<p>Yum…patient’s blueberry crisp sounded so good I just made a small one cuz
I didn’t have many blueberries left. I guessed at the amounts for the batter and added some oatmeal for flour and some Splenda for sugar. Will let you know how it turns out. Come to think of it, I could have added the 2 nectarines I have and made a larger one.</p>
<p>Good for you, creative cooking! I just stick to the recipe, as even that is a challenge for me :). </p>
<p>I was thinking about the nectarines in place of the apricots in that crisp recipe–the apricots are pretty sweet, so you might need to increase the sugar just a tad unless the nectarines are tree-sweet.</p>
<p>These are two of my favorite light summer recipes (both from Weight Watchers). They’re easy and quick and much lighter in calories if you use low fat or nonfat substitutions, but I usually just go for the real mayo and the real vinaigrette.</p>
<p>Lemony Chicken Rice Salad</p>
<p>Coat a nonstick pot with cooking spray, heat over medium heat. Add 1 large shallot, minced. Cook until softened, stirring, about 1 minute. Add 2/3 cup uncooked jasmine rice, 1 tsp. salt and appropriate amount of water to cook rice according to manufacturer’s directions. Cool.</p>
<h2>Slice white parts of 3 medium scallions into thin rounds. Cut green parts into 1/2 inch long strips. In a large bowl, toss together the cooked rice, scallions, 8 oz. cooked diced skinless chicken breast, 1/2 cup fat-free mayo, 1 tbsp. chopped lemon peel, 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp. pepper. ( 5 WW points per serving)</h2>
<p>And if you can stand another zucchini recipe, this one is really nice.</p>
<p>Farmer’s Market Salad</p>
<p>Trim ends of a medium zucchini. Using a cheese planer or mandoline, thinly slice zucchini horizontally into long ribbons. With a knife, cut ribbons in half lengthwise to make long strips. Toss zucchini with 1 tsp fresh lemon juice and 1/8 tsp salt; set aside on paper towels.</p>
<p>Cut kernels from 1 ear of shucked corn and place in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave kernels on high for 1 minute just to remove “rawness” (corn should still be crisp). Gently combine corn with 1 medium tomato (coarsely chopped), 1 tbsp red onion (coarsely chopped), and 1 tbsp. low fat vinaigrette. (2 WW points per serving).</p>
<p>For a heartier version, crumble 2 tbsp. of reduced-fat feta cheese on top.</p>
<p>Here’s one of my favorites – I promise, it will be the BEST crab cakes you have EVER eaten and it’s so easy to make:</p>
<p>Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes
(it’s an authentic Maryland recipe from a 3rd generation Baltimorean)</p>
<p>1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, heaping
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 lb. lump crab meat, picked through to remove all cartilege</p>
<p>Beat all ingredients together (except crab meat). Gently fold in crab meat. </p>
<p>Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet and place formed crab cakes into skillet. Cook on both sides until heated through and browned on both sides (about 5 - 10 minutes). (You can also broil them in the oven.)</p>
<p>This bean salad is a hit at summer pot lucks. I’m always asked for the recipe. I kind of play with it, but here are the basics. </p>
<p>3 15 oz cans of beans drained and rinsed (I use a variety, usually black, white, and kidney or garbanzo)<br>
1 cup corn, cooked (if I use frozen I just thaw it in hot water. It seems to be enough)
1/2 red pepper finely diced
2 slices of red onion, diced
4 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tps. dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or more depending upon your taste–we like lots!) </p>
<p>Combine oil, vinegar, and mustard for a dressing. Combine all ingredients and top off with dressing.</p>
<p>OK…I only do “easy” recipes. This one is REALLY easy.</p>
<p>Cucumber/tomato salad</p>
<p>3 English cucumbers peeled and cut into chunks
1 box of grape tomatoes (so far those are still on the “ok to eat list”)
crumbled gorgonzola or asiego cheese (I prefer gorgonzola)
Balsamic vinegrette (bottled…I use lite).</p>
<p>Put the cucumbers, tomatoes and cheese in a bowl. Add a small amount of dressing…just enough to coat the ingredients (really…a SMALL amount). Mix.</p>
<p>Serve.</p>
<p>Done!! Good with anything…salmon, chicken, steak, swordfish, other salads. Takes about 10 minutes to prepare. When I’m taking it to a party, I mix the veggies and cheese in a bowl at home and add the salad dressing when I get to my destination.</p>
<p>Anyone have a really good, spicy recipe for gazpacho?</p>
<p>Also - how about a recipe for Bruschetta? I’d love to be able to make a batch when my tomatoes start coming in…mmmmmm, can’t wait!</p>
<p>Yes, this one is delicious, except my kids hate goat cheese so they don’t appreciate that part of it: (also it’s good without the jalapeno if you don’t want it as spicy and/or are worried about the bugs):</p>
<p>1 baguette
6 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided (2 and 4)
12 small tomatoes seeded and finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
generous pinches of salt and freshly ground pepper
6 ounces of soft, mild goat cheese</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 325. Cut baguette diagonally into 24 slices; arrange on baking sheet. Brush both sides of bread slices with 2 T of the olive oil. Bake until toasted and golden, about 6 min. per side.</p>
<p>Compine 4 T olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos if using, basil and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.</p>
<p>Spread goat cheese over toasts; arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Mound tomato mixture on toasts. Bake on the center oven rack until heated through, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately. Serves 12.</p>
<p>You can prepare the toast and the tomatoes up to an hour ahead; cover and store separately at room temp.</p>
<p>If any of you make the stuffed zucchini, please report back! I would love to hear how it turns out.</p>
<p>The simplest thing in the world to do with excess zucchini is to slice them thinly with an equal volume of sweet onions, and saute them in a bit of oil for a long time (like half an hour), until they are thoroughly soft and brown and caramelized. Add some balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and it’s a good relish/pita filling/bruschetta topping.</p>
<p>
Here’s a good recipe using it. Made this the other night, and it was yummy. (I’m a terrible cook but really trying to learn and get better, so this is easy and quick.)</p>
<p>Chicken Fresca</p>
<p>Fresh broccoli florets, cut in bite-size pieces
Sun-dried tomatoes, cut in 1/8-inch strips
Frozen cavatelli pasta*
Boneless chicken cutlets, cooked (baked or grilled) and cut in 1/4-inch pieces*
Salt and pepper to taste*
Fresh mushrooms, sliced or chopped*
Fresh grape tomatoes, halved
1 tbs basil pesto*
2 tbs butter
2 tbs grated fresh Parmesan cheese</p>
<p>Cook pasta in boiling water for about 8 minutes. Add broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and grape tomatoes (in whatever amounts you want) to the boiling water. Cook for an additional 1-2 min until broccoli is tender but still bright green and not mushy. Drain mixture and return to pan. Stir in pesto, butter, and cheese to coat. Cover and let stand 3 min. Add chicken to pasta mixture, toss, and serve.</p>
<p>*You could substitute one of the new healthier, high-fiber boxed pastas like Ronzoni Smart Taste penne. I keep baked, unseasoned skinless chicken on hand to use in seasoned dishes. For this dish, I used sliced baby portobello mushrooms (very healthy), but chopped shiitake would do just as well (good source of vitamin D). The recipe calls for it, but I don’t add salt to any food. I use cracked black pepper liberally. I found a jar of imported Italian pesto (extra-virgin olive oil, basil, ground pine nuts, garlic, Romano cheese), which is what “made” this dish; I used closer to 1-1/2 tbs. If you buy ready-made pesto, watch out for soybean oil instead of EVO and additives. </p>
<p>Here’s an easy recipe:
[Classic</a> Pesto Recipe at Epicurious.com](<a href=“http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/CLASSIC-PESTO-109802]Classic”>http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/CLASSIC-PESTO-109802)</p>
<hr>
<p>Made this dip last night. Oh my!</p>
<p>Quick Spinach Artichoke Dip</p>
<p>1/2 8-oz package frozen chopped spinach (microwave lightly then cut block)
2 oz Neuchatel cheese
1 cup bottled or canned artichoke hearts (packed in water)
Salsa to taste</p>
<p>Throw it all in the blender. H loved it. Put the salsa in the blender first, and use the pulse-blend setting. The salsa gives it a kick. With a little experimentation, you could probably use all fresh vegetables (but cook the artichoke hearts first). Served it with organic blue corn chips. Can microwave to serve warm.</p>
<hr>
<p>Thanks for the thread, OP, and all the recipes, everyone. I’m going to try a few, especially the dips and zucchini. The grocery in my area has fresh blueberries on sale this week. I stir them into Dannon plain low-fat yogurt, add raw flax seeds and sunflower seeds. Healthy snack or breakfast and guilt-free, too! You can add a little honey to sweeten if you prefer.</p>
<p>Dessert anyone?
Pink Lemonaid Ice Cream Pie
1 graham cracker crust
1 qt. vanilla ice cream, softened
1 (6 oz.) can frozen pink lemonade, thawed</p>
<p>Combine ice cream and lemonade in a bowl. Mix well. Pour into crust. Freeze until firm. Garnish with fresh peach slices, strawberries, or my favorite shaved lemon peel if desired. A very refreshing dessert.</p>
<p>That’s funny, n.e.mom. I’m looking forward to trying Hanna’s zucchini also but I need to pick a night when NOT everyone’s home. S2 has an aversion to healthy veggies. What great recipes. I’ve printed them all.</p>
<p>Too many zucchinis?</p>
<p>zucchini soup (either cold or hot):
1 medium onion, chopped.
4 medium zucchinis, chopped
1 large can of chicken broth
salt to taste
pinch black pepper
oregano to taste
1 tbsp oil
heavy cream (to taste)</p>
<p>Heat the oil, fry the chopped onions until translucent, add the zucchinis, salt and oregano. Stir until the zucchinis soften. Add the can of chicken broth.
Reduce fire and simmer for about twenty minutes until the onions and zucchinis are really soft. Puree the mixture in a blender, return to pot. When ready to eat, add some heavy cream to thicken the soup.</p>
<p>Marite,
That sounds exactly like my Mexican grandma’s zucchini soup! One of my aunties’ was very similar, but she added a couple of tablespoons of quick-cooking oats part way through the simmering stage.</p>
<p>PESTO!!!
Mine stays good for a month, but it never lasts that long. I do use a recipe similar to Renee’s, except for the kosher salt.</p>
<p>I also like mine as a spread on a mozzarella sandwich or chicken sandwich., or thinned out and tossed with pasta.</p>
<p>ReneeV:</p>
<p>Indeed, you can add quick-cooking oat or millet or even cooked rice to thicken the soup. I’ve done all three and also left them out.</p>
<p>Just made this last night and everyone loved it. It feels very summery with all the pretty chopped veggies and herbs in the salsa. I bought fresh wild ahi tuna from Whole Foods which might explain why it was so delicious:</p>
<p>[Coriander-Crusted</a> Tuna with Black Bean Salsa Recipe - - MyRecipes.com](<a href=“http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1723409]Coriander-Crusted”>http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1723409)</p>
<p>Also, I have a wonderful recipe for a different kind of pesto from the Sunset Light and Healthy cookbook that is great in the summertime:</p>
<p>1 large lemon
2 cups lightly packed chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 cloves garlic
3 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
Coarsely ground pepper</p>
<p>Use a vegetable peeler to pare zest from lemon in large strips. (reserve rest of lemon for another use). In a food processor, whilr lemon zest, parsley, garlic and Parmesan until finely minced, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Cook 1 pound of penne or rigatoni pasta and drain; mix together with pesto and oil in warm bowl and toss well. Season with pepper.</p>
<p>A “Different” Tuna Salad</p>
<p>Amounts to your taste:
canned tuna
Pimento stuffed Olives (sold as Salad Olives)
Oil and vinegar dressing
chopped red cabbage (add right before serving as it will turn the entire salad purple if there is any left over)</p>
<p>Hanna, I just tried your stuffed zucchinis. My husband really loved them! Also, we had 2 pieces left over, and I just reheated them in my micowave using the browning element, and it was not perfect the next day (not soggy at all). This recipe is one that we will make again this summer. Thanks.</p>
<p>Keep those recipe ideas coming! I am enjoying these new ideas.</p>