22 Healthy & Creative Summer Cooking Recipes – A Zest for Life
Jun 20, 2024, Updated Nov 02, 2024
The first week of Summer has arrived… my favorite season!
Get cooking with some of MY FAVORITE Early Summer Dishes and savor the fresh flavors.
The Best Pasta Dish of the Summer Season! Marinated Candyland Tomatoes are tossed with Pasta, Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs, Grilled Halloumi Cheese, Softened Red Onions and Fresh Basil Leaves.
Candyland Tomatoes: A currant-like tomato… tiny in size, with a BIG super-sweet flavor!
Always have in hand: Karen’s “Shaken” Italian Dressing (recipe)
Here are MY FAVORITE Recipes to cook at the beginning of the season. In my neck of the woods, many local veggies and fruits have not been harvested yet – so have to wait for heirloom tomatoes (although the smallest ones can be picked earlier.)
Summer PASTA:
A simple pasta dish LOADED with two kinds of Fresh Peas – simple sautéed with Garlic then folded with Pasta and a Creamy Herbal Vegan Sauce (which is cashew based.)
Create a Quick Sauce with Local Cherry Heirloom Tomatoes to Toss With Pasta and Shrimp.
Tomatoes “burst” – fall slightly apart with all of their natural sweet juices.
Wonderful Meaty Roasted Mushrooms Team with a Vegan Pine Nut-Pesto Creamy Sauce Layered over Pasta.
Mushrooms are basted with my quick homemade Chili Oil for a spicy bite.
This Vegan recipe includes many Wild Mushrooms, a luxurious texture and hearty flavor – cooked perfectly with crisp edges!
Creative SALADS:
Such an easy salad to put together – a cool salad for warm Summer days and nights. Shaved Fresh Coconut is a must! (Easily found at many grocery store & health food shops – coconut meat chunked out of it’s shell – all you do is shave it over the salad.)
Many times, it is the dressing that can really make a salad sing!
A light and zesty dressing with a secret ingredient… Coconut Cream.
Replaces some oil in the recipe for a creamy finish.
I like this dish room temperature or a little chilled. Part Past… Part Pasta Salad.
For Tomato Lovers! A simple and delicious sauce – serve over pasta with plenty of basil leaves.
Puréed Tomatoes team with sliced cherry & oblong Heirloom Tomatoes with Cooked Garlic Cloves in Olive Oil – a light and flavorful “No-Cook” Sauce!
Crispy Romaine with a smoky essence – topped with Farm Fresh Veggies, Lemony Tahini Dressing and Garlic Sourdough Toasted Breadcrumbs.
A brilliant technique! Romaine Lettuce halves are grilled until slightly charred offering a gently smoky essence.
THE pasta salad for any gathering, picnic or barbecue. Healthy Veggies surround Pasta and a Zesty Parsley Vinaigrette. See all my methods and tips for success! I make this vinaigrette when Parsley is overflowing in my garden! I like to grow flat leaf AND Curly varieties.
Easily use gluten free pasta too.
I LOVE this salad, as a healthy dressing is drizzled on top, not laden with mayonnaise! A thick Blender Dressing with healthful ingredients adorn this easy, tasty and visually beautiful Salad! Use a Rotisserie Chicken (for a quicker salad) and slice – add Lettuces, Veggies, Walnuts, Green Goddess Dressing and a dusting of Pink Peppercorns.
Corn is not local yet… but I have had some superb ears from the South-East Of the U.S.
Loving this recipe: Fresh Corn off the Cob teams with Heirloom Green Tomatoes and tossed with a Nutty & Toasted Brown Butter Vinaigrette. Fresh Zesty Flavors with Crunch! A treasured Summer Recipe.
A Simple Recipe using Ingredients from a local Farmers’ Market. It’s easy to steam beets! Add to an assertive and zesty vinaigrette with Green Garlic Scapes (available now!); the curly shoot of the garlic bulb… they’re like scallions with a garlic kick!
Scrumptious SEAFOOD:
I Love Local Cod! All Roasted on a Single Sheet Pan – Incredible Caramelized Vegetables Surround Fresh Garlicky Breadcrumb Roasted Cod.
A healthy and delicious dinner when vegetables are at their peek of flavor.
Hibiscus Tea Ofers a deep pink color with sweet and tart flavors – the perfect base for poaching Salmon. Glaze the finished fish with Thai Chili Sauce then spoon over a Creamy Tzatziki. Can be made a day ahead – the perfect essential protein dish that is light and tasty. If you have not poached Salmon fillets before – give the recipe a try!
Combine Asian umami flavors and great quality tuna with a dash of local veggies for color and taste.
A light summer meal that is a snap to prepare! Poke Bowls are trending because they are healthy, delicious, easy to prepare and beautiful eye candy!
I’ve taken a classic dish and reworked it with Just Picked Local Tomatoes and have added Fresh Garden Herbs.
The result – a lighter and aromatic dish bursting with flavor.
Serve with my delicious Arroz Blanco (recipe) – Simple Mexican White Rice enriched with Thyme Branches.
Cajun Seasoning Enlivens Red Fish – Blackened in Minutes in a Cast Iron Skillet. Glazed with a Browned Butter Pan-Sauce with Garlic and Many Summer Herbs. My recipe has all the flavor – yet using less butter than typical recipes.
See Recipe: Karen’s Best Cajun Seasoning Blend
Flavorful Chicken:
A Stir-Fry with True Restaurant Quality Flavor! A redux of the Thai dish Pad Krakow Gai – with extra vegetables and totally Gluten Free. Comforting, savory, aromatic, and garlicky – can be as spicy as you like!! A great recipe to use up flowing basil from your garden… I recommend planting Thai Basil!
Heat up the grill! Korean Gochugaru Marinade combines this bright red chile powder: Gochugaru – a medium-spicy coating to drench chicken prior to grilling with additional garlic & ginger. Finger-Licking Good!
A Little Sweet:
A flavor explosion with beautiful color and texture. This simple Sherbet has just the right sweetness and is so refreshing!
The perfect treat to cool off on a hot summer’s day. Totally loving the white chocolate shavings mixed-into the sherbet.
Look for freshly picked raspberries at your local farmers’ market!
The Ultimate Comfort Food – Baked Creamy Rice Pudding made with Jasmine Rice – Enriched with Coconut Milk. I’m serving the rice pudding with red & golden raspberries from a farmers’ market and a drizzle of blackberry sauce.
Also See: Karen’s Quick Blackberry Sauce
An easy “press-in” dough recipe! Learn how to make homemade Plum Jam for the bars as well. Buttery, jam-filled bars based on the classic Viennese Linzer torte – dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Use any nice homemade jam too for the filling.
Enjoy the early days of Summer! Lots of delicious recipes to make.
Karen
Available Now ~ Check out my Farmers’ Market Jute Bag! It is designed by me with a zesty-flair and Fair Trade.
IT’S FARMERS’ MARKET SEASON!
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Candyland Marinated Tomatoes with Pasta & Halloumi Cheese
The Best Pasta Dish of the Summer Season! Marinated Candyland Tomatoes are tossed with Pasta, Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs, Grilled Halloumi Cheese, Softened Red Onions and Fresh Basil Leaves.
Equipment
- 1 large cast iron pan
Ingredients
Marinate Tomatoes:
- 2 cups Candyland tomatoes, small currant type (or use small cherry tomatoes)
- 3 tablespoons Karen’s “Shaken” Italian Dressing, see recipe
Sautéed Red Onions:
- 1 cup thinly sliced Red Onions
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches salt & pepper
Garlic Sourdough Breadcrumbs:
- 1/2 cup sourdough bread, crusts removed
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 pinch sea salt
Halloumi:
- 4 1/2 inch slices Halloumi , 4.4 ounces total
- 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder*
Other:
- 3 cups cooked pasta , about 6 ounces (use more if you like)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, a fruity one
Instructions
Marinate Tomatoes:
- Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut half of them in half. Add to a bowl to fit - top with 3 tablespoons Italian Dressing and mix well, set aside while you prepare the rest.
- Cook PASTA al dente, drain, rinse, reserve.
- Make TOASTED BREADCRUMBS: Add bread to a small food processor and plus to large crumbs. Heat a skillet with 1 teaspoon evoo, set heat to medium- low. Add breadcrumbs and quickly stir to coat. Let become golden brown & crispy stirring. When almost done, add 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic and a pinch of sea salt and mix in well. Cook one minute longer. When crispy - remove to a small bowl.
- Sauté RED ONIONS: Add 2 teaspoons evoo to a skillet (I use cast iron) when warm, add red onions and toss cooking over low heat until softened and just a touch golden, about 5 minutes, remove to a small bowl.
Grill Halloumi (just before finishing the dish)
- Grill HALLOUMI: Sprinkle Kashmiri chili on one side of the halloumi slices. Add a small amount to evoo to a stickproof or cast iron skillet, set heat to medium- low. Add the halloumi seasoned side down. Cook until nicely golden, turn over and repeat, cook about 2 minutes per side. Will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Cut into 1" cubes.
Finish the Dish:
- Add the marinated tomatoes and ALL juices/dressing to a large skillet.Cook over low heat to soften the tomatoes, stirring for 5 minutes (cut ones will burst into the sauce.)
- Add the Onions and Pasta - toss and mix in until warmed through. Add the Basil Leaves, 2 tablespoons olive oil and Sourdough Breadcrumbs, toss. Add the warm Halloumi cubes on top. Taste the pasta. Add more dressing or evvo if desired.
- Serve in a large bowl or individual ones.
Notes
*Kashmiri Chili Powder a mild chili powder with great color and tangy & fruity flavor.
Karen's "Shaken" Italian Dressing (recipe)
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 7gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 354mgPotassium: 280mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 485IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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