(*Singing*) “It’s getting hot in here…so take off all your clothes!” Um…excuse me y’all. I was having a moment. Summertime temperatures will sometimes do that to you, LOL!
We all know that during the summer months, it can get so hot you don’t feel like cooking and just want to sit up under air conditioning and eat and drink. So here are three creative and tasty dishes that you can make when it’s hot outside. Don’t worry, these will still fill you up and keep you energized too!
1.) Pasta With No-Cook Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
6 medium-sized heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely minced
10 leaves basil, cut into ribbons (reserve a little for garnish)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Place tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil into a large serving bowl. Stir mixture until all tomatoes are coated with oil and garlic is evenly distributed throughout the sauce.
Cover the bowl and let everything marinate for about four hours on the counter at room temperature. Add salt and pepper to taste. The tomatoes will release their juices and flavors will meld. If you can’t wait the full four hours, it’s still tasty right out of the mixing bowl!
Serve over warm pasta or bread, with more fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
2.) Turkey Taco Salad With Creamy Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
Seasoned Taco Meat:
1 lbs ground turkey
3 green onions, finely chopped including the green parts
2 TBSP finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
Creamy Avocado Dressing
½ of a large avocado, peeled and cubed
½ cup cilantro, loosely packed
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 small garlic cloves
1 TBSP chopped shallots
½ of small/medium jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed
the juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp salt (or to taste)
½ tsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp ground pepper (or to taste)
Additional Ingredients
3 Romaine Hearts (washed, dried, and chopped)
Warm Black Bean and Corn Salsa, click here for the recipe
colby jack cheese
cherry tomatoes, sliced in quarters
Tortilla Chips
Directions:
How to prepare the Ground Turkey
In a large saute pan partially brown ground turkey over medium heat.
Add green onions, finely chopped cilantro, and all seasonings.
Combine all flavors and finish browning.
Remove excess grease with a spoon if needed.
How to prepare the Creamy Avocado Dressing
In a blender combine avocado, cilantro, yogurt, olive oil, garlic cloves, shallots, jalapeno, lemon juice, and seasonings.
Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.
How to layer your Taco Salad
Start with a layer of crushed Tortilla Chips.
Then add chopped romaine hearts
Top salad with seasoned ground turkey and warm black bean and corn salad.
Garnish with colby jack cheese, cherry tomatoes, and sliced black olives
Last but not least, dollop a big spoonful of Creamy Avocado Dressing onto the top of your salad.
Enjoy!
3.) Zucchini Noole Stir Fry With Black Pepper Sauce
The beauty of stir-fry is that it uses high heat and short cook times. Use any vegetables you have waiting in your fridge and tie it all together with this peppery sauce. We love using spiralized zucchini, but any noodles or veggies will work!
Ingredients:
For the stir-fry
3 medium zucchini, spiralized (squeeze out some of the liquid with paper/kitchen towels)
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 cup snow peas (or snap peas, or broccoli)
1 green onion, sliced
2-3 Tbsp fresh cilantro (optional)
coconut oil
For the sauce:
½ cup gluten free tamari (or soy sauce or coconut aminos)
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey (optional)
½ tsp black pepper (or more, to taste)
½ tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1 Tbsp arrowroot powder (can use 1 Tbsp cornstarch instead)
Directions:
Mix up the sauce ingredients in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Taste sauce and add additional black pepper or syrup as desired.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add a little coconut oil (about 1 Tbsp) to the pan and heat.
Add the carrots and bell peppers to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add snow peas, green onion and zucchini noodles and cook 2-3 minutes longer.
Stir in the sauce and continue to stir while the sauce thickens (this should only take a minute or two). Immediately remove from heat and serve with fresh cilantro, if desired.
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