Summer Dinners on the Grill (Complete
meal suggestions!)
By Brenda Hyde
A weekend dinner on the grill can be
relaxing because you can visit with family and company while you cook.
This is a light meal that can be served for a casual dinner. The dessert
is one I've had many times at my mother-in-laws. It's pretty much empty
calories, but low fat, and the kids love it too. You can substitute
fresh fruit for the dessert if you wish. A nice cold watermelon is
always a great choice! You can also serve rolls or a nice crusty bread
with this menu.
Spicy Gazpacho
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 tablespoon jalapeno, minced
1 tablespoon wine or herb vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon tobasco
2 small or one large garlic clove, minced
3 fresh ripe tomatoes
3/4 cup tomato juice
1 1/4 cups cucumbers, peeled and chopped
Place 1 cup of the cucumber and next 10
ingredients in blender or food processor and blend, leaving it chunky.
Pour into bowl. Stir in tomato juice. Cover and chill. Serve topped with
remaining diced cucumber. Makes 4 servings, but is easily doubled. Plus,
if you are using this for a before dinner soup you really don't need a
large bowl each. I also love cilantro, with can be minced and added at
the end with the cucumber.
Italian Style Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:
8 ounces tomato sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon olive or vegetable oil
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
In a small saucepan, combine tomato
sauce, lemon juice and half of the garlic. Mix well. Bring to a boil
over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally,
for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool, then add the basil and set
aside. While sauce is simmering, in a small bowl, combine the remaining
garlic, lemon peel, and oil. Mix well. Place chicken in a glass or
ceramic dish and rub with lemon peel mixture. Cover dish with plastic
wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill. Place the chicken on
the grill and cook for 8 minutes per side. Brush with the sauce and
continue grilling for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until juices run clear
when chicken is pierced with the tip of a knife. This is only 5 grams of
fat per serving and 408 calories. If you don't have fresh basil, you can
add either fresh oregano in it's place or dried, but use half as much if
it's dried.
Three Bean Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups cut green beans-cooked fresh, or canned
1 1/2 cups canned garbanzo beans
2 cups canned kidney beans
2 tablespoons minced red onion
3/4 cup lowfat or fat free Italian salad dressing
Drain and rinse the canned beans. Toss
together the other ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss again and refrigerate several hours. Toss right before serving.
Serves 6
Banana Pineapple Pudding Treat
Ingredients:
20 2 1/2 inch chocolate graham crackers
2 small boxes banana instant pudding mix, sugar-free
1 1/3 cups non-fat dry milk powder
2 cups crushed pineapple, packed in fruit juice, undrained
1 cup water
2 cups sliced bananas(2 medium)
1 cup light frozen whipped topping
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2 tablespoons flaked coconut
2 tablespoons pecans -- chopped (1/2 oz.)
Evenly arrange 9 of the graham crackers
in a 9"x9" cake pan. In a large bowl, combine 1 box of dry
pudding mix, 2/3 cups of dry milk powder, 1 cup undrained pineapple, and
1/2 cup water. Mix well using wire whisk. Spread pudding mixture evenly
over crackers. Evenly arrange banana slices over the pudding mixture.
Arrange 9 graham crackers over bananas. In the same bowl, combine
remaining package of dry pudding mix, remaining 2/3 cup of dry milk
powder, remaining 1 cup of undrained pineapple, and remaining 1/2 cup of
water. Mix well with the whisk. Blend in the thawed whipped topping and
the coconut extract. Spread mixture evenly over crackers. Crush
remaining 2 graham crackers and evenly sprinkle crumbs over pudding mix.
Sprinkle coconut and pecans over top. Cover and refrigerate at least two
hours before serving. Notes-You can use vanilla pudding, and plain
graham crackers if you wish. I've also skipped the nuts and coconut
because of picky kids:)
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Another great grilled meal:
Chilled Cucumber Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 large cucumbers, peeled and chopped into
large pieces
- 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh dill
- 2 tsp. wine or herb vinegar
Process all in a blender quickly, so it's still a
little textured. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with a small
dill sprig.
Grilled Salmon with Herb Mayonnaise
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds salmon fillets
- 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs-dill, fennel,
basil etc.
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Preheat grill. Wash the salmon and pat dry. Place
salmon fillet (skin side down) onto a large piece of aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise,
lime juice, and herbs until smooth; spread over top of salmon. Sprinkle
lightly with salt, pepper. Place salmon (with aluminum foil) onto hot
grill. Cover grill with the lid, open vents, and cook 8 to 12 minutes or
until a meat thermometer reads 145 degrees F. (salmon will be slightly
opaque in thickest part but will finish cooking as it sits). Carefully
remove salmon from grill and transfer onto serving platter and serve
after it has rested about 10 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Summer Vegetable Potato Salad
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup hearty or Dijon-style mustard
- 1 cup regular or light mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup herb or wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup Green pr red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Heat a large pot of water to a boil and add
potatoes. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, with lid partially
covering pan, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set
aside to cool. Combine garlic, red pepper flakes, mustard, mayonnaise,
vinegar and oil in a bowl and whisk well. Cut the potatoes into small
pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the mustard mixture and all
remaining ingredients and mix well.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or
overnight, before serving. If the consistency is too thick, add a couple
of spoons of water.
Grilled Mixed Fruit
Ingredients:
- 4 peaches, halved and pits removed
- 4 nectarines, halved and pits removed
- 1 pineapple, rind removed, cored and sliced
into 8 slices
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) butter, melted
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the grill. Place the melted butter in a
pie pan or other baking pan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another
pan. Dip the cut side of each peach and nectarine half in the melted
butter, then into the sugar mixture. Arrange the fruit on the grill,
sugar side down, and grill 2 to 3 minutes or until caramelized. Repeat
the same procedure with the pineapple slices. This tends to go better
with a flat or round grill pan that you can set over the fire OR use
foil that is doubled or tripled and has holes poked in it. Unless you
grill grate is small enough so it doesn't fall through. Serves 8
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