Spiced Lamb Patties
Makes 10-12 patties

• 2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

In a large bowl, combine ground lamb, onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon and salt.

Form into round patties about ½ inch thick and 2 ½ inches wide. If grilling immediately, preheat grill to a medium heat and cook patties for about 5 minutes per side.

Serve as a platter with basmati rice and Creamy Mint sauce (see below) or on a hamburger bun or in pita bread for a sandwich.

If freezing, wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to grill. The patties can be cooked straight from the freezer to the grill but will need to cook for about 7-9 minutes per side.

Creamy Mint Sauce
Makes 1 pint of sauce

• 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt (or 2 percent yogurt for a less creamy texture)
• ½ cup packed mint leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup lowfat milk
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ teaspoon salt

In a blender or food processor, combine yogurt, mint, garlic, milk, lemon and salt. Blend until creamy and smooth for 30 seconds to one minute. Serve as a sauce with the seasoned lamb patties.

Pizza Perfect Dough

Makes 6 Individual Sized Pizza Dough Balls

• 4 cups white flour
• ¼ cup wheat flour
• 1 ½ cups warm water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

 You can blend the dough either by hand or with a mixer. Simply mix the two kinds of flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a small well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the yeast, honey, olive oil and water into the well and mix together quickly until a ball begins to form. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Let the dough rise for about 30 - 40 minutes. Divide dough into 6 small pieces and roll the balls out thinly on a floured surface.

Because we're freezing the pizzas, we recommend pre-baking the dough. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Sprinkle a cookie sheet with cornmeal, place the rolled out dough onto the baking sheets and bake for approximately 7 minutes. At this point you can cool the dough and freeze in gallon-sized freezer bags or place on the desired toppings, "fresh freeze" until slightly hardened, wrap well in aluminum foil, and then place in gallon-sized freezer bags.

These yummy lemon herbed chicken breasts are simple to marinate and grill, making a perfect topping to a chopped Romaine lettuce salad.

• 2 pounds chicken breasts
• 3 lemons
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano or dill)

 Cut the chicken very thin by slicing each chicken breast crosswise in thirds and then into 2-inch strips. Place chicken in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Pour the olive oil into the bag with the fresh herbs, kosher salt and lemon juice. (We recommend using a press to squeeze the juice from the lemon). Mix together, making sure that the herbs are well distributed. Marinate overnight or for several hours in advance of your cooking date. If you're pressed for time and want to invest in a handy summer tool, the VacuVin Instant Marinater will tenderize and marinate foods in minutes.

Grill chicken over a medium-high heat until cooked through for approximately 5-7 minutes on each side.

Salad Toppers

We're true salad lovers when it's hot outside. It's hard to beat a crisp and cool lettuce salad on a sultry summer day. And, if it's going to be your dinner, it's nice to have a bit of protein on top. We suggest getting together with a friend to make salad toppers.

If you're looking to fill your freezer for in-a-pinch weekday summer meals, how about a big batch of Golden Chicken Tenders or since fresh crab is easy to find in the summer, maybe some Crab Cakes.

If you plan a cooking date for the beginning of the week, you and friend can grill some marinated chicken or shrimp, storing it in the refrigerator for that weeknight's dinner. Check out our favorite recipe for a delicious salad topper, Herbed Lemon Chicken Strips, at the column to the left.