Summer Recipe Round Up

It’s hard to believe we are already half way through August and Fall is just around the corner; I’m not crying you’re crying! Here are the recipes we’ve been posting about and making all Summer in one place for you to refer to for weeknight dinner inspiration or summer hang outs – all fresh, delicious and perfect for enjoying this last bit of Summer!

Bacon Cheeseburger Bowls

Burger Sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon granulated onion
• ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salad

• 6 strips bacon, diced
• 1 pound organic grass-fed ground beef
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon granulated onion
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 ounces red leaf lettuce, chopped
• ½ cup hamburger pickles, drained
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. To make the burger sauce, in a small bowl stir together all of the ingredients until well-combined. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly, adding salt or pepper if needed. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
2. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until crispy about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, and crumble in the ground beef. Using a wooden spoon, break up the beef and cook until crispy and no longer pink, about 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
3. To assemble, toss the lettuce in a large bowl with a few spoonfuls of the burger sauce. Transfer to 4 serving bowls and top each with the ground beef, bacon, pickles, red onion, tomatoes, cheese, sesame seeds and more of the burger sauce.

Recipe from The Candid Appetite

The Kardashian Chop

Ingredients

• romaine chopped 
• butter lettuce chopped 
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tomato, diced 
• Red or orange bell pepper or both, diced
• Cucumber, diced
• Parmesan, shredded 
• Mozzarella, shredded 
• Salami, diced 
• Grilled chicken breast (marinated in Girard’s champagne dressing), chopped
• Lemon juice to serve

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 
• 2 clove minced garlic

Directions 

1. Make dressing and marinate garbanzo beans in 2 tbsp of dressing for an hour.
2. Combine the rest of salad ingredients (I swear the smaller you chop the better it tastes!) and toss with dressing.
3. Top with fresh squeezed lemon juice and enjoy! 

Watermelon Arugula Salad

Ingredients

• 3 cups seedless watermelon, cubed and chilled
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta (plus more to sprinkle on top)
• 7 oz arugula
• 1/4 small red onion, sliced very thin
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• Balsamic glaze (optional)

Directions

1. Layer arugula, red onion, watermelon and feta in a bowl
2. Mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss with above ingredients
3. Drizzle top of salad with balsamic glaze 

*Note: I like to keep the salad layered and wait to toss with dressing until the last minute; it’s much prettier this way! 

Recipe credit Skinnytaste

Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 1 pound seedless watermelon, rind removed, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups) + about 2 more cups seedless watermelon cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 large beefsteak tomato, coarsely chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled, coarsely chopped + 1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil + more for serving
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup almonds, toasted
• 2 ounces feta, crumbled (about ½ cup)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Flaky sea salt for serving

Directions

1. Purée 1 pound watermelon watermelon, beefsteak tomato, 1 cucumber, jalapeño, olive oil, and vinegar in a blender until smooth.
2. Transfer gazpacho to a large bowl and season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. Can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
3. Coarsely chop toasted almonds.
4. Divide the remaining 2 cups of watermelon (cut in 1/2″ pieces) and 1/2 cucumber (also cut into 1/2″ pieces) among bowls and pour gazpacho over. Top with large dollop of sour cream, feta cheese and almonds, drizzle with oil, and season with sea salt and pepper.

Recipe Credit: Bon Appetit’s Watermelon Gazpacho with Feta Crema

Watermelon Margarita

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup fresh watermelon juice from approximately 4 cups chopped seedless watermelon
• 5 tablespoons tequila
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Tajin for serving

Directions

1. Fill a large blender full of chopped ripe seedless watermelon and blend until you have juice. 
2. To make margaritas, add 1 1/4 cups fresh watermelon juice, lime juice, tequila and a handful of ice to a cocktail shaker and shake to combine and chill the margarita.
3. Line the rim of two serving glasses with lime juice and Tajin. Add ice to glass and pour the margarita over the ice.
4. Best to use the watermelon juice when its fresh! Leftover watermelon juice can be kept leftover in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Credit: Minimalist Baker’s Best Watermelon Margarita

Spinach Couscous Salad

Best served with this peppered herb flank steak recipe found here

Ingredients

• 1 10-ounce box couscous (Near East Toasted Pine Nut or Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 cups baby spinach, stemmed (I recommend always stemming your spinach – it makes it so much better – who actually enjoys spinach stems?)
• 1/4 cup crumbled Feta (1 ounce) – I add a bit more
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Cook the couscous according to the package directions. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil, garlic, and pine nuts over low to medium heat, stirring, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Fold the pine nut mixture into the couscous with the spinach, Feta, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Zucchini Tart

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 2-3 small zucchinis, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup ricotta
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp hot chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Thaw the frozen puff pastry by either putting it in the fridge overnight or laying it out on the counter, wrapped, for 30 to 40 minutes.  
2. Preheat oven to 400F. Score a 1/4 inch border around edges of pastry, prick all over with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes, pressing down with the back of a spoon if the pastry puffs up.
3. In a small bowl, stir ricotta with parmesan and lemon zest.
4. Spread ricotta mixture on warm pastry. Top with zucchini, overlapping slightly. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with chili flakes and salt.
5. Bake for another 20 minutes, until zucchini are cooked through and pastry has browned.

Recipe adapted from Living Lou (find more Summer tart ideas here)

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salad Ingredients

• 1 head shredded cabbage (I obviously buy the pre-shedded bags)
• 1 bunch green onions, diced
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
• 2 top ramen noodle packets, crushed
• A few handfuls of pea pods (or more)
• A few handfuls of shredded carrots (or more)

Dressing Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 2 packets of Ramen seasoning

Directions

1. Make salad: toss all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. 
2. Make dressing: in a small bowl whisk dressing ingredients together.
3. Before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Enjoy!

Black Bean Couscous

Ingredients

• 1 box Near East Couscous Parmesan or Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Mix (if you are feeling healthy you can swap the couscous with quinoa)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup crumbled Feta
• 1/2 cup green onions, finely sliced (optional)
• Juice of 1 lime
• Drizzle of olive oil

Directions

1. Prepare Couscous according to package instructions
2. Drain and rinse beans
3. Add chopped veggies, beans and Feta to couscous
4. Pour the lime juice and light drizzle of olive oil over top of couscous

Summer Slaw

Ingredients for the Dressing

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons whole milk greek yogurt
• 3 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce (or more if you like spicy things)
• Juice from 1 lime
• Salt and pepper to taste
• *Note the original recipe calls for Cilantro

Slaw Ingredients

• 4 cups cabbage slaw
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 2 ear corn, kernels off the cob
• 1 can Garbanzo or Pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

1. Make dressing first by combining all ingredients (if using cilantro you will need to blend)
2. Combine cabbage, pinto beans, corn,  peppers and avocado to a large bowl. Toss salad with dressing.

Summer slaw tastes even better when served with these baked tacos.

Recipe adapted from Simply Real Health

Spinach Salad with Proscuitto Dressing aka “Joan’s Salad”

Dressing Ingredients

• 6 tbls olive oil
• 1/4 cup prosciutto ham, trimmed of fat and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tbls dry white wine
• 6 tbls fresh squeezed lemon juice

Salad Ingredients

• 10 oz bag of baby spinach, stemmed
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted hazelnuts or glazed pecans 
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 8-10 sliced white mushrooms (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in heavy skillet over medium low heat.
2. Add prosciutto and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes (be careful not to burn the garlic).
3. Add wine and lemon juice and simmer on low for 4 to 5 minutes (be careful not to simmer away too much of the liquid).
4. Set aside to cool.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Combine spinach, walnuts, cheese, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat.

We love seeing what you are making! Let us know if you try any of these tasty recipes by tagging us @letswineaboutitsister