My Favorite Summer Recipes

Here are just a few:

Fresh Corn Salad - This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe (of course) and definitely near the top of my list for favorite things to eat in the summer. I just discovered the recipe last year and made it for a BBQ. It was such a hit, numerous people asked me for the recipe. I now make it for every single potluck/BBQ we go to and it always disappears super fast! And it goes with absolutely anything! I'm actually making it for a BBQ with some friends tonight.

Chicken Satay - I don't remember which cookbook I got this from, but I do remember being blown away by how good it was! This is one of Brandon's favorite dinners, and I think it tastes as good or better than any restaurant satay I've ever had.

Ingredients:

-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 3-4 smaller pieces
-1 tsp ground coriander seeds
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp salt
-1 tbsp curry powder
-1 tbsp turmeric
-3 tbsp sugar
-2 tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
- 1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil
-1/2 cup coconut milk

Ingredients for Peanut Sauce:

-2 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp red curry paste (I just use the curry powder again)
-1 tbsp sugar
-1 tsp salt
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-1/2 cup coconut milk
-1 cup chicken broth
-1/4 cup crushed peanuts

Directions:

1. Mix all marinade ingredients in bowl, place chicken in marinade, refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (This is important so it gets really flavorful, I usually make it either the night before or in the morning and let it marinate all day.)

2. Make peanut sauce: Heat oil in frying pan, add garlic, fry until golden brown. Add curry, mix well; add coconut milk, mix well, cook for about 10 seconds. Add broth, sugar, salt, lemon juice and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add peanuts, stir well, pour into serving bowl. (I would recommend either cutting the peanut sauce recipe in half or doubling the chicken part of the recipe. I always have leftover peanut sauce.)

3. Broil (or grill if you have one) the chicken for 8-10 minutes, flipping each piece so they cook evenly. Serve with peanut sauce. (I usually serve it with rice and some stir-fry veggies.) Enjoy!

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula - This is another of Ina's recipes and one of the best tasting things I've ever put into my mouth! If you like pasta dishes with cream and parmesan cheese (I sure do!) then you'll love this! I hardly ever have arugula in the house, though, so next time I plan on using some of the fresh parsley and basil that's growing in my window instead.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce - I found this recipe online and tweaked it a little bit. It's better tasting, cheaper, and has much less sodium than canned enchilada sauce and it's not too much work either. By the way, I buy my chiles from a Mexican market nearby, but I've also seen them in the regular grocery store- they're just a lot more expensive there.

Ingredients:

-5-7 dried ancho chiles, depending on how spicy you like it. I use 7 which makes it fairly spicy but even Jack and Cullen love it this way.
-1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
-2 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp cumin
-3 cups beef broth

Directions:

1. Toast chiles in 400 degree oven for 3-4 minutes. Let cool a little, then remove stems, pulp and seeds. Place peppers in bowl and cover with very hot water. Let soak for 1 hour.

2. Combine the chiles, tomato paste, oil, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and 1 cup of broth in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a sauce pan, add remaining broth and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before dipping the tortillas into it. Otherwise, just use it like normal to make your enchiladas. It's sooo good!

Lemon Risotto- This is much healthier than other risotto recipes, probably because there's no cream or cheese in it, but it still tastes really good. I serve it with Ina's Lemon Grilled Chicken and a side of asparagus. It sounds like a lot of lemon, but I don't think it's too much. But maybe that's just me, I love lemon in the summer!

Tandoori Chicken Burgers - I've only made these a couple times, but they're delicious! However, I think grinding up your own meat is quite a bit of work and I don't always have that much energy to make dinner, but these are worth it if you have the time!

And lastly, we need a delicious dessert of course! My new favorite is this Peach and Raspberry Crisp. (Except I use blueberries because I can never afford raspberries and prefer to eat them fresh whenever I can afford them.) This crisp is sooo good, the first time I made it, Brandon and I ate half the pan in one night! Peaches are on sale again this week and I've already got a pint of blueberries in the fridge so I'm sure I'll be making it again soon!


Is there any better cook in the world than Ina Garten? I challenge you to find me one! I just adore her simple recipes that use good, fresh ingredients. That's what summer's all about! I love her so much I'm considering naming my first daughter Ina- if only I could get Brandon on board with that!

I only have one of her cookbooks (by the way, thanks Mom, I think it's the best present you've ever given me!) but I like to check her others out from the library and copy down the recipes that I want to try. I think I've checked them all out at least twice now and I always find new ones that make my mouth water. Speaking of mouthwatering, I'm going to go make my corn salad for tonight... maybe I'll sneak a little bit for lunch.