Grilled Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

• pint grape tomatoes cut in halves
• 1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
• 2 ears of fresh sweet corn
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Slice the tomatoes in half. Remove husks from corn and grill over medium heat for 10 minutes. The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy. Cut the corn off the cob then scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices. Set aside and let cool. Dice the avocado and chop the cilantro.

Honey Lime Dressing:

• Juice of 1 lime
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Dash of cayenne pepper

Add all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Combine the sliced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and grilled corn and honey lime dressing and mix gently so everything is evenly coated. Be careful not to mash the avocados. Let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes to let flavors mingle. Enjoy.

Summer Vegetable Crepes

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives, divided, plus more for garnish
• 3 tablespoons low-fat milk
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped zucchini
• 1 1/4 cups chopped green beans
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels, (from 1 large ear; see Tip)
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 9-inch “ready-to-use” crêpes, (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Stir sour cream, 1/4 cup chives, milk, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, the remaining 1/4 cup chives, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring gently, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. To roll crêpes, place one on a piece of parchment or wax paper (or leave it on the piece of plastic separating the crêpes in the package). Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable-cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down the center of the crêpe. Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll the crêpe around the filling. Place the crêpe seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Serve each crêpe topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more chives, if desired.

Tips & Notes

• Tips: To remove kernels, stand a cob on its stem end in a bowl and slice them off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife.
• “Ready-to-use” crèpes are fast and convenient. Look for them in the produce section of the market or near refrigerated tortillas.

chocolate chip filled raspberries

hearty breakfast smoothie

Starting with a good blender is a must to making this smoothie!
Ingredients:
Blend until fairly smooth:
1 cup cold water
6 ice cubes
1/2 cup raw almonds
Add and blend well:
2 good sized handfuls of spinach
1 banana
1 apple, washed with the core removed and sliced, skin left on
2 heaping tablespoons honey
1 large carrot, rinsed, no need to peel
Add and blend well:
1/2 cup whole rolled oats (we like Bobs Red Mill but any will do:)
Make sure it's all blended well and then enjoy! If you are making this for yourself, it will easily cover 2-3 morning breakfasts! Just store the leftovers in a sealable container in the fridge!

Rumbi rice bowls with rumbi rice

This recipe is for the Chicken Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Rice Bowl with Rumbi Rice. If you don't like Rumbi rice, of course you can serve it with regular rice, brown rice, or noodles..
(makes about 4 bowls)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 carrots, peeled and grated
3 celery stalks, washed and sliced
1 zucchini, chopped into small cubes
1 1/2 c. chopped broccoli florets
2 c. chicken, grilled and cut into small cubes (OR you can get the pre-cooked grilled chicken strips at Costco in the deli section. It comes in a 2-pack.. use one of the packages and cut up the chicken into little cubes.. just saute the chicken for a few minutes in a skillet before serving)
*Rumbi Rice (see recipe below)
**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce (see recipe below)

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, zucchini, and broccoli (pretty much equal parts of said vegetables.. you can add more or less veggies depending on your taste). Saute ONLY until vegetables are crisp tender. About 1-2 minutes tops. Serve over Rumbi rice and top with chicken. Serve with Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce on the side (about 3 Tbsp. per bowl.. you can add more or less depending on your taste).

*Hawaiian Coconut Rice with Red Beans (aka Rumbi Rice)
2 c. long grain white rice
2 1/2 c. water
1 (14oz) can coconut milk (about 1 1/2 c.)
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker. Gently stir it all together so the beans are all mixed. Place the lid on and start the rice cooker. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.

If you don't have a rice cooker... Combine water, coconut milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in rice and beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

**Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce:
3/4 c. Mr. Yoshida's teriyaki sauce (found in the grocery store by the BBQ sauces)
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. chili garlic sauce (in the Asian section of the grocery store.. we used the one in the clear plastic jar with the green lid -- if you want to make it spicier.. add more of this to the sauce)
1 tsp. fresh ginger
pinch of salt
pinch of brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water

Combine Yoshida's, soysauce, garlic sauce, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and water and SLOWLY add to sauce for thickening. You want it to be slightly thicker than the Yoshida's sauce. Allow to simmer for about a minute. Cool to room temperature and serve with your rice bowls. (If you find that the sauce is too thick when it cools, just add a little more Yoshida's to it)

Guiltless Fried (Baked) Zucchini

1-2 large zucchini, cut into spears or circles (the zucchini we had was HUGE so we just used one)

2 eggs
1-2 Tbsp. milk
1 c. Italian-style bread crumbs or croutons blended up finely in a blender (we ran out of bread crumbs so we did the crouton thing)
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Butter or cooking spray

First, line a baking sheet with foil and spray evenly with cooking spray. Next, combine eggs and milk in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper. Dip each zucchini piece into the egg mixture, then dip into bread crumbs until evenly coated in crumbs. Place zucchini on baking sheet, spray each with cooking/butter spray and then bake in the oven at 425-degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. For an added crisp, turn the oven to broil and cook for about 30-45 seconds longer (don't let em' burn though, watch them closely). Remove from oven and serve hot with ranch dressing or marinara/pizza sauce.

Mexican Chili

1 can kidney beans (15 oz.)
1 can black beans (15 .)
1 can refried beans (15 oz)
1 can Mexican style chili beans (15 oz)
1 can corn (15 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 can chilies, chopped (4 oz)
1 c. water
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix
1 lb. lean ground beef
½ c. onion (finely chopped)

Brown meat and onion. Put in large cooking pot and add all remaining ingredients (Do not drain) Simmer for 20-30 min. You can also brown the meat and onion, then combine with all remaining ingredients in a large crock pot on high for 2-3 hours.

Funky Spaghetti as seen on Oprah show

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
• 11 to 14 ounces cherry tomatoes , red and yellow
• 2 handfuls of fresh marjoram and basil , leaves picked
• 6 to 8 glugs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic (peeled and finely chopped)
• Splash of red wine vinegar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Put pasta in large pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Halve tomatoes, put in bowl and add herbs, olive oil, garlic and vinegar.

Season to taste, then scrunch tomatoes until slightly mushed. Drain pasta, and while still steaming, mix with tomatoes.

Separate onto plates and serve.

Pita Pizza

Pita Pizzas

1 pkg. flatbread pitas (the flatbread without the "pocket")
pizza sauce
turkey pepperoni
zucchini, sliced
mushrooms, sliced
mozzarella cheese, shredded
tomatoes, sliced
Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese

On the flatbread, layer the pizza sauce, pepperoni, zucchini, mushrooms and cheese. Place sliced tomatoes over the top. Sprinkle on Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese then bake at 375-degrees for about 8-10 minutes (until cheese is melted). Enjoy!

Grilled Avocado Quesadillas

Grilled Avocado Quesadillas

Shredded chicken (optional)

1 can black beans
1 (6oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
3 firm-ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped (or 2 baby bell peppers)
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt to taste
Black pepper
4 large flour tortillas (I like starting with uncooked tortillas)
cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack), shredded

Chop all of the vegetables. Stir together olives, avocado, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, onion and lime juice. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Place tortillas in the broiler until the begin to get brown and crispy on one side. Then remove the tortilla and place cheese on the tortilla and brown the other side. Remove from oven and top with the shredded chicken and divide avocado mixture among the tortillas, cut each tortilla into 4 wedges and serve immediately.

These can also be cooked on the grill.