Curly Cukes and Radish Salad

Ingredients:

10 radishes
2 medium seedless cucumbers
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced into rings*
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or sorrel
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Set aside one whole radish for garnish. Thinly slice five of the remaining radishes. Cut rest of radishes into halves or quarters.

2. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin, ribbon-like lengthwise slices from cucumbers, discarding first slice. (You should have about 2 cups.)

3. In a bowl combine radish slices, halves, and quarters; cucumber ribbons; jalapeno pepper; basil, sugar; and salt. Drizzle with olive oil and white wine vinegar. Toss gently to coat. Garnish with reserved whole radish. Makes 6 side-dish servings.

*Because jalapeno peppers contain oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with them as much as possible. Wear plastic or rubber gloves when working with jalapenos. If your bare hands do touch the peppers, wash your hands well with soap and water.

Source: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/salads/curly-cukes-and-radish-salad/

Warm Pasta Salad with Italian Turkey Sausage

Ingredients


Nonstick cooking spray

5 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1 eggplant (1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 hot or sweet Italian sausages

8 ounces wagon-wheel pasta



Directions

1. Prepare charcoal grill with medium-hot coals or heat gas grill to medium-high; coat rack with nonstick cooking spray. For dressing, whisk together 4 tablespoons of the oil, the vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

2. Brush tomatoes, eggplant, and onion with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Pierce sausages several times with the point of a small knife. Grill vegetables and sausages, turning often, 13 to 15 minutes, or until sausages are no longer pink and vegetables are crisp-tender.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; place in a large bowl.

4. Remove vegetables from grill and chop into bite-size pieces; cut sausages into coins, then cut each coin in half. Add sausage and vegetables to pasta. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat

Source: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/healthy-summer-barbecue/grilling-recipes/?page=5

Greek Orzo Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
4 yellow, orange and/or red bell peppers
1/2 cup whole-wheat orzo
1 15-ounce c chickpeas, rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), chopped
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt


COOKING DIRECTIONS


Step 1
Halve peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving the stems attached. Remove the seeds and white membrane. Place the peppers cut-side down in a large microwave-safe dish. Add 1/2 inch water, cover and microwave on High until the peppers are just softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool slightly, drain and set aside.

Step 2
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Step 3
Mash chickpeas into a chunky paste with a fork, leaving some whole.

Step 4
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and oregano and cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, chickpeas, 1/2 cup feta, tomatoes, vinegar and salt; cook until heated though, about 1 minute. Divide the filling among the pepper halves and sprinkle each pepper with some of the remaining 1/4 cup feta.

Source: http://www.acefitness.org/healthyrecipes/1985/greek-orzo-stuffed-peppers

Semi Sweet Chocolate over Banana

This is one of my favorite dessert treats. 2 Tbsp of semi sweet chocolate chips are roughly 140 calories. You can melt the chocolate and pour it over a medium banana for about 245 calories. Not bad!