Quick Summer Recipes That Will Make You the Queen of “WOW” (2024)

How has your summer been? In my home the summer has been rather lazy. I imagine yours might be too. So I put together a crazy delicious collection of my favorite summer recipes that are sure to WOW you.

Take a moment as I introduce Nat King Cole’s old classic, “Roll Out Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer.” The perfect tune to accompany these summer recipes.

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What Makes a Good Summer Recipe?

Simplicity is the key to good summer recipes. Because let’s face it, who wants to spend hours in the kitchen when it’s hot outside? You’d rather spend that time out by the pool with a cool drink in your hand. Summer recipes should be simple, include plenty of fresh produce and help to cool you down. That means lots of tasty smoothies, scrumptious salads, and of course a delicious barbeque. Summer is the time to fully enjoy all the fresh and nutritious produce available. There are tons of amazing recipes that you can always customize if you want. Get creative in the kitchen this summer with these quick and easy recipes.

Recommended Reading: Insanely Easy 3-Ingredient Recipes That Will Surprise You

Summer Smoothies

The following four smoothie recipes from Good Housekeeping are the ultimate summer drinks. Often my morning go-to, these nutritious yet delicious drinks are sure to help you beat the heat. Plus, the healthy ingredients will leave you with a gorgeous glow.

Mango Madness

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup coconut yogurt

1 1/2 cups of frozen mango

1 medium carrot, coarsely grated

Strawberry Fields

1/2 cup coconut water

1/2 cup coconut yogurt

1 cup of strawberries

1/2 cup of frozen peaches

Green Goddess

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup honey yogurt

2 bananas, cut into pieces and frozen

3 cups of baby spinach

Razzle-Dazzle

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

2 cups of frozen raspberries

2 bananas, peeled and cut into pieces

The directions for all four recipes are the same: puree all the ingredients in a blender until smooth – then pour and enjoy!

Appetizer, Cold Summer Soup & Salads

All types of salads are perfect for summer, so I have rounded up some of my favorites as a well as a superb appetizer to share with you:

Bruschetta Paysanne

This has been a hit in my family and when I entertained.

½ each Holland Peppers (red, yellow, orange)

½ a green bell pepper

2 large ripe tomatoes

1 bunch scallions

½ a sweet onion

3 cloves garlic chopped fine

1 tablespoon capers

⅓ cup of pitted kalamata olives

2 ounces extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil

2 ounces Balsamic vinegar

½ a tablespoon sugar

Ground black pepper

Feta Cheese- optional

Crostini or Pita roasted Ciabatta bread or baguette

Dice all the vegetables and place them in a bowl. Slice and add the kalamata olives, capers, and chopped garlic. Let it stand until you’re ready to serve. Then drain and toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and ground pepper. Add the mixture to the bread at the end, don’t grill it!

Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Dried Cherries

I’ve made this salad for years and it’s delish every time.

1 pound of washed baby Arugula

1 red onion, julienned

½ cup of dried cherries reconstituted

½ cup of goat cheese, crumbled

3 ounces of walnut oil

1½ ounce of Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sugar, to taste

Dry the arugula and place in a bowl. Season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add onion and half the cherries and toss with a vinaigrette made up of the walnut oil, cider vinegar, salt and pepper, and a pinch of sugar for balance. Place on plates and top with goat cheese and croutons. This tasty dish serves 8 people.

Ronni’s Gazpacho Recipe

3 cloves of garlic

3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into halves

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 4 pieces

1 green pepper, seeded and cut into 4 pieces

1 medium onion, quartered

Salt and black pepper

A dash of Cayenne

¼ cup wine vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

¾ cup tomato juice

Curmin to taste

Puree the first 5 ingredients in a processor. Add the rest and blend completely (can be done in 2 steps). Chill. Garnish with croutons (can saute in 3 tablespoons of olive oil with garlic, halved). Coarsely chop the green pepper, cucumber and onion and serve in separate bowls as an additional garnish.

Tomato Caprese Salad from Barefoot Contessa

This simple recipe always looks good and is always a winner. If I’m short on time, I’ll eliminate roasting the tomatoes and I’ll just slice and serve cold.

12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds (not cores) removed

¼ cup good olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 ½ tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 ounces fresh salted mozzarella (fresh is the best!)

12 fresh basil leaves, julienned

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle it with garlic, sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 2 hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize. Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature. Cut the mozzarella into slices slightly less than ½ inch thick. If the slices of mozzarella are larger than the tomatoes, cut the mozzarella slices in half. Layer the tomatoes alternately with the mozzarella on a serving platter and scatter the basil on top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

Egg Salad Tartines from Barefoot Contessa

Really good and really easy.

12 extra-large eggs

⅓ cup of good mayonnaise

¼ cup sweet relish

2 teaspoons of whole grain mustard.

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or chives, plus extra for garnish

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 slices toasted whole grain bread

Boil a large pot of water and carefully lower the eggs into the water, make sure the shells don’t crack. Lower the heat and simmer the water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, leaving the eggs in the pot, and refill the pot with cool tap water. Set aside until the eggs are cool enough to handle. To peel the eggs, tap both ends of the egg on a board, then roll the egg between your hand and the board to crackle the shell. Peel under tap water and allow the eggs to cool to room temperature. (Roll and peeling under tap water does work.)

Place the eggs in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse the processor ten to twelve times to break up but not puree, the eggs. Transfer the chopped eggs to a bowl and add the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, dill, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine lightly with a fork and taste for seasonings.Place the toasted bread on a serving board, spread the egg salad on thickly, and garnish with a sprig of dill or chopped chives. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature either whole or cut in half.

New Potato Salad from Food Network Kitchen

A summer must salad at our home.

3 pounds of small red potatoes

Kosher salt

1 cup good mayonnaise

¼ cup buttermilk milk or white wine

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

½ cup chopped fresh dill freshly ground black pepper

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped red onion

Place the potatoes and 2 tablespoons of salt in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are barely tender when poked with a knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then place the colander with the potatoes in an empty pot and cover with a clean dry kitchen towel. Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters or halves depending on their size. Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, pour enough dressing over them to moisten. (As the salad sits you may need to add more dressing.) Add the celery and red onion, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Barbeque

Nothing says summer like a good barbeque. Make the most of the warm weather by cooking outdoors. The following recipes are sure to make your barbeques memorable:

Plum Goods Spareribs

All I can say here is YUM! Amazing! This insanely delicious recipe uses baby or junior food plums as the base for this sweet and pungent sauce. Enjoy 6 to 8-pound pork spare ribs cracked and covered in a tasty sauce.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup chopped onions

4 jars (4½ oz. each) of strained plums with tapioca

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup lemon juice

¼ cup soy sauce

1/4 cup chili sauce

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 drops bottled red pepper sauce

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place spare ribs in a large roasting pan; cover with foil. Roast for 1 hour. Remove ribs from pan; drain well. Or, place spareribs in a large saucepot and cover with water. Cover and heat to boiling; simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Drain. (Maybe prepare in advance. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. To heat replace spare ribs on a grill under a broiler. Cook 5 minutes for each side without the sauce.)

For Sauce: In a medium saucepan melt butter or margarine. Add onions and saute until tender, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

To barbeque: Prepare grill for barbecuing. Place ribs on the grill about 6 inches from coal. Grill ribs, brushing with sauce and turning frequently about 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful to keep the sauce from burning.

To serve: Cut ribs into two or three portions.

Mini Corn on the Cob

This is my favorite corn recipe which is so easy to make and is an excellent side dish when having a barbeque.

Kosher salt to taste

3 ears corn cobs, shucked and cut into thirds

3 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon chilli powder

1 cup grated Parmesan

In a pot of salted boiling water and cook the corn covered for about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside. Return the pot to medium heat and melt the butter. Add the lime juice and chili powder and stir to combine. Return the cobs to the pot and stir until they are covered with the mixture. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

Homemade Spice to Have on Hand by Emril Lagasse on the Food Network

A fabulous blend of spices that I make ahead of time, keep handy and use to flavor many dishes.

2 ½ tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

The directions are easy – simply mix them all together!

Dessert

Summer is a time for fun which means we can’t leave out dessert. This yummy sweet treat is sure to impress. Ooh la la!

Frozen Lemon Ice Cream Dessert

2 whole eggs

4 yokes

½ cup of sugar

Rind of 2 lemons

Juice of 2 lemons

1 1/2 cup of heavy cream

Beat eggs and sugar together until light yellow. Then add lemon rind and juice. Beat cream separately then fold into the egg mixture. Pour into a bowl and keep in the freezer for at least 5 hours or overnight.

Even though this summer may be completely different from past summers, you can still make it memorable. Spoil yourself and your family with a range of scrumptious meals as you celebrate the last days of this joyful season. These summer recipes are guaranteed to delight. You’re sure to capture the essence of summer with these exciting recipes!

Which summer recipe is your favorite?

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