Grilled Shrimp and Scallop Kabobs

Another great kabob recipe.  If you haven’t noticed, I love to grill! From eatbetteramerica.com.

Prep Time:25 min 
Start to Finish:25 min 
makes:4 servings 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound sea scallops
12 uncooked large shrimp in shells
8 medium whole fresh mushrooms, (about 6 ounces)
8 cherry tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, (about 1 inch in diameter), cut into 1-inch slices

Instructions:
1. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat.
2. Mix lemon juice, oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Cut scallops in half if over 1 inch in diameter.
3. Thread scallops, shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini alternately on each of four 10-inch metal skewers. Brush with lemon juice mixture.
4. Grill uncovered 4 inches from medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, brushing frequently with lemon juice mixture and turning once, until scallops are white and shrimp are pink and firm.
Nutritional Information:
1 Serving: Calories 160 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 8g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 60mg; Sodium 310mg; Total Carbohydrate 6g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 3g); Protein 16g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 10%; Vitamin C 15%; Calcium 8%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2 MyPyramid Servings: 2 tsp Fats & Oils, 2 oz-equivalents Meat & Beans, 1 1/4 c

Healthy Fried Chicken 

A great recipe to get your fried chicken fix without the guilt!  Courtesy of Delish.com

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup(s) buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground red pepper (cayenne)
3/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1 (3-pound) cut-up chicken, skin removed from all pieces except wings
1 1/2 cup(s) panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs
1 teaspoon(s) grated fresh lemon peel
Directions:
1.  In large self-sealing plastic bag, place buttermilk, ground red pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; add chicken pieces, turning to coat. Seal bag, pressing out excess air. Refrigerate chicken at least 1 hour or preferably overnight, turning bag over once.

2.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 15 1/2″ by 10 1/2″ jelly-roll pan with nonstick spray. In large bowl, combine panko and lemon peel.

3.  Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess. Discard marinade. Add chicken pieces, a few at a time, to panko mixture, turning to coat. Place chicken in prepared pan.
 
4.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until coating is crisp and juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with tip of knife. For browner coating, after chicken is cooked, turn oven to broil. Broil chicken 5 to 6 inches from source of heat 1 to 2 minutes or until golden.

Nutritional Information:
Calories 305
Total Fat 9g
Saturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 101mg
Sodium 370mg
Total Carbohydrate 16g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Protein 36g

Fresh Salmon-Cilantro Burgers

I love salmon and I love burgers so this is a n0-brainer for me.  Recipe courtesy of CookingLight.com.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns with sesame seeds, toasted
12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices English cucumber
4 leaf lettuce leaves

Instructions:
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; cover and chill.Nutritional Information:
Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

CALORIES 341 ; FAT 11.5g (sat 2g,mono 2.9g,poly 4.9g); CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 67mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.9g; SODIUM 816mg; PROTEIN 31.6g; FIBER 1.8g; IRON 2.2mg

2. Place salmon in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Add breadcrumbs and next 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon black pepper); pulse 4 times or until well blended. Divide salmon mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty.

3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 2 minutes. Carefully turn patties over; cook 2 minutes or until done.

4. Spread about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture over bottom half of each hamburger bun. Top each serving with 1 salmon patty, 3 cucumber slices, 1 lettuce leaf, and top half of bun.

Spinach salad: Combine 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons canola oil, 2 teaspoons water, and 1/4 teaspoon chile paste in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add half of 1 (5-ounce) package baby spinach, 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper strips, and 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion to bowl; toss to coat.

Creamy Caesar Dressing

I love a good caesar salad but the traditional dressing has about 210 calories per serving.  Not so with this recipe that comes in at 60 calories per serving.  Courtesy of EatBetterAmerica.com.

Prep Time:10 min 
Start to Finish:1 hr 10 min 
makes:8 servings (2 tablespoons each)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1 to 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped, if desired

Instructions:
In small bowl, mix ingredients until blended. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Short on time? Look for jars of chopped garlic in the produce department.

This dressing is delicious on a traditional Caesar salad of crisp romaine, but you could choose any combination of lettuce and veggies that you like to serve it with.
 

Nutritional Information
2 tablespoons each: Calories 60 (Calories from Fat 40); Total Fat 4 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 160mg; Total Carbohydrate 3g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 1g); Protein 2g % Daily Value Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 6%; Iron 0% Exchanges 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices 0

Sweet Barbecue Chicken Kabobs

Quick, easy, and healthy kabobs from Kraftfoods.com.

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 25 min
Makes: 4 servings, one kabob each

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
2 cups  fresh pineapple chunks (1-1/2 inch)
1 each: red and green pepper, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup  KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
3 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Instructions
HEAT grill to medium-high heat. Using 8 long wooden skewers (placing 2, side-by-side, for each kabob), thread chicken alternately with pineapple and peppers onto skewers to make 4 kabobs.

MIX barbecue sauce and juice concentrate; brush some of the sauce mixture onto kabobs.

GRILL 8 to 10 min. or until chicken is done, turning and brushing occasionally with remaining sauce mixture.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
Note: Soak wooden skewers in water 30 min. before using. Wrap ends with foil before grilling to prevent them from burning.

Variation: Prepare recipe as directed, substituting 1 lb. salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch chunks, for the chicken. Or, you can substitute 1 lb. cleaned extra large shrimp for the chicken, but you will need to reduce the grilling time to 4 to 6 min. or until shrimp turn pink.
 
Nutrition Information
Calories  240
Total fat  3 g  
Cholesterol  65 mg
Sodium  480 mg
Carbohydrate  29 g  
Dietary fiber  3 g  
Sugars  24 g
Protein  26 g

Nutrition Bonus
Fire up the grill for these delicious kabobs laced with chicken, fruit and vegetables. As a bonus, the pineapple and peppers are rich in vitamin C, while the peppers are also a good source of vitamin A.