April: Chicken and Asparagus on the Grill

It was the perfect day for an outdoor grill recipe group. Tiffany provided us with 2 great recipes to use as the weather and our BBQs warm up. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Grilled Chicken

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper
1/2 cup pineapple juice or crushed pineapple
1 tsp sugar

Marinate chicken in sauce, then grill. While grilled, drizzle honey on top.

Makes enough for 4-6 chicken breasts

Grilled Asparagus

Wash and cut asparagus. Steam for 5 minutes. Add butter, garlic salt, and pepper to taste. Grill on grill to desired tenderness.

March Recipe Group- Quick Desserts

Here are the recipes for March from Robyn:

Yogurt Pie

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 T. sugar
5 T. butter or margarine, melted
Mix well; press into 9" pie plate. Refrigerate before
filling.

Filling:
1 8-oz. tub Cool Whip, thawed (use a little less than the
whole tub)
1 6-oz. container of fruit yogurt
1/2-1 c. diced fruit (the same as your yogurt)
Gently blend Cool Whip and yogurt until completely mixed.
Add fruit. Pour into graham cracker crust and freeze for
about 2 hours before serving. Light and refreshing!
*Our favorite flavors are strawberry and raspberry, but use
whatever you like. If you use a 4-oz. yogurt container,
put two in instead of one.

Microwave Brownies

2/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Mix together melted margarine and sugar. Cool; add eggs
and vanilla. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into
sugar mixture and blend in. Pour into lightly greased 9"
pie plate. Microwave on high for 4-4 1/2 minutes. (If you
don't have a carousel microwave, turn 3 times as it cooks.)
Remove with hot pads! Cool slightly before cutting. Best
eaten when slightly warm.
*The edges and center may not look done after 4 1/2
minutes, but do not overcook if you have a high watt
microwave or the brownies will harden. Leaving the center
and sides a little gooey will make the brownies more
fudge-like.

Broiled Eggplant Slices with Parmesan and Oregano Bread Crumbs

We've been enjoying Eggplant Parmesan for a couple of years but always felt guilty about the oil we had to use to fry them up. Plus our place would be smoky for the rest of the night. I was really excited about this recipe I found in a book called, "Vegetables Every Day." It's a fun book because it teaches you about all sorts of different veggies and gets you excited to try new ones. Anyways, we've been doing this recipe about every other week and it has worked out great! Tons less oil, no smoke, and pretty much the same taste. Give it a try and let me know if you like it.

1 medium eggplant
3 Tbsp oil
salt
3/4 cups bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (we usually mix low-fat Mozzarella for 1/2 of it)
a pinch or two of Oregano

1. Preheat broiler. Cut the top and bottom off of the eggplant and then cut into slices (we've done lengthwise but like little round guys better than the long). Don't go too thin, but the thinner the crispier (about 1/2 inch). Lay eggplant on a large baking sheet. Brush eggplant lightly on both sides with some of the oil and season with a bit of salt.

2. Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, remaining oil, and oregano in a small bowl. Mix until combined and moistened.

3. Broil the eggplant, turning once, until lightly browned (about 7-10 minutes). Remove the baking sheet and then sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the eggplant. Put it back in the oven and broil until the crumbs are lightly browned -- probably no more than a couple of minutes. Watch them because they can burn quickly!

4. Serve immediately with your favorite marinara over the top.