A Truly Memorable Summer Menu
(Family Features) Summer days are often spent with family and friends, soaking in the sun’s rays and enjoying outdoor living with warm weather activities. Complement this year’s summertime excitement with food that matches your enthusiasm for the season.
Your menu can start with a fruity dip and a salad before diving into steak for the main course and a kid-friendly treat to top it all off. These recipes make the most of what summer has to offer with fresh fruits and veggies, bright and refreshing greens, tender cuts of meat and frozen treats that celebrate those memorable moments together.
Find more summer recipe inspiration at Culinary.net.
Dip Up a Good Time
Whether your summer days include planning extravagant meals, or your on-the-go lifestyle calls for quick and easy recipes, simple snacks can fit a wide variety of menus. Dips are a perfect solution for afternoon pick-me-ups or evening appetizers when the whole family comes together.
This Apple Guacamole can be assembled in mere minutes by combining mashed avocados and seasonings with chopped Granny Smith apples, making it an ideal shareable among loved ones.
Visit Culinary.net for more snack ideas.
Apple Guacamole
Recipe adapted from the Meredith Corporation
Prep time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8-10
3 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
1/2 c. finely chopped Vidalia onion
1/2 c. snipped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juice only
Bottled hot pepper sauce, to taste
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Tortilla chips
In bowl, use fork to mash avocados, onion, cilantro, lime juice and hot pepper sauce to desired consistency. Stir in apple and season with salt, to taste.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Go for Satisfying Summer Greens
Many summer meals start with a simple yet satisfying appetizer: salad. This year, make sure you set the table with a bright, delightful bowl of greens that sets the tone for an enjoyable and festive meal with loved ones.
This Apple, Strawberry, Blueberry Salad calls for an array of fruits, including a homemade blueberry dressing, paired with Fresh Express 5-Lettuce Mix for a fresh and flavorful base. Pecan halves add crunch. The salads are thoroughly washed, rinsed and gently dried then sealed in Keep-Crisp bags to maintain freshness.
Find more salad inspiration at FreshExpress.com.
Apple, Strawberry, Blueberry Salad
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Blueberry Dressing:
2 c. fresh blueberries
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. honey
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 large apples
2 packages (6 ounces each) Fresh Express 5-Lettuce Mix
1 pint strawberries, cut in half
1 pint blueberries
1/2 c. pecan halves, toasted
Blueberry dressing
To make blueberry dressing: In blender, process blueberries, balsamic vinegar, honey, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste, until smooth. Set aside.
To prepare salad: Cut apples into 1/4-inch thick slices. Using 1-1/2-inch diameter star-shaped cutter, cut apple slices into stars.
Place lettuce mix in large bowl; add apples, strawberries and blueberries. Sprinkle with pecans. Before serving, drizzle salad with blueberry dressing.
Sweet, Summery Treats
After some fun in the pool and time spent in the sun, a cooling treat is often the perfect way to cap off a summer day. Fresh fruits make those sweet eats even tastier and easier. Make an easy, fruity dessert in the morning and let it freeze while you enjoy the warmth outdoors.
These Watermelon Berry Frozen Pops make dessert about as simple as possible by blending watermelon, blueberries, raspberries and honey before adding to ice pop molds and freezing throughout the day. With the addition of refreshing watermelon, you’re opting for a flavorful fruit that includes just 80 calories and no fat while providing an excellent source of vitamin C (25 percent) and higher levels of lycopene (12.7 milligrams per 2-cup serving)—an antioxidant being studied for its role in sun protection—than any other fresh fruit or vegetable.
To find more summertime snacks, meals and treats, visit Watermelon.org.
Watermelon Berry Frozen Pops
Servings: 8
6 c. watermelon
1 c. blueberries, divided
1 c. raspberries, divided
3 T. honey
In blender, blend watermelon, 1/2 c. blueberries, 1/2 c. raspberries and honey until smooth. Press through fine mesh strainer to remove pulp and seeds.
Fill ice pop molds 3/4 full with liquid. Add remaining whole blueberries and raspberries to molds. Insert sticks and freeze at least 4 hours, or until completely frozen.