1. Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes These are seriously un-freakin-believable. I love both carrot cake, pancakes and cream cheese, so put it all together in this recipe and WOW! This is a flour-less recipe with plenty of healthy things packed in: oats, low-fat yogurt, whey protein and tons of carrots obviously. It's very low-fat and low-sugar. These are at my #1 spot for a reason!
2. Lemony Fusilli with Chicken, Zuchinni and Pine Nuts The combination of lemon, basil, zuchinni, pine nuts and a dash of crushed red pepper make a real flavor explosion! I use whole grain pasta.
3. Strawberry Salad with Strawberry-Tarragon Dressing I don't make my own salad dressings very often, but this one is super easy and it makes TONS. I didn't use the exact recipe found here, but it's close enough-- the variation I use is from the book "Forks Over Knives". They have pages of oil-free dressings that still taste very flavorful. You can add chicken or shrimp to this salad if you want some added protein. Blueberries, almonds or red onion make nice additions too.
4. Baked Sweet Potato Fries Who doesn't love these? This recipe is one of the best I've found. Make sure you follow her directions of spacing the sweet potato slices on the cookie sheet without touching, rather than in a pile, otherwise they don't crisp up. (My dog also loves these!)
5. Grilled Teriyaki Chicken and Pineapple This is one of my favorite dinner meals of all time. My husband is a master griller, so any of these recipes that involve grilling are his specialty. Just douse chicken breast and pineapple with your favorite teriyaki sauce and put on the grill. I also grill red bell peppers with it. Serve with brown rice, or even mix it all together with the rice.
6. Grilled Chicken and Zucchini. I didn't include a link, because there are many ways you could go with this one. Grill some chicken with your favorite sauce or seasonings. Some of my favorites are fat-free Italian dressing; apple cider vinegar with garlic and other seasonings; or Scotty's Brewhouse MoFo Mustard--just be careful with this one because it is a creamy sauce and heavier on the fat content. As for the zucchini, I toss it with parmesan cheese and I Can't Believe it's Not Butter spray, then put it on the grill. My favorite sides to include with this meal are bi-color corn-on-the-cob and watermelon.
7. Blackberry Oatmeal. This is a simple twist to my normal morning oatmeal. I always use plain oats with water and mix in 1 packet of Splenda rather than using packaged oatmeal---WAY better for you without the added sugar and sodium. In fact, once you get used to plain oats, you will be amazed at how sugary and salty the packets taste when you try them again! For this variation, I mix in fresh blackberries (straight from my Grandma's garden!) and slivered almonds. I like my oatmeal pretty thick, so this ends up tasting just like blackberry cobbler! Perfect comfort food for the morning while still using fresh summer produce.
8. Shrimp Spinach Salad. So many variations for this one. I use fresh spinach, shrimp sauteed with olive oil, garlic and basil, any number of other vegetables and balsamic vinaigrette. Some of my favorite summer vegetables to include in salads are bell peppers, cucumbers and black cherry tomatoes--if you've never tried this version, look for some at your local farmer's market!
9. Fajitas. Enough said. Mexican food is my favorite, so I'm a little biased, but fajitas really are such a great summer recipe and these can always be super-healthy. You can put either chicken or lean skirt steak on the grill to make it the healthiest. It's always best with a sprinkle of cilantro and fresh lime. My favorite salsa for the summer is black bean and corn varieties. Margaritas optional (but highly suggested!) :)
10. Italian Grilled Cheese Now this one is also a great comfort food recipe for winter when you need something warm and gooey. But, the fresh basil and tomato always remind me of summer anytime of the year. To make this healthier, you could use whole grain bread, but honestly, it tastes better with crusty French-style bread. This recipe recommends grilling, but keep in mind that if your bread is really thick, you might want to just stick it all in the oven--otherwise the bread will burn before the cheese and tomato get warm.
Bon appetit!
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