Grilled Green Beans with Feta

When I first saw this recipe, I was a little skeptical. But I thought that it sounded pretty cool, so I went ahead, and I am so glad that I did. I mentioned before that I am terrified of using the gas grill so I bought myself an indoor grill. This recipe came with the instruction booklet for the grill. I did it on the contact grill feature, which works exactly like a George Foreman.

 I'm not sure how this would translate onto a real grill, although I am sure it would be fine. If anyone tries, please let me know how it goes!

For as long as I can remember, I have loved feta cheese. I can't remember the first time I had it, but I'm sure there was no "getting used to it". It was love at first bite. The tanginess and sharpness of the cheese is what I love, and the pairing with lemon is so classic. I always use full fat feta. I think the reduced fat is decent and the fat free is completely inedible. I literally couldn't even swallow it when I tried.

Green beans and I have not always had the best relationship. Normally, I can take or leave green beans, but I loved them this way. I think it is because they are grilled and maintain some crispness. I love some crunch to my veggies which is why I prefer to roast (and now grill) them.

I served this with a bunless spiced turkey burger (don't let the picture fool you, these are SO GOOD) and some perfectly sweet corn from Boston Organics. It was an all around delicious meal!

Orzo and Spinach Salad

I bet you thought that I had forgotten about this post! I didn't, it is just the end of the semester and that really easy assignment that I thought would take only an hour ended up taking, like, seven. Oh well. That's what I get for procrastinating.

This salad is so simple to make and incredibly tasty! When I have dinner, I am often not satisfied with just a vegetable on the side. I also want a carb, even if I am running low on points and carbs are some of the most point-y things. Well, this salad is low in cards, points and suited my needs quite well. It is definitely an addition to my normal repertoire.

Greek Turkey Meatloaf

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the most un-photogenic recipe ever. Seriously, I tried. But there was just no getting around how ugly this is. Don't let the looks fool you, though. This meatloaf is delicious. The flavors all blend together to create something wonderful. My favorite parts were the little slightly burnt pieces of feta sprinkled throughout. Can you say flavor??

I'm hoping to get back to blogging on a more regular basis. I've been in a bit of a funk recently due to a set of bum knees and even more recently seemingly constant migraines. I'm not working until I have surgery to correct my knees and I finally think I have a solution to the migraines. Since this semester is almost over and I'm not working, I thought it was a perfect time to focus even more of my blog so I don't just spend my days sitting around and feeling sorry for myself.

Back to the meatloaf. I served this with an Orzo and Spinach Salad (recipe tomorrow!) and it was perfectly filling. Seriously, you need to try this meatloaf out quickly. I swear it tastes nothing like the picture looks.

Bistro Chicken and Pasta Salad

I've always seen the title "bistro" on menus and such, but I'm not quite sure what qualifies something as such. A quick Google search of "what is bistro" offers up many different interpretations, so this still remains a mystery to me. But, when I saw this recipe on Kraft I knew I had to try it. All the flavors blend really well into each other and I found it to be plenty filling. I'm normally not one to eat raw tomatoes but I decided to try them in this recipe and I am glad I did. I thought about making it without them, but then I think the recipe would not have turned out as well.

I ate this salad at room temperature and it was delicious. For leftovers, I would not reheat it, but just eat it out of the fridge. Or if you have time to let it sit out for a bit, get the chill taken off. It makes a fabulous lunch or dinner.

This recipe calls for grilled chicken. I used my George Foreman Grill to grill up some chicken tenders that I seasoned with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and onion powder. Using pre-cooked grilled chicken will work or cooking the chicken any other way will as well. I just like the slightly charred taste that grilling gives it.

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Beef, spinach feta and tomatoes combined into a delicious, light meal. I found these peppers to be quite filling. With a side salad, this makes a complete dinner. Next time I make them, I might add a few red pepper flakes to spice them up a bit, but they were fine just how they are. I got the inspiration for this dish from the Weight Watchers PointsPlus Cookbook. I made only a few modifications and look forward to trying out more recipes.