Greek-Seasoned Grilled Pork Chops Recipe with Lemon and Oregano

Greek Seasoned Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon and Oregano, served with Spicy Mexican Slaw!

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and I first made these Greek-Seasoned Grilled Pork Chops in 2009, when my old house was in the middle of house renovations, the grill was in the neighbor's garage, and I was anxious to grill.  Fast forward nearly four years and I'm living in a new house with a natural gas grill on the deck, and I still love this recipe!  When my grill was packed away I cooked these on a stove-top grill pan, which is a great option if you don't have an outside grill.)

All year I wait for grilling season, so I'm trying to be patient about the fact that it's June and my grill is still packed away in the neighbor's garage, where it's been for quite a while! I guess not having a grill is making me think about things I'd like to be grilling, and the thought of grilled pork chops with a marinade similar to Souvlaki popped into my head last week. Luckily I have a stove-top grill pan, as well as a George Foreman grill, and I've now tried this recipe using both of those. If you like Souvlaki but want an easier version, you'll love these pork chops.

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Recipe for Leftover Chicken Asian Chopped Salad

Next time you have leftover chicken, try this easy chopped salad with Asian flavors!

(Updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions, May 2013.) It's no secret that I'm a fan of those rotisserie chickens that jump into your basket at Costco, so I'm always coming up with ideas for using the leftover chicken, and this type of Leftover Chicken Asian Chopped Salad is something I'll often make when there's leftover chicken in the fridge. You can vary the ingredients depending on what you have, but for this version that I first posted in 2006, I used romaine lettuce, sliced mini-peppers, sliced sugar snap peas, chopped cilantro, cashews, and black sesame seeds. All those tasty ingredients get stirred together with a slightly sweet Asian dressing, for a delightful salad made from leftovers. This reminds me of the kind of Asian chopped salad you might get in a restaurant; hope you enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Browns-in-the-Crockpot Spicy Ground Beef for Tacos, Burritos, or Taco Salad

Ground Beef goes in the slow cooker with spices and hot sauce, and a few hours later you have perfectly browned and seasoned ground beef for tacos, burritos, or taco salad!

Maybe everyone but me knows about the idea of cooking ground beef in the slow cooker without pre-browning the meat, but when I saw this idea popping up on various blogs, I was intrigued.  I don't use a lot of ground beef, but I do love Taco Salad, and the idea of having Spicy Ground Beef for Tacos, Burritos, or Taco Salad in the freezer was enough to get me to try this method.  I love the ground beef tacos you get at a Mexican restaurant, where the meat is highly seasoned and very finely broken apart, so that's what I was going for.  I was fully prepared to try this several times to perfect the recipe, but my first try was a winner!  I did use a very generous amount of Cholula Hot Sauce to season the meat, so if you're making this for kids (or adults who don't like much heat) you probably want to use the smaller amount listed in the recipe.

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Barely Blanched Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Red Bell Pepper, Radishes, Red Onion, and Cashews

Barely Blanched Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Red Bell Pepper, Radishes Red Onion, and Cashews would be a great meatless contribution for a summer pot-luck.

Memorial Day means the unofficial beginning of summer in the U.S., or as I like to think of it, the beginning of Salad Season!  I love those warm summer days when a big plate of salad seems like the perfect lunch, and I'm always looking for ideas for my next salad creation.  This Barely Blanched Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Red Bell Pepper, Radishes Red Onion, and Cashews was inspired by a salad I bookmarked years ago on a blog that's no longer posting.  I changed it quite a bit from the original salad and it took me a couple of tries to get it right, but I love all these ingredients and this final version of the salad is definitely a keeper.

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A Container Garden on the Deck and Herbs in the Kitchen Window (2013 Garden Update #1)

Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and basil are growing on the deck!   Here's the very first tomato planted.

If you've been reading this blog for any time at all, you probably know that I'm passionate about gardening!  I've been sharing Garden Updates every year since 2006, and the garden at the old house got better every year.  And then just when I had the garden of my dreams, I moved!  I do love my new house, but there's an abundance of deer, squirrels, and rabbits running around on the hill, so while I build a real garden and figure out how to keep the critters out of it, I'm growing things in containers on the deck and in the kitchen window this year.  

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Grilled Flat Iron Steak Recipe with Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled Flatiron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce is nice for a special meal cooked on the grill.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce is something that would be great for the holiday weekend.  Flat Iron Steak is a bit more expensive now than when I first posted about it in 2007, but it's still a pretty good buy compared to most steak that's suitable for grilling.  Enjoy!)

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10 Favorite Pasta Salads to Make for Summer Parties

I love pasta salads of every kind, but here are ten of my favorites, perfect to take to a summer potluck.

I'm old enough to be able to remember when pasta salad burst onto the U.S. culinary scene, and sadly I've come across some pretty flavorless pasta salads since then.  Maybe it's all those lackluster pasta salads I've seen that make me determined to create pasta salads that are truly memorable, and every one of these 10 Favorite Pasta Salads are loaded with flavorful ingredients.  I also like to use less pasta in proportion to the other ingredients, which can make pasta salad into a lower-glycemic dish.  The last few years I've been a fan of whole wheat pasta, but some of my salads use Dreamfields Low-Carb Pasta.  You can use either of those in these recipes (or just use regular white-flour pasta if you prefer.)  There's a big holiday weekend coming up and any of these pasta salads would be well received at a pot-luck or as a barbecue side dish.  Enjoy!

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Quick and Easy Penne Pasta with Red Bell Peppers, Garlic, Capers, Olives, Tomatoes, and Tuna

Quick and Easy Penne Pasta with Red Bell Peppers, Garlic, Capers, Olives, Tomatoes, and Tuna.  (Top it with Gremolata if you wish!)

About six years ago I discovered an affordable brand of Tuna packed in olive oil that really made me swoon, and since then I've made many tasty recipes featuring this tuna.   It's turned me into a bit of a tuna snob, because now I never buy any other brand (and when I could no longer find it in any of the stores by my house I even started buying Tonno Genova Tuna in Olive Oilby the case from Amazon.com!)  Without this uber-flavorful tuna, I don't think I'd have considering trying a pasta recipe that featured tuna as one of the main ingredients, but the Tonno Genova tuna made this simple and quick Penne Pasta with Red Bell Peppers, Garlic, Capers, Olives, Tomatoes, and Tuna really memorable.  And then Jake and I topped it with some ultra-flavorful Gremolata, which made it even better.  Admittedly, this may be a recipe that's not for everyone, but if you like tuna and have a favorite brand I bet you'll love this recipe.

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Pinto Bean Salad Recipe with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro

Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro is perfect for those times when you *must* have tomatoes, even if it's not quite summer yet.

(Updated with better photos and step-by-step instructions for Meatless Monday, May 2013.)  This Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro salad was originally inspired by one I loved at a party I attended with my brother Rand where guests were asked to bring Oaxacan dishes.  Back home I came up with my version on one of those spring days when suddenly I had to have that fresh tomato flavor in my mouth. When the tomato urge hits me, I don't care whether it's tomato season or how much I have to pay, if I can find tomatoes that taste good I'll buy some. The tomatoes I used were from Costco, and they had that "tomato smell" I always look for if I buy tomatoes.  Even the best store-bought tomatoes can't match that late-summer umami-filled tomato flavor I get when I'm picking my homegrown tomatoes in August, but these tomatoes tasted pretty good.

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Easy Recipe for Spicy Avocado in Pita

One of my favorite options for a quick healthy lunch is this Spicy Avocado in Pita.

(Updated May 2013 with better photos and step-by-step instructions.  I've been making this Spicy Avocado in Pita regularly since I first posted it in 2006!)  If you're going to stick with any kind of healthy eating plan you need some easy and healthy options for times when you just don't want to cook, and this is one of my favorite things to make for an easy lunch or dinner, especially whenever avocados are on sale. It's nothing more complicated than avocado mashed with a fork, spiced up with a bit of chile powder and salt, and then eaten in a 100% whole wheat pita pocket or Foldit with a bit of lettuce.  (The same whole wheat pita I use for this is also great to cut into triangles, crisp in the oven a little, and use instead of chips for any kind of dip or hummus, for another easy and healthy snack or lunch.)

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Recipe for Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Sausage, Spinach, and Cheese

These Grilled Portobello Mushrooms are stuffed with sausage, spinach, and cheese, but you could easily make this a vegetarian recipe as well.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and since it's finally grilling weather again, how about making these Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Sausage, Spinach, and Cheese over the weekend?)
 
Portobello mushrooms are something I haven't cooked with nearly often enough, and they're a wonderfully healthy ingredient, particularly popular with people who are looking for something besides meat to cook on the grill. This isn't a vegetarian recipe since the mushrooms are stuffed with spicy Italian sausage, but I think the idea could easily be adapted to a vegetarian stuffed mushroom, maybe even replacing the sausage with diced portobellos.

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Shake-in-a-Jar Mediterranean Salad Dressing Recipe with Red Wine Vinegar, Lemon, and Sumac

A delicious and easy Mediterranean Dressing that you can use on a variety of greens, beans, or veggies.

If you've been reading my blog any time at all, you know I love all types of Mediterranean flavors.  One of the ingredients I discovered through blogging is the Mediterranean spice called Sumac.  If you've eaten at a Lebanese or Middle Eastern restaurant that had a little shaker jar of a dark reddish spice on the table, that was probably Sumac, or maybe Za'atar, a spice blend that has Sumac as an ingredient.  I've used Sumac in lots of recipes on the blog, and a fair number of readers have told me that they tried it and liked it.  But if you are still not acquainted with this wonderfully flavorful spice, I'm hoping this delicious Mediterranean Dressing with Red Wine Vinegar, Lemon, and Sumac will be reason enough to get you to try it.

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Whole Wheat Orecchiette Pasta Salad Recipe with Roasted Asparagus, Red Bell Pepper, and Mushrooms

Whole Wheat Orecchiette Pasta Salad with Roasted Asparagus, Red Bell Pepper, and Mushrooms is a perfect salad for Meatless Monday.

Today the temperature in Utah is supposed to get above 90F so we've definitely entered the season for warm-weather eating, and lately I've had pasta salad on my mind.  It seems like there are a lot of ho-hum combinations that give pasta salad a bad name, but I like the challenge of coming up with something that's really good, and I loved the Whole Wheat Spaghetti Salad I made recently.  Then I excitedly discovered Delallo Organic Whole Wheat Orcchiette at the store in my new town, and my mind started spinning with thoughts of making a really drool-worthy vegetarian pasta salad.   This Whole Wheat Pasta Salad with Roasted Asparagus, Red Bell Pepper, and Mushrooms has wonderful flavors from roasting the vegetables, and then I added this fun pasta shape, sliced green onion, chopped parsley, kicked-up Italian dressing and coarsely grated Parmesan to make a truly fantastic salad.  If you can't find the whole wheat Orecchiette I used, just use any smallish whole wheat pasta shape, even macaroni.  And if you're seeing this at a time of year when asparagus is not going to be available or you're not an asparagus fan, I'd just increase the mushrooms and red peppers and you'd still have a delicious salad.  (If you skip the Parmesan and use a vegan dressing, this salad could easily be vegan.)

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Twenty Favorite Healthy Recipe Ideas for a Delicious Mother's Day Brunch

If you're cooking on Mother's Day, here are 20 favorites you might want to put on the menu.

Ever since my Mother died in 1998, Mother's Day has been a bittersweet holiday for me.  Since I had The World's Greatest Mother, the day to remember moms just made me miss her all the more, and I wasn't lucky enough to become a mother myself, so I don't have that to celebrate.  However, I do see myself assuming a lot of "motherly" roles among my family and friends, (and not to forget those 30 years of mothering elementary school kids!)  So maybe my best contribution to the Mother's Day remembrances can be to encourage everyone I know to cherish and nurture your mothers while you still have them.  With that thought in mind, I decided to skip this week and share some deliciously healthy brunch ideas for anyone who might be cooking for Mother's Day this year.  And Happy Mother's Day this Sunday to all the moms who read my blog!

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Whole Wheat Orzo Casserole Recipe with Salmon, Asparagus, and Feta

I tried out this Orzo Salmon Casserole on some family members who stopped by, and it was a hit!

Salmon. Asparagus. Feta.  Maybe that's all I need to say about this recipe, because if you know me at all, you know a recipe with those favorite ingredients is going to be something I'll like.  Add a small amount of 100% Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta, some drained low-fat cottage cheese for creaminess, green onions, dill, and Beau Monde seasoning, and I think you can tell why I absolutely loved this Whole Wheat Orzo Casserole with Salmon, Asparagus and Feta.  This was the second recipe of the two I mentioned that I tried out on my brother Mark, his wife Lisa, and their daughter-in-law Lindy who stopped by a few weeks ago, and they liked this one as much as they did the Chicken, Black Bean, Avocado, and Radish Salad.  Even though it's a casserole, this is something I would serve to guests, and it's also good reheated if you manage to have any leftovers to eat the next day.

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Recipe for Spicy Black Bean Patties with Cilantro, Guacamole, and Tomatoes

These Spicy Black Bean Patties would make a perfect dinner for Meatless Monday!

My love for black beans is well documented, and I've had black bean patties jotted down in my little notebook of blog ideas for quite a while now.  Then recently I was absent-mindedly flipping through the pages of a cookbook I got at a yard saleand saw a recipe that looked interesting.  I loved the addition of chopped cilantro and garlic to the black bean mixture, and the recipe used ingredients that I almost always have in the house.  Of course when Jake and I made these Spicy Black Bean Cakes with Cilantro, Guacamole, and Tomatoes, we changed the original recipe up a little, but these black bean cakes were definitely a winner. 

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Whole Wheat Spaghetti Salad Recipe with Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, Olives, and Basil Vinaigrette

This delicious pasta salad has broken Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Turkey Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, Olives, and a Basil Vinaigrette.

It's a big party day at my house, and this delicious Whole Wheat Spaghetti Salad with Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, Olives, and Basil Vinaigrette is on the menu.   When I tested the recipe with Jake, this salad was so good that after I sent most of the leftovers home with him, I had to make it again a few days later!   Today our family is celebrating graduations and birthdays, and I'm especially excited that my sister Laurel and her family are here from Oklahoma to attend the graduation of my niece Amanda from Snow College.  They'll be coming to the party and then spending the night at my house before they fly back home (and I am so thrilled to have a bigger house where there's room for my family to stay!)  

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Sauteed Chicken Breasts Recipe with Tarragon-Mustard Pan Sauce

This easy and delicious chicken recipe is a good reason to grown French Tarragon in your garden!

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and I was reminded of this lovely chicken dish when a follower on Twitter told me yesterday about how much she had enjoyed it.  If you're not growing French Tarragon, this recipe is a good reason to plant some because this simple dish of sauteed chicken breasts with a sauce featuring Dijon mustard and finely-chopped French tarragon makes a great dinner!)

In 2008 I planted French Tarragon for the first time in my herb garden, and it was the beginning of a huge love affair with the flavor of tarragon. I tried lots of different recipes using fresh tarragon, and loved them all. Now it's herb-planting time again at a new house, and this year I'll be planting some French Tarragon among my flowers and praying that the deer don't like Tarragon! And I'm looking forward to trying even more recipes with tarragon.

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South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up for April 2013 (Low-Glycemic Recipes)

My favorite Phase One Recipes from April 2013 were Lentil Taco Salad, Roasted Asparagus with Gremolata, Roasted Garbanzo and Vegetable Salad, and Spicy Broccoli Jicama Salad.

It's May 1, and the gardener inside me is fighting to get out.  Unfortunately my new house has serious gardening challenges (like higher elevation and critters) that will take me at least a year to work out before I'll have a garden that's even close to the garden I'm used to.   I will plant a few things in the small chicken-wire enclosed garden space the previous owners had, and I do have a few herbs growing in my window, but I may have to make more trips to the farmer's market, or even share a CSA share with someone to get my veggie fix this summer.

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