Summer Dinner Menu : Grilled Herb Crusted Lamb Chops, Roasted Vegetables, and Fruit Bars with Moscato

When it's 102 degrees outside I tend to want dinner to be as simple as possible, and I try not to use my oven. However, I  make an exception when it comes to roasting fresh picked vegetables. There is seriously nothing better in my opinion! It's also a great way to use any leftover vegetables in your fridge. We have a ton of zucchini from our garden that needed to be used, along with a few other vegetables from our local farmer's market so roasted veggies it was! In my house you have to make some sort of meat, otherwise it really isn't dinner, and my husband and kids end up eating a bowl of cereal a couple of hours later. So my youngest daughter has been begging me for months to make lamb chops, so on the hottest day of the year so far, I decided to grant her request. Go me. And of course the kids wanted to know what was for dessert, so I poured them some ginger ale in a fancy wine glass and placed a frozen fruit bar in it. Voila, instant dessert! For Allen and I, I used moscato, instead of ginger ale. The sweetness of the wine goes well with the strawberry fruit bars. The perfect treat for a warm evening. Enjoy your day, I have posted the recipes below.

Herb Crusted Lamb Chops

8 to 10 lamb chops
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil

Combine rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Sprinkle herb mixture over the chops and gently rub into each one. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Brush oil onto pan. Add the lamb chops and cook 3 minutes per side. Place on a platter and allow to rest for a couple of minutes.

Roasted Vegetables

Chop whatever vegetables you would like to use, and then drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. For this dinner I used purple cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, onion, and mushrooms.

Frozen Fruit Bars with Moscato

1 bottle moscato wine ( 1 can ginger ale for kids)
4 frozen fruit bars ( I used Outshine brand)

Place the fruit bars in wine glasses, then pour the moscato or ginger ale over the top. Serve.