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What’s On My Plate
You know I love to cook! That’s why I started this whole thing called Healthy Living. Summer, with its abundance of fresh, local, juicy, amazing produce is like a celebration for me—and the grill is my best friend! This month, my daughter, Nina, and our Café Research and Development Chef, Karen, and I are going to share some of our favorite summertime recipes.
First me. My culinary background is simple: I grew up in a big family that loved to cook and eat. My Grandma Mary was an incredible baker. My Aunty was the master of savory. And my mother had a massive collection of recipes but cooked only about four things.
Eggplant is my favorite vegetable to grow every summer and here’s my favorite, simple way to grill it:
Recipe Name: Grilled Eggplant
Ingredients:
- 2 beautiful eggplants
- Salt
- 3 T olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced fine
- ¼ t red pepper flakes
- 1 T balsamic vinegar
- Parsley, rough cut
- Heat your grill to high.
- Peel the eggplant. Slice ½" thick. With summer-fresh eggplant, it’s not necessary to salt it prior to grilling.
- In a small bowl, mix the 3 T of olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and balsamic.
- Brush generously with olive oil, salt to taste, and grill until you have lovely grill marks.
- Flip and continue cooking until tender.
- Remove to a platter, pour the olive oil mixture over, and shower with rough cut parsley.
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 lemons
- ¼ C tahini
- Honey to taste
- 2 T olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Parsley and cilantro, chopped rough
- Juice 1 lemon and whisk in tahini, honey, and olive oil. Taste for the level of sweetness you want. Transfer half to a small bowl. Salt the chicken and add it to the large bowl of tahini mix. Toss well.
- Set your grill to high and oil the grates. Add chicken and cook until bottom is charred, flip, and grill 5-8 minutes until cooked through.
- Remove from grill and let cool for 1-2 minutes.
- Add remaining tahini for taste, adding more salt if needed.
- Squeeze lemon over chicken, drizzle with sauce, and shower with cilantro/parsley.
- 1 C yellow corn polenta
- 3 C milk
- 3 C water
- 1 C grated parmesan cheese
- 4 T butter
- 1/2 C creme fraiche
- 2 ears fresh sweet corn (cut off the cob)
- 1/4 C chopped parsley
- 1/4 C chopped chives
- 1/4 C chopped basil
- 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 C olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside to marinate.
- In a large pot, combine the milk and water and bring to a boil.
- Slowly add the polenta, whisking constantly to avoid clumping.
- Bring mixture to a boil, whisking frequently.
- When the polenta boils, reduce to a simmer and continue to whisk. Cook until the polenta is cooked and creamy, but not too stiff (about 45 minutes).
- Add the corn and butter and combine.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and creme fraiche.
- Add the fresh herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately topped with the marinated tomatoes.
- 1 block halloumi cheese, cut into cubes (about 8 ounces or 225 grams)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds (about 1/4 inch thick)
- 1 small red onion, cut into chunks
- 2 T fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, or oregano), chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Wooden or metal skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before grilling)
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Thread the halloumi cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, zucchini slices, and red onion chunks onto skewers, alternating between the ingredients.
- Brush the skewers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until the halloumi cheese is golden brown and the vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the skewers from the grill and garnish with the chopped fresh herbs.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the skewers.
- 1 lb. large shrimp (raw), peeled and deveined
- 8 small flour or corn tortillas, warmed
- 1 C pineapple, diced small
- 1/2 red onion, diced small
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 T cilantro, chopped
- Olive oil, as needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional toppings: avocado slices, sour cream, cotija cheese
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- In a bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Grill shrimp until pink and cooked through (about 2-3 minutes per side).
- In another bowl, combine diced pineapple, red onion, jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro to make the salsa.
- Assemble tacos by filling each tortilla with grilled shrimp, pineapple salsa, and optional toppings.