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Easy dinner recipes: Get grilling with quick steak, pork and chicken ideas

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If the weather is great, why not enjoy it? Cook dinner outdoors tonight with these simple grilling ideas. From pork steaks to carne asada to grilled chicken salad, these ideas grill up quickly with little effort.

Grilled pork steaks with fennel: This is a great dish when you’re looking for something fast and inexpensive. Cut a pork roast crosswise into steaks and season with a little fennel seed, salt and pepper, then grill. The simple seasoning and a hot fire are all you need to turn these steaks into a great main course, ready in minutes.

Carne asada: Blend together fresh cilantro, garlic, onion, a little Worcestershire, Serrano chiles for heat and touch of salt for a quick marinade, and soak the meat for an hour or during the day, then quickly grill over a hot fire. The carne asada cooks up in minutes, great served with rice, tortillas (be sure to look for gluten-free if that is a concern), maybe a simple salad.

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Daikon and grilled chicken chopped salad: For a dish that’s both flavorful and low in calories, combine simple grilled chicken breast meat in a bowl with nappa cabbage, daikon, carrot, cucumber, green onion, cilantro and radish sprouts. Toss the dish with a bright dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and fresh black pepper and that’s it. Dinner in 45 minutes. You can find the recipe below.

DAIKON AND GRILLED CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD

Total time: 45 minutes | Serves 4 to 6

Note: From former test kitchen director Donna Deane.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 lime
1/2 head nappa cabbage (about 3/4 pound), cored and thinly sliced
1 cup diced daikon ( 1/2 -inch dice)
1/2 cup diced carrot ( 1/4 -inch dice)
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and diced cucumber ( 1/2 -inch dice)
1/4 cup sliced green onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3/4 cup cleaned and trimmed radish sprouts (about half of a 2.5-ounce carton)
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in a medium bowl and rub all over with the olive oil and garlic. Season each piece with one-fourth teaspoon salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper.

2. Place the chicken on the grill and cook until the meat is opaque and firm and a thermometer inserted into the center reads 165 degrees. Remove the chicken to a plate, squeeze a little juice from the halved lime over the chicken and allow to cool to room temperature, covered loosely.

3. In a large bowl, toss together the nappa cabbage, daikon, carrot, cucumber, green onion, cilantro and radish sprouts. Cut the cooled chicken into a half-inch dice and toss with the salad.

4. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and a good grind of fresh black pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately.
Each serving: 133 calories; 14 grams protein; 11 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 3 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 31 mg. cholesterol; 940 mg. sodium.

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