Summertime Pinterest Recipes ~ Tested and Approved
/I have been really enjoying trying out new recipes with the bountiful summer harvest! The past few weeks, I have discovered some REALLY good ones!
Zucchini ricotta galette - oh, that just sounds fancy! It looks as pretty as its name, doesn't it? The crust is flaky and wonderful, with just a hint of tartness. The filling and zucchini/summer squash are OK, but the crust is what really makes this dish.
I pinned a roasted veggie mix idea a few years ago. Well, there weren't really any specific directions for it, so I just used what we had- summer squash, zucchini, carrots, red potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, onion, and a sweet potato. I tossed everything with olive oil and sprinkled with both fresh and dried oregano, garlic salt, and pepper. I roasted it at 350 until the potatoes were done. This picture was the before. The after was just as beautiful and colorful. It was sooooo good!!! The sweet potato was literally fought over. Next time I will add more. The cherry tomatoes and green beans were not as good because their cooking time is shorter.
I am a HUGE fan of crock pot recipes! They are just as awesome in the summertime because I don't have to heat up my kitchen with the oven. I made THESE smashed red potatoes twice now and they are AWESOME!!! I also tried crock pot green beans with bacon, but I skipped the soy sauce and garlic so it was pretty bland. I am not a big soy sauce fan, but I think garlic salt would have been good.
I also have been trying some grilled recipes. That is another way to keep the heat out of the kitchen. I made grilled pizza the other night (dough recipe HERE). Well, I had a hard time working the dough out into circles with no counter available, so they shapes were awful. My son thought one looked like the shape of America. Also, the grill ran out of gas about halfway through, so I had to take them inside to broil and melt the cheese. They tasted great, though! My son and I made my homemade pizza sauce fresh from his tomatoes. We used fresh herbs, too. Fresh sauce is so much better!
Salads are my new "thing" as well! I used to be a very picky eater (no green veggies) but now I am all grown up and stuff so I like them. ;) It does help to have things like bacon to coerce me a bit. Plus, they are also good for light summer meals on hot days. THIS spinach salad with warm bacon dressing was super yummy!
My absolute FAVORITE new recipe is The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Taco Salad. Now, I didn't use the avacado or cilantro, but my family has proclaimed it to be the best salad ever. No picture, though. :( Just imagine it looking exactly like hers. Haha! Not really.
Here are some more summer recipes:
