Here are some great summer dinner ideas that are will make you feel as though you’ve just won an online casino jackpot prize. they’re fast, easy-to-prepare, require a few basic ingredients and are super healthy!
Pasta Salad with Pesto
This one is almost too easy to be true. You need pesto, pasta and….that’s it.
First, make your pesto. It’s definitely suggested that you prepare you own because that way, you’ll be sure that the oil is olive oil, not any other type of vegetable oil which diminishes the taste. Blend your chosen pesto vegetable (roasted red peppers, basil, parsley, broccoli, spinach or any other type of green that you may prefer) with pine nuts (you can also use walnuts), salt and good olive oil.
Mix in with cooked pasta. You can add grated cheese to the pasta directly or sprinkle it on afterward.
Pair with some nice crusty bread and cut up vegetables and your dinner is an assured success. (if you have picky eaters, you can leave some pasta on the side and let the fussy ones mix it with cottage cheese or some other mild tasting preference.)
Tuna Salad
Another easy salad that can be whipped up in a matter of minutes. Mix 2 cans of tuna (or as many as you need) with canned corn, diced tomatos and olive slices. No need for mayo – eat with some good bread or whole wheat crackers with sliced vegetables on the side.
Noodle Pudding
This sweet pudding does require a ½ hour in the oven but the preparation is simple and quick and it provides a complete meal in one pan.
You’ll need to cook ½ package of broad noodles (250 grams) until they are soft. Then, mix them with 1 kilo of cottage cheese, ½ cup milk, 4 eggs, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch of salt and 1 cup of raisins.
Put in a pan and bake in a medium oven for about half an hour.
Gazpacho
The nice thing about Gazpacho soup is that you can pair it with just about anything for a refreshing cold soup on a hot summer evening. You won’t want to attempt this recipe without a food processor but if you have even a simple food processor, you’re good to go.
Cut into chunks:
- About 4 large tomatos
- 1 small onlin
- A small cucumber
- 1 medium red pepper (cored, peeled and seeded)
Pulse in a food processor together. Then add
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove (more if you like a garlicky taste)
- 1 tsp sale (best is sea salt)
- Black pepper to taste
Add ¼ cup olive oil and blend together. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with a nice crusty bread. If you want to make the gazpacho into a meal of its own, melt some cheese on the bread for a nice cheesy toast or add garbanzo beans or some other type of dry bean to the soup.
Fruit
During the hot days of summer, sometimes you just want some cool and refreshing fruit. You can turn your melons, berries and other fruit fancies into an evening meal.
For a great fruit salad/supper, cut up chunks of your favorite summer fruit and serve it alongside cottage cheese or even salty white cheese. Filling, healthy and delicious!
Alternately, you can make a fruit juice or a shake. Add the fruit to a blender mix. Then you can add yogurt and ground walnuts or almonds to boost the nutritional value. Pair it with rice crackers and you’ve got a hit for the whole family.
Salmon
The nice thing about salmon is that it goes with just about anything and can be prepared with a minimum of fuss and bother in 20 minutes. Salmon goes well with almost any herb or sauce and can be served as a simple meal or presented elegantly.
One of the easiest ways to prepare salmon is to brush it with olive oil that’s been mixed with salt. Then sprinkle any herbs that you have, either dry or fresh – chives, parsley, basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme or others. Bake at a medium temperature for about 20 minutes. If it’s a large fish, it may need a bit more time. Serve with potatos, rice, sweet potatos or any other easy side dish.
Pesto Pizza
If you want to try a pizza that deviates from the traditional tomato-sauce/cheese/toppings pizza, try serving some pesto pizza for a meal with pizazz. Brush pita bread with pesto and then lay on the toppings. Be creative – cheese is a standard but you can add slices of tomatos, red pepper, olives, mushrooms, pineapple, tuna fish and other types of extras.
If you cut the pita into quarters you’ll make it easy for even the youngest members of the family to pick up pieces and enjoy the meal.
Healthy Muffins
One of the biggest advantages of muffins is that you can prepare them ahead of time and then put them out as needed. They can be prepared ahead of time and stored for a day in a plastic bag or frozen if you want to have them to serve a few days from their preparation time.
One of the other benefits of muffins is that you can add fruit and vegetables to them to boost their nutritional value with little change in taste.
A popular basic muffin recipe is
- 1 ¾ whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (preferred) or other vegetable oil
- 2/3 c buttermilk (can also use regular milk with 2 tsps vinegar mixed in)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup honey (brown sugar is also OK)
- ¾ c chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. allspice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Now you can add in grated carrots, zucchini, apples or any other addition.
Pour into cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes in a medium oven.
Post published in: Featured