Grilled Summer Vegetable Kebobs: Zucchini & Yellow Squash with Pearl Onions

While I'm sure there's a recipe out there for this, I've never looked for one. I love zucchini, yellow squash and the grill, so there's my inspiration right there.

As with the recent grilling post, not much goes into it, but it's a great option for the grill. Since the goal for this blog is to offer people a variety of healthy eating options, this fits the bill. One of the biggest challenges in keeping with a healthy eating pattern is when we're pressed for time. So the next time you're grilling and you don't have much time to prepare, these vegetables along with the Cinnamon Ginger Grilled Boneless Pork Chop is an easy, quick solution.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini, washed and thickly sliced
  
• 2 yellow squash, washed and thickly sliced
  
• 6 oz. bag pearl onions, peeled
  
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  
• 2-3 tsp. minced jarred garlic
  
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Slice the vegetables (a bit thick so they are easier to skewer) and add to a medium to large size bowl. I halve the larger diameter yellow squash pieces.
   
2. Peel onion and halve a few of them against the layers (so they can still be easily put on the skewers) and add to bowl.
3. Add olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper and toss.
4. Thread onto skewers as desired (I did yellow squash, zucchini, onion). Be sure to go against the onion layers so they're not as likely to fall off.
5. Cook over a hot grill until done to your liking (we usually add them to the grill before it's quite hot enough for meat. They tend to take a bit longer to cook than meat).
   
6. De-skewer and enjoy!

Notes:

This amount of vegetables filled 3 large skewers. I also have a grill pan that sets directly on the grill. I've grilled them this way a number of times and they are just as good. For this I usually use large sweet onion chunks instead of pearl onions. You could also substitute them for the kebobs.

Nutritional Information:

Makes about 6 servings. Roughly per serving:

70 calories
4.7 grams of fat (.6 saturated)
1.9 grams of dietary fiber

About 1 WW point.

Cinnamon Ginger Grilled Boneless Pork Chop

Inspired from my sister, who came up with this great idea for a quick pork chop grill-side flavor boost!

This isn't as much of a recipe, per se, as it is a great idea to keep handy when in need of a quick option to throw on the grill. When everyone else is grilling up their full-fat hot dogs, hamburgers and brats, they'll be jealous of your awesome pork chop. It's quick and simple. Best part is that it's different from a marinade in that it can be prepared right before putting the meat on the grill vs. having to sit in the refrigerator for hours.

Ingredients:

• Boneless, skinless pork chops, thawed and trimmed of fat (as many as you want to grill)
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Ground ginger
  
• Ground cinnamon
  

Directions:

Trim fat off pork (I know, that's the good stuff, but trimming it is what makes the pork a great grilling option and a departure from chicken).

Arrange pork chops on a plate/platter.

Lightly spray each one with cooking spray (you don't need much - it's just to help the seasonings stick).

Sprinkle each pork chop moderately with ginger then cinnamon.

Add to a sufficiently heated grill (we use charcoal, so I'm not sure the temperature for gas), turn at least once and cook through.

Enjoy!

Nutritional information per 3 oz. serving:
*According to WebMD, a 3 oz. serving of lean meat is about the size of a deck of playing cards*

164 calories
5.7 grams of fat
1.9 grams saturated fat
0 grams dietary fiber

About 4 WW points.

Note: Pay attention to the meat size, as most boneless pork chops are greater than 3 oz. when purchased pre-cut. One way to keep portion control in check is to cook as-is and when the meat is cooked, cut one to be a similar size to a deck of cards. Keep the rest for leftovers or share with someone.

Aaaand, if you really want a picture, here you go. When this came off the grill the other night, I didn't have time to take a better one...bad layout and a bit blurry but you get the idea. The pork is not burned, the cinnamon just makes it darker.

Tortellini Soup

It's been rainy and cold recently so I decided a simple soup was in order. It had been a while since I'd made this one and with a busy week, this was something good to have around the house. Plus, I had some carrots and celery to use, so there we go!

I don't know the original source of this recipe. I got it from my mom and I'm not sure where she got it. Either way, I've (of course) adapted it a bit, so it's more my own now anyway. But if I find the source, I will certainly add credit!

Ingredients:

• 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1-2 tsp. minced jarred garlic)
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups cheese tortellini (see note)
  
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Sprinkle red pepper flakes (optional, see note)
  

Directions:

Add chicken broth to a large pot and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, chop celery and carrots. Once boiling, add carrots, celery, garlic, a bit of salt & pepper and red pepper flakes if desired, reduce heat slightly, cover and simmer about 15 min., stirring occasionally. Add tortellini and cook according to package (about 8 min. more), stirring occasionally.

Serve with bread. Makes about 6 servings.

Notes:

One of the biggest keys to making this dish low in calories/fat is the tortellini used. When checking out a few different brands in the store, I noticed a wide variety in calories and fat content for about the same size serving. I ended up getting the three cheese tortellini Buitoni brand9 oz. (235 g) size, which equaled exactly 2 1/2 cups of tortellini. Nutritional information below.

I like to add some red pepper flakes to this to give it some heat. Use caution in adding too much, or it will overpower the dish, since it's broth-based and there isn't much else in the simple soup to mask them.

For leftovers, you will notice a good majority of the broth gets sucked up by the tortellini. It generally gets soupier when you reheat but if you need a bit more, add a bit of water before reheating.

Review:

This is a really quick soup to make, which is nice. Plus, I don't really think it has a "season". Although I might not make it in the summer, it was nice on a cold, rainy spring day. I love that we can have some tortellini for not a ton of calories. It hits the spot!

Nutritional Information: Makes about 6 servings.

Per serving:
161.5 calories
4.3 grams of fat (2.1 saturated)
2.8 grams dietary fiber

Buitoni tortellini: Serving size 1 cup. 330 calories, 9 grams fat (3 saturated), 4 grams dietary fiber. This is incorporated into the total above but might help when shopping for the right pasta to use.

Enjoy!

The Only Vinaigrette (Salad Dressing) You'll Ever Need

I'm not a huge fan of salad dressing. When I was a kid I generally ate salad without dressing or if I did use it, would lightly coat my salad with a tiny bit of ranch dressing. Odd, since most parents have to beg their kids to eat salad. Even though I will still eat salad that way, I generally like to give it a bit of a flavor boost, especially since I'm not into boring food and plain lettuce is about as boring as it gets.

In other words, a salad dressing has to be pretty darn good and full of flavor if I'm going to spend the calories on it, since most dressings are loaded in calories and fat.

Enter a vinaigrette recipe from a friend in France. Simple, flavorful, many varieties, and the only salad dressing I use, unless a dish specifically calls for something else. I'm not kidding, I love this recipe. I love that you can make it your own. I love the bold flavors. I love that it goes with all varieties of greens (and directly on tomatoes, which are a food group in my world). You won't believe how well it goes with red wine and goat cheese (but that salad recipe is for another post). I sometimes wish I could bring my own dressing to a restaurant. And I especially love that you don't need a lot to get the flavor, which makes it very Weight Watchers-friendly.

Quick and simple vinaigrette salad dressing:

• 2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard (grainy or smooth mustard works. I often vary b/t the two. Only recommendation is NOT to use regular old American mustard...ick)
• 3 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar
• Salt & pepper
• 1-2 cloves fresh crushed garlic (or 1-2 tsp. garlic powder)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix together as you would beat eggs. If dressing is a bit strong, add a small amount of water. Serve immediately over salad. If refrigerated prior to serving, allow a few minutes for dressing to return to room temperature and stir again so it's properly mixed. Olive oil will harden in the refrigerator.

There are plenty of options to customize this recipe:

• For less of a bold flavor, try salad (white wine) vinegar instead of red
• Not a fan of garlic? Leave it out. I've made it plenty of times without and it's still great
• Instead of garlic, mince a shallot to add (another variation from a friend in France...certainly worth trying!)
• Substitute the vinegar to easily make other dressings (balsamic, fig, etc.)

Nutritional information:

The number of servings in this recipe depends on how much salad dressing you use. I estimate there are about 6-8 servings per recipe.

At 6 servings, there are about 70 calories and 7 grams of fat. With a little less dressing per serving it's more like 51 calories and 5 grams of fat. 0 grams of fiber.

You don't need a lot of this dressing to get the flavor.

Enjoy!

Asparagus (with onion and ham) Pizza

-My own recipe!

The stuff:

• 1 whole wheat Boboli crust

• ½ bunch of fresh asparagus, washed, woody ends removed

• 1 small to medium onion, diced

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• ½ - ¾ jar pizza sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or 2-3 tsp. minced fresh jarred garlic
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

• 3-4 slices deli ham (vegetarians, see review)

• ¾ cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese (or a reduced fat variety)

• Freshly cracked pepper

The execution:

Preheat oven to 450. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. I add a bit of olive oil spray to finish coating the pan. While oil is heating, cut asparagus into thirds and chop the onion. Add to pan and sauté until onions begin to brown or become translucent. Be sure not to overcook, as it will cook further once the pizza is assembled. Add some black pepper if desired.

Meanwhile, add desired amount of pizza sauce to a bowl and mix in the fresh garlic. Place the pizza crust on a pizza pan or stone. Can also be cooked directly on the oven rack for a crispier crust. Add the pizza sauce and spread evenly onto crust with the back of a spoon. For an extra spice kick, sprinkle red pepper flakes over the sauce.

Spread the cooked onion and asparagus evenly over the pizza. Tear up slices of deli ham and place on top of asparagus and onions. Cover the pizza evenly with cheese. This is one area to be careful of adding too many extra calories. I make sure to cover the pizza but don’t load it down with cheese, as there’s a lot of flavor in this recipe already. If I have some on hand, I’ll also mix in a bit of grated parmesan cheese.

If desired, add some freshly cracked pepper to the top before baking.

Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before cutting into 8 slices.

The review:

Tasty! A good healthy option for pizza lovers! This is one of our absolute favorite weeknight meals. We’ve also had a few friends try it who weren’t sure about it at first (one was so-so on asparagus in general) and the ended up loving it!

I do consider it a “splurge” night since it is pizza, but is so much better than ordering out! This recipe is loosely based on a pizza I ordered on vacation, but I guarantee that one was NOT as healthy as this one. It had shredded pork, which was great, but not practical for a quick weeknight dinner, which was the goal for this meal. The deli ham adds a bit of saltiness to the onion and asparagus, which is a good combination but I’ve also done it without the ham and it’s still good – A nice option for vegetarians (consider adding a bit of salt to the cooking asparagus and onion).

Another way I’ve seen asparagus done on pizza is with goat cheese. Goat cheese happens to be one of my favorite food items ever, but again, it’s not practical for a common weeknight dinner. However, I may come up with a goat cheese combination and add as an alternative at a future date…which would certainly be a splurge night, since it’s pretty much a requirement that one include a glass of red wine to accompany goat cheese!

Nutritional bit:

Per pizza slice (approximate…I’m not making promises on potentially bad math!):

172 calories

6.25 grams of fat

4.25 grams of fiber

It works out to be about 3 WW points per slice. This really depends on the amount of oil and cheese used. If you use more than ¾ cup cheese or use a bit more oil or deli ham, I’d count it as 4. Not bad for pizza!

In other words, this is a meal where portion control is a must but is a great option for pizza lovers!

Notes:

Instead of using a store bought crust, one could also make homemade whole wheat pizza dough. I’ve done this on occasion, although not with this topping combination. The pre-made one is a good option for a quick weeknight meal. I plan to make and review one later, but I have used this recipe from allrecipes.com in the past for whole wheat pizza dough, and it’s worked pretty well.

How to make this a complete meal?

Since having only one slice is incredibly difficult and not practical, I stick with very low-calorie options as side items for this dinner. We generally have grapes or some sort of fruit. If we need something else, a mixed green salad with some chopped tomatoes and cucumbers with vinaigrette dressing is a good option.

Enjoy!

~Chews Wisely