What’s Cookin’ MeFi?
August 7, 2018 5:51 PM Subscribe
Give me your favorite summer recipes!
Greetings, I’m looking for your favorite/ most used/ current recipes that are getting you through summer! No restrictions- elaborate or simple recipes are both welcome. I’m specifically looking for recipes that make leftovers to eat though the week. Food blog/ cookbook/ personal recipes for Lunches/ Dinners/ Picnics. Have at it!
Greetings, I’m looking for your favorite/ most used/ current recipes that are getting you through summer! No restrictions- elaborate or simple recipes are both welcome. I’m specifically looking for recipes that make leftovers to eat though the week. Food blog/ cookbook/ personal recipes for Lunches/ Dinners/ Picnics. Have at it!
Obsessed with making “cowboy caviar” these days, you could probably make this fancier (roast the corn, for example), but my easy version is:
1 can corn, 1 can black beans, 1 can pinto beans, all drained/rinsed
Toss those with diced red onion, bell pepper,, jalapeño, garlic. cilantro, salt and pepper.
Splash of lime juice
If you want to get really fancy, throw in some cubes of avocado before serving
Eat in chips, in tortillas, on top of rice. Keeps well in the fridge and is pretty adaptable. Has been great for days when it’s hot and I don’t feel like cooking.
posted by nuclear_soup at 6:07 PM on August 7, 2018 [9 favorites]
1 can corn, 1 can black beans, 1 can pinto beans, all drained/rinsed
Toss those with diced red onion, bell pepper,, jalapeño, garlic. cilantro, salt and pepper.
Splash of lime juice
If you want to get really fancy, throw in some cubes of avocado before serving
Eat in chips, in tortillas, on top of rice. Keeps well in the fridge and is pretty adaptable. Has been great for days when it’s hot and I don’t feel like cooking.
posted by nuclear_soup at 6:07 PM on August 7, 2018 [9 favorites]
Lately I’ve been obsessed with this chopped salad. It’s pretty hearty. This pesto/zucchini/white bean recipe is also on repeat.
posted by katie at 6:09 PM on August 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by katie at 6:09 PM on August 7, 2018 [3 favorites]
I love getting a fresh, good quality baguette, toasting it, and ripping off pieces to eat with simple but good ingredients - sliced heirloom tomatoes, avocado, ripped up pieces of mozzarella (the kind that comes in the brine). If the tomatoes are less than stellar, dicing them and tossing with olive oil, balsamic, basil, and salt/pepper to make an easy caprese is great. Scoop on a piece of toasted bread with the mozzarella. So good and so easy. Best served on a cutting board for ultimate summer easiness.
posted by blueberrypuffin at 6:10 PM on August 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by blueberrypuffin at 6:10 PM on August 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
This is the blue apron Hiyashi Chuka ramen recipe I got like a year ago- I've made it half a dozen times since. Its really good, and chilled!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 6:13 PM on August 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 6:13 PM on August 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
I love these thai beef pitas. I like to use snap peas in place of some of the bell pepper and I leave out the sesame oil. Double the recipe if you want plenty of leftovers.
posted by Redstart at 6:25 PM on August 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Redstart at 6:25 PM on August 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
We also love that hyashi chuka recipe. We riff on it now with vegetable noodles to make it low-carb.
I try to bulk-cook some good meat early in the morning/day to eat through the week, and this week is instant pot carnitas with lots of tomatoes and eggplant from the garden, eaten taco-style on romaine leaves. To complicate cultures, I've made a faboo raita that's so good on it.
The raita is also for a sort of cheater-recipe: 1lb riced cauliflower stir-fried in a hot pan until it gets a little color on it, in pouch tikka masala sauce from the grocery store. Add grilled, broiled, or pan-seared boneless skinless chicken thighs (tossed in oil, salt, and garam masala).
posted by Lyn Never at 7:01 PM on August 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
I try to bulk-cook some good meat early in the morning/day to eat through the week, and this week is instant pot carnitas with lots of tomatoes and eggplant from the garden, eaten taco-style on romaine leaves. To complicate cultures, I've made a faboo raita that's so good on it.
The raita is also for a sort of cheater-recipe: 1lb riced cauliflower stir-fried in a hot pan until it gets a little color on it, in pouch tikka masala sauce from the grocery store. Add grilled, broiled, or pan-seared boneless skinless chicken thighs (tossed in oil, salt, and garam masala).
posted by Lyn Never at 7:01 PM on August 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Two quite different recipes I've been happy with this summer, both of which I found from the Splendid Table podcast:
Smashed Cucumber Salad
Lazy Strawberry Sonker
posted by kmkrebs at 7:13 PM on August 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Smashed Cucumber Salad
Lazy Strawberry Sonker
posted by kmkrebs at 7:13 PM on August 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's an eleven year old article, but Bittman's Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less is a classic collection.
posted by gyusan at 7:38 PM on August 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by gyusan at 7:38 PM on August 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
A super simple one from my mom: cold corn salad. Fresh corn, cooked and cooled, combined with olive oil, s+p, sliced cherry tomatoes, red onion, and basil. I can never stop eating the stuff. So so so good!
posted by sucre at 8:28 PM on August 7, 2018
posted by sucre at 8:28 PM on August 7, 2018
It has been the summer of beets here.
First, the greens: Cut the leaves into largish pieces, and the stems into bite-sized pieces. Sautee some sliced garlic in a glug of olive oil until it smells good, add the beet stems for a few minutes until they begin to soften, and then add the beet leaves and sautee until they are soft. Finish with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. So good!
I like to use Martha Stewart’s technique of wrapping individual beets in parchment paper, then in aluminum foil, and roasting (or grilling) them until tender. Those can be peeled under cool, running water, then sliced or diced and eaten plain, added to salads, or combined with other things. They are very versatile. I make bunch of them, then use them throughout the week, We keep coming back to this recipe and we just don’t tire of it.
In the summer we also eat a lot of this corn, zucchini and lime pizza. The other day I made it on a beet pizza crust. It was beautiful and delicious! Great as leftovers too.
And then there’s that extra jolt of surprise and relief every day after you go to the bathroom, are startled, and then remember, “Oh yeah. Beets.”
posted by mammoth at 8:40 PM on August 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
First, the greens: Cut the leaves into largish pieces, and the stems into bite-sized pieces. Sautee some sliced garlic in a glug of olive oil until it smells good, add the beet stems for a few minutes until they begin to soften, and then add the beet leaves and sautee until they are soft. Finish with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. So good!
I like to use Martha Stewart’s technique of wrapping individual beets in parchment paper, then in aluminum foil, and roasting (or grilling) them until tender. Those can be peeled under cool, running water, then sliced or diced and eaten plain, added to salads, or combined with other things. They are very versatile. I make bunch of them, then use them throughout the week, We keep coming back to this recipe and we just don’t tire of it.
In the summer we also eat a lot of this corn, zucchini and lime pizza. The other day I made it on a beet pizza crust. It was beautiful and delicious! Great as leftovers too.
And then there’s that extra jolt of surprise and relief every day after you go to the bathroom, are startled, and then remember, “Oh yeah. Beets.”
posted by mammoth at 8:40 PM on August 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
It might be just a bit late in the season for watermelon (I can still get good ones here in Texas), but this watermelon, feta and mint salad is killer. If you want, use some really good cherry tomatoes (or chunked up ripe heirloom tomatoes) instead of watermelon, and swap out basil for the mint, drizzle with balsamic and olive oil. I’ve also used cotija instead of feta, and it’s just as good.
posted by theperfectcrime at 8:43 PM on August 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by theperfectcrime at 8:43 PM on August 7, 2018 [2 favorites]
Peach, strawberry, basil fruit salad
Tomato, shallot, garlic, vinegar and olive oil salad
Cold pasta with tomato, olives, olive oil and sausage
Crabmeat, mayo, lemon, tarragon salad on toast
posted by xammerboy at 9:39 PM on August 7, 2018
Tomato, shallot, garlic, vinegar and olive oil salad
Cold pasta with tomato, olives, olive oil and sausage
Crabmeat, mayo, lemon, tarragon salad on toast
posted by xammerboy at 9:39 PM on August 7, 2018
Panzanella, or at least riffs on same. Small shards of dry bread (baguette is good) drizzled with red wine vinegar, chunks of a lot of tomatoes, thinly diced onion, good olive oil. I mostly can't be bothered with bell peppers but feta analogue makes a good salty addition. My basil died so I add mint and thyme instead, plus lots of pepper and a bit of salt. The key is stirring well and leaving it in the fridge for at least an hour.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:22 PM on August 7, 2018
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:22 PM on August 7, 2018
We've fallen in love with the Happy Pear's breakfast burritos, which I'll happily eat for lunch and dinner too.
As vegan recipes go, this one is a snap to make, with ingredients we usually have on hand - and packs flavor! even my die-hard meat-with-every-meal dad was stoked about these.
*oh and edit, if you've never tried watermelon with feta, it. will. blow. your. mind. tried it with a pretty mellow feta in Israel the first time and it was love at first ..bite? fully recomend!
posted by speakeasy at 12:01 AM on August 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
As vegan recipes go, this one is a snap to make, with ingredients we usually have on hand - and packs flavor! even my die-hard meat-with-every-meal dad was stoked about these.
*oh and edit, if you've never tried watermelon with feta, it. will. blow. your. mind. tried it with a pretty mellow feta in Israel the first time and it was love at first ..bite? fully recomend!
posted by speakeasy at 12:01 AM on August 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've been bringing this potato salad to events for a few years and it's always a big hit. I add a ton of extra dill and only half "mash" the potatoes, and I label it "smashed potato salad" which always raises interest.
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 6:42 AM on August 8, 2018
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 6:42 AM on August 8, 2018
The "salads" half of this cookbook that I've recommended in about 40% of the food-related askmes. Their Sichuan noodle recipe is a summer staple.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:34 AM on August 8, 2018
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:34 AM on August 8, 2018
(Hit post too soon)
I actually bought that cookbook in the first place to both cope with a really active CSA, and to pre-load my fridge with an assortment of fridge-stable salads so as to make meal planning and brown-bagging my work lunches easy. I can simply make up a couple of the items that happen to use up whatever needs using and just keep the bowls in my fridge, and then packing my lunch for work is simply a matter of "a scoop of the stuff from this bowl, a scoop of the stuff from that bowl, add a cookie, done." Dinner's also easy - "a scoop of the stuff from this bowl, a scoop of the stuff from that bowl, put on a plate alongside a roast chicken wing or just all by themselves, done."
In addition to the Sichuan noodles, I've also done a lot of the grain and bean salads, pasta salads, and I literally have one of the beet salads in my lunchbox right now.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:13 AM on August 8, 2018
I actually bought that cookbook in the first place to both cope with a really active CSA, and to pre-load my fridge with an assortment of fridge-stable salads so as to make meal planning and brown-bagging my work lunches easy. I can simply make up a couple of the items that happen to use up whatever needs using and just keep the bowls in my fridge, and then packing my lunch for work is simply a matter of "a scoop of the stuff from this bowl, a scoop of the stuff from that bowl, add a cookie, done." Dinner's also easy - "a scoop of the stuff from this bowl, a scoop of the stuff from that bowl, put on a plate alongside a roast chicken wing or just all by themselves, done."
In addition to the Sichuan noodles, I've also done a lot of the grain and bean salads, pasta salads, and I literally have one of the beet salads in my lunchbox right now.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:13 AM on August 8, 2018
You may have missed this previous thread because it was in MetaTalk.
posted by carrienation at 8:55 AM on August 8, 2018
posted by carrienation at 8:55 AM on August 8, 2018
Serious Eats's pasta al limone plus a salad or some barely-cooked green beans or something is a great summer weeknight meal.
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:31 AM on August 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:31 AM on August 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
One of my favorite meals is also a cold corn salad:
Fresh corn, cooked and cooled, avocado, sliced tomatoes, lightly add your favorite dressing of the day.
I've used Yogurt Mustard, Catalina, Thousand Isle, Sweet Onion, and basic vinegar & oil.
Change it up by adding cheese chunks, julienne sliced salami, olives, bacon crumbles etc.
posted by IpsoFacto at 12:53 PM on August 8, 2018
Fresh corn, cooked and cooled, avocado, sliced tomatoes, lightly add your favorite dressing of the day.
I've used Yogurt Mustard, Catalina, Thousand Isle, Sweet Onion, and basic vinegar & oil.
Change it up by adding cheese chunks, julienne sliced salami, olives, bacon crumbles etc.
posted by IpsoFacto at 12:53 PM on August 8, 2018
A couple favourites:
1. Sliced tomato, sliced bocconcini, basil leaf, stacked and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
2. Fresh basil pesto atop fresh pasta; blend fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil and lemon.
posted by axismundi at 2:38 PM on August 8, 2018
1. Sliced tomato, sliced bocconcini, basil leaf, stacked and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
2. Fresh basil pesto atop fresh pasta; blend fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil and lemon.
posted by axismundi at 2:38 PM on August 8, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by BrandonW at 6:01 PM on August 7, 2018