Skinny Shake

This beverage is a great substitute for a real milkshake when you are watching your waistline.  It's thick,creamy, and very satisfying!

Image source: Wikipedia

Skinny Shake

2 servings

3/4 cup vanilla almond milk, unsweetened

1/3 peeled ripe banana

15 ice cubes

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Pour into a glass, add a straw, and enjoy!

WW points/serving: 2

Campfire Fruit

This idea is good for a campfire...or your backyard grill...it makes for an easy side dish any day of the week! You can change up the fruits as you like...many combinations are possible.

Image source: askmen.com

Campfire Fruit

serves 4-6

4 peaches

2 bananas

butter (or margarine)

sugar

cinnamon

Prepare the grill or start the campfire. While you are waiting, get out a piece of aluminum foil and lay it shiny side down on a counter top or table.

Clean the peaches; cut them in half, remove the pit, then cut each peach into 8 wedges.

Clean, peel, and cut the bananas into chunks.  

Lay the mixed cut fruit in the middle of the foil, leaving enough room around the edges for folding into a packet. Dot the fruit with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Place another piece of foil on top the the fruit and seal the edges tightly to prevent leaking.

Place the foil packet on the preheated grill and cook for about 10-12 minutes. To ensure even cooking, flip the packet after 5 minutes or so.  Remove the packet from the grill, slice open the top, and enjoy!

If you don't like peaches, don't worry.  Other possibilities include berries, apples, pears, figs, and pineapple but feel free to experiment!

Greek style spinach pie (Spanakopita)

I printed this recipe from Recipezaar site back in 2007.  I still like to make it now and again.  I used to make a tray for my husband to share at work; he usually would bring home an empty pan and tell me that it was gone before lunch!  One of his friends at that job was especially fond of this recipe; once his significant other asked for the recipe so she could make it as a birthday surprise.  I hope you try it--and like it-- as much as we do!

Image Source: Wikipedia

Here are a couple of notes based on my experience:

1) I prefer using a standard metal cake pan instead of glass; if it's rectangular it's easier to cut into diamonds or wedges. The metal pan allows for the pastry to become more golden, flakier and crispier than a glass pan does.

2) I have tried baking this recipe at 325 ℉ but I feel that I get better results by baking 350 ℉. It might be my personal preference or just how my oven works...do what you think best.

Without further ado, here is the recipe...

Watermelon Cake

I wanted to post the written recipe for this cake...usually I try these recipes before I post them so that I can tell you my version of a recipe.  Well, I haven't gotten around to making this one yet, and summer is half over. So here is a YouTube video that will help you create this "cake" for your next picnic!

Source:YouTube

Marinated Zucchini Salad

This recipe is based on an eggplant recipe that I saw a week or so ago.  I kind of took some liberties and did my own thing--based on the eggplant idea--and voila!  These salads are great in the hot weather because you can make them earlier in the day..put them aside...and bring them back out when it's dinner time.

Marinated Zucchini Salad

serves 3

1 medium green zucchini

1 medium yellow zucchini

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic, minced

12 grape tomatoes, halved

salt

pepper

1 1/2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp. Herbs De Provence

Preheat a  non-stick skillet to medium high on the stove.  While it's heating up, cut the zucchinis lengthwise into quarters, then lay the quarters alongside one another and slice approximately 1/4 inch thick.  Peel the onion and cut it into chunks about the same size as the zucchini.  

Place about half the olive oil into the skillet and add the zucchini and onion.  Cook until the vegetables begin to soften and caramelize a bit, then add the garlic and saute for another minute or so.  Raise the heat a bit and add the balsamic vinegar, allowing it to come to a boil and reduce.  Add salt and pepper; stirring well. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and allow to rest for a few minutes.

Add the tomatoes, remaining oil, and herbs to the cooled cooked vegetables and give the mixture a stir. Allow to sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

Never Fail Hard Boiled Eggs

We almost always have some hard boiled eggs in the fridge...they make the perfect snack, or help to round out a meal.  Eggs are an inexpensive source of protein and are a "simply filling" food in the Weight Watcher program.  It took a long time, but I think I have finally found the perfect preparation method!

Never Fail Hard Boiled Eggs

Here's what you'll need:

eggs (preferably a week old, or so)

salt 

white vinegar

water

Here are the directions:

 Fill a large heavy pot with some cold water.  Place on stove and add as many eggs as you wish.  Make sure the water covers the eggs by an inch or so. 

Turn the burner to a high setting...when the water starts boiling, I add a couple pinches of salt (this really helps to make peeling the cooked eggs much easier) and a splash of white vinegar (the vinegar helps to keep the whites from running too far should the shell crack before it is cooked).

When the pot comes to a full rolling boil, turn the burner off and place the lid on the pot. Leave the pot on the same burner, and set the kitchen timer for 17 minutes or so.  When time's up, take the eggs out of the pot and put them in some ice water.  Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, you can eat them or place them in the refrigerator for future use.

WW points: 2 per egg

Grill Time! Easy Barbecued Chicken Thighs

This recipe is very similar to the barbecued rib recipe I shared a short time ago.  You could probably do both recipes in one day, the only real difference is that the chicken seems to cook through a little faster!

Easy Barbecued Chicken 

8 servings

8-12 chicken pieces, at room temperature

salt

pepper

1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce

Preheat grill.  While grill is heating up, salt and pepper the chicken thighs liberally.  

Turn of one or two of the burners on the grill.  Spray the grids that are over the "off" burners with cooking spray, or wipe them with vegetable oil.  Arrange the chicken, skin side down, over these burners and close the lid of the grill.  Cook for about 1/2 hour, then flip the chicken so that the skin side is up.  Cook for another half hour.

About 20 minutes before serving time, baste the skin of the chicken liberally with barbecue sauce. Using an instant read meat thermometer, chicken is done when internal temperature is 165℉.

Remove from grill, cover with foil and allow to rest about 15 minutes before serving.

Image source: Wikipedia

Creamy Coconut Pineapple Popsicles

Perfect for those who follow Weight Watchers and/or a vegan diet, these popsicles are the perfect treat on a hot summer day!

Creamy Coconut Pineapple Popsicles

yield: (12) 3 ounce popsicles

13.5 ounce can coconut milk (use lite coconut milk for Weight Watcher version)

20 ounce can chunk pineapple, packed in pineapple juice

1 large ripe banana

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place all ingredients into a blender; blend until everything is mixed well.  Pour mixture into popsicle molds and place into freezer for at least 8 hours or until frozen solid.

WW points: 1 point if using lite coconut milk, otherwise 2 points per popsicle

Recipe source: Laloosh.com

Image source: pixabay

Grill Time! Easy Barbecued Country Style Ribs

One of the many joys of summer--cooking on the grill.  These barbecued ribs could not be any easier!

 Easy Barbecued Country Style Ribs

3-4 lbs country style ribs
salt
pepper
18 oz. bottle barbecue sauce  (any brand you like)

Let the meat sit out for one half hour or so, while you preheat your grill. Prepare the grill for indirect grilling:  this simply means that the gas burner (or charcoal) is one one side of the grill; the inactive side will be used for cooking. Lightly oil the grids where the meat will be placed.

Salt and pepper the ribs before you place them on the grill.  If your ribs are still one piece of meat, place it in the center of the inactive cooking area.  If they are already cut apart, arrange them on the inactive part of the grill so that the smallest pieces of meat are farthest away from the heat, just to keep them from burning during the long cooking time.

Close the grill cover and leave the meat undisturbed for about an hour and a half. After the 90 minute period has passed, generously coat the "up" side of the meat with barbecue sauce.  Allow to cook for 15 minutes, then flip the meat and coat the other side of the meat with more barbecue sauce.  Allow to cook for 15 minutes more before serving.

This is very tasty with steamed broccoli, coleslaw, fruit salad or watermelon and some crusty bread.

Image source: wikipedia

Never-ending Fruit Salad

Now that summer is in full force, and all kinds of fresh fruits are plentiful at the market, here's an idea for fruit salad that's easy on the cook, and always on hand.

Start with some of your favorite fruits. Avoid fruits that brown easily after peeling, such as bananas, pears, or apples.  I like to start with a good cantaloupe, honeydew or pineapple, cut into chunks.  Watermelon is another good choice. Add some seedless red grapes, navel orange or clementine segments, sliced strawberries, and maybe a couple of sliced kiwi fruits. The idea here is to get a good variety of colors in the salad.

Even after you've eaten some of the original fruit salad, you can add more-- or different fruits to the leftovers to make a new and different salad.  When you are at the point of using up what's left of your salad,you could add bananas, pears or apples because the browning issue is of less concern. You can even add drained canned fruit if you desire. (Note: Choose water-packed canned fruits if you are calorie conscious.)

With a little forethought, you could make a fruit salad that continues to reward you and your family for several days, or even a week!  Most of the effort goes into the planning and initial prep. What's not to like about that!

WW Points: ZERO

Image source: FLICKR