Summer Lunch Recipes

Nothing says summer like chicken pesto sandwiches, fruit salad, bbq onion rings, and delicious fruit popsicles (with wonderful friends, of course!). We made these dishes when Amy and Liz dropped by for a yummy summer lunch to catch up before Amy moves to Boston. SO DELICIOUS!


Caprice Cherry Tomatos
modified from Cooking Light Magazine

1 pint cherry tomatos, halfed
fresh mozarella cheese, cut into 1/8" strips, then sliced to width of tomato
fresh basil, tough part of leaves removed, cut into 1/8" by 1.5" strips
kosher salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
toothpicks

Lightly salt and pepper mozarella slices. Assemble on toothpick in following order, to make a "sandwich" out of the cherry tomato: (1) bottom half of tomato, (2) basil, folded over, (3) mozarella, (4) top half of tomato. Serve immediately.


Homemade Walnut Pesto
modified from Cooking Light cookbook

4 T chopped walnuts
2 T minced garlic
3 T EVOO
4 C fresh basil leaves, stems removed
1/4 C parmesean cheese (grated)
1/4 t kosher salt

Drop nuts and garlic through food processor chute with machine turned on. Add oil and pulse. Add remaining ingredients, scraping bowl as needed.


Pesto Pecan Chicken Salad
recipe makes enough for 5 or 6 sandwiches

1/3 c prepared pesto
1/3 c plain lowfat yogurt
1/3 c light mayo
1 c toasted pecans, finely chopped
1.5 T lemon juice
4 c cubed BLSL chicken breast (added S&P and baked at 350 for 35 minutes)
1/3 c roasted red bell peppers, drained and sliced(a few slices per person)
whole wheat 100 calorie sandwich bread rounds

Combine pesto, yogurt, mayo, pecans, lemon juice, and chicken; refrigerate until ready to serve. Lightly toast bread, add chicken salad, and top with several slices roasted red peppers.


Baked BBQ Onion Rings
modified from Cooking Light cookbook

3 T flour
1 T sugar
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprika
2 large eggs, beaten
2 medium onions, sliced to 1/4" thickness, and separated into rings
1.5 c breadcrumbs.

1. Preheat oven to 450. Place two cookie sheets in oven to preheat.
2. Combine first seven ingredients in bowl, whisk thoroughly.
3. Place 3/4 c breadcrumbs in gallon ziplock bag. Dunk a third of the rings in the flour mixture, then add to bag. Toss to coat. Repeat with remaining rings and breadcrumbs.
4. Place in single layer on 2 preheated baking sheets coated with PAM. Add rings in single layer, and bake for 5 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.


Zoku Cantaloupe Popsicles

Ingredients:
1/2 cantaloupe, cubed
2 T fat free vanilla coffee creamer
1 T brown sugar

Blend ingredients in Magic Bullet, pour into molds. Makes 5 popsicles. Enjoy!