Labor Day Grilling Recipes

Labor Day BBQs aren't far away! We know the holidays are a perfect reason to eat poorly, but you can eat great food that's healthy! Personal Chef, Sandy Amato, has once again provided us with great recipes for your summertime barbeque.
*Grilling tip:* Whenever you're grilling, be sure to grill an extra piece of meat or a few extra shrimp to include as the protein in a salad the next day or later in the week

Basic Vinaigrette Dressing

The basic formula is 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar. Experiment with flavored oils, vinegars and citrus.

• 1/2 cup vinegar (balsamic, red or white wine, sherry, cider, berry, herb-flavored, etc.)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
• 1 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk the vinegar, mustard and honey in a bowl to combine. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl, whisking constantly to combine the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator.

VARIATION Citrus: Substitute equal amounts lemon, lime or orange juice for the vinegar

Orange-Wild Rice Salad with Smoked Turkey

• 6 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• 1 cup mandarin oranges in juice
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/3 cup dried sweet cherries or sweetened dried cranberries
• 1/2 pound smoked turkey breast, diced (small shrimp are also good)
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions: Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; stir in rice. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender (about 45 minutes). Drain; cool. Place rice, oranges, celery, cherries or cranberries, and turkey in a bowl.

Combine remaining ingredients; stir well with a whisk. Pour over rice mixture; toss well. Cover and chill before serving.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: calories: 192, carbohydrates: 30.4 g, cholesterol: 18 g, fat: 3.3 g, sodium: 465 mg, protein: 11.9 g, calcium: 29 mg, iron: 1.6 mg, fiber: 2.9 g

YIELD: 7 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Summertime Recipes

Summer grilled recipes can be spiced up without adding a lot of fat or calories. Sandy Amato, Personal Chef and Private Cooking Instructor has provided a great summer recipe for Pineapple-Lime Salsa and Pumped Up Salsa.

Summertime Pineapple-Lime Salsa
1/3 cup pineapple (or apricot) preserves
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
1 tbsp. seeded, finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1 tsp. dried mint flakes (or 2 tsp. fresh, torn)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
8 oz. fresh pineapple, diced

Place the preserves in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium power for about 30 seconds to loosen it up a bit.

Combine the preserves and the remaining ingredients in a bowl and gently toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to combine.

Serve with grilled fish or pork.

Pumped-up Salsa
1 container of fresh salsa (Giant and Whole Foods both care good ones)
1 can black beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained well
1 cup fresh corn (boiled or grilled and removed from the cob) or frozen sweet corn (defrosted)

The beans and corn make this a substantial and healthful salad or a refreshing side dish with grilled steak.