Chocolate Fruit Dip

Summer always makes me want to eat ALL of the fruit. Everyday. Lots of fresh strawberries and cold apple slices are heavenly.

My girls like eating fruit, but not always as much as I’d like. What better way to sneak more fruit in than with a creamy and chocolatey dip?! And oh boy, this dip is so simple and so yummy! Let’s just pretend that Natalie doesn’t dip the fruit in and just eat the dip off…

Best of all though is that this Chocolate Fruit Dip is pretty guilt-free too unlike other dessert dips!

I use reduced fat cream cheese and protein-rich Greek yogurt as the base. A few tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder go in and in place of sugar as a sweetener, I used maple syrup!

For the yogurt, I went with plain Greek yogurt. I know some people may not like the tanginess of Greek yogurt so if that’s you or one of your kiddos, feel free to swap it out for regular yogurt. You can also use vanilla yogurt for added flavor and sweetness.

Sliced apples, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, heck, even mango would work well with this dip. It’s great for a healthier dessert or for a snack!

Chili Lime Salmon Sliders

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MarinadesWithMazola #MakeItWithHeart #CollectiveBias

June Gloom is over here in the OC, and it’s definitely feeling like summer now! And with summer comes grilling season! My friends at Mazola® Corn Oil recently asked me to create the perfect summer grilling recipe, and these salmon sliders just scream summer! I have to admit that corn oil has not always been the cooking oil I reach for first, but I recently learned that a clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com.

And to get $1.00 back on your purchase of Mazola Corn Oil, text MAZOLA to 79495 between 6/20/19 – 9/26/19 to receive $1.00 back on your purchase of Mazola 40oz Corn Oil! Limit 1 rebate per household. PayPal account required. By texting, you expressly consent to receive multiple automated text messages on this offer. Consent not required as a condition of purchase. Message & data rates apply. Text HELP or STOP to 79495 at any time. Full terms: http://cbi.as/a38tw.

If you haven’t tried corn oil yet, Mazola Corn Oil can be used for all-purpose cooking, and the best part about it is that it is cholesterol-free, which makes it a great heart-healthy choice! It can be used for marinades, grilling, cooking, or even baking. It has a high smoke point at 450°F. It also has a nice neutral taste that won’t overpower the star flavors of your dish.

These salmon sliders are delicious and filling; but aren’t super heavy or greasy compared to regular beef sliders. The marinade for the salmon includes heart-healthy corn oil in place of other oil or butter, lots of fresh lime juice, and spices like chili powder and cumin! Instead of topping these with cheese, I opted to make a fresh corn salsa. I love the texture the fresh corn adds to these sliders. And in place of traditional tartar sauce made with mayonnaise, I made my own sauce using nonfat Greek yogurt!

These sliders are the perfect alternative to burgers to add to your summer grilling list! Light and fresh and great for parties too when you want to serve something a little more elevated than burgers!

Yield: 4-5 sliders

Chili Lime Salmon Sliders

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Chili Lime Salmon Sliders - Grilled salmon sliders are marinated in a chili lime sauce and topped with fresh corn salsa and yogurt lime tartar sauce!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the corn salsa topping:

• 1 large ear of corn, shaved
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons Mazola Corn Oil

For the yogurt lime tartar sauce:

• 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 dill pickles, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt to taste

For the salmon sliders:

• 1/3 cup Mazola Corn Oil (plus more for brushing grill)
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 pound salmon, cut into 4 equal-sized squares
• slider buns

Instructions

1. To make the salsa, combine the shaved corn, jalapeno pepper, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and corn oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. To make the yogurt lime tartar sauce, stir together the yogurt, lime juice, chopped dill pickles, garlic, and salt in another bowl. Set aside.
3. Prepare the marinade for the salmon. In a small bowl, whisk together the corn oil, lime juice, chili and garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Brush some of the marinade on top of each piece of salmon. Let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Prepare grill by brushing grates with some of the corn oil to prevent sticking. Over medium heat, place each piece of salmon, skin-side down onto the grill. Grill for 3 minutes. Gently flip with a spatula. Carefully peel skin away from salmon and discard. Brush more of the marinade on the salmon. Grill for another 4 minutes, flip once more and grill for another 4-5 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.
5. Remove cooked salmon from the grill and set aside. You can also toast the slider buns if desired for a few minutes. If desired, you can brush more of the marinade on top of the salmon. To assemble the sliders, place a piece of salmon, a spoonful (or two!) of the corn salsa, and spread some of the tartar sauce on the top bun. Serve!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

5

Serving Size:

1 slider
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 465 Total Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 53mg Carbohydrates: 41g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 11g Protein: 45g

Exact nutrition may depend on specific buns used and how much of the corn salsa and tartar sauce used.

Spicy Tuna Wrap

I’ve been on a bit of a wrap kick lately for lunches. They are easy and not too heavy. Perfect for summer when it’s so hot out. There’s nothing I hate more than walking around in the heat and feeling weighed down.

The sauce for the tuna is so simple: plain Greek yogurt and sriracha sauce! You can mix in other things like diced onions if you want as well. You can use mayo too if you’d prefer to.

Texture is a must in my wraps so I also added shredded carrots and some sliced cucumbers for some refreshing crunch.

You can also add in lettuce, spinach, sliced tomatoes, etc., just be sure not to overfill so you can still close it up! This wrap is super simple and ready in about 5 minutes. You can prep these for the week as well by mixing up bigger batches of the tuna and sauce in a container. You can also pre-slice your cucumber to use throughout the week too and just assemble a fresh wrap each morning.

Dark Cherry Smoothie Bowl

I’m like 3 years late to the smoothie bowl game. I actually thought I’d avoid it entirely since they seemed to be so trendy in the food blogging world. But, I was thinking about cherries recently now that it’s summer and a smoothie bowl just had to be made!

This smoothie bowl gets its thickness and creaminess from the frozen banana. It gives the smoothie an almost ice cream-like texture that’s just dreamy! Frozen dark sweet cherries are also thrown in. I then add almond milk and some ground flax and a tablespoon of almond butter and blend it all up.

I like my smoothie bowls to be on the thicker side since I’m eating them with a spoon so up to 1 cup of almond milk is plenty for me. You can feel free to adjust this amount depending on how thick (or thin) you want it to be!

The best part about a smoothie bowl is the toppings! I added some chopped fresh cherries, toasted coconut, chopped dark chocolate, and a bit of granola I had. You can also add other fruits or nuts.

I could live off this dark cherry smoothie bowl for the rest of summer! It’s cool, refreshing, and perfectly sweet!

Hummus Topped with Tomato and Corn Salsa

The 4th of July is almost here and I’ve got a super quick last-minute party appetizer for you! One of my most favorite things to eat during the summer is tomatoes, corn, and avocado. Mix them together and I’m one happy lady!

And with all the 4th of July festivities like parades and festivals, the last thing I have time for is to be in the kitchen for hours prepping a fancy food spread. This is one of those appetizers that looks more impressive than it actually is.

I used a regular tub of pre-made hummus from the grocery store and topped it with this homemade tomato and avocado salsa with fresh corn. I wasn’t really sure if I should call this “salsa” since it’s so chunky, but hey, it has tomatoes, so we are going with salsa here! I went with plain hummus, but you could also use other varieties like garlic, red pepper, or even lemony hummus would also probably be really yummy with the topping!

I served it with sliced flatbread, but sliced pita bread or even pita chips also works well with this recipe.

This is one of the appetizers that has a ton of flavor and is pretty light so it won’t weigh you down. It’s perfect to serve with some crisp white wine or sangria!

Slow Cooker Pineapple Chipotle Chicken Tacos

This is officially the summer of all things pineapple for me. I’ve been making a ton of new recipes with this sweet fruit so I hope you guys enjoy it too!

I wouldn’t consider pineapple to be in my top favorite fruits. It’s almost too sweet for me sometimes. But, it’s really wonderful in recipes and fresh pineapple juice is such a treat. And, of course, pineapple just screams summer!

It also works really well in sauces…and in this case…mixed with chipotle peppers and poured over chicken in a slow cooker! To make the sauce, you will need a food processor or blender. I did use canned pineapple for this recipe, but you can certainly use fresh pineapple and fresher pineapple juice if you’d prefer too.

Anyway, the sauce is made with pineapple chunks, pineapple juice, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, fresh lime juice, and some spices. After you blend it up in the food processor, you just pour it over chicken in your slow cooker and let it go!

I highly recommend making some of my Pineapple Mango Salsa to serve with these summery tacos! This is a great recipe for summer Taco Tuesdays or parties where you don’t want to worry about cooking.