Let’s “Dish” about summer dishes!!!……

Summer time food….Ummmmmm….I can totally smell it………

I like to spend most of my time outside watching the kids have fun. Speeding by on their bikes….. the wind blowing their hair as they laugh……everything just seems so perfect….then I check my watch and I realize that my family has to eat.

You know you’ve been there…….

I love to enjoy all the incredible flavors of a grill and cooking with the veggies that I harvested from our summer gardens. I wanted to use this blog to hit you up with some great Pinterest “wonders” that I have already given “5 stars” to….

So “let’s dish” about appetizers or side dishes….these are some of my favorites to bring along to the neighborhood cook out or grill party or just a great complement to a grilled steak/chicken.

These babies combine three of my favorite things: fresh mozzarella balls, fresh basil, and small grape tomatoes. They are so easy to assemble that I often let Sweet Pea put them together for me. If traveling, I would place a dry paper towel under them to absorb the extra moisture that the mozzarella releases.

I’m also a huge fan of bringing watermelon slices or some other kind of fresh fruit. At a cookout, it’s nice to have something refreshing and watermelon is perfect.

I’m a sucker for anything cheesy and that contains crabmeat. I found this recipe years ago and I have been asked often to bring this to parties. I like to make this the night before and grab a baquette on the way to the party.

Side Dishes

The above dish is a great way to utilize your summer squash and tomatoes that may be abundant in your garden.

This pairs really nicely with some chicken fajitas or soft beef tacos. You can scroll down and see the recipe for honey-lime chicken which would also be great with this. The recipe requires that you let it marinade for at least 30 minutes so this would be a great “make ahead” in the morning dish for that afternoon cookout. (You KNOW we love when we can make stuff ahead….)

I’m obsessed with feta cheese so this combination of veggies are insanely good.

Main Dishes

So…I love grilled meat. My favorite night is when we grill up a big ole’ ribeye. I discovered last summer that one of my favorite marinades is a simple combination of equal parts of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Please try it!!! It’s sooooo flavorful.

The Italian dressing adds so much flavor to these pork chops. The marinade is simple yet perfect with pork.

I would definitely recommend making two batches of this chicken. It’s awesome chicken to use in your salads for leftovers or to stuff into an enchilada. The longer you marinade this…the better.

This dish definitely satisfies that desire for pasta without the heavy tomato sauce. My kiddos love this dish too, which makes it that much easier to serve for dinner. I sneak in some sautéed spinach with the tomatoes and top with pecarino romano cheese.

This….I can barely stand staring at the picture without wanting one myself…they are so good….this is the perfect “meal” when you have leftover fahitas or cooked chicken to spare.

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I could list a few more…but this post is starting to make me need a second dinner. =)

Desserts

I made these for a baptism in my family…but I could have polished off the tray on my own. The combination of cheesecake and chocolate chip is phenomenal…….I DARE YOU to try it!!!!!!

The fashionista (age 5) made these for dessert one night. They are really simple but super rich.

Hopefully, these have inspired you a little with your weekly menu planning. Writing this post, certainly has made me hungry. I’m heading to the kitchen……

God Bless!- Tammi