Even though we’ve had a fair share of rain this summer (not Mary Shelly rain, but still) I am enjoying summer in New England. One of the things I find in hot weather, is that I want to cook less. Or I want to cook simply. And, of course, I want to take advantage of the things that summer brings to us in abundance. So today I have three easy summer recipes to share with you. The first is just easy, and it’s one of my favorites. The second, also easy, takes advantage of the glorious local tomatoes you can find everywhere right now. And lastly, peaches… who doesn’t like peaches? yum! ‘Hope you’re hungry.
Easy Summer Recipes #1: Sesame Chicken
I love Chinese food. I love sesame chicken. Before finding this recipe I had tried a few times to make this dish, but results were marginal. Then Bruce, who is forever looking for our next, best thing to cook, stumbled upon this one. It is so easy and it truly does come together in 20 minutes. I’m including a link to the recipe below. Two tips from our kitchen:
- We doubled the sauce, as it is so good you just want more of it.
- And speaking of more of it, we doubled the quantity of sriracha (from 1 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons) because we like a little heat.
- Haven’t tried to add steamed or roasted broccoli to this recipe yet, but I think it will be on tap the next time we try it.
Hope you enjoy this great recipe. Here’s the link for 20 Minute Healthy Sesame Chicken.
Ina Garten’s Pasta with Pecorino and Pepper is an Easy Summer Recipe
This dish is a one pot wonder that is easy enough to be a weeknight dinner and elegant enough to serve to guests. It whips together in minutes. And it features the wonderful tomatoes of summer. A link to the recipe is provided below. My tips are:
- Definitely reserve more than 1 cup of the pasta water – that way you can make it to your liking.
- A little extra cheese will not hurt this one (truly, when does extra cheese hurt anything?).
- We used Tagliatelle, but Fettuccini or other egg-based pasta will work, as well.
- Use a mortar and pestle to crush the peppercorns. Don’t have one? Get one. They come in handy. And you can often find them at thrift and consignment stores, like Consignments Ltd. In a pinch you can put peppercorns inside a wrapper (like waxed or parchment paper) and crush it with the side of your meat tenderizer.
This recipe is on YouTube, so here’s the link to the video for Ina’s Pasta with Pecorino and Pepper. Be sure to click on the down arrow right below Ina’s picture for text version of ingredients and instructions.
NY Times Perfect Peach Pie: A Sweet and Easy Summer Recipe
Locally, peaches are in season, so it’s a great time to pick them (or grab them at the farmer’s market or grocery store) and make pie. This is another so simple recipe that you’ll just love. A link below gets you to the recipe. Tips for success include:
- Using a pre-made crust (the kind that comes in a box and you roll it out) will make this even quicker to pull together and it doesn’t impact the taste, at least not in my humble opinion.
- Use strips of foil or a pie crust ring to keep the edges of the crust from burning.
- Use an egg white and brush it on the top crust for and extra golden brown pie. Sprinkle the top with a little sugar after the egg white. Yum!
Hope you enjoy this one; here’s a link to the actual recipe for Perfect Peach Pie
I hope you enjoy these easy summer recipes, my friends. For more on cooking, check out my previous blogs: 5 Best Underrated Kitchen Items, How To Make Your Kitchen Smell Good and 4 More Underrated Kitchen Items.
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