these one bowl dinners. Talk about a 15 minute meal- if you do all the prep work (chop, cut, mix) ahead of time and put everything in baggies in the fridge- you can just throw it all together when you get home from work today.

This is a recipe that has room for trial and error as you can adjust how sweet you want this by adding more sugar. You can add less vinegar if this is too tangy for your taste. You can make the sauce thin or thick- its your call. You just start out with a smaller amount of cornstarch and add more as needed**. You can also cook it quickly for crispy veggies or slowly for soggy veggies.

Here is basically how I make this:

Chop in bite size pieces:
3 bell peppers (any color, but mix it up)
1 med size onion
4 med size carrots
4 flowerettes of fresh broccoli
3 Chicken Breasts (pre-cooked- grilled, fried,steamed...it's all good)

Place in large Saute Skillet

add- 1 can pineapple chunks (drained- keep the juice for sauce)

In a bowl mix the following using a wisk:
reserved pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar (more or less based on how sweet you want this. OK to use Splenda too)
2 cups water
corn starch- about 3 tablespoons (but this will be adjusted based on how thick you want your sauce.)

Pour the sauce over the veggie, pineapple-chicken mix. Cook over med high heat- stir continually- until the sauce has thickened. This will give you very crunchy veggies.

If you want soggy veggies- put the lid on the pan, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 15 minutes or so but watch it that it doesn't get too thick and burn. If the sauce is getting too thick, just add a little water.

Serve over a bed of your favorite rice or if you are low carb- skip the rice.

One other option for this dish is to fry all of the veggies and pineapple in about 4 tablespoons of olive oil on high heat just until they have a nice stir fried consistency. Then add the sauce and heat til the sauce is thick. This is my favorite way of cooking it as it gives the dish more flavor.

**Ok about cornstarch...don't add cornstarch directly dry into the dish. Always mix with enough water to make it a sauce-like consistency, then pour that into the dish while cooking. If you put dry cornstarch in it will make lumps of cornstarch...not tasty at all.

Tonight's Menu

Meatloaf
Salad
Baked Potato (microwave is great for cooking BP- about 8 min for 2)
Cantaloupe

Recipe for Meatloaf-
1 lb lean hamburger
2 eggs
2 cups broccoli slaw or any other grated veggie (you can get broccoli slaw at Trader Joes in a bag)
1/4 cup diced onion
2 T worchestire sauce
1 T salt
1 t pepper
1 1/2 cups Quaker Oats (not instant)
1 t garlic powder
1 T Italian herbs

1 can diced tomatoes for topping or ketchup (your call)

Put all ingredients together (except diced tomatoes) and mix well. Place in a loaf pan, spread one can diced tomatoes or ketchup over top, and cook for appx. 55 min. at 350
Check on the consistency after 45 min just to make sure you don't over cook.

serves 4

This is a fast way to throw together a home cooked meal but gives you the opportunity to relax while it is cooking.

Tonights Menu

• Grilled Hamburgers on Whole Wheat Buns
• Fresh Sliced Strawberries
• Corn on the Cob
• Ice Tea