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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 

Instructions: 

1. Heat your grill to high. 
2. Peel the eggplant. Slice ½” thick. With summer-fresh eggplant, it’s not necessary to salt it prior to grilling. 
3. In a small bowl, mix the 3 T of olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and balsamic. 
4. Brush generously with olive oil, salt to taste, and grill until you have lovely grill marks.
5. Flip and continue cooking until tender.  
6. Remove to a platter, pour the olive oil mixture over, and shower with rough cut parsley.

This recipe is perfect with:

Grilled Tahini Chicken Thighs (adapted from the NY Times) 

Ingredients:

• 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 

Instructions: 

1. 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. 
2. 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. 
3. Remove from grill and let cool for 1-2 minutes. 
4. Add remaining tahini for taste, adding more salt if needed. 
5. Squeeze lemon over chicken, drizzle with sauce, and shower with cilantro/parsley. 

Next, Nina who’s a total natural in the kitchen. She grew up with ME…so that’s where she got her love of food but furthered her experience at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan. She and her husband are both trained chefs, and dinner at their house is always an epic event! And this is her favorite summer recipe: 

Double Corn Polenta With Marinated Tomatoes 

Ingredients:

• 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

Instructions:

1. Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside to marinate.  
2. In a large pot, combine the milk and water and bring to a boil.  
3. Slowly add the polenta, whisking constantly to avoid clumping.  
4. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking frequently.  
5. 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). 
6. Add the corn and butter and combine. 
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and creme fraiche.  
8. Add the fresh herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately topped with the marinated tomatoes.

And now it’s Karen’s turn. She’s a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and recently named Healthy Living’s Cafe Research and Development Chef, has been cooking since she was 16! When not in the kitchen, she’s busy with a million other things—outdoors with her husband and daughter, working out at the gym, and hosting BBQs with friends. 

Grilled Halloumi Skewers with Herbs and Lemon 

Ingredients: 

• 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) 

Instructions: 

Prepare the skewers: 

1. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. 
2. Thread the halloumi cheese cubes, cherry tomatoes, zucchini slices, and red onion chunks onto skewers, alternating between the ingredients. 

Grill the skewers: 

1. Brush the skewers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 
2. Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until the halloumi cheese is golden brown and the vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes. 

Finish and serve: 

1. Remove the skewers from the grill and garnish with the chopped fresh herbs. 
2. Serve hot with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the skewers. 

Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa 

Ingredients: 

• 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 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. 
2. In a bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
3. Grill shrimp until pink and cooked through (about 2-3 minutes per side). 
4. In another bowl, combine diced pineapple, red onion, jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro to make the salsa. 
5. Assemble tacos by filling each tortilla with grilled shrimp, pineapple salsa, and optional toppings. 

Enjoy a magical summer. Get out there with family and friends. Cook something divine. EAT! 

With summer love, 

KATY