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

Kalyn's favorite Phase One Recipes from July 2013 were Grilled Halloumi Cheese Skewers, Egg-Crust Vegetarian Breakfast Pizza, Middle Eastern Tomato Salad, and Grilled Chicken and Veggie Kabobs with Garlic and Basil.

Even though I no longer head back to school every August, I still have a slight feeling of panic when that calendar page turns over.  All too soon grilling on the deck, tomato sandwiches, and fresh herbs from the garden will be gone for another year.  I kept wishing summer would last longer all the while I was typing up this South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up, because things I found this month were so seasonal, so summery, and just so darn delicious looking (and the thought of diet food never entered my mind.)  I'd have a hard time choosing just which one of these recipes I'd like to try first, but if you have time for a comment, I'd love to hear which one really catches your attention.  (You can use the label Low-Glycemic Recipe Round-Ups to see all the posts like this one.)

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Green Bean Summer Salad Recipe with Italian Sausage, Olives, and Basil Vinaigrette

I loved the unique combination of flavors in this Green Bean Summer Salad with Sausage, Olives, and Basil Vinaigrette!

Sometimes I think outside the box a little when I'm staring into the fridge wondering what to make with what I have on hand, and that's what happened with this Green Bean Summer Salad with Italian Sausage, Olives, and Basil Vinaigrette.  I don't really know what made me combine these flavors, except I had fresh green beans and turkey Italian sausage that needed to be used, and I think olives and basil vinaigrette would taste good with just about anything.  All I can say is, it worked.  I'm calling this a "summer" salad because I wouldn't make this unless I had fresh green beans, but if you like all these flavors, be open minded and give this a try!

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Recipe for Grilled Halloumi Cheese Skewers with Mushrooms and Sweet Onions

Grilled Skewers with Marinated Halloumi Cheese, Mushrooms, and Sweet Onions for a unique Meatless Monday dish.

A few years ago I fell in love with Halloumi, a unique cheese from Cyprus that has a high melting point which allows it to be fried or grilled.  The browned cheese is delightful, and although Halloumi is a bit of a budget splurge, it's something I buy occasionally for a treat.  I had a block of Halloumi in the fridge and some mushrooms that needed to be used up, and that was all the inspiration I needed for these Grilled Halloumi Cheese Skewers with Mushrooms and Sweet Onions.  I marinated the cheese, mushrooms, and onions for a few hours in a mixture with Mediterranean flavors; then threaded them on to my favorite Double Kabob Skewers and grilled them.  The only thing that's at all difficult about cooking the skewers on the grill is making sure you use oil or non-stick spray right before you put the skewers on so the melting cheese doesn't stick to the grill.   And if you've never had Halloumi before, I'm thinking you're going to love this recipe; hope you try it!

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Recipe Favorites: Middle Eastern Tomato Salad (Salad Shirazi)

This traditional tomato salad from the middle east is something I look forward to every summer.

(Updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions, July 2013.  My friend Massoud is coming to visit me again in a few weeks, so I thought that was a good reason to update this recipe with better photos!)

This salad that's made all over the middle east is one of my very favorite ways to eat tomatoes when they're fresh and sun-ripened, and if I ever was forced to choose my top ten favorite ways to eat tomatoes, this salad would absolutely be on that list.  It's actually very good made with Roma tomatoes since they have less seeds and the flesh is firm, but you can make it with any type of tomatoes that have good flavor. I learned to make the salad years ago from my friend Massoud, who came to the United States from Iran, and this combination of salad ingredients is so traditional that it's just called "salad" there. In the U.S. you might see it on a restaurant menu called Salad Shirazi. You can vary the proportions based on your own taste or what you have in the garden, but don't skimp on the mint and parsley, which is what makes this so special.

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Recipe for Cheesy Zucchini with Garlic and Parsley

This simple recipe for Cheesy Zucchini with Garlic and Parsley produces a delicious zucchini side dish.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this recipe for Cheesy Zucchini with Garlic and Parsley from 2007 is something I've made many times.  I think this recipe needs a photo make-over, but the flavors in this dish are outstanding.  This year I don't have any zucchini growing in my garden, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a few garden beds for next year at the new house.)

I'm always excited about my first zucchini of the year from the garden. If you know me and how I am about garden produce, you realize that before the day's over I'll have found a new recipe and cooked the zucchini. I'll make a serious attempt not to gush and moan too much when I describe how well this turned out, but it tasted fantastic, and I got to use some of the garlic from that big jar of garlic cloves too! If you have zucchini in your garden, or nice fresh zucchini from the Farmers Market, I highly recommend trying this.

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Low-Sugar Fat-Free Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Pops

These Low-Sugar Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Pops will help cool you down!

Utah is having a heat wave this summer, so when I was shopping with my sister Val and we discovered these Sip-a-Pop Popsicle Molds on close-out for $1.00 a pack, it was a no-brainer.  Then the next day my two nephews Ethan and Mitchell came to stay at my house and we had fun adapting my recipe for Low-Sugar Strawberry Frozen Yogurt into popsicles.  Unfortunately we made the pops, put them in the freezer, and then headed out to have fun, so I can't tell you exactly how long they take to freeze.  But the next day when two more kids came to visit, everyone gobbled up the Low-Sugar Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Pops, and wise-beyond-his-years Ethan (who knows a bit about how the blog works) told me I could definitely say they were kid approved!

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Julienned Zucchini Vegan Mexican Bowl with Black Beans, Avocado, Tomato, Poblano, and Lime

This Vegan Mexican Bowl with barely-cooked zucchini is perfect when it's really too hot to cook.

In Utah it's expected to hit 104F this week, and it seems likely we're going to set a record this summer for the most days above 100F.  I hear some people lose their appetite when the weather is extra hot, but that never happens to me; in fact when summer produce is abundant I'm always thinking up new ways to use it.  My latest experiment was this Julienned Zucchini Vegan Mexican Bowl with Black Beans, Avocado, Tomato, Poblano, and Lime, and the fact that the only cooking involved was 2-3 minutes to quickly saute the julienned zucchini made this a great hot-weather dish.   If you like zucchini and you're looking for a light summer meal where you don't need to heat up the kitchen, I bet you might enjoy this as much as I did.

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