Thyme-Rubbed Pork Chop With Pesto
I'll admit it off the bat here -- I cheated. I used pre-made pesto for this recipe. Like, out-of-a-jar pesto. I know, I know. But this is not a fancy recipe. This is a tastes like fancy but actually doesn't take very long so you can actually cook it on a weeknight recipe. We all need those, don't we? This is that. Let's get to it.
Thyme-Rubbed Pork Chop with Pesto
1 small bunch thyme
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lemon
olive oil
2 pork chops
pesto
This recipe is largely from Jamie Oliver's first cookbook (I added some fresh pepper) and it's really great. And did I mention it's easy? In a mortar and pestle, take a small bunch of fresh thyme, a minced clove of garlic, and some fresh pepper, and grind them together. Mix that paste with some lemon zest and a tablespoon of olive oil, and rub it the mixture on both sides of both pork chops. 
Rub the oil and thyme mixture on both sides of both pork chops, and let them sit for about 15 minutes. Once they've sat, throw them on the grill (or on a stovetop pan) and cook them until they get golden brown on the outside and you can't look at them without salivating. Top with as much pesto as you want, and consume with glee. See? I told you it was easy.
Grilled Corn On The Cob With Chili Lime Butter
This is just one of those perfect summer recipes; I saw it over at Serious Eats and knew I had to try it. So I bought some ears of corn and a lime and headed to the grill. Few ingredients, little time, great payoff. I would definitely eat this at my next barbecue.
Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Oh my oh my, grilling season is here. But before you head down to the local butcher and ask for a slab of meat to cook up on the grill, let's ease into this, shall we? Before we get to burgers and dogs, let's kick grilling season off with some delicious veggies. If you're looking for a tasty side or a veggie main, it doesn't get much easier than these stuff mushrooms.
Surf and Turf Burgers
I'm constantly looking for new ways to spice up my hamburgers -- both literally and figuratively. So you can imagine how much I like this recipe for surf and turf burgers, which combines literal spice with menu diversity. It's a pretty simple recipe, mostly burger and shrimp, but it's a great twist on a standby, with a spicy mayo that knocks it out of the park.
Grilled Avocado
I had never thought about trying this before, but in the same mindset as the grilled nectarines that pleasantly surprised me last year, I saw this recipe and decided to give it a try. Say it with me: Grilled Avocado.
It's a simple recipe, but one that is the perfect addition to any grill or barbecue party. Grilling up meat this summer? Throw some avocados on the side of the grill and serve up a beautiful, tasty side dish that is right in line with any meal.
Bacon Blue Cheese Burgers
My life has been nothing if not a journey toward new taste horizons. In my younger days, I had never tasted sushi, didn't like spicy food, and couldn't stand the taste of blue cheese. Only in the past few months has the last thing changed; one night, while noshing on some buffalo wings, I realized that I not only could tolerate blue cheese, but (don't tell) I actually kind of liked it. And so, with this newfound affinity for moldy, stinky cheese, I set out on a new burger frontier.
Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad
Sometimes I'm in the mood for just something tasty, spicy, filling, but not too heavy. On those nights, I often turn to the spicy chicken caesar salad. My mom used to make it a lot when I was younger, and it's a bit of a comfort food -- a four ingredient healthy meal that really hits the spot.
Blackberry Preserve Grilled Cheese
This sounds weird. It's a strange combination. It's not something you would think to do often, and certainly not something that I had ever tried before. But it just might be the tastiest flavor explosion of a grilled cheese that you have ever had. When I saw it over at The Cook Mobile through a friend, I knew I had to give it a try.
The process is fairly simple. If you know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, you have all the skills needed to whip this bad boy up. If you don't know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, you should probably stop reading this, take a second, and think about what you're doing with your life.
Grilled Nectarines With Feta Cheese
I would normally never think to throw fruit on the grill, but that's exactly what this recipe calls for. Let me tell you, it's a great call. A perfect little side treat for a barbeque, or a more dinner-appropriate fruit salad alternative. Fantastic and fantastically easy. I found myself with some leftover feta cheese (seriously, who uses a whole package of feta for a single recipe?), so I grabbed some nectarines from the guy on the corner and whipped up these suckers for lunch one day.
Recipes don't come much simpler than this one.
Lamb Sausage, Fig, and Feta Salad
Salad, while tasty and healthy, is rarely the kind of meal you want to savor; it's not often I find myself lingering over bites of greens, wanting the meal to continue forever. So I was pleasantly surprised to find this little salad, a delicious combination of Mediterranean flavors that got me rocking in my seat. It's the perfect salad for summer or fall and a nice lighter option for gathering around the grill.