It certainly is summer somewhere, even if it's just 20°F in NYC. Boy, it has been too cold and snowy this winter! To combat the winter blues, I have my go-to recipes that bring sunshine, warmth, and color into my kitchen. These recipes are easy to make, they're delicious, and they use easy-to-find ingredients.
Take a photo of your dish, and post on social media (Instagram, Twitter, and FB) with hashtag #summersomewhere !!
Take a photo of your dish, and post on social media (Instagram, Twitter, and FB) with hashtag #summersomewhere !!
Click link below to open PDF. Right click to save to your computer!
| summersomewhereebooklet.pdf |
Avocado Fennel & Mango Soup
This soup screams summer! I created it in summer 2011, a couple of weeks before traveling to Thailand by myself for some serious eating and soul searching. The soup is best served at least slightly chilled, but it warms me right up!
serves 2
3 cups green chard, leaves and stalks chopped (feel free to use Swiss or rainbow chard, or spinach)
juice of 1 large orange
1 cup purified or spring water
1 ripe avocado
1 champagne mango, diced (or 1 cup frozen mango)
½ large tomato (or one small tomato), diced
1 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp red chili flakes
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
dash sea salt
Blend chard leaves and stalks with orange juice and ½ cup water until completely liquefied. Open the avocado and scoop the flesh into the blender. Add ½ of the diced mango, followed by the tomato (save a little bit for the garnish), lime juice, and half a teaspoon of the fennel seeds. Purée, adding the rest of the water to thin it out.
Transfer to a serving bowl, and stir in the remaining fennel seeds, chili flakes, pepper, and sea salt to taste. Serve immediately, or chill first. When serving, top with diced mango and tomato, and (if you like it spicy) a little more chili pepper.
This soup screams summer! I created it in summer 2011, a couple of weeks before traveling to Thailand by myself for some serious eating and soul searching. The soup is best served at least slightly chilled, but it warms me right up!
serves 2
3 cups green chard, leaves and stalks chopped (feel free to use Swiss or rainbow chard, or spinach)
juice of 1 large orange
1 cup purified or spring water
1 ripe avocado
1 champagne mango, diced (or 1 cup frozen mango)
½ large tomato (or one small tomato), diced
1 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp red chili flakes
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
dash sea salt
Blend chard leaves and stalks with orange juice and ½ cup water until completely liquefied. Open the avocado and scoop the flesh into the blender. Add ½ of the diced mango, followed by the tomato (save a little bit for the garnish), lime juice, and half a teaspoon of the fennel seeds. Purée, adding the rest of the water to thin it out.
Transfer to a serving bowl, and stir in the remaining fennel seeds, chili flakes, pepper, and sea salt to taste. Serve immediately, or chill first. When serving, top with diced mango and tomato, and (if you like it spicy) a little more chili pepper.
Bali Coconut Brussels Sprouts
This recipe was inspired by a fiddlehead fern salad I made with a friend in Bali. Watch the video of us foraging for ferns, exploring her organic farm, and making the salad.
serves 2-4
4 cups of Brussels sprouts, very thinly sliced
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1 large sweet potato, cubed & roasted with coconut oil @ 350° 40 minutes
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
½ cup shredded coconut, toasted in oven @ 350° for 5 minutes
1 tbsp coconut oil
In a large wok or skillet, melt coconut oil, and sauté the sliced shallots. When the shallots are translucent, add the Brussels sprouts. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, until they're tender. Remove from heat, and add the sweet potato, chili flakes, maple syrup and soy sauce. Stir well, and season with more soy sauce to taste. Serve with a generous sprinkling of toasted coconut on top.
This recipe was inspired by a fiddlehead fern salad I made with a friend in Bali. Watch the video of us foraging for ferns, exploring her organic farm, and making the salad.
serves 2-4
4 cups of Brussels sprouts, very thinly sliced
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1 large sweet potato, cubed & roasted with coconut oil @ 350° 40 minutes
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
½ cup shredded coconut, toasted in oven @ 350° for 5 minutes
1 tbsp coconut oil
In a large wok or skillet, melt coconut oil, and sauté the sliced shallots. When the shallots are translucent, add the Brussels sprouts. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, until they're tender. Remove from heat, and add the sweet potato, chili flakes, maple syrup and soy sauce. Stir well, and season with more soy sauce to taste. Serve with a generous sprinkling of toasted coconut on top.
Chipotle BBQ Beans
makes 4 cups of BBQ sauce that can be used for weeks
sauce:
¼ cup chipotle powder (or 2 canned chipotle peppers)
3 cloves of garlic
2 cups sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup black strap molasses
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup dried basil (or Italian herb blend)
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
½ cup soy sauce
1 cup water
Place all ingredients plus ½ cup of water into a blender and blend until smooth, adding the remaining water when necessary.
For the beans & carrots you'll need:
2 cups of beans (or more; you've got plenty of sauce)
1 lb of carrots, sliced lengthwise/french fry style
2 tbsp coconut or olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350°, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the carrots with the oil, and spread onto the baking sheet. Place in the oven to roast for 40 minutes. Place the beans in a deep, oven-safe dish, and pour 1 cup of the BBQ sauce over them. Stir well, and cover with aluminum foil. Place in the oven along with the carrots to bake until the carrots are done. Enjoy beans and carrots together, maybe with some cornbread!
makes 4 cups of BBQ sauce that can be used for weeks
sauce:
¼ cup chipotle powder (or 2 canned chipotle peppers)
3 cloves of garlic
2 cups sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup black strap molasses
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup Dijon mustard
½ cup dried basil (or Italian herb blend)
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
½ cup soy sauce
1 cup water
Place all ingredients plus ½ cup of water into a blender and blend until smooth, adding the remaining water when necessary.
For the beans & carrots you'll need:
2 cups of beans (or more; you've got plenty of sauce)
1 lb of carrots, sliced lengthwise/french fry style
2 tbsp coconut or olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350°, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the carrots with the oil, and spread onto the baking sheet. Place in the oven to roast for 40 minutes. Place the beans in a deep, oven-safe dish, and pour 1 cup of the BBQ sauce over them. Stir well, and cover with aluminum foil. Place in the oven along with the carrots to bake until the carrots are done. Enjoy beans and carrots together, maybe with some cornbread!
Broccoli Tahini Salad
This salad is delicious eaten right away, or even after it's been sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours. Serve cold.
serves 2-4
1 head broccoli
1 cucumber, cubed
3 tbsp red onion, diced
sauce:
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp white/mellow miso
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 tbsp water
1 tsp cumin
cayenne pepper, to taste
sea salt
black pepper
¼ cup almonds, chopped (toast for a couple of minutes on the stove for more flavor)
Cut the broccoli florets into smaller bite-sized pieces. Steam for 5 minutes, or longer if you don't like your broccoli too crunchy.
While the broccoli is steaming, combine the tahini, miso, lemon juice, water and spices in a bowl. Stir well to create a smooth sauce.
Once the broccoli is cooked, place it into a mixing bowl, and add the cucumber and red onion. Pour the tahini sauce over the vegetables and stir well to coat. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and cayenne. Sprinkle the almonds on top of the salad, and using a grater or microplane, shave some lemon zest on top.
This salad is delicious eaten right away, or even after it's been sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours. Serve cold.
serves 2-4
1 head broccoli
1 cucumber, cubed
3 tbsp red onion, diced
sauce:
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp white/mellow miso
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 tbsp water
1 tsp cumin
cayenne pepper, to taste
sea salt
black pepper
¼ cup almonds, chopped (toast for a couple of minutes on the stove for more flavor)
Cut the broccoli florets into smaller bite-sized pieces. Steam for 5 minutes, or longer if you don't like your broccoli too crunchy.
While the broccoli is steaming, combine the tahini, miso, lemon juice, water and spices in a bowl. Stir well to create a smooth sauce.
Once the broccoli is cooked, place it into a mixing bowl, and add the cucumber and red onion. Pour the tahini sauce over the vegetables and stir well to coat. Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper and cayenne. Sprinkle the almonds on top of the salad, and using a grater or microplane, shave some lemon zest on top.
Miso Lime Soba Noodles
I've made a silly video for this tasty salad. Check it out!
serves 4
1 package Soba noodles
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
2 scallions, white parts dices and green saved
sauce:
2 tbsp miso
juice of ½ lime (changed from original post, which mistakenly called for 2 limes)
1 tbsp coconut nectar (or maple syrup)
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tsp soy sauce
black sesame seeds
Prepare the soba noodles. Add the packet of noodles to a pot full of boiling water. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Place noodles in a large bowl with cucumber, red cabbage, and scallions. Set aside and make the sauce.
Add all sauce ingredients to a bowl and stir well to combine. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss to coat. Allow the noodles to marinate a few minutes before serving. Serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and the diced green parts of the scallions.
I've made a silly video for this tasty salad. Check it out!
serves 4
1 package Soba noodles
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
2 scallions, white parts dices and green saved
sauce:
2 tbsp miso
juice of ½ lime (changed from original post, which mistakenly called for 2 limes)
1 tbsp coconut nectar (or maple syrup)
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tsp soy sauce
black sesame seeds
Prepare the soba noodles. Add the packet of noodles to a pot full of boiling water. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Place noodles in a large bowl with cucumber, red cabbage, and scallions. Set aside and make the sauce.
Add all sauce ingredients to a bowl and stir well to combine. Pour the sauce over the noodles and toss to coat. Allow the noodles to marinate a few minutes before serving. Serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and the diced green parts of the scallions.
