Recipe: Pomelo Lime Shrimp Salad

Pomelos are great on their own, but with their tangy, juicy citrus flavor, they are also great for fresh summer recipes like this one. This simple recipe has a touch of Asian flair, with fresh lime, cilantro, and fish sauce, and the toasted toppings add a unique crunch. This is great for a light and tasty supper or lunch.

Pomelo Lime Shrimp Salad
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

Pomelos. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 pomelos, peeled and segments cut out
3 limes, juiced
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp chopped green onion
2 lbs. small fresh shrimp, cleaned, tails removed
1 Tbsp light olive oil
dash of red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp toasted chopped peanuts
1 Tbsp toasted shredded coconut
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Put pomelo segments, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, cilantro, and green onion in a large bowl and stir well. Cover and refrigerate.
• Put shrimp on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, and mix with your hands to coat well.
• Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes, just until pink.  Remove and allow to cool on sheet.
• When cool, add shrimp to the bowl with pomelo mixture and stir to combine.
• Spoon this shrimp-pomelo mixture out into small shallow bowls, then top with the peanuts and coconut. Salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe: Island Time Grilled Chicken

Dreaming of a tropical island? This fast and easy summer recipe will make you feel like you're there! Just pop it on the grill and then stretch out by the pool - and maybe have your honey rub a little coconut oil on you - and in no time you'll be ready for a relaxed dinner featuring the spicy sweetness of island cuisine.

Island Time Grilled Chicken
(Serves 4.)

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
3 tbsp chopped hot peppers
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped onions
chicken pieces, about 2 lbs.

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a large ziploc bag.
• Add chicken pieces to bag, seal, and put in refrigerator overnight.
• When ready to cook, preheat grill to medium.
• Take chicken out of marinade and place, skin side down, on grill grates on indirect heat; close grill.  
• When the skin crisps, turn and grill until meat is cooked through; about 15 to 25 minutes depending on the cuts of chicken.

Recipe: Grilled Teriyaki Pork Tenders

Mmm-mmm-mmm!  Go Asian with your grilling this week with this tasty twist on Teriyaki. This simple and easy recipe uses the fresh summer flavors of green onions and bell peppers, combined with spicy ginger and Teriyaki sauce for a delicious main dish in minutes. Great for a quick summer weeknight meal.

Grilled Teriyaki Pork Tenders(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

1 lb. pork tenderloin
1 red bell pepper
4 green onions
4 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce
1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
4 tsp olive oil

Directions:

• Set your grill to medium-high heat and preheat.
• Put tenderloin on grill, cover grill, and cook for 5 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove and let rest on cutting board while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Clean the red bell pepper and cut into thin strips.
• Wash and trim the onions and cut each lengthwise in half.
• In a bowl whisk together the Teriyaki, ginger root, and olive oil.
• Cut the tenderloin into 1/2 inch thick slices, and separate into 4 equal portions.
• Place four large aluminum foil squares on a work surface.
• Arrange 1/4 of the pork on each square, then cover with 1/4 of the red bell peppers and 1/4 of the onion.
• Carefully pour the Teriyaki mixture over the meat and veggies and fold and seal the aluminum foil tight.  Teriyaki is quite salty so you may not need to salt the mixture, but taste and decide.
• Place the 4 packets on the medium-high heat grill, cover and allow to cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or until hot and steaming. Spin around once during this cooking time.
• Remove and let rest for 3 minutes before opening.

Recipe - Balsamic Avocado Dressed Rotini Salad

This delicious pasta salad recipe combines the creamy rich taste of avocados with sweet balsamic vinegar and fresh tomatoes and herbs for a summery side dish that will have your picnickers coming back for more! Great for potlucks, barbecues, or picnics at the beach. Add grilled chicken for a light supper or main dish lunch.

Balsamic Avocado Dressed Rotini Salad
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 avocados, ripe
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp mixed dried herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, any combination)
12 grape tomatoes, cut in half
salt and pepper to taste
more balsamic vinegar to taste (optional)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta in a big pot of boiling, salted water until just al dente; drain well through a colander, put back in pan, add olive oil and stir to coat, cover to keep warm.
2. In a large serving bowl, put the flesh from 1 avocado, add the balsamic vinegar, and mash well until creamy and smooth.
3. Add the warm cooked pasta to the bowl with creamy avocado-balsamic mixture and toss until pasta is coated. Add the herbs to the pasta bowl and stir.
4. Cut the other avocado into bite size pieces and add to bowl.
5. Add the grape tomato halves to the bowl. Toss gently together, then taste and add salt and pepper if desired.
6. You may wish to drizzle in more balsamic vinegar, then toss, and taste again and adjust seasonings.
7. Serve immediately or you may chill this and eat later. If you chill it in the refrigerator, remove and let sit out for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Avocados taste best at room temperature or just a touch cooler.

Recipe - Venison Fajitas

Sorry for the lack of posts last week!  I was out of town, and had less time for blogging than I had expected.... But this week I'm back, and with a couple of tasty new recipes to share, so welcome back!

Here is a great one I came up with this week. I had some venison chops someone had given me, in the freezer, and was looking for a quick and easy summer meal that didn't require a lot of cooking. (The "chops" turned out to be little, incredibly tender medallions of red yumminess that practically fell apart while cutting - must have been a lazy deer!) You could easily substitute a tender cut of beef (or buffalo?) - fajita meat or a stir-fry cut would work well. And feel free to try other types of mushrooms as well, and other garnishes, if desired - be creative - have fun, and enjoy!

Image via WikipediaVenison Fajitas (Serves 3-4):

Ingredients:
1 lb venison chops (or tender cut of beef), thinly sliced
1/2 lb shitake mushrooms, washed, sliced, and stems removed
1 small onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
Dash of Worcestershire or soy sauce, to taste
2 TB olive oil
4 TB sour cream
4 TB chopped cilantro (optional)
6-8 large flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Heat 1 TB oil in large skillet or wok over medium heat until hot. Add shitake mushrooms and onions and stir well. Lower heat to medium low. Cover and let cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
2. Remove cover and increase heat to medium. Cook until liquid evaporates, stirring frequently. 
3. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
4. Push vegetables to sides of pan, add 1 TB olive oil in center, and add meat to center of pan. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned, but still pink in center. Turn off heat.
5. Add salt, pepper, and soy or Worcestershire sauce, and stir all well together.
6. Cook tortillas in toaster oven, or on a stove burner or low flame, until hot and flexible.
7. Spread meat and vegetables in center of each tortilla, and garnish with sour cream and cilantro if desired.
8. Serve with a large green salad for a light summer dinner, or tasty lunch.

My - mostly organic & locally raised - dinner - yum!

Recipe - Crunchy Lentil And Chickpea Veggie Toss

You may think of beans as being a winter food - soups, stews, chilis, etc. But beans are so versatile they can go great in lots of summer dishes as well. From easy burritos and wraps (like our Quick Burrito recipe from last week), to bean salads, there are many ways to use tasty, healthy beans in summer recipes. Here is a good one, full of fresh summer veggies and lovely colors.

Enjoy!

Image via WikipediaCrunchy Lentil And Chickpea Veggie Toss

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried lentils
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, chopped, including green tops
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 celery ribs, chopped small
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbsp good olive oil
sea or kosher salt to taste
dash black pepper
a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, put lentils and water over medium high heat, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and simmer very slowly for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. (Don't let the lentils boil; skim off any foam that forms on the top.)
   
2. Meanwhile prepare chickpeas and veggies and put into a large salad bowl; cover bowl and keep chilled.
   
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and olive oil, with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
   
4. When lentils are cooked, cool slightly, then toss into chilled veggies.
   
5. Pour lime juice and olive oil dressing over the mixture, toss together lightly until combined; taste, adjust seasonings, toss again.
   
6. Chill salad for 15 to 25 minutes, then serve cold.

To make this lentil salad go a bit further, serve over a bed of crispy Romaine lettuce.  You can also toss it with chopped lettuce if you wish.

More Good Bean Recipes:
    

Recipe - Easy Summer Black Bean Burritos

I've been pretty much living on these for the past couple of weeks!  They're just so easy, delicious, fast, and really don't require any cooking - they are perfect for a quick summer lunch or even dinner. The only thing is - they're so simple I almost hesitate to use the word "recipe"!  :-)

But here it is - a quick, healthy, tasty, and minimal-effort weeknight dinner perfect for those summer evenings when you just don't feel like cooking. This can also be a fun one for the kids -  let them pick their own fillings, and help assemble them - it will give them a sense of ownership of their food, and encourage them to eat some veggies!

Easy Summer Black Bean Burritos: (Makes 4; May be adjusted as needed.) 

Ingredients (feel free to mix it up and add your own!):
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans - easy to cook ahead and refrigerate until needed - and feel free to substitute other types of beans!)
Several leaves fresh lettuce, rinsed and torn
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup salsa
4 large (burrito size) flour tortillas
1 cup diced tomatoes (optional)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
3 TB slivered sweet or red onion (optional)
1/3 cup shredded cheese (optional; cheddar, monterey jack, or colby are all good choices, or even crumbled feta)
Salt, to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat tortillas in toaster oven or dry skillet on low-medium heat until warm and flexible.
2. Heat beans in microwave about 30 seconds (or just leave them cold - they are good this way too).
3. Place tortillas on plates, divide beans evenly among them, spreading along the center. Add lettuce, other toppings as desired, and spoon salsa and sour cream over the top. Add a sprinkle of salt if desired.
4. Wrap tortillas around fillings and eat!

These have slivered sweet onions, & lettuce & cilantro from my garden.

Feel free to be creative with these!  I listed a few optional suggestions above. I have had them both with and without any of these optional ingredients - they are always good. Feel free to try different herbs, cheeses, and other condiments. Corn could also be a good addition, and maybe olives? If you want to get really crazy, sprinkle with a dash of cumin, chili powder, or another seasoning. Your options are really limited only by your imagination, and what you have on hand.

Make up your own version, and of course come back and let us know how it turns out!