Berry Cheese Torte

Summer time is a fabulous time of year for fresh berries of all kinds.  They are great for pies, cobblers, salads, or just for eating.  Thanks to my uncle Ron's home grown blueberries, this torte made a very yummy summer time dessert.  For this recipe, which was adapted from a recipe found in Taste of Home Best of Summer Recipes, you will need the following:
     1 pre-made gram cracker crust (the larger size option)
     1 envelope unflavored gelatin
     1 3/4 cups of white grape juice
     1 package (8 ounces) of low-fat cream cheese, softened
     1/4 cup of sugar
     1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
     2 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries
     1 1/2 cups of sliced fresh strawberries

In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over grape juice; let stand for 1 minute.  Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.  Cover and refrigerate until partially set, about 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until it is smooth.  Spread it over the crust.  Place the berries in a large bowl; add gelatin mixture and gently stir to coat.  Spoon over the cream cheese layer.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 
    

Pizza on a Stick!

A great and fun summer recipe that is easy to make with the kids too!  For this recipe you will need the following:
     8 ounces of Italian turkey sausage links
     2 cups of whole fresh mushrooms
     2 cups of cherry tomatoes
     1 medium onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
     1 large green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
     30 slices of turkey pepperoni
     1 tube of refrigerated pizza crust
     1 1/2 cups of shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
     1 1/4 cups of pizza sauce, warmed

     In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  When cool enough to handle, cut sausage into 20 pieces.  On 10 metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread the sausage, vegetables, and pepperoni. 
     Unroll pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface; cut width wise into 1 inch wide strips.  Starting the pointed end of a prepared skewer, pierce skewer through one end of the dough strip and press dough against last ingredients on the skewer.  Spiral-wrap dough strip around skewer, allowing vegetables and meats to peek through.  Wrap the remaining end of the dough strip around skewer above the first ingredient.  Repeat with remaining dough strips and prepared skewers.
     Arrange kabobs on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are tender and pizza crust is golden.  Immediately sprinkle with cheese and serve with pizza sauce. 

Turkey Sausage Pasta with Vegetables

With the use of turkey sausage and whole wheat pasta, this is a pasta dish that you can eat even when trying to lose pounds for that summer beach trip!  For this recipe you will need the following:
     2 cups of uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
     1 pound of Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
     1 3/4 cups of sliced fresh mushrooms
     1 can (15 oz) of fire-roasted (or the flavor of your choice) diced tomatoes, undrained
     1 (6 oz) package of fresh baby spinach



    



Cook the penne according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the sausage and mushrooms over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil.

Add the spinach; cook and stir until spinach is wilted.

Drain pasta; stir into turkey mixture.  Sprinkle with the cheese of your choice and enjoy!  Serving size: 1 1/2 cups=445 calories

Grill Tuna Steaks with Grilled Zucchini Straws

Nothing says summer like a steak on the grill.....even if it is a tuna steak.  If you are a fan of fish and have never tried a tuna steak, I suggest you give it a try with this great marinade.  First some tips for ensuring you are purchasing fresh tuna steaks.  The best option is to buy your steak fresh from the fish case at your local grocery store.  It is best to buy it from a store that states the region of the world that the tuna is coming from.  Many stores will actually inject the tuna to make it have a pinkish look, but fresh, not altered tuna is darker red, with a grey tint.  Once you find your fresh tuna steaks, you will need the following for marinading:
     1/4 cup of soy sauce
     3 tbsp of brown sugar
     3 tbsp of olive oil
     2 tbsp of either white wine or cider vinegar
     2 tbsp of chicken broth
     2 cloves of garlic
     1 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
Combine the above ingredients.  Place the tuna steaks in a storage container.  Pour the marinade over the tuna steaks and seal the container with a lid.  Place in the frig for 2-4 hours, turning the steaks half way through.  Grill the steaks about 5 minutes a side.  Serve the tuna over rice with the grilled veggie of your choice.  If you like zucchini, try the following recipe:
     Cut a zucchini in half width wise and then cut each half lengthwise.  Take each section of zucchini and cut it into three stalks or straws.  In a bowl combine 4 tsp of low sodium soy sauce,       2 tsp of sesame oil, and 2 tsp of Chinese mustard.  Place the zucchini and the marinade into a Ziploc
baggie and seal.  Marinate in the frig for an hour.  Place the zucchini stalks directly on the grill and grill for about 3 minutes a side. 

Three Cheese Spinach Lasagna

This healthy flaver packed lasagna is another fabulous recipe from The Bigggest Loser Cookbooks!  For this recipe you will need the following:
     1 tsp of extra-virgin olive oil
     14 dry whole wheat lasagna noodles
     1 package (12 ounces) frozen chopped spiniach, thawed
     3 cups of all natural fat-free ricotta cheese, drained of any liquid on the top
     3 large egg whites
     1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
     2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
     1 tsp garlic powder
     Sea salt, to taste
     Ground black pepper, to taste
     2 1/4 cups of natural low fat, low salt, marinara sauce
     4 ounces of finely shredded mozzarella cheese

     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Once the water is boiling, add the olive oil to the pot.  Add the noodles to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente.  Drain well.  Cut or tear 2 of the noodles in half lengthwise.
     Meanwhile, drain the spinach well by squeezing it in a clean, lint-free dish towel until all of the excess moisture is removed.  Once you think all of the moisture is removed, continue squeezing the spinach even more to ensure it is completely dry.  In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, egg whites, 3 tbsp of the Parmesan cheese, parsley, and garlic powder until well combined.  Stir in the drained spinach until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper. 
     To assemble the lasagna, spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish.  Lay 3 1/2 noodles evenly across the bottom of the dish in a single layer.  Dollop one-third of the ricotta mixture in big spoonfuls across the noodle layer, and using a rubber spatula, spread it into an even layer.  Top the ricotta with 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce.  Sprinkle one-quarter of the mozzarella evenly over the sauce.  Repeat this layering process (noodles, ricotta mixture, sauce, mozzarella) two more times.  For the final layer, top the lasagna with the last of the noodles.  Spread the remaining sauce evenly over the noodles.  Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella, then the remaining Parmesan. 
     Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and the lasagna is hot throughout.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve! 

Mediterranean Chicken with Couscous

This is a simple and easy recipe with extravagant taste!  It is so quick and easy to make, but packed full of so much flavor guests will think you slaved over the stove for hours!  This comes from the collection of recipes from the Near East products.  For this recipe you will need the following:
    1 package of Near East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous
    2 tbsp of olive oil
    1/2 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
    1 garlic glove, minced
    1 1/3 cup of water
    2 cups of baby spinach
    1/3 cup of chopped sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
    1/2 tsp of crush red pepper flakes
    1/4 cup of crumbled feta cheese






In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the chicken and garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently or until the chicken is no longer pink.

Add the spinach during the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking the chicken.

Stir in water, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes and the contents of the Spice Sack from the couscous box.  Bring to a boil.

Stir in the couscous.  Cover and remove from the heat.  Let stand for 5 minutes and then enjoy!

Sizzlin' Steak Pizza

When you are tired of plan old pizza, just grill up this delicious pizza and you will not be disappointed!  This recipe was adapted from the McCormick website.  For this recipe you will need the following:
    1 lb of boneless beef sirloin
    4 teaspoons of McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning, divided
    1 small onion, cut into bite sized chunks
    1 red or yellow pepper, cute into bite sized chunks
    1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
    2 cups of Colby Jack cheese, divided
    1 pre-made 12 inch pizza crust

Sprinkle both sides of the steak with 3 teaspoons of the steak seasoning.

Place the chunks of onion and pepper in a zip lock baggie.  Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the veggies.  Seal the bag and shake to spread oil onto all pieces.

Grill the steak for 5 to 7 minutes per side.  Place the veggies on a piece of foil and grill for 6 to 8 minutes, until they are tender-crispy.  Once you are finished, leave the grill lid open to help decrease the temperature.

Cut steak into bit sized pieces.  In a bowl, mix together the cheese and remain teaspoon of seasoning.

Brush the top of the pizza dough with 1 tablespoon of oil.  Place oiled-side down on the grill and close the lid.  Grill over medium low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until grill marks appear.  Carefully flip the pizza crust over. 

Layer the crust with half the cheese, then steak, veggies, and then remaining cheese.  Close the lid and grill for 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Grilling note: to ensure that the crust does not burn before the cheese melts, leave the lid open a couple of inches and cook for longer time.