After a busy day, fire up the grill and try one of the below quick recipes for your family.  Try to stop by a local farmer’s market on your way home to add colorful in-season and delicious produce that will add terrific taste, texture, and powerful nutrients to your day!

 Grilled Sirloin Salad

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 3 cups salad)

 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound lean boneless sirloin steak, trimmed
• 8 cups spring-blend salad greens
• 1 1/2 cups red bell pepper strips
• 1 cup vertically sliced red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1(8 3/4-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained and rinsed

Preparation

1. Combine first 7 ingredients; rub over both sides of steak.
2. Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut the steak across grain into thin slices.
3. While steak cooks, combine salad greens and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Top with steak.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 278; Total fat: 8.7 g; Sat fat: 2.7 g; Trans fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Sodium: 320 mg; Total carbohydrate: 22g; Fiber: 6.1 g; Protein: 30.4 g

Spinach Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients

DRESSING:

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

SHRIMP:

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Cooking spray

SALAD:

• 8 cups baby spinach (about 8 ounces)
• 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 4 ounces)
• 3/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion

Preparation

1. Prepare grill.
2. To prepare dressing, combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Set aside.
3. To prepare shrimp, combine 2 teaspoons olive oil and next 6 ingredients (through shrimp) in a large bowl; toss well. Thread about 5 shrimp onto each of 6 (8-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes or until done.
4. To prepare salad, add spinach, mushrooms, and onion to vinegar mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve with shrimp skewers.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 181; Total fat: 5.9 g; Sat fat: 0.9 g; Trans fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Sodium: 478 mg; Total carbohydrate: 6.9 g; Fiber: 1.3 g; Protein: 24.8 g

Grilled Halibut and Fresh Mango Salsa

Ingredients

• 2 cups plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 1/2 cups diced peeled ripe mango
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4(6-ounce) halibut fillets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

1. Prepare grill.
2. Combine first 7 ingredients. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic.
3. Rub halibut with oil; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place fish on grill rack; grill 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with mango

Nutritional Information: Calories: 295; Total fat: 7.8 g; Sat fat: 1.1g; Cholesterol: 54 mg; Sodium: 687mg; Total carbohydrate: 19.5 g; Fiber: 2.8 g; Protein: 37g

Vegetable Mixed Grill

Serves 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Vegetables
2 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
2 red bell peppers, stemmed and seeded
2 portobello mushroom caps, stems and gills removed
1 pound asparagus, trimmed

Topping
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh chives, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Build a medium-hot fire on the grill. While the grill heats up, whisk the lemon juice, garlic, thyme, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until combined. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette for serving.
2. Add the vegetables to the remaining vinaigrette and toss to evenly coat. Grill the vegetables over direct heat, flipping and moving as necessary, until uniformly browned and tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter and sprinkle with the goat cheese and chives. Drizzle with the reserved 2 T of vinaigrette and serve.

Nutrient Analysis per serving
Calories: 260; Total fat: 20 g; Sat fat: 6 g; Trans fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 15 mg; Sodium: 320 mg; Total carbohydrate: 13 g; Fiber: 5 g; Sugars: 7 g; Protein: 8 g

Resources:  www.todaysdietitian.com, www.eatingwell.com