Simple Summer Tasty & Quick Recipes

When it comes to hot summer nights you're in need of quick and tasty recipes! Here are some of my go-to super simple favorites for summer.

Crispy Parmesan Broccoli

Toss 4 cups broccoli florets with 1/4 cup whole wheat panko brad crumbs, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Roast for 15 - 20 minutes at 425 degrees F. 

Roasted Summer Veggies

Slice a zucchini, summer squash, and add 1 cup green beans, 1 cup broccoli florets, 5 cloves of garlic minced, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss together and roast for 25 - 30 minutes at 425 degrees F. 

Garlic Green Beans

Wash and trim green bean. Then place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and 2 teaspoons of garlic powder. Roast for 13 - 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. 

Mixed Berry Walnut Crumble

This mixed berry walnut crumble is a simply delicious summer treat! 

Serves 9 

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen mixed berries

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon corn starch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water

1 cup almond flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup raw sugar

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

2. In a sauce pan combine the frozen berries, corn starch/water,  and sugar. Heat the mixture so the berries are completely thawed and the mixture will lightly bubble. Once the mixture starts to bubble cook it for another 5 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside, the mixture will thicken up as it cools. 

3. To prepare the crust/crumble, combine the almond flour, baking soda, salt, coconut oil, sugar, oats, and walnuts. Set aside 1 cup of the crust/crumble mixture.

4. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Then bake for 40 - 45 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned. Then remove from the oven and top with the mixed berry mixture. 

5. Top with the reserved crumble mixture. Return to the oven and bake another 30 minutes, the berry mixture will lightly bubble.

Cool and slice to serve! 

Food is Fuel

Recently I had the opportunity to talk nutrition with elementary students, the key message was food is fuel! It seems that children can get mixed messages about calories, which are ultimately energy for their body. Calories are actually very important, necessary, and good for our body. The focus should be on where the calories are coming from and to make sure that MOST calories everyday are coming from foods that deliver important nutrients to help our bodies, from foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, yogurt, beans/legumes, nuts, seeds, etc.

Along those lines, we discussed about how not all calories are created equal for example calories from an orange a nutrient-rich and provide vitamins to help our body while calories from sugary foods and drinks like candy and soda provide empty calories.

Here's the handout with quick facts/tips on thinking about the concept that food is fuel! 

DIY Pizza Dough

If making your own pizza dough seems intimidating, it shouldn't! you can do it and it is SO tasty. Here's the recipe that I've been using... the key: Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. 

DIY Pizza Dough

Yield 2 (14-inch) pizza crusts or 6 single serve pizzas

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour*

1 teaspoon sugar

1 envelope instant/rapid dry yeast

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 cups water at 110 degrees F

2 tablespoons olive oil

Non-stick cooking spray

*A quick note on flour choices: Another option that works really well is white wheat flour, which is a whole grain and has a lighter wheat taste and texture! Also if 100% whole wheat isn't your preference, try a blend for example: half wheat flour and half all-purpose flour.

Directions:

1. Start by combining 4 cups of the flour in a mixing bowl. Then add the sugar, yeast, and salt and mix to combine. Note: use the dough hook attachment for your stand mixer. 

2. Using a thermometer, check the temperature of the water, it needs to 110 degrees F for the yeast to get activated properly. If the temperature isn't correct (too hot or cold), your dough may not rise.

2. When the mixer is running on low, slowly add the 100 degrees F water and continue to beat/mix the mixture until the dough starts to form into a ball. 

Once the water is all added, let the dough beat/mix for 30 seconds - 1 minute and check the texture of the dough. If the dough feels sticky to the touch, add in additional flour one tablespoon at a time and beat/mix the dough between additions. If the dough feels too dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time. Note: I usually add an extra 2 - 3 tablespoons of flour, my dough is typically not too dry.

The the dough should be ready to form into a ball.

3. Transfer the dough to a cutting board that is lightly dusted with flour and with your hands, gently knead the dough until it is in a nice firm ball shape (like pictured above).

4. Spray a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray, add the dough, and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Then let the bowl sit in a warm spot in your kitchen and let the dough sit one hour, it will double in size. 

5. Once the dough is doubled, transfer it onto a floured cutting board/working surface and gently knead it. Then cut the dough into 2 equal parts or six smaller parts if you're making individual pizzas. 

Follow the pizza preparation method of your choice like grilling or baking! See the below tips for grilling pizza.

Grilling Pizza Tips

Grilled pizza is so yummy! It works best for single-serve pizzas. Although, my husband is the one who does the grilling of the pizza, here are some tips for how to grill pizza:

Pre-heat the grill and prepare your pizza toppings of choice (sauce, cheese, etc.).

Using a grill pan/screen, place one piece of the dough onto the grill pan/screen. Allow the dough to grill until it is lightly browned. Then flip the dough and top the grilled side of the dough with sauce and cheese. Allow the cheese to melt and the other side of the dough to grill. Then remove the pizza and place it on a baking sheet.

Repeat!

Serving suggestion: Serve with a large salad topped with plenty of your favorite veggies!

Flourless Fudge-Like Brownies

These flourless brownies are very gooey when they are warm, almost like a brownie pudding! Once they are chilled they are thick like fudge! Enjoy them either way!  

The best news is that instead of flour these brownies use black beans and zucchini for the base of the batter plus tons of cacao (or cocoa) powder. What I love about cacao powder is that it is rich in antioxidants plus it adds fiber, magnesium, and iron to the brownies. You can find cacao powder in the natural food baking section of the grocery store, at health food stores, or at on-line retailers. 

Flourless Fudge-like Brownies

Serves 9

Ingredients:

1 can black beans (14.5 ounces), drained and rinsed

3 teaspoons egg substitute + 4 tablespoons water*

1/2 cup grated zucchini (1/2 small zucchini)

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup raw sugar

3/4 cup cacao powder (cocoa powder)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

*Or use 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 x 9-inch baking with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In small dish combine the egg substitute and water, whisk to combine.

3. In a food processor combine the black beans and the egg substitute, pulse to combine.

4. Then to the food processor add the grated zucchini, coconut oil, vanilla, raw sugar, cacao powder, salt, and baking powder. Pulse the mixture to combine, the batter should be thick and smooth.

5. Transfer the brownie mixture to the prepared backing dish. Bake for 25 minutes.

Cooking tip: When you remove the brownies from the oven, they will be gooey! You can enjoy them gooey or chill the brownies overnight a very fudge-like brownie. 

A Tasty Product: Dessert Hummus

I am in a continual search for new tasty products! Recently I have discovered a new product that I just had to share...Dessert Hummus. It is as tasty as dessert, yet with garbanzo beans as the first ingredient.

Yes, it's truly hummus that is like dessert, the product is from delighted by hummus! The first flavor I tried was cookie dough and it is yummy. It tastes great with fruit slices, graham crackers, or even pretzel chips. I have also tried the orange-ginger and the brownie batter flavors! I'm not sure if I could pick a favorite because they are all so tasty. 

Plus the ingredient list is great, for example the Chocolate Chip Hummus ingredient list is: Garbanzo Beans, Water, Coconut Milk, Sesame Tahini, Coconut Sugar, Organic Turbinado Sugar, Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (evaporated cane juice, Chocolate Liquor, Non-dairy cocoa butter), Pure Vanilla Extract, and Sea Salt.

Click on the logo below to check out more information about the product. Keep me posted if you try it and like it! 

Note: This is not a paid product endorsement!

Superfood PB Chip Bars

These bars are very easy to mix up and are fun to make with kids. This week I made these bars with our little guy... he gave them a thumbs up! When it comes to granola bars, it doesn't get much better than these! The base is oats and quinoa puffs. Then a mix of dried fruit (dates) and nuts (pistachios) all stirred together with a peanut butter honey sauce and of course, some chocolate chips!

Quinoa puffs are basically puffed quinoa, you can buy them from sites like Nuts.com or you could use rolled oats instead.

Be creative with this recipe and mix up the types of dried fruit and nuts to switch up the flavors. One more quick note, these are gluten-free if you choose gluten-free granola bars!

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Superfood PB Chip Bars

Serves 18

Ingredients:

1 cups rolled oats 

2 cups quinoa puffs

1.5 cups pistachios

1 cup chopped dates

pinch of sea salt

2/3 cup crunchy natural peanut butter

2/3 cup honey (or agave nectar)

1 cup chocolate chips or chocolate pieces

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl combine the oats, quinoa puffs, pistachios, dates, and sea salt. Stir to combine. 

2. On the stove-top in a small sauce pan combine the peanut butter and honey and stir over medium heat until the mixture is combined and melted. 

3. Stir the peanut butter honey sauce into the oats/nuts mixture. Then stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Prepare a 9" x 13" pan with non-stick cooking spray. Press the mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Then refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up the bars and then slice!

Blueberry Probiotic Freeze

This icy and delicious smoothie will delivery antioxidants from the wild blueberries and probiotics from the kefir and yogurt! A perfect immune boost to get you through to spring. 

Wondering about Wild Blueberries? Check out WildBlueberries.com for more information and where to find them in your area.

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen fresh wild blueberries

1/2 cup kefir

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup water

Directions: 

1. Combine all the ingredients in the blender. Blend until the mixture is creamy, icy, and smooth.

2. Divide among glasses and serve! 

Quick & Simple Recipe!

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

This recipe is quick and tasty! Some comments I have seen online is that these can be a replacement for wings, although for meat-eaters... I'm not sure about that? But what I do know is that they are VERY yummy and if you're like me and choose to eat vegetarian, they are definitely a delicious replacement for wings. 

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

1 cup of white wheat flour (or gluten-free variety)

1 cup of water

1/4 cup butter, melted

Hot sauce, to taste

1. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the water and flour until the mixture is combine (will be sticky). 

3. Then take the cauliflower florets and dredge them in the flour mixture until coated and place on baking sheet. Continue until all the cauliflower pieces are dredged and transferred to the baking sheet.

4. Bake for 10 minutes and the flip each of the pieces. Continue cooking another 10 - 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and the pieces are lightly browned.

5. Combine the butter and hot sauce (I add about 1 - 2 teaspoons). Then toss the sauce with the cauliflower bites and serve. 

Serving suggestion: Serve with blue cheese dip and carrot sticks!