Peach & Burrata Salads with Rosé Vinaigrette

Now that summer is in full swing – heat and crazy storms and all – I can’t get enough of peaches, watermelon and grilling. So I guess expect a whole lot of that? The whole house – myself, hubby and Harper – were all loving this peach and burrata salad with rosé vinaigrette I made this week.

The peaches were so juicy and bursting with flavor. Harper kept running around with peaches in her hand, asking for more. Hubby and I topped some toasted sourdough with ours while we waited for dinner to come off the grill – it was the perfect appetizer.

Cucumber Salad with Mint, Basil and Trader Joe’s EBTB Seasoning

Guys, I am so into mint and basil chopped up on and in everything (see: herbed turkey meatballs). One of my 2019 Bucket List items was finishing dishes with fresh herbs or lemon/lime, and I’ve been all over it all year, but especially so now that the weather has finally broken.

This time of year begs for fresh flavors, crisp veggies, and overall light and quick meals. Really, who wants to turn on the stove anyway?! And less time in the kitchen means more time outside, or at the beach, lake or pool. Sign me up!

7-Minute Grilled Pesto Pizzas

Oh how I love some grilled pizza, year-round, but especially in the summer. On Friday nights, we host a Fire Pit Friday with grilled pizza for all our friends and family. For that, we use the Trader Joe’s crusts, but when it’s just myself and hubby at the pool, we love to use a loaf of French bread, topped with pesto, mozz and cherry tomatoes. And it’s literally ready in 7 minutes!

Food poolside always feels like such a challenge to my creativity – kind of like when you’re trying to have a picnic and have to come up with something easy to eat, clean up and something that can hold up to the hotter weather.

30-minute Herbed Turkey Meatballs Recipe

Dinner ready in 30 minutes? Yes, please! I commute pretty far during the week (minimum 1.5 hours on the way home every day) and by the time I get into the kitchen I really don’t want to make something that takes a long time or a lot of effort. A turkey meatball is always a reliable choice, especially when they’re ready in 30 minutes (25 of which are spent in the oven)!

I like to strategically pick my weeknight dinners, usually opting for something that has to bake or simmer for at least 15 minutes. This gives me time to get at least one chore done while we wait for our dinner to be ready – love to switch the laundry, put a load away, do a load of dishes, or, more often than not, wash my face and put on pajamas.

Once dinner is made, I’m kind of down for the count. I’ll play with the pups, or work on a new recipe or do some “research” for “inspiration” on Pinterest. The last thing I want to do at night is clean! So, I get in a few minutes to tidy up while dinner does its thing.

Tomato Ricotta Toasts

Toast-for-dinner is one of my go-tos for nights when I have no time, or get home late, or feel incredibly uninspired. And then, every time we do actually have toast, it always feels like such a little treat!

It’s such a simple idea that once you make a few different variations, you’ll have them in your back pocket when you need a quick meal or are having one of those no-idea-what-to-make-for-dinner kind of nights.

Cobb Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe

Don’t you find it so absolutely easy to fall into a salad rut? Especially if it’s something you have basically every day for lunch. How many times can you have chicken + lettuce + some kind of veg? Too many! So, I’m working in these cobb salads to help shake things up a bit. Plus, homemade ranch dressing doesn’t hurt either.

It’s all about the toppings with a good salad, isn’t it? For these, I just went with tomatoes, bacon, gorgonzola, hard boiled eggs, marinated grilled chicken and Trader Joe’s chili corn salsa (because I’m 100% obsessed with the stuff, but also because I forgot to buy an ear of corn). I’d also recommend throwing avocado slices on this guy, too!

Grilled Ricotta Cheese

If you don’t like grilled cheese, I’m really not sure we can be friends! Okay, maybe we can, I’ll take it under consideration. But guys. You’ve gotta try this grilled ricotta cheese!

The ricotta is so creamy, and a little salty. The bread has the best crunch. A little basil whipped into the ricotta and dropped on top – so summery!

2 Minute Boursin Cheese Appetizer

Two minutes. Two ingredients. Okay, three if you count the crackers. This is the easiest “recipe” you’ll ever have for an appetizer and one that is so easy to just always have the ingredients on hand. This boursin cheese appetizer has actually replaced hummus as my go-to! Sorry, hummus. I still love you.

Whenever we’re having people over, I like to have a few things that are super easy to keep the stress at a minimum. A cheese board is always pretty simple when you have a formula, and I love this little tomato and boursin cheese app to add to the mix. You always need to have picky food to get your guests settled while you finish up anything else you’re making!

Quick & Easy Pesto Pasta Salad

There are so many reasons I love warmer weather, but for sure I love the change of food. The things that are in season and the foods we start to crave as the temperatures rise changes so much, doesn’t it? There are two things that feel like the true start of the warmer months to me: a cheeseburger and a cold pasta salad. Today, we’re talking about a quick and easy pesto pasta salad with just a few ingredients and almost no effort.

If you entertain a lot during the summer months, or even go to friends’ and family a lot in the summer months, a solid pasta salad is perfect to have in your back pocket. With the right ingredients a pasta salad can be so refreshing and the perfect side dish for grilling.

Two Ingredient Prosciutto Cups for Brunch

I just love a simple recipe. And I just love brunch. So when the two come together, it’s really a win-win in my book. These prosciutto cups have quickly become a favorite of ours for weekend breakfasts when I find myself having a little extra time. And to be honest, most days I’m out of the house around 6:30 AM and just can’t bring myself to eat so early. If I could, I would definitely be making these two ingredient prosciutto cups 7 days a week.

What I love about the simplicity of this breakfast idea is that you can easily riff on it for yet another, you guessed it, you-do-you recipe. You could throw in veg. You could sit the egg on a bed of sauteed spinach in the prosciutto cup. You can dollop with pesto or zhoug or top it with chives, cilantro, scallions – whatever you fancy!