Grilled Lettuce

Yep...that's correct! Grilled lettuce. I heard about this at a Weight Watchers meeting so when I had a few girls over for a small supper club I decided to give it a try. I'm happy to report...at the end of the night, there was no leftover lettuce left on any plates!

Simply take a head of romaine lettuce and cut it down the middle. Give it a quick rinse and a splash of almond or grape seed oil (these hold up to the heat of the grill much better than olive oil). Once grill is warmed....place the lettuce cut side down and grill for just a few minutes. Five or so.

Slice it up, hit it with a little cracked black pepper and some sea salt and bam! A nice and tasty salad with none of that creamy salad dressing to hide the flavor. I also mixed in some feta crumbles and some fresh heirloom tomatoes. Delicious and I'll definitely be having this one again.

Enjoy!

Peach Salsa with turkey burgers

Sometimes I amaze myself with creations and this time I definitely was pleased. The sweetness of the peach and the strong flavor of the cilantro did a wonderful job adding texture and taste to the turkey burgers.

I challange everyone to spice up their normal grilled burger with a little fresh fruit this summer! You won't be disappointed.

Source: Adapted from Weight Watchers weekly reader
Serves: 2

Salsa:
2 large peaches, diced
1 small jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients and set aside.
Cook burgers and top with salsa! Recipe was orginally written for salmon burgers...so feel free to make adjustments to what you're having for dinner.

Enjoy

Grilled Peaches with Almonds and Honey

What a beautiful, easy and healthy dessert that can be thrown together in no time.

Source: Weight Watchers weekly reader
Serves: 4- 2 points plus

Ingredients:
4 firm but ripe large peaches, cut in half, pits removed
2 Tbls sliced almonds, chopped
2 tsp honey

Coat a grill or a grill pan with cooking spray. Preheat to medium heat. Spray cut side of peaches with a little bit of cooking spray.

Place peach halves on grill, skin sides down, and cook until skin starts to split, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, carefully flip peaches and cook, until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes more.

Remove peaches from grill and place on a serving plate; top each peach with 3/4 tsp of almonds and drizzle each with 1/4 tsp of honey.

*I just sprinkled a palm full of almonds and drizzled honey over the peaches instead of trying to measure...just be careful and don't over compensate! Enjoy

Salmon Pasta with Poppy and Dill

Adapted from Rachel Ray
Serves: 2 large servings

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked pasta
7 oz salmon
1 Tbl olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 Tbl poppy seeds
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dill, chopped

While you're cooking the pasta, season the salmon with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over med-high heat. Add the salmon and cook until just done, about 6 minutes. Let cool. If salmon has skin, remove skin. Flake salmon into small pieces.

In the same skillet, heat 1 Tbl olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the poppy seeds for 1 minute, then pour in the wine and cook until slightly reduced, 1 minute. Stir in the cream, lower the heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Toss the pasta with the salmon, sauce and dill. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

4th of July revamped

Before you pack the cooler and head off to the lake or the family picnic….really think about how you can have a wonderful holiday weekend with delicious healthy foods and not the normal fat and calorie ridden repeats.

Here are some ideas to get those brain juices flowing!

*Fresh fruit bowl- cut up a bunch of your favorite fruits and put them in a bowl all together. I know I am much more likely to enjoy fruit if it’s already cut up and ready to go. My favorites to put together are: grapes, cantaloupe, strawberries and pineapple. If you want to put a dip out try this greek yogurt fruit dip.

*We all like something salty and crunchy, so instead of a bag of potato chips, try veggie straws. A serving size is 38 straws!! For a total of 3 points plus. A pretty good alternative if you ask me.

*Black bean salsa: this is very easy to put together and you can feel comfortable knowing it doesn’t have any dairy that will spoil if left in the heat. To save on even more calories, don’t serve it with chips! It’s just as good right off the fork.

*Start up the grill!! Rather than sauce laden barbeque brisket or a bucket of fried chicken try turkey bratwursts, 97% fat free Hebrew National hot dogs, or even some grilled turkey burgers! Lots of alternatives to make this holiday different than a week night meal.

*Crystal light lemonade- Instead of the regular Country Time Lemonade that is full of sugar, make a big batch of Crystal Light. Very refreshing in this heat and very low in calories.

Most importantly: have a wonderful holiday weekend, enjoy the people that you’re with and stay safe!

Fruit Kebabs with Yogurt Dip

It's summer and fresh always seems to be the go-to rather than a hot soup or casserole. So for this poolside bbq I attended, a fresh side item seemed appropriate.

The dip comes together with just the stir of a spoon and the fruit....who doesn't like a nice collection of fresh sweet fruit. Enjoy!

Dip:
2 cups plain low-fat Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup honey (and then I added just a tad more)

Mix together yogurt and honey and then chill.

Serve with an assortment of fruit. Options are: grapes, pineapple cubes, melon balls (cataloupe, honeydew or a combination) and strawberries.

Super easy, very pretty and sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Spinach Stuffed Salmon

It's amazing the added flavor that 1 Tbl of walnuts adds to this delicious dish. Enjoy!

Serves 2:

1/2 tsp olive oil
2 oz fresh spinach leaves
1 tsp grated lemon zest (optional)
1/8 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and drained if bottled
1/8 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 Tbl chopped walnuts
2 salmon fillets (about 4 oz each)
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
1 Tbl plain dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over med. heat. Cook the spinach and lemon zest for 2 minutes or until the spinach is wilted, stirring constantly. Transfer to a med. bowl. Stir in the bell peppers, basil and walnuts. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.

Cut a lengthwise slit in the side of each fillet to make a pocket for the stuffing. Be careful not to cut through to the other side. Carefully stuff half the spinach mixture into each fillet. Transfer to baking sheet. With a pastry brush (or your finger), spread the mustard over the fish.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over the fish.

Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and the filling is warmed through.