Cook This: Dinner Tonight

Inspiration for tonight's dinner -- fun, bright and simple dinner for two (but feel free to adjust to feed as many as will come!).

We've neatly condensed the recipes below, but to read the fully fleshed-out versions (and save and print them) just click on the recipe links or photos. A lively summer supper in under an hour -- dinner is served!

The Menu:

Retro Raspberry Lime Rickeys by cheese1227

Add a splash of gin for a grown-up soda. 

Grilled Blade Chops over Greek Salad by Helen

Pita on the side, please!

The Grocery List:

• • 1 large, ripe tomato
• • 1 cucumber
• • 1 green pepper (or red ... or yellow)
• • 1/2 cup feta
• • 1/2 cup kalamata olives
• • 4 stuffed grape leaves
• • 2 lamb blade chops
• • 12 ounces frozen red raspberries
• • 3 limes
• • 24 ounces Sparkling water
• • 1 1/2 cups sugar
• • gin (optional -- kind of)

We hope you have olive oil, red wine vinegar, a few capers, a red onion, dried oregano, ground coriander, salt and freshly ground pepper on hand -- if not, it's time to stock up!

The Plan:

Salad: Chop the tomato, cucumber and pepper into bite-sized pieces and thinly slice some red onion. Toss together with capers, olives, a pinch of dried oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Dress it with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Now let it rest and marinate while you start on other things. Hello, Greek Salad.

Soda: Toss the raspberries, sugar, and zest of two limes in a saucepan to boil. Stir continuously until the berries and sugar dissolve. Remove the syrup from the heat and let cool. 

Chops: Pull the chops out of the fridge about 20 minutes before your targeted grill time. Rub a dub dub: season them generously with the spices and really press them in. Grill over medium-high heat until nicely charred on the outside and cooked to your liking on the inside. 

Ready ... Get Set ... Eat: Divide the salad between two plates, crumble some feta over them, place stuffed grape leaves on top, and "garnish" with chops. Drizzle with olive oil ... watch glisten.

Drink up: Strain the raspberry syrup. Fill a tall glass with ice, some syrup and lime juice. Top off with sparkling water (a little gin and a slice of lime won't hurt either.) 

Aside: Someone else is on dish-duty. You deserve it. Why? Because dinner is served.