Grilled Asparagus

Grocery
Asparagus

Pantry
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Pepper

Directions
Wash asparagus and bend the stem end of the asparagus until it snaps (this will remove the tough stem). Discard ends and place asparagus in shallow dish. Coat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Cook on grill over medium-low heat until just tender, about 7-8 minutes, turning halfway through. Serve and enjoy!

Shown with Grilled Pork chop and Melon Salad with Feta.

Bon Appetit! Kelly


All photos by Kelly Waters

Southwest Style Grilled Corn

Grocery
Fresh corn on cob, white or yellow
Limes (one per 2-3 ears)

Pantry
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
Cumin

Directions
Remove husks and silk from corn, wash and brush lightly with olive oil. Cut lime in half and rub cut side over each corn cob. Season with dash each of sea salt, pepper, and cumin.

Heat grill to medium and grill corn, turning often until golden all around and tender. Squeeze lime juice over each and serve.

Shown with grilled sweet potato chips and pork tacos.

Bon Appetit! Kelly


All photos by Kelly Waters

Grilled Sweet Potato Chips

Grocery
Sweet potato (1 is enough for two servings - multiply as needed)

Pantry
Olive Oil
Cumin
Sea Salt
Pepper

Directions
Soak some wooden skewers in water for 1/2 hour. While skewers are soaking, wash sweet potato and cut into 1/2 thick slices (discard ends). In bottom of a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon each of cumin, salt, and pepper. Add potato slices and toss to combine.

Thread potato slices onto skewers through the middle. Heat grill to medium and place skewers diagonally across the grill grates. Turn every few minutes until potatoes are brown all around and tender.

Shown with pork tacos and southwest style grilled corn.

Bon Appetit! Kelly

All photos by Kelly Waters

Five Ingredient Friday: Cilantro - Coconut Rice

Grocery
Brown rice
1 can coconut water (you can usually find this in the Hispanic food section)
Fresh cilantro
Raw unsweetened coconut (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
1 lime

Pantry
Sea Salt

Directions
Cook rice according to package directions, but substitute part of the water for coconut water (use the whole can of coconut water and add tap water so that you have enough liquid as instructed).

 While rice is cooking, coarsely chop about 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and measure out 1/4 cup coconut. When rice is done, fluff with a fork and add cilantro, coconut, and juice of the lime. Taste and add salt as needed.

Shown with Thai chicken satay, sliced mango, and steamed snow peas.

Bon Appetit! Kelly


All photos by Kelly Waters

Spicy Black Bean - Watermelon Salsa

Grocery
1 avocado
Small watermelon (you'll need about 2 cups chopped)
1 ear of corn
1 jalapeno
1 lime
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Fresh cilantro
1 15 ounce can black beans

Pantry
Sea salt

Directions
Heat grill to medium heat; clean husks and silk from corn and wash. Place on grill and cook on all sides until slightly charred; remove from heat.

Meanwhile, slice washed cherry tomatoes in half and place in large serving bowl. Cut watermelon and avocado into bite size cubes, mince the jalapeno (leave seeds in if you like it spicy - otherwise, remove them), and coarsely chop about 1 cup of cilantro (about a handful). Add to tomatoes along with rinsed and drained black beans.

Stand the ear of corn on its flat end. Holding the stem end in one hand, slide your knife downward to remove kernels from the cob. Repeat until all kernels are removed and add to salsa.

Squeeze juice of lime over mixture and add a pinch of salt; stir to combine, taking care not to mash the avocado. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

I served mine on top of grilled chicken tostadas. It's also great as a meal on its own, over mixed greens, as an accompaniment to grilled fish or chicken, or as a dip.

Bon Appetit! Kelly

Photos by Kelly Waters

Five Ingredient Friday: Grilled Heart of Romaine Salad

Welcome to Five Ingredient Friday! This is a new feature on Cook with Color. Every Friday I will post a recipe that requires five ingredients or less, excluding pantry items. Hope you enjoy!

Grocery
(yield: 2 salads) 
1 heart of romaine
1 lemon
1 orange (I used a navel orange), peeled and sectioned
1 red onion
1 4 ounce container crumbled reduced fat feta or blue cheese

Pantry
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Pepper

Directions

Heat the grill to medium low. Wash the romaine hearts and cut in half lengthwise.

Cut lemon in half. Brush olive oil and half a lemon's worth of juice on cut sides of romaine.

Cut two 1/2 thick slices of red onion and brush with olive oil. Place onion slices on grill; cook until grill marks form, about 2-3 minutes.

Flip onions over and place romaine hearts on grill, cut side down, and grill for about 2-3 minutes.

Remove onions and romaine from grill; place romaine hearts, cut side up, one per plate. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over romaine; top with grilled red onion rings, orange sections and a generous pinch or two of cheese. Season with a light pinch of salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt if you use feta as feta is already salty - I skipped the salt altogether.

Note: I served the romaine with the stem intact. You may remove if you like before serving. I simply cut around the stem as I was eating  - the stem is not too tasty!

You can easily double or triple this recipe. You will have enough red onion for up to six or eight servings, depending on the size of the onion, and enough cheese for about four to six servings, depending on how generous you are with it, so you need only multiply the other ingredients as desired.

Bon Appetit! Kelly


Photos by Kelly Waters

Grilled Corn with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Grocery
5-6 ears of corn, husks still attached
Cilantro
2 limes

Pantry
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper

Pull back the husks from each ear of corn; remove silk and wash kernels and cob; set aside.

Make vinaigrette by combining 2 tablespoons or so of olive oil and juice of two limes with a 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped coarsely, and a dash each of salt and pepper.

 

Coat each ear of corn using a pastry or basting brush; fold husks back over corn and grill over medium heat until husks are charred and corn is tender (about 25-30 minutes).

To serve, pull back and remove husks. If you desire, serve any leftover vinaigrette at the table. You won't need any butter with this dish!

Bon Appetit! Kelly


All photos by Kelly Waters

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Grocery
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 6 ounce container 0% Greek yogurt

Pantry
Sea salt
Black pepper
Olive Oil
 
Directions
Wash sweet potatoes. Prick with fork and cook in microwave or oven until tender.

 

Note: I microwaved these for about 18 minutes total. Start out with 15 minutes and then keep going in 1 minute intervals until tender.

Slice in half lengthwise and let sit for a few minutes until cool enough to handle. Scoop flesh out of skins and into a mixing bowl.

Add salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons or so of olive oil.

Beat with hand mixer until all lumps are gone.

Add in Greek yogurt and mix until combined. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. 

Shown here served with jerk chicken and black eyed pea relish.

Bon Appetit! Kelly

All photos by Kelly Waters

Black Eyed Pea Relish

Grocery
1 15 ounce can black eyed peas
1 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia)
1 cucumber

Pantry
White vinegar
Raw cane sugar
Sea Salt

Directions
Combine 1/3 cup each of sugar and vinegar and touch of salt in serving bowl. Whisk until combined. Drain and rinse the black eyed peas and add to bowl.

Dice the cucumber and the onion and add to bowl along with black eyed peas.

Combine dressing with vegetables and refrigerate until ready to serve. The longer it sits, the better - I made this about three hours before serving. I serve mine very well chilled but it's also delicious at room temperature.

 

Shown here with mashed sweet potatoes and jerk chicken.

Bon Appetit! Kelly


All photos by Kelly Waters

Pasta with White Beans, Vegetables, Turkey Meatballs, and Feta Cheese

Grocery

1 pound lean free range turkey, ground

Garlic

Parsley (I prefer flat-leaf)

Basil

1 sweet white onion (such as Vidalia)

8 ounce package sliced Portobello mushrooms

1 15 ounce can Cannellini beans

3 medium size red ripe tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

1 5-6 ounce package organic mixed greens, spinach, or other greens of your preference

1 14-16 ounce box whole grain rotini pasta (or use whatever shape you like!)

1 four ounce container fat free or reduced fat crumbled feta cheese

Pantry

Sea Salt

Peppercorn Medley (or black pepper if you prefer)

Balsamic Vinegar

Directions
For meatballs:

First, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic and chop ¼ cup each loosely packed basil and parsley. Place in bowl with ground turkey and 1 teaspoon each sea salt and pepper; mix until well combined. Using a lever style ice-cream scoop, scoop turkey mixture; shape each meatball by rolling between your palms.

Cook in two tablespoons olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 5 minutes more; transfer to cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees to keep warm until ready to serve.

For sauce:

Chop ½ onion, red bell pepper, and 3-4 cloves of garlic. Add to large skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent – about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop mushrooms, tomatoes, and ½ cup each basil and parsley. Drain and rinse cannellini beans. When onion and pepper are done, add mushrooms, tomatoes, and beans; reduce heat to simmer and cover, stirring occasionally.

Fill large pot with water 2/3 full; add 2 tablespoons sea salt. Cover and heat on high until boiling; add pasta and stir. Cook uncovered 10-11 minutes or according to package directions. Before draining reserve one cup of pasta water; add to vegetable mixture along with drained pasta. Top with feta, chopped herbs, and mixed greens. Cover and let sit for about five minutes or until greens are slightly wilted; add ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve topped with turkey meatballs.

 

Note: For a vegetarian option, you can certainly omit the turkey in this recipe. There is plenty of protein in the beans and in the whole grain pasta!

Bon Appetit! Kelly 

Photos by Kelly Waters

Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade

Grocery
Blueberries (about 1 cup/8 ounces)
6-7 lemons
Seltzer water

Pantry
Raw cane sugar

Directions
First, make a simple syrup by combining juice of all the lemons (should give you about 1 cup) with equal amount of sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; stir until sugar is well dissolved. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes until reduced by about 25%. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree the blueberries in a food processor. When ready to serve, spoon 4 tablespoons of blueberry puree over ice in a drinking glass. Add two tablespoons of lemon syrup and fill to brim with chilled seltzer water. Garnish with a lemon slice and/or fresh mint leaves if you wish. Stir and enjoy!

Bon Appetit! Kelly 


Photos by Kelly Waters

Homestyle Coleslaw

Grocery
1 small red cabbage
1 small green cabbage
1/2 white sweet onion
1 medium Golden Delicious apple (or whatever you like)
1 carrot
1 16 ounce container 0% plain Greek yogurt
1 package sliced raw almonds

Pantry
Whole grain mustard
Apple cider vinegar
Sea salt
Raw cane sugar or organic dark brown sugar
White Pepper

Directions
Make the dressing first. In a Tupperware bowl with a tight fitting lid, whisk together 1/4 cup of mustard, 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon each of sea salt and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if you like.

Toast the sliced almonds in a dry pan over medium heat until just browned. Keep a close eye on them as they will burn easily. Set aside.

Shred the cabbage, finely minced the carrot and onion, and remove the core and stem from the apple and cut into bite-size pieces (I left the skin on).

Place everything except for almonds in the bowl on top of the dressing, put lid on and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, mix coleslaw with the dressing by making sure lid is on securely and shaking to coat mixture with dressing. Place in serving bowl and top with toasted almonds.

Tip: if you are making this ahead of time, toss apples in a little lemon juice or vinegar then add to coleslaw. It will prevent browning.

Shown served here with spicy peach barbecue pulled pork sandwich.

Bon Appetit! Kelly

All photos by Kelly Waters