Community Corner

Summer Recipes to Make in Glendora

Don't let scorching heat stop you from chowing down on delicious, healthy summer fare.

By Dana Leigh Smith

Summer meals often revolve around meat on the barbecue and the ice cream shop. But there's no rule that says you have to sacrifice flavor for healthier options when it comes to your warm-weather meals.

By taking advantage of the abundance of fresh, seasonal produce, you can cook delicious food that is good for you too. Karen Ansel, MS, RDN, CDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of The Calendar Diet: A Month By Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life, weighs in on the health benefits of five nutritious and delicious summer recipes.

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Chicken with Watermelon-Mango Salsa

This chicken dish is perfect for those looking to slim down. The protein-packed chicken is slowly digested, preventing hunger pangs for hours, and the watermelon’s high water content fills up the stomach without added calories, says Ansel. To minimize the chances of foodborne illness on the grill, use a meat thermometer. Only 23 percent of Americans use one, yet undercooking meat is a leading cause of food poisoning.

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Ingredients:

Chicken:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4 lb.)
  • 2 teaspoons applewood rub grill seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

Salsa:

  • 2 cups cubed seeded watermelon chunks
  • 1 cup cubed mango
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 small jalapeño chile, seeded, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

  1. Place chicken in shallow glass dish. Mix grill seasoning and oil; spoon over chicken. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.
  2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix all salsa ingredients. Cover; refrigerate to blend flavors.
  3. Heat gas or charcoal grill. Carefully brush oil on grill rack. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F). Serve chicken with salsa.

Summer Corn Salad

Despite its bad rap, corn is actually good for you, says Ansel. Not only is the crop a good source of belly-filling fiber, but it also contains zeaxanthin and lutein, plant chemicals that promote eye health.Corn is best the minute it is picked from the stalk so buy from local growers if you can, and look for tightly closed, fresh-looking husks and tassels.

Ingredients:

  • 5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  • 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn, thawed
  • 1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk 4 teaspoons oil, lime juice, salt and pepper sauce; set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, cook and stir corn in remaining oil over medium-high heat until tender. Transfer to a salad bowl; cool slightly. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and basil. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
  3. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving or refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle with cheese just before serving. 

Salmon Burger

Next time you're craving a burger, skip the beef and try a salmon burger instead, suggests Ansel. Not only is it lower in artery-clogging saturated fat, but omega-3 rich salmon also boosts heart and brain health. It's also packed with vitamin D, keeping bones and the immune systems strong.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (1-pound) salmon fillet, skinned and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
  • 1 large egg white
  • Cooking spray
  • 8 (3/4-ounce) slices focaccia, toasted

Instructions:

  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine hot pepper sauce and egg white in a small bowl; add egg white mixture to salmon mixture, stirring well to combine.
  2. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add salmon patties, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve patties on toasted focaccia.

Gazpacho 

This classic Spanish recipe is a cool, refreshing and flavorful dish to start a summer meal. Rich in vitamin C, gazpacho keeps the immune system strong, and skin looking great by supporting collagen production, says Ansel.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cucumber, sliced into chunks
  • 4 large ripe tomatoes
  • 1/2 bell pepper, any color
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 celery rib, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 sweet onion, quartered
  • 3 tablespoon red wine or balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
  • Dash black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) 

Instructions:

  1. Simply combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, except the fresh herbs, and process until smooth.
  2. Stir in the fresh herbs.
  3. Serve with chunks of tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, carrots, celery and a whole avocado.

Pineapple, Mango, Chicken Kabobs

Adding fresh fruit like mangos and pineapples to kabobs is a healthy way to satisfy a sweet tooth, making it easier to say no thanks to dessert, says Ansel. To keep calories and saturated fat in check, look for a mango coconut pepper sauce without coconut milk. Also, be sure not to return the kabobs to the original marinade after grilling. Since raw meat once sat in the sauce it will be full of disease-causing bacteria.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

  • 1 pound of chicken, cut into chunks
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
  • 1 onion, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup of pineapples cut into chunks
  • 1/2 cup of mango, cut into chunks

Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 cup of light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup mango coconut pepper sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions:

  1. Whisk all marinade ingredients together and pour in a large Ziploc bag.
  2. Put the chicken chunks in the bag with the marinade and put in fridge for 30 minutes.
  3. Once the chicken is done marinating, make a pattern of onions, peppers, pineapples, mangos and chicken on skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired.
  4. Grill for 8 minutes until chicken is cooked and vegetables are charred.
  5. Serve with brown rice.

TELL US: What's going to be prepared in your kitchen this summer? Share in the comments below. 


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