GRILLED SPICED PORK PATTIES WITH GREENS

~ All You magazine - 8/26/11

1 lb. ground pork
1 t. coriander
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, divided and chopped 
1 1/2 t. salt, divided
1 c. plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/2 t. lemon juice
10 c. mixed salad greens

Preheat gas grill to medium. 

In a large bowl, combine pork, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, egg, onion, parsley, 1 clove garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly, then form into 1 1/2-inch balls and and press into small patties. Oil grill grates. Grill patties 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through, turning once.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 clove of garlic. 

Divide salad greens among plates. Top with cooked patties and drizzle with yogurt sauce. Serve immediately.  

Makes four servings.

Notes: I use whatever greens I have on hand and cook the patties in a skillet on the stove or on a baking pan in the oven instead of grilling them. I've also subbed cilantro for the parsley and it's been just as tasty.

LEMON GREEK SALAD

~ Take Shape For Life Lean & Green Meal Cookbook

42 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
6 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped
3/4 c. black or green olives, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 T. lemon juice
1 T. olive oil
3 c. cucumber, chopped
3 c. orange or red bell pepper, chopped
3 c. tomato, chopped
6 T. red onion, finely chopped

Preheat grill to medium-high.  Place chicken on grill and cook five minutes on each side or until no longer pink.  Cut into slices and set aside. 

In a serving bowl, combine parsley, olives, and garlic.  Whisk in the lemon juice and olive oil.  Add cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, and onion.  Toss to coat, then divide among plates and place sliced chicken on top of salad.

Makes six servings. 

Notes: We like this with green olives.

STEAK SALAD

~ Bethany Weathersby

SALAD
lettuce and/or spinach
grilled steak, cut into bite sized pieces
feta, crumbled
red bell pepper, chopped
walnuts, almonds, or other nut, chopped

DRESSING
orange and/or lemon juice
olive oil
salt & pepper

Use the greens as a base, season the meat however you like before grilling, then sprinkle as much of the toppings as you want over the top.  Use whatever amount of the dressing ingredients suits your tastes.

Notes: We've made this with both seasoned pork and beef steaks and it's delicious, with or without the dressing. 

PORK APPLE BURGERS

~ allrecipes

2 lb. ground pork
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce
1 egg
8 hamburger buns
20 oz. can sliced pineapple, drained

Preheat grill on medium-high heat. In mixing bowl, combine pork, apple, onion, garlic, teriyaki sauce, and egg. Form into eight patties.

Lightly oil grill. Grill burgers for 10 minutes or until well done. Toast buns on grill. Serve burgers on toasted buns topped with pineapple slices. 

Makes eight servings.

Notes: Several of the comments on allrecipes say the patties are too wet, so I add a bit of oats to hold them together if the apple and onion are creating too much moisture. I often grill the pineapple slices and/or use a spread made of mayonnaise, pineapple juice reserved from the canned pineapple slices, honey, lemon juice, and seasoned salt on the buns. You can eat them as is or garnish with lettuce, cheese, and so on. Delicious!

GRILLED SALMON

~ allrecipes

1 1/2 lb. salmon fillets
lemon pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. water
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Notes: So yummy! I marinate the salmon in the liquids, then sprinkle the lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt on right before cooking. If grilling's not an option, bake it at 425 degrees either in a foil packet or out of one. How long it takes will depend on the thickness of your fish and whether or not it's wrapped in foil, but 15 minutes is the minimum cooking time.

Linked up at: Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight - soy sauce

SEATTLE CREAM CHEESE DOGS

~ allrecipes

1/4 c. butter
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
4 oz. pkg. cream cheese
4 hot dogs, or your favorite sausages
4 hot dog buns
brown mustard
sauerkraut (optional)

Preheat grill or grill pan on medium-high heat. 

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, then cook until onions have softened and turned deep brown, about 15 minutes. 

Warm the cream cheese over low heat in a separate skillet until very soft. Grill hot dogs until well browned. Lightly grill hot dog buns on both sides.

To assemble hot dogs, spread warm cream cheese on toasted hot dog bun, add hot dog or sausage, top with onions, mustard, and sauerkraut, if desired.

Notes: We skip the mustard and plain sauerkraut, then serve these with sauerkraut hot dog topping, which includes both skipped ingredients. We double the onions and cream cheese for six hot dogs and use a single batch of the hot dog topping recipe. They're delicious that way! 

Linked up at: Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight - hot dogs & sausage

GRILLED SICILIAN ZUCCHINI

~ Bethany Weathersby

zucchini, cut into spears
simple Sicilian salad dressing

Marinate zucchini in dressing for as long as you want, then place on hot grill until it's slightly limp and the outside is as charred as you want it.

Notes: You can broil the zucchini if grilling isn't an option.

HERB & CHEESE-STUFFED BURGERS

~ Taste of Home - February/March 2010

1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. cream cheese, softened
2 T. minced fresh parsley
3 t. Dijon mustard, divided
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 T. dry bread crumbs
2 T. ketchup
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 t. dried sage leaves
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 hard rolls, split
lettuce leaves and tomato slices, optional

In a small bowl, combine the cheddar cheese, cream cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon mustard; set aside.

In another bowl, combine the onions, bread crumbs, ketchup, salt, rosemary, sage and remaining mustard. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight thin patties. Spoon cheese mixture onto center of four patties; top with remaining patties and press edges firmly to seal.

Broil 4 inches from heat or grill, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. 

Notes: I use regular hamburger buns, sometimes sub chives or dried minced onion for the green onions, and have used the stuffing as a spread when time was short.

RANCHERO ONION BURGERS

~ Incredibly Easy Weeknight Meals

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. salsa
1/2 c. Monterey jack, shredded
1 1/3 c. French fried onions, separated
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. pepper
4 buns

Combine beef, salsa, cheese, 2/3 c. onions, garlic powder and pepper. Shape into four patties. Grill over medium coals or broil six inches from heat for 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once if desired. Serve with remaining onions.

Notes: We use avocado dressing and/or a combination of salsa & sour cream as spreads on these burgers. In addition to the onions the recipe calls for, we also garnish with lettuce, tomato, and/or additional cheese.

GRILLED HAWAIIAN CHICKEN

~ TamInAz 

6 chicken breasts, boneless
2 c. pineapple juice
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar

Combine all ingredients, except chicken, and stir. Poke 5-8 holes in each breast, then place chicken in marinade, making sure chicken is covered by liquid. Cover tightly and refrigerate 24-36 hours. Grill when desired.

Notes: This is easy to make in advance. You can either freeze the marinade in a quart-sized bag or put it in a gallon-sized bag with the chicken breasts, then place in the freezer until you're ready to use it. We bake it when grilling isn't an option and sometimes use it instead of bacon in tropical salad. 

Linked up at: Eat at Home - pineapple

GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken
8 oz. Caesar salad dressing
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
2 T. lemon juice
lettuce and/or spinach, washed and torn
french fried onions

Place chicken into shallow dish. Combine dressing, Worcestershire, mustard and lemon juice. Pour 3/4 cup mixture over chicken. Marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes. Reserve remaining mixture for dressing.

Grill or broil chicken 10 minutes, until no longer pink in center. Slice or chop chicken. Arrange on lettuce. Top with French fried onions and serve with reserved dressing.

Notes: Light, yet filling. I love this salad!!

GREEK CHICKEN

~ allrecipes

1/4 c. olive oil
1 1/2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 t. chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 t. chopped fresh oregano
1 lemon, juiced
2 lbs. chicken, cut into pieces

In a glass dish, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lemon juice. Place the chicken pieces in the mixture, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. Preheat grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the grill and discard the marinade. Cook chicken pieces up to 15 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Smaller pieces will not take as long.

Notes: Although the recipe calls for grilling this chicken, I have both seared it in a pan before baking it and made it in a crockpot before shredding it. 

Linked up at: Eat at Home