Grilled Thyme Potatoes

It's time to get out of the kitchen and enjoy the outdoors.  Summertime is here!  Grilling time is here! (even though I grill all year round)  The Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club has gotten together again.  This month's theme is barbecuing and getting out of the kitchen to cook.  

I made a very simple side dish.  Thyme potatoes.  What I love about this recipe is that you make individual foil packets with red potatoes, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.  Everyone has their own potato package.  The potatoes got so tender and creamy.  A perfect side dish to go along with your grilled meats or other vegetables.

Note: This recipe makes one serving.  I cut up enough potatoes to make 4 servings and increased the other ingredients as well. I divided the potato mixture evenly among 4 foil square packets. 

Click here for recipe on Myrecipes.com

Thyme Potatoes

Recipe By Cooking Light

Serving: 1 cup


Ingredients
1/2 pound small red potatoes, quartered  

• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 
  
• Preparation

• Prepare grill.
• Combine all ingredients, tossing to coat. Cut 2 (12-inch) sheets of aluminum foil. Arrange potato mixture in a single layer on 1 sheet of foil. Place remaining sheet of foil over potato mixture; seal edges. Place foil packet on grill rack. Grill 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

What did the rest of the group cook outside the kitchen?  Check out the links below for some other great Cooking Light grilling and outdoor recipes.

Val from More Than Burnt Toast made an appetizer - Barbecued Chicken Sliders with Pickled Onions

Roz from La Bella Vita also made an appetizer - Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Jerry from Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants brought a salad - Grilled Vegetable Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese

Jamie (that's me) brought a side dish - Thyme Potatoes

Sandi from Whistlestop Cafe Cooking made the main dish - Scallops Grilled on Rosemary

Mary Ann from Meet Me in the Kitchen made the dessert - Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Enjoy some time getting out of the kitchen this summer.  These Cooking Light recipes are a great inspiration to get started.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  I used petite red potatoes and quartered them to make even pieces.  If you buy the red potatoes that are larger, I would cut them more to make smaller pieces.  This will help them cook quicker.  Also, keep an eye on the potatoes and check them for doneness at the suggested cook time.  If not done, cook a few minutes more.  If you cook them too long, which I did, you may end up with some burned potatoes. (we ate the ones that were not burnt which were very good)   

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Peanut Butter.  My favorite.  Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches.  My favorite childhood sandwich.  Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars.  My new favorite dessert bar.

I absolutely love the combination of this peanut butter cookie bar with a layer of jelly filling and crunchy peanuts on top.  Adults and kids will love them.  Try these.  But be warned.  They will not last long.

I first saw this recipe on Jerry's blog, Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants.  I then saw it soon after in my March 2011 issue of Bon Appetit.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Recipe by Bon Appetit, March 2011

Serving: 16 bars

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup grape jelly or other jelly or jam
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts
• 
  

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving 2-inch overhang around edges and pressing firmly into corners and up sides of pan. Coat foil with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter, sugar, and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; beat on low speed until smooth. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed just to blend. Transfer half of dough to prepared pan (about scant 1 1/2 cups). Place remaining dough in freezer for 10 minutes. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto bottom of pan. Spread jelly over in even layer. Remove dough from freezer; using fingertips, break into grape-size pieces and scatter over jelly layer. Sprinkle chopped nuts over.
• Bake bars until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool bars completely in pan on rack.
• Using foil overhang as aid, lift bars from pan. Gently peel foil from edges. Cut into 16 squares. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.        

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Change the flavor by using different jellies and jams like strawberry, raspberry or blackberry.  

Balsamic Strawberry Topping

Spring is a Berrylicious Season!  This is the theme for May's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club.  Myself and 5 other bloggers "meet" every month to share a Cooking Light menu.  Virtually, of course, since we live in different parts of the U.S. and Canada.  This month's theme focuses on berries.  Berries can be used in many different ways.  You will find berries used in a drink, appetizer, salad, main dish and dessert this month.

I wanted to make this Blueberry Crisp a la Mode but blueberries aren't in season and are very expensive in my grocery store.  I guess this will have to wait for summer.  Strawberries are in season right now and reasonably priced.  So, I chose to make this Balsamic Strawberry Topping.  Four simple ingredients and very quick to make.  The sweet and tart strawberries went perfect with some frozen vanilla yogurt.  I'll be using this strawberry topping in my greek vanilla yogurt as well.  YUMMY!!!  

Click here for recipe on Myrecipes.com

Balsamic Strawberry Topping
Recipe by Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cups sliced strawberries

Preparation

• Combine the first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in sliced strawberries, and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.

Serve over low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt or ice-cream.

For more Berry recipes, check out the rest of the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club menu below:

Jerry (Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants) - Raspberry Daiquiris

Mary Ann - Meet Me in the Kitchen) - Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

Val (More Than Burnt Toast) - Mesclun with Berries and Sweet Spiced Almonds

Sandi - (Whistlestop Cafe Cooking) - Raspberry Asparagus Medley

Roz (La Bella Vita) - Pork Medallions with Spicy Pomegranate-Blueberry Reduction

Jamie (me) - Balsamic Strawberry Topping

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  The pluses of strawberries:

 Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium.  Also a good source of Folate and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C and Manganese.   

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2064/2