Mountain Barbecued Grilled Onions

Onions on the barbecue are one of my favorite summer side dishes!

My Aunt Joyce prepared these amazing dishes for us this year when we visited her at her summer cabin at Strawberry Lake.

Here is her not-so-secret recipe:

Ingredients:

2 large onions, sliced

2 t olive oil

garlic powder

coarse ground pepper

salt (optional)

Directions:

Place sliced onions, olive oil, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in a Tupperware bowl, and seal with a well-fitting lid. Shake!

Grill on low for 7-10 minutes, until slightly browned. Enjoy with family and/or good friends! Yum!

I couldn't resist a picture of what was smokin' on the grill!!!

In order to keep the fatty dressings to a minimum, she sprinkles fresh ground pepper and garlic salt on the salad.

Home-grown yellow squash, green bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms receive the same treatment as the onions. Drizzle, and shake, shake, shake!

After a day of hard play, everyone needs a great meal!

Good food at family gatherings is the essence of life!

I love this picture, because it shows how excited the boys are about a good, healthy meal! I can sleep well at night knowing that I am feeding my kids the kind of food that nourishes their growing bodies. I love grilling - it is a healthy method in cooking. The most amazing thing about grilling is the smell... much more effective in gathering large crowds than a dinner bell!

Bruschetta Chicken

I came across this recipe in a cookbook and decided to try it out.  It was delicious! The flavors are fresh and bright.  It is a simple recipe that gives gourmet results.

Bruschetta Chicken
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
4 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast Halves
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup dry Bread Crumbs
1 TBSP Butter, melted
2 Large Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 TBSP minces fresh Basil
2 Garlic cloves, minced1 TBSP Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper

1. Place flour and eggs in separate bowls. Dip chicken in flour and then in eggs; place in a greased baking dish. Combine Parmesan and bread crumbs; sprinkle over chicken.

2. Loosely cover baking dish with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer or until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon over chicken. Return tot he over for 3-5 minutes or until tomato mixture is heated through.

CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Chicken Salad
This is a very low-fat version of a chicken pasta salad
5 Cups uncooked small shell macaroni
1 1/2 Cups fat free mayo
1 cup low-fat coleslaw (see recipe below)
6 cups cooked, diced chicken breasts
2 cans sliced water chestnuts cut into slivers
3 cups diced celery
1 bunch green onions thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups halved cashews
4 cups red grapes cut in half

COLESLAW DRESSING
3/4 cup miracle whip
1/2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T splenda
1/4 cup skim milk
whip together with a whisk until well blended and mix with fat free mayo

Cook macaroni until tender, rinse under cold water and drain well.
Combine shells, coleslaw dressing and mayo in a large mixing bowl.
ADD
6 Cups cooked, diced chicken breasts
2 Cans sliced water chestnuts
2 Cups diced celery
1/2 Bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups halved cashews
3 Cups red grapes, cut in half

Make salad the night before serving.
20 1-cup servings.

Serve over lettuce as a wrap or in croissants

Chili-Lime Mango Chicken Skewers ~ Williams Sonoma

Williams Sonoma in all it's glory!



Chili-Lime Mango Chicken Skewers
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

6T olive oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1 t chili powder
¼ t cayenne pepper (double that if you like spicy things!)
½ t salt
1 T sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 ripe but firm mangoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (click that link to see pictures of how to cut a mango)

Directions: If you're using wooden/bamboo skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 20-30 minutes before you use them. Otherwise they'll fire right up on the grill! In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, cayenne, salt and sugar. Place in a zip-lock bag and add the chicken and mangoes, stirring gently to coat with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Prepare grill (or indoor grill pan) Remove the chicken and mangoes from the marinade and thread onto skewers, alternating the pieces and dividing them evenly. *When you're making any type of skewer, make sure not to smash everything together tightly. In order for the food to cook thoroughly and evenly, it needs room! The pieces threaded on should just barely touch each other, or not touch at all.Arrange the skewers on the grill and cook, turning until the chicken is nicely charred and cooked through, 6-10 minutes. Serve immediately. This makes quite a few skewers, but remember that each one only has a few chunks of chicken on it. So to make a meal, you'll want to plan on 3-4 skewers per person, making this recipe serve 4.



Lime-Cilantro Rice with Pineapple

1 cup dry white rice, cooked.
2 T real butter
Juice from 1 large lime, or two smaller ones (taste as you go, I add a lot!)
1 C pineapple tidbits, drained
½ - ¾ C chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice. As soon as it's done, toss in the butter and stir to melt. Add lime juice, pineapple, and cilantro. Stir to combine, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
* You'll want to serve this right away, if you don't, the flavors tend to mellow a bit and you'll probably need to add more lime juice because the rice kind of sucks it up. If you're not quite ready to eat when your rice finishes cooking, just toss in the butter and keep a lid on it so it stays warm. Then right before you serve it, toss it all together.

Contributed by Rachel Tollestrup