10 Summer Friendly Recipes

Picnics and BBQs are back! Who else is excited?

Summer should be packed full of fun, not cooking! Make sure you’re utilizing your slow cooker. Pulled pork or chicken sandwiches couldn’t be easier: add boneless pork or chicken to the Slow Cooker and leave on low for 8-10 hours. Set up overnight and in the morning use two forks to shred the meat and stir in your favorite BBQ sauce. Turn to “warm” and let is cruise until it is picnic time!)

The Summer Recipe Round-up:

Black Bean Salad - Make a big batch of the black bean salad (see second recipe in this post) and serve with a bowl of scoops. Leftovers can be used for vegan tacos or on top of a bed of lettuce for taco salad.
Creamy Cilantro Lime Coleslaw - A cooling, zesty twist on a standard coleslaw. Not into the “creamy” part? Skip the mayo and Greek yogurt and instead use a few glugs of Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a clean, crunchy slaw. Perfect as a side but also delicious on burgers and pulled chicken sandwiches.
The Essential Red Potato Salad - Sometimes known as Red Bliss Potato Salad, this recipe only requires 4 ingredients (potatoes, celery, green onions, and mayo) plus some salt and pepper. How easy is that? Feel free to dress it up with some bacon, but it holds its own at any picnic as is.
Steamed Shrimp Cocktail - It couldn’t be easier to impress people at your next gathering with this option. Cook in advance, serve over ice and with the best homemade cocktail sauce recipe, courtesy of my Dad!
Cookies! - I’m not a huge fan of baking in the summer but you might argue that fresh baked cookies are worth it. Check out the Best of Hearthside Cookie Collection for some ideas. The Mudslide cookies are so popular with our friends we do truly end up making them all year long.
Coffee Crumb Cake - Straight out of the new cookbook from Julia Turshen, this coffee crumb cake is a bit lower in sugar but with all the goodness of a standard coffee cake. Perfect with a tall iced coffee.
Strawberry Oreo Cheesecake - this one is a stunner. Perfect if you want to bring a dessert that is the star of the meal in both presentation and taste. Your friends will forget about the main dish and instead will talk about this cake for years to come.
Sangria - red, white, or rosé! Don’t miss this Kitchen Essentials post on how to make Sangria any season. Especially fun for the summer is rosé or vignoles sangria with peaches and blackberries and/or blueberries. Mix up a pitcher and take to any outdoor meal!
Sweet and Sour Cherry - enjoy Manhattans and Old Fashioneds but find them too heavy in the Summer? This whiskey sour highlights fresh sweet cherries while they are in-season.
Mint Mojitos - the honey simple syrup is balanced perfectly with coo lime and fresh mint in this pool-side favorite. Feel free to muddle in fresh fruit when it is in season.