These 6 recipes are refreshing, light, and don't require an oven, making them perfect for spring and summer
It's officially spring! We made it through the winter. Hopefully signs of life are popping up where you live - spring shows her lovely face in Texas at the end of Feb/beginning of March, so it's basically feeling like summer already to me here. Which is why I thought, "I want to collect all my great summer recipes in one spot so I don't have to search my blog for them!" Yeah, I follow my own recipes. See, I make them up on a whim and write them down as I go, but that doesn't mean I'll remember how I made it! I dug back up to three years to pull my best summer recipes. That means fresh ingredients, no oven, and a dish that can be left outside in the heat for a bit - or even cooked outside! Here's the best summer recipe roundup from various blog posts over the years:
If you like fresh herbs, this one is for you! I know my mint didn't die all winter long and loves to take over my herb garden, so I already have plenty of it growing. Fresh parsley is the other key ingredient here. It's fresh and meat free, so it's great as a side at a cookout or beef it up with chickpeas for a main course meal that won't weigh you down when it's 95 degrees out.
Keeping in that Mediterranean theme, these Greek chicken burgers are a fresh take on the classic burger. Fresh cucumber, a quick pickled onion and homemade tzatziki sauce (it's SO easy to make yourself!) really make this dish flavorful without a ton of calories - perfect for summer! These can be grilled or cooked on the stove top.
I love mayo. I love classic potato salad. In fact, it's really the only way I like to eat potatoes - I don't care for french fries and a loaded baked potato kinda grosses me out. Even though I love me some mayo, this recipe is as good or BETTER than the traditional. The acidity from the limes and the pickled jalapenos give it a great kick, and there's conventional ingredients like celery and green onions. This will keep outside for hours too, since there isn't anything that can spoil. And it's even better next day, when the oil and acidity can seep into the potatoes.
Beef, Mushroom and Snap Pea Stir Fry
When you get sick of grilled everything, or it's too hot or too rainy to be outside, give this stir fry a try! It's ready in under 30 minutes on your stove top, and features a bunch of fresh veggies. Add whatever looks good at the store or is in season! When making stir fry, I say the more veggies the better.
Lemon-Thyme Pasta Salad
This is another great one if you're like me and have a robust herb garden with a ton of thyme. Thyme was the only other herb besides mint that the cold winter didn't kill off - in fact, it flourished! Fresh thyme MAKES this dish. The lemon zest really brightens the flavor, and much like the Mediterranean quinoa, this can be a great side dish or a main dish if you add chickpeas or navy beans. Just like the potato salad, it gets better the longer it sits, so if you're taking it to a cookout, make it the day before! Just slightly under cook the pasta as the acidity in the marinade will "cook" it the rest of the way. Boom! No mushy pasta salad!
The Only Chicken Marinade You'll Need
I'm not kidding you when I say this is the only grilled chicken marinade you'll need. Ever. It goes with everything and adds a flavor that blends with whatever side dish or whatever main dish you're adding the chicken to. You could pair this with any of the side dishes listed here and it'd be great! Plus it's five ingredients, so it's so simple and impossible to mess up! I like to let my chicken sit in it for at least a few hours. Also, let your chicken come to room temp before grilling and let it rest for 5 mins or so after you take it off the grill before cutting so that the juices stay in the chicken and don't run out all over your plate or cutting board.
Zesty Summer Hummus
This one is capable of feeding. a. crowd! A food processor is a must, but if you've got that, this dish can be thrown together in less than 5 minutes. Literally, throw the ingredients into the food processor, press on, and you've got it. It's SO easy to make your own hummus and amazingly cost effective that way too. This dish cost me all of $3 to make and fed over 25 people whereas store bought is over $5 and will feed 4-6 people. That's some math I can get behind!
Best Kitchen Gadgets on Amazon
Want to make cooking this summer more FUN? Then check out these great gadgets, easily available on Amazon. I highly recommend the juicer, because most of these summer recipes have some sort of citrus in them, and this thing makes juicing them a breeze. Sharp knives are a must. And if you have a charcoal grill, there's something in here you ABSOLUTELY need for grilling success!
Beef, Mushroom and Snap Pea Stir Fry
When you get sick of grilled everything, or it's too hot or too rainy to be outside, give this stir fry a try! It's ready in under 30 minutes on your stove top, and features a bunch of fresh veggies. Add whatever looks good at the store or is in season! When making stir fry, I say the more veggies the better.
This is another great one if you're like me and have a robust herb garden with a ton of thyme. Thyme was the only other herb besides mint that the cold winter didn't kill off - in fact, it flourished! Fresh thyme MAKES this dish. The lemon zest really brightens the flavor, and much like the Mediterranean quinoa, this can be a great side dish or a main dish if you add chickpeas or navy beans. Just like the potato salad, it gets better the longer it sits, so if you're taking it to a cookout, make it the day before! Just slightly under cook the pasta as the acidity in the marinade will "cook" it the rest of the way. Boom! No mushy pasta salad!
The Only Chicken Marinade You'll Need
I'm not kidding you when I say this is the only grilled chicken marinade you'll need. Ever. It goes with everything and adds a flavor that blends with whatever side dish or whatever main dish you're adding the chicken to. You could pair this with any of the side dishes listed here and it'd be great! Plus it's five ingredients, so it's so simple and impossible to mess up! I like to let my chicken sit in it for at least a few hours. Also, let your chicken come to room temp before grilling and let it rest for 5 mins or so after you take it off the grill before cutting so that the juices stay in the chicken and don't run out all over your plate or cutting board.
Zesty Summer Hummus
This one is capable of feeding. a. crowd! A food processor is a must, but if you've got that, this dish can be thrown together in less than 5 minutes. Literally, throw the ingredients into the food processor, press on, and you've got it. It's SO easy to make your own hummus and amazingly cost effective that way too. This dish cost me all of $3 to make and fed over 25 people whereas store bought is over $5 and will feed 4-6 people. That's some math I can get behind!
Best Kitchen Gadgets on Amazon
Want to make cooking this summer more FUN? Then check out these great gadgets, easily available on Amazon. I highly recommend the juicer, because most of these summer recipes have some sort of citrus in them, and this thing makes juicing them a breeze. Sharp knives are a must. And if you have a charcoal grill, there's something in here you ABSOLUTELY need for grilling success!
Summertime is nearly here, and it's time to start getting your grill ready to be fired up all season! These are all great recipes for being outdoors, using fresh veggies and herbs, side dishes for cookouts and even a great stove top stir fry for when you're over the heat or for a rainy day. Summer is the season to enjoy fresh flavors and be outside! Enjoy all these great, fresh, bright flavored recipes.
