Mixed Grill

This is such a great summer recipe and the best part is that you can get creative with it.  If you don’t like eating pork, simply substitute it with beef instead.  If you also don’t like some of the vegetable suggestions in the recipe, you can substitute others, some other suggestions might be escarole, eggplant,endive leaves or cauliflower .

The important thing is to have fun with it.

Enjoy…

Mixed Grill

Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Grill Time: 20 – 25 minutes

Estimated Values per Serving:

Calories: 250                        Fat: 7 grams

Mixed Grill

Ingredients:

Seasoning:

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon pepper

      Vegetables:

10 ounce package button mushrooms – cut in half

2 zucchini – cut into 1” pieces

2 red bell peppers – cut into large pieces

2 medium onions – quartered

2 large potatoes  – cut or sliced

      Meat:

1 pound boneless pork loin

1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Heat an outdoor or indoor grill to 400^o.
2. Combine all spices in a small bowl.
3. Season meats with half of the seasoning and set aside until ready to grill.
4. Combine the zucchini and mushrooms in a bowl, coat with cooking spray and fold in half of the remaining seasoning.
5. Combine peppers and onions in another bowl, coat with cooking spray and fold in the remaining seasoning.
6. If you are using an outdoor grill, coat a vegetable basket with cooking spray and add the zucchini and mushrooms to the basket.  Use an additional vegetable basket for the onions and peppers.  If you only have 1 vegetable basket, you can grill the vegetables in batches.
7. If the potatoes are large enough, add them directly on the grill (coating them with cooking spray first), if not, use a vegetable basket to grill them as well.
8. Grill the vegetables and potatoes for 10 – 15 minutes until browned and softened.
9. If you have a large grill, add the pork loin while the vegetables and potatoes are grilling.  Grill the pork for about 7 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165^o.  Remove from the grill, cover and rest the pork until ready to carve.

10. Grill the chicken breasts for 5 – 7 minutes on each side.

11. Transfer the grilled vegetables to a large serving platter.  Carve the pork loin and transfer to the serving platter.  Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the grill and transfer to the serving platter.

12. Serve hot.

Advertisement

Island Grilled Pork with Pineapple Chutney

Island Grilled Pork with Pineapple Chutney

Island Grilled Pork with Pineapple Chutney

Serves 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Estimated Values per Serving:

Calories:  250                              Fat: 5 grams                            Points: 5

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork tenderloin

1 tablespoon jerk seasoning

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 cloves garlic – minced

1 pineapple – cut into slices

3 shallots – minced

1 jalapeno pepper – seeded and minced

1 tablespoon fresh parsley – minced

½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine jerk seasoning, brown sugar and garlic.  Rub seasoning mix on pork and let marinate until  ready to grill.
2. Heat an indoor grill on high heat, spray with cooking spray  and add pineapple slices.  Grill for 3 – 5 minutes on each side.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3.  Heat a skillet on medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Add shallots and sauté for about 5 minutes until tender.  Add jalapeno and sauté for another 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add to a mixing bowl.
4. Cut cooled pineapple into small bite sized pieces and add to shallot mixture.  Add parsley and salt and toss.  Let stand at room temperature until pork is cooked.
5. Spray indoor grill again with cooking spray and heat on high.  Add pork and cook for 10 – 12 minutes on each side until cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165^o).
6. Remove pork from grill and let stand 5 minutes.  Slice pork into 12 slices and arrange on serving platter.  Spoon pineapple chutney around the pork and serve.

Tonight’s Vegetable Dish…

Layered Roast Vegetables

I may be overstating the servings on tonight’s side dish, the three of us had a slice and came back for a second serving.  So if you like it as much as we did, this may only serve 3.  Check it out…

Layered Roast Vegetables

Preheat oven 425^o

Pre p Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour total

Estimates Values per serving:

Calories = 100                                              Fat = 1.5 grams

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini

1 onion

1 red bell pepper

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ – ½ teaspoon salt

6 slices reduced calorie bread

¾ cup egg substitute

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Slice zucchini into long strips about ½ inches thick.  Slice pepper into long strips about the same width as the zucchini.   Cut onion into slices.
2. Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray and add vegetables in a single layer then spray top of vegetables with cooking spray.  Sprinkle vegetables lightly with salt. 
3. Sprinkle onion powder on zucchini and pepper strips.
4. Roast vegetables for about 15 minutes until browned.  Remove from oven and reduce oven heat to 375^o.
5. Spray a bread pan with cooking spray.  Add a layer of vegetables on the bottom, sprinkle a little cheese on top, add 2 slices of bread then pour about ¼ cup of egg substitute on top.  Continue to layer the vegetables, cheese, bread and egg substitute 2 more times, ending with vegetables (they will be added 3 additional times).
6. Cover dish with foil and add a heavy weight on top (I use a brick covered in foil).  Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until set.
7. Remove from oven, cool for about 15 minutes then loosen the sides and invert onto a serving platter.
8. Serve warm.

Life is Good when the weather gets hot…

We had a beautiful day of fun, sun and BBQ eats.  Last night I marinated chicken and this morning assembled the skewers.  Here is Sweet and Spicy Marinated Chicken Skewers…

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Skewers

Serves 6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Estimated Values per serving:

Calories = 255                                              Fat = 2 grams

Ingredients:

½ cup ketchup

¼ cup honey

¼ cup chili sauce

1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce*

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 pounds skinless/boneless chicken breasts

12 skewers

2 red bell peppers – cut into 1 inch pieces

2 large sweet onions – cut into 1 inch pieces

2 medium zucchini – cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together ketchup, honey, chili sauce, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. 
2. Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces and add to marinade.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Skewer vegetables and chicken pieces, alternating between onions, zucchini and peppers on each skewer.
4. Heat grill and add chicken.  Grill for about 5 – 7 minutes on each side until chicken is cooked through and serve.

*Can be found in the Asian section of the grocery store.

A twist on “Sausage and Peppers”

My husband loves sautéed sausage and peppers served with Italian bread.  The problem is sausage is high in fat.  So I thought would be fun tonight to serve something that is very low fat but offers the same flavor.  I came up with sautéed chicken tenders, peppers and onions with the flavorings of Italian sausage.  It was a big hit; the official comment was “you nailed it”.  So, if you are looking for a low fat alternative to the sausage & pepper dish, try this out.

Happy Sautéing!!

Chicken “Sausage” and Peppers

Serves 4

Prep & cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 – 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders

2 – 3 tablespoons + ¼ cup fat free chicken broth separated

½ teaspoon fennel seed

½ teaspoon coriander seed

½ teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 red bell pepper – cut into ½ by 2 – inch slices

1 green bell pepper– cut into ½ by 2 – inch slices

1 large sweet white onion– cut into ½ by 2 – inch slices

Italian bread for serving

Directions:

1. Grind together fennel seed, coriander seed and parsley in a mortar and pestle.  Add onion powder to the mixture then season chicken tenders with the spices.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and spray with cooking spray.  Add chicken tenders and sauté for 5 – 7 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
3. Remove chicken tenders from skillet and add about 2 tablespoons of the chicken broth, scraping any pieces off of the bottom of the pan.  Add onions, reduce heat to medium low, cover, then cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add green and red peppers to skillet with the onions and sauté another 5 minutes until softened and browned.
5. Add chicken tenders and chicken broth if the vegetables are sticking to the pan, season with salt and pepper , and simmer on low heat,  for about another 2 minutes until chicken is heated.

Serve with Italian Bread on the side.