Grill me Something Good!

I love this time of year when the whole neighborhood starts smelling like a backyard cookout . There is just something to be said about the taste and smell of food cooked on a grill! However, when most people think about grilling, they think about hamburgers, hotdogs, steak, chicken, etc. Now don't get me wrong, these things can all be amazing on a grill, but they are often loaded with saturated fats, cholesterol, preservatives, additives, hormones, etc. We made an awesome vegetarian meal on the grill the other night and didn't miss the meat at all. We still got to enjoy that wonderful grill flavor, but in a much healthier way.

Grilled Stuffed Portabello's with Sweet Potato "chips"
- large portabello caps for stuffing
- chopped tomatoes (depending on how many you shrooms you plan to stuff)
- sliced olives
- fresh mozzarella sliced into rounds (the fresher the better, trust me)
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- Sweet potatos
- cumin
- cinnamon
- chili powder
- S&P to taste

Start by marinating the mushroom caps in a mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil for about 30min-1hour. Next mix the chopped tomatoes with the basil leaves and olives. Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps and top with the mozzarella.
In the mean time, slice the sweet potatoes into about 1/4 in thick rounds. Toss them with a little olive oil, cumin, cinnamon and chili powder (I just mix the spices until it tastes right to me, equal parts usually gives a good flavor).
Next fire up the grill and put the sweet potatoes on first. Those will usually take about 7-8 minutes per side (or until they are fork tender). Next add the mushrooms (I recommend using a grill basket with cooking spray so they don't stick to the grill) and cook for about 10 min. or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

This meal was very tasty and the meaty texture of the mushrooms leaves you feeling satisfied. The mushrooms have immune boosting properties, the tomatoes give you a healthy dose of heart-helping lycopene, the sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins and the rest just tastes good ;-)

Happy Eating!

Chili Roasted Salmon with Cilantro-lime cream

Well it has been over a month since my last post, but it seems like even longer since I was able to cook something worth blogging about! Ryan and I just recently purchased our first home and immediately went to work upgrading our kitchen. We traded out the white laminate counter tops for some beautiful granite ones. We went with all new stainless steel appliances and even had a gas line put in so I could cook with a gas stove! Lastly we upgraded the fixtures on the cabinets, got a new sink and faucet and a new lighting fixture for the ceiling. It seemed like it took forever, but it was totally worth it. I. am. in. love.
Inspired by my new kitchen, I re-found (I think I just made that word up) this recipe in my collection. I was excited to try it because we love salmon, but get bored with it sometimes. Let me tell you, this was anything but boring! I will definitely be making it again through the spring and summer!

Chili Roasted Salmon with Cilantro-lime cream
- 1 fresh lime
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- olive oil
- salmon fillets
- about a fourth a cup corn (I used frozen because I had it)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- salt and pepper
- about 1/3 cup light sour cream
- fresh chopped cilantro (I used a ton because I looove cilantro)
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Mist two baking sheets with cooking spray. Mix together the juice from half the lime, garlic, chili powder, cumin and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add salmon, turning to coat.
Next toss the corn, bell pepper, poblano and onion with about 2 teaspoons olive. Transfer veggie mix to baking sheet and spread evenly into a single layer.
Remove the salmon from the marinade and arrange on the second baking sheet. Drizzle the corn mixture with any remaining salmon marinade. Season salmon and veggies with salt and pepper and roast 8-10 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through and the veggies are tender.
In the meantime, mix together the sour cream, cilantro and remaining lime juice. To serve, spoon veggie mix on to plates, top with salmon and drizzle cream over fish.

This meal was so good! I loved that it was colorful, flavorful and bursting with nutrition!!!

Happy Eating!!!