seasonal : summer

How to Make an Instagram-Worthy Charcuterie Board

December 11, 2018

Charcuterie boards loaded with all the antipasti snacks have taken over the internet. Here’s my tips for how to make your meat and cheese plates Instagram-worthy, along with a special treat for all to share.

This post is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

‘Tis the season for…charcuterie boards taking over the internet.

Whether it’s a spur of the moment gathering for cocktails and fellowship, or a full-blown party to deck the halls and the tree, a meat and cheese board is the easiest appetizer to pull together fast, and it’s always sure to please.

But how do you make your charcuterie board totally delicious, and at the same time a totally impressive image to show off to all your Instagram friends?

These are my tips for building the best charcuterie meat and cheese board platter that’s almost too good to eat. And I do mean, almost…

But first, I have a treat for you!continue to the recipe… about How to Make an Instagram-Worthy Charcuterie Board

Sesame Soba Noodles

December 10, 2018

This Japanese Sesame Soba Noodles recipe makes a simple Asian side dish or easy main meal that can be served hot or cold, and is on the table in 20 minutes or less.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

When we talk about where to go if we’re eating out, 8 out 10 of our favorite spots are going to be Asian. Funny enough, Chinese is probably the lowest on the list, with Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and of course Japanese all vying for our taste buds top spot.

When we go out to eat, we don’t even think about how complicated a dish might be. But when we cook at home, you can bet your chopstick that simplicity is a big part of our dinner-making decisions.

New Years Day is one day we won’t be heading out anywhere to eat. For us it’s all about taking it easy and cooking at home. Asian noodles are a traditional New Years Day dish, with signifying longevity, good luck, and starting the year with a clean slate. Plus, these soba noodles are light yet savory, and filling enough to cure any of the aftereffects of New Year’s Eve’s shenanigans.

This Sesame Soba Noodle recipe ticks all of our favorite recipe-making boxes. It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s healthy. It’s totally flavorful. And it goes with so many of our favorite mains, and it even makes a main meal all in itself.

continue to the recipe… about Sesame Soba Noodles

French Onion Dip

December 5, 2018

This homemade French Onion Dip mixes sweet caramelized onion with Greek yogurt to make a healthy dip that’s the hit of the party.

This recipe is brought to you by Stonyfield

You see it at every party as the host tries to steer guests out of the kitchen and into the actual party. But people linger, dipping into the appetizer nibbles, and always congregating around the food.

And what’s the favorite at every party? It’s always the chips and dip. Everyone loves a dip. Because what’s not to love?

And pretty much there’s no dip more lovable than an easy, savory, French Onion Dip. It’s the gateway drug for anyone who claims they don’t like onions. It’s caramelized and sweet, and sturdy enough to take on any veggie or chip.

The only thing better? The fact that this homemade French Onion Dip tastes better because it’s made healthier with organic Greek yogurt.

continue to the recipe… about French Onion Dip

Easy Tandoori Chicken with Vegetables

December 3, 2018

Traditional tandoori chicken is made in a clay oven, but this version of the classic Indian chicken dinner is baked on a sheet pan with Indian spiced vegetables for a complete meal any night of the week.

Chicken dinner ideas that are full of flavor but easy to make are definitely my idea of weeknight success.

It’s what I call my dinner flavor jam. Minus the literal jam.

This 30-minute chicken recipe comes to you from the New York Times Best Seller Skinnytaste One & Done Cookbook, written by my friend Gina of the blog Skinnytaste. This is Gina’s third cookbook, and home cooks everywhere are applauding and thanking it every time they use it.

Each of the recipes are family favorites made healthy and Weight Watchers friendly. They’re all cooked in either a skillet, in the slow cooker, in the Instant Pot, in the air fryer, or on a sheet pan in the oven, just like this easy, all-in-one sheet pan Tandoori Chicken dinner.continue to the recipe… about Easy Tandoori Chicken with Vegetables

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apple and Cheddar Cheese

November 11, 2018

This easy, healthy, delicious kale salad with cranberries, sliced apples, sharp white cheddar cheese, and crunchy sunflower seeds is massaged tender with a maple syrup sweetened apple cider dressing for a savory and sweet salad everyone at the table will love.

A Delicious Kale Salad that Doesn’t Taste Raw

Kale has easily become one of the most healthful ingredients in salads today. The health benefits of kale and the virtues of eating this superfood raw—like in salad—are many, including being one of the most nutrient dense foods around. Besides being high in fiber to help you feel full (and regular), every 1 cup of raw kale providing nearly 3 grams of protein and contains more vitamin C than an orange.

With stats like that, you really can’t ignore kale’s super delicious super powers any longer.

This easy kale salad is one you can make up any night of the week, yet it’s pretty enough to add to any holiday dinner table.

But even better, because kale likes to sit and soak in it’s dressing and still hold it’s leafy shape, this kale salad is awesome for the buffet table or to take to potlucks, too. In fact, the last photo in this post is from when I pulled it straight from the fridge and into a bowl to eat for lunch 2 days after I made it.

Now that’s a trendy salad that stands the test of time.continue to the recipe… about Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apple and Cheddar Cheese

Easy Quick Roasted Tomatoes

November 4, 2018

While there’s nothing quite like biting into a garden-fresh tomato, quick roasted tomatoes in the oven create a savory sweetness that’s delicious made into a simple roasted tomato sauce on pasta, made into soup, or served as appetizers, no matter what time of year.

You could say I’m obsessed with roasting tomatoes.

Even when they’re at their most flavorful, summertime prime, it’s highly likely that sweet cherry tomatoes, Italian plum roma tomatoes, and just about every other variety I pick up (minus the big beefsteaks) typically find their way into the oven at some point for a quick roast to pull out their most jammy-sweet flavor.

But the real appeal of roasting is when we’re eating those dead-of-winter tomatoes. You know the ones. The tomatoes who left their taste at the door.

I love long, slow-roasted tomatoes at a low temp in the oven, but sometimes there’s no time to wait. When it comes to quick and easy, no-fuss roasted tomatoes, the big return on the little time invested is totally worth it, because a roast in the oven for less than an hour is all that’s needed to release the super sweet powers of any noble tomato. continue to the recipe… about Easy Quick Roasted Tomatoes

14 Days of Healthy Breakfast Recipe Ideas

October 29, 2018

What can I cook for breakfast? It’s a question repeated by millions every single day. And I bet you’re one of them.

I talk a lot about my cravings for easy, healthy breakfast recipes, because, hey, it’s the most important meal of the day, right?

Why is breakfast important? Because eating breakfast helps with weight loss, brain function, and keeping you moving all throughout the day. That’s why I am ALWAYS on the lookout for easy breakfast recipe ideas to keep this healthy habit fresh and fun. Because as we all know, breakfast is too easy to skip, and too often breakfast is boring too.

This list of 2 weeks, or 14 days, of seasonal and simple healthy breakfast recipe ideas offer up WAY better than average starts to your day and make eating breakfast a habit you’ll actually enjoy.

These breakfasts focus on all the flavors of fall, with some geared toward on-the-go and others for easy weekend breakfast or brunch. They’re seasonal but simple recipes for eggs, breakfast sandwiches, simple frittatas, oatmeal, avocado toast, and protein pancakes will make breakfast your favorite meal of the day.continue to the recipe… about 14 Days of Healthy Breakfast Recipe Ideas

The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

October 24, 2018

Crispy oven roast potatoes are an easy, healthy side dish for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, because no matter what time of year, they fit every meal.

The Best Crispy Oven Roast Potatoes

Forget feeling all the feels, lately I’ve been feeling all the sides.

Maybe it’s because when I make up my weekly not-a-plan-flexible-meal-plan (subscribe to my newsletter and I’ll send it to you each Saturday for FREE) I realize there are so many easy side dishes I make that I haven’t yet shared here on the blog.

Or maybe it’s because if I had my druthers, my plate would be composed of a taste of this and a bite of that. Variety is my friend.

These crispy oven roasted potatoes will also add variety to your plate, with a variety of herbs, and served at a variety of times, these taters are at the top of my easy side dish list. And now, they are about to shoot to the top of yours. continue to the recipe… about The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Baked Salmon with Creme Fraiche

October 22, 2018

Salmon recipes can be cooked many ways, but in my book, there’s nothing as easy as baked salmon in white wine and lemon for a healthy dinner, or to make and use for meal prep all week long.

Whether it’s baked salmon, poached, grilled salmon, pan-seared, whole salmon, or cut into filets, the benefits of cooking and eating salmon are not only fast and easy enough for any level of cook to make, but so incredibly good for your health, too.

While visiting my mom earlier this year, my Aunt Jane cooked us this simple salmon dinner baked in wine and topped with lemon, then topped with an easy, and totally flavorful creme fraiche sauce.

Jane is one of those cooks where everything seems effortless. But she confided that while she loves to entertain, she doesn’t always feel so confident in the kitchen, especially when cooking for others. That’s why when she does, she zeroes in on a recipe that’s tried and true. It leaves less margin for error, and more time for enjoying guests rather than time in the kitchen worrying over the stove.

Being from Seattle, this baked salmon with a creamy creme fraiche sauce has pretty much become Jane’s signature dish, and now it can become yours, too.continue to the recipe… about Baked Salmon with Creme Fraiche

Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan Three Ways

October 18, 2018

The fresh bite of this arugula dinner salad with a simple lemon dressing and shaved Parmesan is made three ways for three easy salad recipe ideas to go with any dinner’s main course meal.

Choosing a main course dinner idea is pretty easy to do. But when it comes to rounding out the meal with some extra plant nutrition, it can add another layer of what-to-make-wondering to your meal planning.

That’s why I depend on a few simple recipe ideas for side salads and dressings that are easily customized to dress up or dress down, depending on what extra ingredients I have on hand.

That’s why this easy 5-ingredient arugula salad recipe with big flakes of salty parmesan is often where I get my start.
continue to the recipe… about Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan Three Ways

Easy Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta

October 11, 2018

This easy 5-ingredient couscous recipe combines the Mediterranean flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, toasted pine nuts and feta cheese for a healthy 10-minute side dish.

This recipe is brought to you by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Mamma Mia! Here we go again! Literally.

We don’t need many excuses to eat good Greek or Mediterranean food at our house, but when we can make a themed night of it, it’s even that much more fun.

So when I was asked to create a recipe that ties into the DVD release of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Sing-Along Edition (yes! more Abba to sing along to while I cook!) it was just another reason to get the party started.

continue to the recipe… about Easy Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta

17 Friday Night Homemade Pizza Recipes to Make This Fall

October 10, 2018

Pizza is the ultimate gathering food, and these 17 homemade pizza recipes are the best reason to forget all about delivery and make yours at home instead.

Raise your hand if you love pizza. Anyone? Everyone? YES, indeed, everyone! Ok, good.

It seems like Fridays are a popular pizza-prep night, but then come the weekend there’s all the football games, and then Sunday turns into Monday and how easy is it to whip together a homemade pizza pie to cure those Monday night blues?

Pizza fits into every day.

Pizza is universally appealing, and not just because we’re all trying to capture the perfectly Instagrammable cheese pull. (BTW, have you seen the new Instagram-worthy pizza pop-up museum for us perfectly crusty diehards?)

It’s the ultimate delivery vehicle for innovative flavor combinations, complimentary textures, and beyond-infinite varieties suitable to any diet or taste preference—and season.

That’s why I’ve put together this list of pizza night faves for fall, plus a few FoodieCrush favorites that’ll make you forget all about dialing up to order your delivery-style pizza, and make it at home instead. continue to the recipe… about 17 Friday Night Homemade Pizza Recipes to Make This Fall

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

October 4, 2018

This easy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin recipe gets a healthy boost with almonds and yogurt to make a moist muffin everyone will declare the very best.

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

You know how there are some ingredients that you just can’t say no to when it comes to a particular food?

Like, for me, the only cake that’s worth its weight in birthday candles is German Chocolate Cake. Or if I’m choosing an artisanal cheese it’s going to be a stinky, gooey, triple cream.

So when my Ali Smudge wanders through the bakery section of the grocery store, I don’t even have to wonder what request she’s about to pose. Because it’s always the same. And it’s always for a Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin.

continue to the recipe… about Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

How to Cook Instant Pot Butternut Squash

September 27, 2018

One of the best features of the Instant Pot pressure cooker is when vegetables like butternut squash can go from gourd to gourmet in just 3 minutes cooking time. Who doesn’t have time for that?

You guys asked for more Instant Pot recipes besides those in my archives, and I’m here to deliver.

This Instant Pot butternut squash is a staple in my meal prep, and a recipe I make all of the time. Sure it tastes great, but even more, it’s so incredibly quick and easy to cook, there’s simply no excuse NOT to make it.

Easy side dishes give life to any meal. They’re that extra something that rounds out the plate and should add a bit more healthy to it too. I’ve always been one who would rather have a dish of three sides than anything else on the menu. Give me a bite of everything, because I can’t stand to leave any taste out.

This ridiculously easy butternut squash recipe can be a simple side to the main meal, or added to salads, rice or grain bowls, or used in recipes like these beef and butternut enchiladas.

Either way you cube it, smash it, blend it, or beat it, butternut squash cooked in the pressure cooker is the quick and easy way to go.continue to the recipe… about How to Cook Instant Pot Butternut Squash

Easy Shredded Chicken and Zucchini Tacos

September 25, 2018

Easy shredded chicken tacos get a healthy veggie upgrade when diced zucchini is added in for a fast dinner or lunch any day of the week.

“So, Sara…what’s your mom fixing for dinner tonight?”

It was my running joke with my daughter’s friend when I drove them home from Tuesday night basketball practice.

“Ugh. Taaaccccos, again,” she typically replied. “I’m kind of sick of tacos.” But how one possibly be tired of tacos?

Tacos are fast and easy to pull together as a simple vegetarian meal (these fried avocado tacos are BEYOND!) or with any sort of protein added in: fish tacos, beef tacos, slow cooker pork tacos, and yep, even spaghetti tacos. They’re one of the ultimate what-to-do-with-the-leftovers meal-prep meals.

So while Sara might be tired of Taco Tuesday, it makes a whole lot of sense to me.continue to the recipe… about Easy Shredded Chicken and Zucchini Tacos

The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

September 20, 2018

These easy no-bake cookies are loaded with goodness and even a little bit of healthy. Old-fashioned oats, chocolate and the surprise addition of coconut make these classic no-bake cookies (without the peanut butter!) the very best.

No-bake cookies are a starter-cook-in-the-kitchen classic recipe that’s oh so easy to make.

That’s the good part.

So what’s the bad part?

It’s just that they’re so dang easy to make you can whip up a batch whenever the craving strikes. And then eat the whole bowl. By yourself. In one sitting.

Just ask my husband. That was his M.O. when back in the day after high school football practice he would make no-bake cookies at least once a week. As all big brothers do (or more aptly don’t) he refused to share any of the batch with his siblings. Brotherly love. It’s real.

But here’s the best part…

Once you make these no-bake beauties yourself, you’ll see why he was so selfish. And you won’t blame him one bit for keeping them all to himself.continue to the recipe… about The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe – with Coconut!

One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

September 17, 2018

This creamy chicken and rice casserole is a fast and healthy 30-minute meal made right on the stove top, making it a favorite one-pot dinner that feeds a family of four for under $10.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

September is Hunger Action Month. As someone who has the access and the means to buy/grow/order food at my fingertips (or within a short walk or drive) every day of the week, this public initiative is a reminder that it isn’t nearly as easy for far too many. Helping others cure food scarcity is near and dear to my heart. And I hope to yours too.

So when Kroger asked me to participate in their #ZeroHungerZeroWaste donation challenge, I immediately said count me in. And now I’m challenging you to join too.

It’s one thing to donate that stray can of beans at the back of your pantry or the expired box of crackers. But it’s so much more to make healthful eating approachable and economical, showing families that there are better choices to easily cook and eat at home.

That’s why I’ve created this easy one-pot dinner to show you and those I’m donating it to that fast and easy dinners don’t have to come from a cardboard box, or sodium-loaded freezer meal, or be expensive.

They can just as easily come from real good, real food. And for many who are food challenged, most of the ingredients can be kept on hand in the pantry with little waste to be had.continue to the recipe… about One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice

Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes

September 13, 2018

This hybrid of roasted and mashed potatoes is literally a mash up of cooking techniques t0 create a creamy potato on the inside with the crispy edges everyone craves on the outside, and it’s all made extra good thanks to garlic, butter and rosemary flavored smashed potatoes.

Easy side dishes should be a dime a dozen but I keep hearing from you guys that this is one of the most challenging parts of putting the finishing touch on your dinner time meal.

The beauty of a simple side dish like potatoes is they go with pretty much any main dish. Personally, I could eat them as the main dish all on their own.

So why mash when you can smash?

Because smashed baby red potatoes that are crisped with garlicky butter and rosemary like these smashed red potato babies here are the sure cure for your dinner-finishing cravings.

continue to the recipe… about Rosemary Garlic Butter Smashed Potatoes

Linguine con Vongole (Linguine with Clam Sauce)

September 9, 2018

Linguine with fresh clams in a garlic white wine sauce (authentically known as linguine vongole) is one of those dinners that sounds totally chic and fancy but is actually one of the easiest and budget-friendly Italian pasta recipes you can make.

I was recently sent the new Fred’s at Barney’s New York Cookbook by Barney’s New York’s chef Mark Strausman who teaches us how to make some of the famous dishes beloved for years by celebrities and chic shoppers in the fashion store’s Fred’s restaurant.

Flipping through the cookbook there were tons of recipes that looked divine, but when I found this recipe for Mark’s Baby Clams and Spaghetti, fresh clams went directly on my shopping list.

Clams and spaghetti at Fred’s became clams and linguine at my house, and now no matter which pasta you choose to prepare, this recipe is on it’s way to yours.

continue to the recipe… about Linguine con Vongole (Linguine with Clam Sauce)

11 Use It Up Zucchini Recipes

September 5, 2018

These 11 recipes are sure to answer question of what to make with zucchini and cure your healthy recipe cravings at the same time.

I am 100% for fresh produce–but things can get a little out of hand in the garden this time of year, know what I mean?

If you’re like me, your counter tops are covered with zucchini and if you don’t have your own garden, I bet you’re getting doorbell ditched with tons of the stuff from friendly neighbors, desperate to offload their bounty.

Not that I’m complaining.

With so many ways to use this versatile veggie, you can eat squash every day through September without getting sick of it.

This roundup features 11 healthy, delicious recipes, guaranteed to help you make the most of summer’s most popular veggie.continue to the recipe… about 11 Use It Up Zucchini Recipes

Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp

September 4, 2018

This healthy Greek-inspired shrimp recipe in a saucy tomato base with feta can be cooked and served as a one-pot skillet dinner, or in a baking dish as a fast and easy-to-make appetizer that’s the first thing to disappear.

Don’t forget the bread.

That’s my big tip about this recipe. Don’t forget to add a few crusty sourdough slices to your shopping list. Bread is key if you’re a dipper like me. Because while you might first be attracted to this recipe because of the lure of perfectly baked shrimp (which they are), it’s every last drop of the sauce you’ll be sopping up that will have you making this recipe on repeat.

As we move from the heat of summer into fall’s cozy-up-comfort mode, this Greek flavored shrimp is the PERFECT transition recipe.

This tomato sauce is light and bright so it won’t bog you down, yet it includes the warming flavors of cinnamon and allspice to make you feel all cuddly and content.

And I’m pretty sure we can all agree that shrimp are totally right any time of year.continue to the recipe… about Saucy Greek Baked Shrimp

Easy Lemon Rice Recipe

August 29, 2018

At our house, this easy lemon rice is a side dish staple and with just 5 ingredients, it’s a super simple way to jazz up plain old white rice any day of the week.

No matter where your set your plate, it’s likely that rice will be one of the side dishes served on any international dinner table.

This lemon rice makes regular appearances alongside so much of my main meal cooking, like my Greek marinated chicken, or as a basic side for my Greek pork souvlaki kebabs or turkey kofta skewers, and always with my Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce.

But this lemon rice doesn’t travel only in Greek or Mediterranean circles. It’s a fan of crossing all culinary borders, and it does a fine job of fitting into any dinner no matter the main dish’s international personality.

continue to the recipe… about Easy Lemon Rice Recipe

15 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Get You Through the Week

August 26, 2018

This list of 15 easy and healthy breakfast ideas will have you out the door and on the go in no time.

We’ve heard it and know it by heart—the oft-repeated mantra, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

But too often the back-to-school rush of packing lunches, figuring out dinner plans, choosing healthy snacks, etc., breakfast can get left behind in the shuffle.

Even if you’re not sending littles (or bigs) out the door, I’m all about having options to mix up my healthy breakfast eating routine, because you KNOW I’m not one to skip any meal, but most importantly not breakfast and my daily time-to-be-just-with-me quiet time.

This list of 15 easy breakfast provides three weeks worth of weekday breakfast options that will get you out the door quickly without sacrificing your diet, sanity, or valuable hair blow-drying time.continue to the recipe… about 15 Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes to Get You Through the Week

How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

August 22, 2018

Healthy boneless chicken breasts can be shredded, sliced, or diced, and used as the base for countless healthy recipes, and when you cook them in the Instant Pot pressure cooker they can go from frozen OR fresh chicken breasts to fully cooked with just 10 minutes cooking time.

How many times have you come home and realized you’ve forgotten to pull the chicken from the freezer for tonight’s dinner? If you’re like me, it’s way too many.

But since I discovered how to cook both frozen chicken breasts and/or fresh chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, those days are over.

It seems like all too often us recipe creators aka food bloggers get caught up in creating that totally unique recipe.

The recipe that intrigues.

The recipe that nobody’s ever thought of before.

But the reality is, while those recipes are fun to bookmark and make every so often, it’s the basics for daily cooking that we really need.

Like how to cook the basic boneless chicken breast, and how to cook it fast.

I’ve shared my recipes for the Best Grilled Chicken Breast and the Best Baked Chicken Breasts and you guys love them. So when I received requests for an Instant Pot version, how could I not oblige?

And once I started cooking chicken breasts STRAIGHT FROM THE FREEZER in my Instant Pot, I realized I needed to share with you how you can do the same.

So let’s talk basics.continue to the recipe… about How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

Italian Chicken Wrap

August 21, 2018

You may see pinwheel wrap sandwiches so often at the store or the quick mart you don’t even realize how easy they are to make at home. But this healthy Italian Chicken Wrap sandwich has a few secrets up it’s tortilla that’ll make it so you’ll never want a take-it-with-you lunch any other way again.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

It seems that lunches are the meal that can make or break your best eating intentions.

I know you know what I’m talking about. And I know that if you’ve said it to yourself once, you’ve said it 4053 times.

“This week I’m totally taking my lunch every day.”

But then it’s the night before and you’re too tired to pull a lunch together, or your morning is in a frenzy, or your delicate ingredients have all gone bad.

And then there you are. Once again, your intentions are dashed, leaving you staring emptily at the vending machine or forking over $13.84 for a lame something or another that really is just not that good. And worse, that marginal lunch is both taking away from your budget’s bottom line while adding too many calories to your very own bottom that soon won’t fit into your jeans if you keep this up young lady. (oops, did I say that out loud?)

But this easy Italian chicken wrap lunch is different. And here’s why.continue to the recipe… about Italian Chicken Wrap

21 Bucket List Recipes Because Summer Isn’t Over Yet

August 19, 2018

Summer delivers all sorts of cooking inspiration with piles of fresh produce and plenty of invitations to backyard barbecues, camp outs, and pool parties. But with the days getting shorter and school starting up again you may be like me and wonder, where did my summer go???

Each summer we make our summer bucket lists of all the things to do, to live, and to fill our days with meaning. For me, that means cooking is absolutely in the mix, and my bucket list of recipes seems to keep growing and growing.

So while everyone is looking forward to beating the back to school blues, we’re living in the now and finishing off our summer bucket recipe list.

If you feel like your warm-weather cooking is withering like an under-watered tomato plant, this list of 21 must-make recipes to make before summer sings its swan song should put some inspiration back into your kitchen.

Each one is simple enough to get you out of the kitchen without breaking a sweat, but adds a unique flair to many of our favorite dishes. Let’s get cooking!

21 Recipes to Fill Up Your Summer Bucket List

My light and juicy turkey burgers go vial during cookout season, and for good reason –> they’re healthy, delicious, and nobody will ever ask, “Where’s the beef?”
I can’t stop, won’t stop making this essential summer pasta salad. My husband has declared it his summer favorite and I took it to a party just last night.
Buttery shortbread crust with smooth chocolate ganache and a show-stopping toasty marshmallow finish. I can just feel my teeth sinking into these toasted s’mores squares.
Forget about the boring cob with butter, this grilled Mexican street corn salad is where summer bites are at.
We’ve all made tried and true pulled pork for family get-togethers, so it’s definitely time to try this amped up version with sweet pineapple and just the right kick from spicy jalapeños.
This summer salad was close to being my most popular Instagram post of the summer. And for good reason! Make if yourself, take a pic with the tag #foodiecrusheats and I’ll share yours on my InstaStories. Or any FoodieCrush recipe, too.
If you’ve ever cooked a traditional tin foil dinner, you’ve GOT to add this Philly Cheesesteak version with melty provolone to your list (camping optional).
While you’ve got the tin foil handy, save room for this over-the-top grilled donut sandwich situation, customized with Nutella, marshmallow and berries.
Whether or not you’ve been low-carbing it this swimsuit season, try this secret ingredient low carb “potato” salad for a healthier twist. Whoda thunk?
Summer veggie salads are always a crowd pleaser and this one is topped with a zesty lime vinaigrette for the perfect side to any summer meal.
Don’t miss this easy-peasy side or lighter main dish with a gorgeous mix of blueberries, kale, crunchy sunflower seeds and a simple secret ingredient to make meal prep a snap.
I am totally ready to cover the tables with newspapers, invite all the friends over, and get back to my roots even though I don’t live in the South with this low country shrimp boil.
One of the best ways to use up all that summer-fresh garden produce staring you in the face is an authentic gazpacho with homemade croutons. Or take a shortcut with my cheater version instead.
If you love strawberry short cake, you’re gonna love this peach short cake recipe with brown sugar even more.
Why didn’t I think of this? These grilled chicken drumsticks are a busy-day friendly way to fix a quintessential summer meal.
This twist on banana bread is the perfect way to use up not just one, but two types of fruit that might be withering a bit too quickly in the summer heat.
These classic no-bake cookies are how you take care of that summer sweet tooth without turning on the oven.
Just in case you need a different reason to use up those avocados other than avo toast, this fresh herby summer salad will gleefully take care of them.
If you can’t make it to the beach, bring the flavors of Baja to your neck of the woods with these spicy fish taco bowls.
I’m filing away this apricot almond cake to make in a couple of weeks when my neighbors tree starts spilling all that fruity goodness into my yard (not complaining!).
Farmers market breakfast bowls are literally the stuff that summer is made of–bursting with veggies and topped with a creamy green goddess dressing. Let’s end summer on the right note.

More Recipes to Make Now, or Really Any Time of Year

Cheers to finishing summer off with a bang, and getting into the kitchen to cook something good.

p.s. I’m still debating on whether to send out weekly meal plans with shopping lists or simply send out a weekly recipe round up that fits the season’s eats. Leave a comment or hit reply and email me back to let me know what you’d like to see!

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Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Flatbread

August 15, 2018

This caprese flatbread recipe is an easy way to take advantage of the best of the season’s fresh tomatoes, basil, and of course mozzarella, making it the perfect appetizer bite or as an easy vegetarian dinner.

Head to the farmers market this time of year and you’ll see everyone around freaking out over the bulbous beauty of the heirloom tomatoes and just-off-the-vine-still-warm-from-the-sunshine beefsteaks.

I think they’re lovely too. But my fave tomato this time of year are the sweet cherry tomatoes I can pop straight in my mouth like candy.

Awwwww, who am I kidding? I love these baby tomatoes any time of year.

A few weeks ago I photographed the new winter menu of one of my favorite clients, Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT. If you haven’t yet been to Park City and Deer Valley, it’s a destination to put on your bucket list, not only for winter skiing, but truly any time of the year.

This time around we shot photos for the new menu items for their low-key bar and restaurant The Brass Tag. But where does that name come from? Back in the day aka around 1890, the silver boom was huge in Park City and local miners would hang a brass tag before entering the silver mines to work. When the day was done, if there was tag still hanging on the board, it was time to start a search for the miner. Think of it as the low-tech GPS system of yesteryear.

This easy to make caprese-style flatbread pizza was just one of the items we shot that day, and after looking at it through the lens, and then taking a bite (okay, maybe more), I knew it was something you guys would love to make at home.

continue to the recipe… about Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Flatbread

Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

August 13, 2018

Greek food and especially gyros are one of my favorite kind of meals, but since I’m not much of a fan of lamb, it’s my marinated Greek chicken and chickpeas that adds the protein to this easy Greek gyro style salad with a yogurt tzatziki sauce perfect for a meal prep lunch or dinner.

This Greek gyro chicken salad is one of those types of salads that makes a statement, declaring that Mediterranean dishes are just as good in a bowl as they are stuffed in a pita or grilled on a skewer.

This Greek salad is far from contrived, or uppity, or way too out there. It’s just a good, basic salad that covers all the major food groups. I love that this salad can be prepped ahead for take-to-work or school lunches—proven by my Ali Smudge who is obsessed with it.

On busy weeknights, it makes for a super fast dinner. It’s ready to roll for everyone at to eat together, or parceled out as your peeps filter in for meal time.

Because doesn’t it seem that’s more the case than ever these days?continue to the recipe… about Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

Stuffed Zucchini Hasselback Pepperoni Pizza Style

August 9, 2018

Stuffed zucchini takes on a whole new look when it’s cut hasselback-style then stuffed with pepperoni pizza fixins’ for an easy, healthy, all-in-one 6-ingredient meal or pull-apart appetizer.

For most every backyard farmers the question isn’t how to grow zucchini, it’s what to do with it all once the harvest begins. These guys are prolific!

So what are some ways to use up all that zucchini? Stuffed zucchini is likely one of the first recipes on your idea list.

But how about this…how about we make the method even simpler and forgo the scoop and hollow method and simply slice these bad boys hasselback-style instead?

They’re ripe for the stuffing, so let’s get slicing.

continue to the recipe… about Stuffed Zucchini Hasselback Pepperoni Pizza Style

Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

August 7, 2018

This Chinese Chicken Salad takes the healthier high road than the heavier versions I always see at those popular food chains that everyone loves. But this one with crunchy romaine, wontons, and an almond crunch, topped with protein-packed chicken breast, pasta noodles, and a flavor-flav sesame dressing.

Lighter fare that totally satisfies is what I’m craving now. And as summer’s flowy skirts and loose-fitting shift dresses morph into fall’s jeans and thigh hugging pants, it seems lighter food is part of my weekly anthem.

Goodbye my fave potato salad and chocolate drizzled ice cream cones dripping down my chin. Hello meal planning, gym going, and my fave weight loss plan.

And that’s where my all-time favorite—and healthier—Chinese Chicken Salad comes in.

I’ve updated this recipe post because I refer to it all the time and it needed some updated love.

I CRAVE this salad, and it’s one I love to make for ladies lunches or for a simple, and lighter meal for a crowd. Because who doesn’t love a good Chinese Chicken Salad anyway?

continue to the recipe… about Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing