Banana Sushi

Banana Sushi

Banana Sushi

Kristen Richardson
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole wheat wrap
  • 1 banana
  • 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Place wrap on a cutting board and spread wrap with peanut butter, spreading on only the left or right side of the wrap. Use a small dab of peanut butter on the opposite side of the wrap to help it stay closed once you roll it up.
  • Top peanut butter with chocolate chips, banana, roll it up and cut up into bite-sized pieces for a perfect, kid-friendly snack!

Notes

Use other fun toppings like rice krispies cereal, berries, or chia seeds to add a crunch and different flavor to your sushi.
Bento Box

Bento Box

Bento Box

Kristen Richardson
Servings 1
Calories 402 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 eggs, hard boiled
  • 1/4 cup hummus (flavor of your choosing)
  • 3/4 cup raw vegetables (carrots, celery, cucumber)
  • 1 cheesestick (mozzarella, cheddar)
  • 1/2 cup berries

Instructions
 

  • Place 2 hard boiled eggs in lunch container. Add in hummus cup, raw veggies, cheesestick and fruit.
  • Repeat with as many containers as needed for lunches or dinner for the week.
  • Refrigerate and enjoy!

Notes

Feel free to switch up the fruit, veggies and cheesestick you use to give yourself variety and change up the flavors.
Hot ‘N’ Honey Turkey Meatball Skewers

Hot ‘N’ Honey Turkey Meatball Skewers

Hot ‘N’ Honey Turkey Meatball Skewers

Kristen Richardson
Servings 4
Calories 321 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 can pineapple chunks
  • 4-5 large jalapenos, cut into chunk and deveined and deseeded
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 20-25 skewers

Skewer Glaze

  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Instructions
 

  • Line large plate with wax paper. Mix first four ingredients together in bowl.
  • Form bite-size meatballs and place on lined plate. This should make about 20 meatballs. If you have more than one layer, be sure to separate the layers between wax paper. 
  • Place plate in freezer and leave for about 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are firm. 
  • While the meatballs are in the freezer, chop up and prep all your veggies. Make sure the jalapenos are free from seeds and veins; otherwise they’ll be too hot! 
  • After the veggie prep, combine all three glaze ingredients and mix well until blended. 
  • Take meatballs out of the freezer when done and assemble skewers in the following order: meatball, jalapeno, 1 tomato and 2 pineapple chunks. Repeat until all skewers are completed. 
  • Preheat grill to about 375⁰ and spray with nonstick grill spray. 
  • Coat one side of the skewers with the glaze while still on the plate, and place glaze-side down on grill. Coat the other side with the glaze and let cook, about 10 minutes. Flip over and cook another 10 minutes. 
  • Continue to rotate until skewers are completely cooked through. 
  • Take off grill and enjoy!!

Notes

Pair with a side of brown rice or quinoa to complete the meal!
Grillin & Chillin for a Finger-Lickin’ BBQ

Grillin & Chillin for a Finger-Lickin’ BBQ

That first smell of a grill sparking up and searing meats or vegetables is one of the most inviting smells of summer. Not only is your grill an awesome outdoor cooking method, but it’s also a great party-friendly way to cook a ton of delicious food! Since we’re mid-grill season, I wanted to share some great tips and tricks to make the most of your grilling experience. 

So why can grilling your food be a better option than other cooking methods? Flavor, time, and efficiency are three of the most obvious reasons. Take grilled chicken versus baked chicken; the grilled chicken is going to have a more charred and smoky flavor without adding more calories or sauces to it than a baked chicken in the oven. This is the case with pretty much every meat; steak, sausages, hot dogs, burgers, etc. Not only is the flavor deliciously enhanced in a grill, but the time you need to cook the food lowers as well. Again, baking any meat can take anywhere from 25-40 mins, but cooking a burger or dog on a grill takes a mere 10 minutes! Not to mention, who wants to heat up the house in the middle of summer with an oven when you can grill outside. 

In addition to efficiency, the amount of food you can grill at one time increases as well. Grills typically have more surface area to cook food than an oven will. Of course it depends on what you’re making, but you’re typically going to cook more at one time on the grill than in the oven. We love to save time, so why not use the grill to help you? 

Are there any foods that you’ve always wanted to grill, but never knew if it could happen? I have personally been experimenting with different foods to see what works and what doesn’t. Wings, pizza, vegetables, onion, pineapple, and watermelon are a few of the foods I’ve tried lately and let me tell you, they’ve all come out delicious. 

Some other foods you can grill that you may not have realized include eggs (cooked in a cast iron skillet), bacon, meatloaf, lasagna, avocados, peaches, and bananas. I don’t know about you, but this makes me want to get creative! Anywhere from savory to sweet can work on your grill, it’s all about using the right tools and trying something new. 

Who doesn’t love a good hack when they see one? Some grilling hacks that I hope can make your grilling experience easier are below. 

  • Using grill mats to keep foods cleaner and falling through grates.
  • Brushing ½ an onion on your grill grate to prevent sticking.
  • Grilling corn on the cob in the husk for maximum flavor and steaming, cutting off and squeezing out the corn while it’s still warm. It’ll keep the silk from sticking too!
  • Always soak your skewers in water for 10-20 minutes before using to prevent burning. 
  • When grilling fish, leave the skin on for more flavor and nutrient value (vitamin E, D, Iodine, Selenium, and healthy fats). 
  • Using tin foil to make “packs” and combo dishes. 
    • Cheesy vegetable packets
    • Mixed chicken and vegetable packets 
    • Loaded “smashed” potato packets 
    • Banana, chocolate and marshmallow packets
    • Smore’s packets

These are just a very few examples of recipes and foods you can make on the grill. If you’re not a big grill person, I hope this helps give you ideas and new ways to start utilizing it. I myself was always timid of the flames and heat, but it’s such a great way to kick off summer, and even use it all throughout the year! Check out my personal recipe for delicious turkey meatball skewers to make for your family, or for your next party. Have a wonderful summer! 

Grilled Street Corn Salad

Grilled Street Corn Salad

Grilled Street Corn Salad

Kristen Richardson
Servings 6
Calories 145 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 5 ears of corn in-husk
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 1-2 avocados
  • 1 lime
  • 1 cup feta cheese 
  • 1/2 tsp cilantro
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat grill to high heat. Once heated, place ears of corn in the husk on the grill. Cook for 10 minutes, rotate to the other side and cook another 10 minutes. If the husk gets burned, not to worry. It will only give your corn more flavor on the inside. 
  • After corn is done, place on a heat-safe plate and let cool. 
  • While corn is cooling, slice the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise, and then into thirds. 
  • Slice the avocados into bite-sized pieces and combine with the cherry tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.
  • Once corn is cool enough, cut the thick end of the corn off where the husk is (making sure to cut into the cob itself). You will then be able to squeeze the corn out, holding the top (hairy end) of the corn and slowly pushing the ear of corn out. 
  • Once you have done that with all of your corn, slice the corn right off the cob and place into the mixing bowl.
  • Slice your lime in half and squeeze the juice into your bowl. Add feta and cilantro.
  • Mix well to combine and eat up!
  • Slice your lime in half and squeeze the juice into your mixing bowl. Add feta and cilantro.

Notes

This is a great starchy side to have with dinner. It works great with kabobs, since the grill will already be used for the corn!