Eat Clean Recipes- Crowd Pleasing Summer Menu by Tosca Reno

There is no better time than the summer to invite all your friends over and get the barbecue going. Celebrity Food Guru Tosca Reno, creator of the famed Eat-Clean Diet, prepared a complete summer menu from her Eat-Clean Diet Series filled with barbecued shrimp and vegetables, fruit-laden desserts and hydrating beverages that will be sure to please your guests without sacrificing the extra calories. I hope you all enjoy these wonderful recipes! Thank you Tosca for allowing me to share them with my readers :D

Beverage:

Watermelon Sangria

1 small seedless Sugar Baby watermelon, rind removed, cut into 3-inch chunks
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
3 ½ cups pink wine
6 cups of natural lemonade, chilled
3 fresh oranges (washed and peeled) quartered and sliced
Ice cubes

1. Place watermelon and citrus juices in the blender and blend until smooth. Strain through mesh strainer into a large bowl.
2. Add pink wine and lemonade. Stir to combine.
3. Prepare two large pitchers by filling one-third with ice and layering the orange segments among the ice cubes. Pour sangria mixture into pitchers. Serve cold.

Appetizer:

Bruschetta with Tomatoes

3 large tomatoes, chopped fine
¼ cup arugula, chopped fine
¼ chopped basil, chopped
4 ¼ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, passed through garlic press
½ tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1 loaf whole-grain French baguette, sliced into half-inch diagonal slices

1. Combine all ingredients except bread two hours before serving.
2. When ready to serve, toast bread in oven, toaster or on the grill.
3. Spoon tomato mixture on top of toasted baguette slices. Enjoy!

Salad:

Refreshing Salad

3 pickling cucumbers, washed and trimmed, sliced thin
2 small zucchini, washed and trimmed, sliced thin
1 small purple onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup coconut meat chopped into ribbons
1 head romaine lettuce &1 bunch arugula washed and chopped
1 cup unsalted cashews
1 cup broccoli chopped
5 inner stalks of celery (leaves included) chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup sprouts
spritz of pumpkin or avocado oil
white balsamic vinegar

1. Place all ingredients in a shallow salad bowl and toss until well combined.
2. Dress with a spritz of pumpkin or olive oil and a splash of white balsamic vinegar. Toss lightly and serve.

Side Dish:

Roasted Summer Vegetables with Couscous

2 purple onions, peeled and cut into chunks
3 yellow baby squash or zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch chunks
3 small leeks, white or tender green insides only, cut in half lengthwise washed well and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 small plum tomatoes
3 or 4 bell peppers in varying colors, seeded, deveined and quartered
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
several garlic cloves, passed through garlic press
1 tbsp dried thyme
5 sprigs rosemary, chopped fine
1 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
3. Combine all vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add olive oil, garlic, thyme and chopped rosemary.
4. Mix well and arrange vegetables on prepared baking sheet. Lay a few sprigs of whole rosemary on top of vegetables and sprinkle salt over the top.
5. Place in hot oven and roast for 20 minutes. Turn vegetables and continue roasting for 20 minutes until desired tenderness. Do not overcook.
6. Serve vegetables over couscous on a decorative platter. Drizzle pan juices from vegetables over top.

Couscous

2 ½ cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup whole-grain couscous
1 tsp sea salt
3 scallions trimmed and chopped

• Place couscous grains in a heatproof dish.
• Bring stock to boil. Remove from heat.
• Pour boiling stock over couscous. Cover with a plate. Let stand about 10 minutes to absorb stock.
• Fluff with a fork. Add chopped scallions and salt. Toss lightly to combine.

Main Dish: (Recipe requires overnight marinating time)

Grilled Shrimp Kebabs with Avocado & Ginger

Ingredients for Shrimp & marinade

Juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 orange
¼ cup light soy sauce
¼ cup avocado oil
3 garlic cloves press through garlic press
2 Tbsp agave nectar
2 tsp fresh ginger
1 tsp dried marjoram
16 large shrimp peeled and deveined

1. Place all ingredients but shrimp in a large bowl. Mix well.
2. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Place in refrigerator overnight.

For Kebabs

1 each red, green, yellow bell pepper, seeded and deveined cut into eighths
8 baby grape tomatoes washed and kept whole
2 small firm green zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
12 button mushrooms, cleaned and left whole
¼ cup avocado oil

• Preheat grill.
• Remove shrimp from refrigerator.
• Using four long metal or soaked bamboo skewers, thread shrimp and vegetables, alternating colors and ingredients.
• Brush avocado oil on the kebabs. Place on grill and cook, turning frequently, until done.

Dessert:

Chocolate-Coated Frozen Bananas

4 medium bananas
4 oz. Good-quality chocolate, 70% cocoa or darker
1 1/2 Tbsp coconut butter
2 Tbsp walnuts, chopped
1 Tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped

8 bamboo skewers

1. Stir chocolate and coconut butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat just until smooth. Let stand 15 minutes to cool. 
2. Meanwhile, cut bananas in half and place a skewer lengthwise through the middle of each banana. 
3. Dip each banana 1/2 way up into chocolate mixture to coat. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. 
4. Sprinkle with walnuts and ginger. Chill in freezer until firm. Enjoy!

These light, healthy and delicious menu options are all compliments of Tosca Reno and can all be found in Eat Clean Diet Recharged and Eat Clean Cookbook.

Click HERE for a printer friendly version.

 Nicole