FAVORITE SUMMER RECIPES. from Savory Nothings

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1 FAVORITE SUMMER RECIPES from Savory Nothings

2 SAVORY Cold salads completely win the summer months - but quick stove-top recipes don t heat up your kitchen too much either and can be a welcoming change!

3 Savory Lighter Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Enjoy this lighter pasta version of the salad favorite without any guilt! 12.5oz boneless, skinless chicken breast Salt, pepper, paprika 7oz short whole wheat pasta shapes 4 baby gem lettuce, shredded 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved Croutons 1 slice whole grain bread OR 4 tablespoons store bought croutons Dressing 4 tablespoons low fat greek yogurt 4 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons parmesan, grated 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard Salt & pepper 3

4 1 Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 2 Preheat a grill pan over high heat. Pat the chicken dry and cut into strips. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Grill from both sides until done, about 5 minutes. Let cool and then slice into bite-sized pieces. Notes Serve with additional parmesan shavings on the side for even more cheesy goodness! Serves 4. 3 To make the dressing whisk all the ingredients together until you achieve a creamy consistency. 4 If you are making your own croutons, cut the slice of bread into small cubes and dry fry in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until golden crispy. 5 To assemble the salad put the chicken and pasta into a large bowl. Add the lettuce and tomatoes together with the dressing and mix everything until evenly coated. Top with the croutons and serve immediately. 4

5 Savory Quinoa Salad with Tomato and Avocado A tasty combination of wholesome ingredients makes this dish a summer favorite. Salad 1⅓ cups (250g) quinoa 2 cups (500ml) vegetable broth 8 medium-sized tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and cubed 2 small avocados, cubed ½ cup (70g) pine nuts, toasted Handful of basil, finely chopped Dressing 4 tablespoons (60ml) olive oil Juice of 1 lemon ½ teaspoon salt Pepper to taste 5

6 1 Cook quinoa according to package instructions in vegetable broth. Cool down before assembling the salad. 2 Put all dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake it until creamy. 3 To assemble the salad, carefully mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Add the dressing and continue mixing until everything is evenly coated. Notes It is easier to skin the tomatoes if you blanch them for 10 seconds in salted boiling water. Make sure to make an X-shaped incision on the bottom of the tomatoes. Add some extra flavor to the salad by adding a chopped red onion. Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a side dish. 6

7 Savory Garlic Butter White Wine Pasta with Fresh Herbs Made with a delicious sauce, fresh herbs, breadcrumbs, lemon and cheese. 10½ ounces (300g) dry spaghetti 1 cup (100g) crusty bread, torn into small pieces 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 cups (40g) fresh herbs (I used a mix of parsley, chervil and tarragon) 2 shallots, chopped 4-8 garlic cloves, finely minced ½ teaspoon chili flakes 1 cup (230ml) white wine 1 bayleaf 1½ - 2 cups ( ml) stock ½ - ¾ cup ( ml) heavy cream 2 tablespoons butter Salt & pepper, to taste 7

8 1 Make the breadcrumbs by roasting the bread in one tablespoon olive oil until completely toasted, about five to ten minutes. Chop the herbs and add to the breadcrumbs right before serving to prevent from getting soggy. 2 Bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt generously and cook the pasta just al dente. 3 In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for a minute. Add the minced garlic and chili flakes and cook for another two minutes. Deglaze with the white wine, add the bayleaf and simmer for three minutes. Pour in 1½ cups chicken stock and cook for another five minutes. If the sauce seems too dry, add more stock. Take off the heat, stir in the cream and butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Again, if the sauce seems too dry, add more cream tablespoon by tablespoon until you like the consistency. 4 Toss the hot pasta with the sauce, divide between four plates and top with breadcrumbs, finely grated lemon zest, extra chili and parmesan cheese. Notes Serve with finely grated lemon zest, extra chili flakes, parmesan cheese and watercress, if you like. Serves

9 Savory Chicken Skewers with Satay Style Peanut Sauce Simple and easy to whip up, these skewers are done in less than 20 minutes! For the Chicken 1 pound chicken tenders, put on wooden skewers Salt, pepper and soy sauce, to taste Oil for grilling Cilantro for garnish, optional For the Sauce ¼ cup peanut butter 2 teaspoons lime juice 4 tablespoons soy sauce ¼ to ½ cup water, depending on how thick you like your sauce 9

10 1 Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a grilling pan over medium high heat. Add some oil and grill the chicken skewers until done, about 7-8 minutes. Drizzle with soy sauce and grill for another minute. Notes Start with half the soy sauce indicated in the recipe if you like it a bit less salty. Serves 4. 2 While the chicken is cooking, stir all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Adjust the amount of water added to your liking. Less water makes it more of a dip while more water makes it more of a sauce. 3 Serve the hot chicken skewers with the peanut sauce. 10

11 Savory Vegetable Antipasti Recipe Tasty grilled and marinated vegetables perfect for your next summer BBQ! Marinade ¼ cup orange olive oil Bunch of your favorite mixed herbs, chopped Salt and pepper to taste Vegetables 1 eggplant, sliced 2 zucchinis, sliced 2 red bell peppers, quartered Salt 11

12 1 To make the marinade, mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside. 2 On parchment paper lay out the cut vegetables and salt generously. Leave for at least 30 minutes to drain excess water. 3 Preheat a grill pan. Blot vegetables with paper towels before grilling them in single layers in the pan, approximately 2-3 minutes each side (this will take some time depending on how many slices you got out of your vegetables). 4 Put grilled vegetables in the marinade, making sure everything is evenly coated and arrange on a plate. Notes To make orange olive oil, add a few slices of (organic) orange zest to olive oil the day before you prepare the vegetables (or use regular olive oil). Start with a small amount of salt in the marinate as the vegetables are already salted and add more in the end if necessary. Vegetables are most likely done when they stop sticking to the grill pan. To achieve a nice grilling pattern, rotate 90 degrees before turning over. Serves 4. 12

13 Savory 5 Minute Homemade Fresh Salsa A tasty salsa from fresh tomatoes you can make in your blender in just five minutes! 1 pint cherry tomatoes (or normal tomatoes, quartered) 4 green onions ⅓ cup cilantro, packed Juice of 1 lime 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ teaspoon salt 13

14 1. Add half of the tomatoes and all other ingredients (in the order as written) to a highpower blender. Pulse 5 times. Add the remaining tomatoes and pulse times. You can make this into a more chunky or into a more smooth salsa, depending on how long you blend it for. Serve immediately. Notes If you let the salsa stand for more than 30 minutes you might see some water setting on the surface - it always depends on how watery your tomatoes are. Either stir it back in or take it off with a spoon! To add some spiciness, blend a jalapeno or chili pepper with the ingredients. The amount of salt you need may vary according to what you're serving the salsa with. If you're having it with seasoned tortilla chips, ¼ teaspoon is plenty. Makes 2 1/2 cups. 14

15 SWEET Sweet treats are always a favorite - even during the hot summer months! Frozen goodies, fruity snacks or even the occasional baked good make stellar appearances at summer parties and gettogethers.

16 Sweet Red and Green Fruit Salad Melon meets cucumber meets pomegranate meets mint. 1 mini watermelon 1 small honeydew or galia melon 1 cucumber Seeds of 1 small pomegranate Juice of ½ large grapefruit Juice of a lime 1 tablespoon liquid honey Handful of mint leaves, chopped 16

17 1 Cut both melons in half and remove the rind. Deseed the honeydew melon. Then cut off thick slices and cube into even sized pieces. Notes Serves Peel the cucumber and evenly cube. Add to a large bowl together with the melon and pomegranate. 3 In a small bowl whisk together the citrus juices, honey and chopped mint leaves. Add to the fruit and mix well. Cover and let sit in the fridge for up to 12 hours before serving. 17

18 Sweet One Bowl Raspberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Bars These bars require just 10 minutes prep and are mixed up in one bowl. ⅔ cup (150g) butter, softened ¾ cup (150g) white sugar ⅓ cup (65g) brown sugar 1 large egg 1¼ cups (155g) all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ⅛ teaspoon salt 1¾ cups (155g) quick oats ⅔ cup (100g) mini chocolate chips ¾ cup (247g) seedless raspberry jam 18

19 1 Preheat the oven to 360 F (180 C). Line a 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminium foil, leaving a small overhang to lift out the bars later. Notes Serves Mix the butter and both sugars in a large bowl until creamy. Mix in the egg until the mixture seems fluffy. Add the flour, soda and salt and stir in until well combined. Don't worry, you can't overmix this! Finally fold in the oats and the chocolate chips. 3 Evenly distribute a bit more than ¾ of the dough in your baking pan. I find this works best with clean, lightly damp hands. Spread with the raspberry jam and then drop the remaining dough on top in small blobs. 4 Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan completely before lifting out and cutting into bars. 19

20 Sweet Blackberry Apricot Turnovers The tastiest of all hand pies! Simple to make and ready in no time! 3.5oz (100g) blackberries 6 apricots, pitted and cubed 2 tablespoons sugar Pinch of ground vanilla (or seeds from ½ a pod) 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water 9.7oz (275g) puff pastry, cut into six equal squares 20

21 1 Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Heat a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. Put the apricots into the pan and cook for one minute. 3 Add sugar and vanilla. Cook until sugar is dissolved and apricots start falling apart. Add butter and continue cooking for another minute. Notes For nice browning brush with some egg yolk before baking. Serves 6. 4 Turn down the heat to medium. Add the dissolved cornstarch into the pan and mix in very well. Cook the filling until it has thickened, stirring often. 5 Prick the puff pastry several times with a fork. Spoon the apricot filling onto the puff pastry squares. Pop some blackberries on top and carefully fold over into a triangle. Seal the edges with a fork. Using a sharp knife make four small incisions on top. 6 Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until browned and nicely puffed up. 7 Cool on a wire rack and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 21

22 Sweet Orange Lemon Balm Sorbet A light and refreshing sorbet for summer! Serving in orange cups is a must! 2 cups water 1 cup agave nectar Handful of lemon balm Zest of 1 orange 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (yield from about 7 large oranges) 22

23 1 Add the water and agave nectar to a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and add the lemon balm and the orange zest. 2 Let sit for at least 15 minutes and up to two hours - the longer you leave the herbs in the syrup the stronger the taste will be. Remove the lemon balm. Notes If you decide to leave the lemon balm in the syrup for more than fifteen minutes let the mixture rest in the fridge once it has cooled to room temperature. That way you can reduce the chilling time after adding the orange juice. Serves Add the orange juice to the syrup and mix well. Cool in the fridge for at least two hours or until chilled. 4 Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the appliance's instructions. Remove to a clean freezer-friendly container and store in the freezer for up to two weeks. 23

24 Thank You for Reading! Visit for more recipe goodness! Savory Nothings 2015 xxiv

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