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Cheer Your Mood with Delicious Summer Recipes for Dinner

Source www.countryliving.com

The warmth of the sun, long days, and many dishes to try make the summer season a perfect time for adding excitement to regular days. From grilling to baking, there are numerous summer recipes for dinner that you can choose from to turn your summertime into a delicious one. And, if you want to avoid involving stove or oven in these hot days, various recipes allow you to do just grilling or whipping without any type of heating such as salads. Moreover, if some guests arrive suddenly, these recipes can serve as saviours. And, your kids as well as other family members will also like gobbling these. However, adding some refreshing summer cocktail into your food will go a step ahead in cheering your mood after an extremely hot day.

Try these easy, instant pot and grilling recipes ideas for summer weeknight dinner to add the best of taste to your family meals.

Some Quick Tips for a Healthy Dinner Routine

Don’t Skip Dinner

Source www.healthline.com

Though dinner is an essential meal, it should be smaller in quantity as compared to lunch or breakfast. And, you should never skip your dinner. Because, if you miss this, it will create a big gap between your last meal of the day and the next day’s first meal. Further, it may also cause severe acidity, blackouts, ravenous hunger, nausea, and disturbed sleep.

What’s the Right Time for Dinner?

Source www.self.com

If you eat your dinner early, it will be good for you. And, you stay more active than when you take your dinner late at night. In case, you are going to stay up late at night and had your food over 4 hours ago, you can choose light and healthy snacks like fruit to stop your stomach from rumbling.

Go for Light Dinner to Avoid Fat Hangovers

Source www.brit.co

Just like drinking a large amount of alcohol slows you down for the next day, eating high sugar, high fat, or a large dinner meal badly affects your digestive system. However, if you don’t take sufficient rest at night, it mentally and physically slows you down for the next day. Also, high fat and greasy foods digest slowly, causing heartburn. Besides, if you eat a heavy meal during dinner time, your blood also goes to the digestive system instead of other body parts, hindering sleep time recovery.

10 Summer Recipes for Dinner

Let's explore some of the best recipes that you can follow to make your summer dinners delightful and healthy.

Spicy Corn Carbonara

Source www.epicurious.com

Craving for creamy pasta but not in the mood to eat something heavy? Spicy Corn Carbonara is the perfect dish for you. It’s rich in nutrients like calories, carbs, sugar, and protein. To make this recipe, you need various ingredients such as corn, onion, egg yolks, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and cream.

  • Cut the cob of the corn with a knife and transfer kernels into a bowl.
  • Heat a big skillet over a medium flame. Add bacon in it and cook for at least 5 to 6 minutes until it becomes crispy.
  • Remove bacon from the skillet and drain it over the paper. Then add red onion, and stir it for almost 4 minutes.
  • Add garlic, corn, and cook for approx. 3 minutes until garlic goes fragrant. Season with the red pepper flakes and salt.
  • Now take a big pot and boil salted water above medium to high flame.
  • Then, add pasta and cook it for 8-10 minutes. And, stir the water of pasta into the mixture of corn.
  • Change the flame from medium to simmer and add pasta to the pan and toss to combine it.
  • Take a small bowl and whisk the cream and egg yolks.
  • Add Parmesan, some black pepper, bacon, and toss it.
  • Garnish it with the chives and serve.

Greek Chicken and Rice Skillet

Source www.purewow.com

Greek Chicken and Rice Skillet is a delicious as well as an easy-to-make recipe that you can eat during a hot summer night. Follow the recipe below to make a tasty one at home.

  • First of all, preheat the microwave oven over 375 degrees F.
  • Season the thighs of chicken with pepper and salt.
  • Take a small bowl and stir dried oregano, one lemon, and garlic powder. Evenly, rub this mixture over chicken.
  • Add olive oil in the pan and put it over the medium flame. Then, add chicken into it and put the skin side of the chicken down, sear for at least 7-9 minutes until chicken is browned.
  • Add garlic and onion to the pan, sauté for 5 minutes.
  • Again stir it in the rice and season with the salt.
  • Add broth of the chicken and carry a mixture to simmer.
  • In it, stir lemon juice and fresh oregano.
  • Into the rice mixture, put the skin side of the chicken up, transfer pan to the microwave oven and cook till rice absorbed all the chicken liquid.
  • Arrange slices of lemon over the chicken and broil the pan till lemons are charred and skin of the chicken crispy.
  • Add feta and olives, garnish it with the parsley.

Penne Alla Vodka

Source ahintofwine.com

To prepare Penne Alla Vodka, you need tomato paste, butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, cream, basil, Parmesan, vodka, pasta, and salt.

  • Melt butter above a medium flame in a big pan.
  • Add garlic, shallot, and stir it frequently for at least 4-5 minutes. Then, add red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and cook it.
  • In the meantime, apply a paste coat over the garlic and shallots until they start to darken.
  • In a pot, add vodka and stir. Turn off the flame.
  • Take a big salted water pot and cook the pasta. Before draining, reserve two cups of pasta water.
  • Then, return the sauce to the medium flame and add a cup of pasta water, heavy cream, and combine it. Add Parmesan and stir it until it gets melted.
  • At last, turn off the flame and stir in the cooked pasta. If the sauce looks dry, you can add some pasta water.
  • Top up with some basil leaves and Parmesan and your dish is ready to serve.

Tomato and Cabbage Tabbou

Source www.bonappetit.com

A perfect tabbouleh will comprise mainly of herbs and vegetables with only a bulgur smattering. It contains various nutrients such as carbohydrates, saturated fat, calories, dietary fibre, protein, and sodium. To make this recipe, you need several ingredients like bulgur, finely chopped sweet onion, cabbage, olive oil, small tomatoes, Kosher salt, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and fresh mint.

  • To prepare the tomato and cabbage tabbouleh, put bulgur into a big bowl and add half a cup of boiling water.
  • Soak it for at least 40 to 45 minutes until water is fully absorbed.
  • Then, toss cabbage, mint, olive oil, bulgur, tomatoes, onion, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and oil in a big bowl and combine it.
  • Season all the things with salt.

Tabbouleh can be prepared within four hours without lemon juice and oil. Before serving, toss it with the lemon juice and oil.

Crispy Paprika Chicken with Tomatoes & Lentils

Source www.bbcgoodfood.com

If you want to prepare a quick as well as a nutrient-rich meal, Crispy paprika chicken with tomatoes and lentils is what you need. It contains fibre, protein, carbs, calories, saturated fat, and sugar. To prepare this meal, you need multiple ingredients such as paprika, chicken breast, fennel seeds, vinegar, garlic, cherry tomatoes, lentils, yogurt, and lemon juice.

  • Place chicken breasts between 2 baking parchment sheets and roll it to a thickness of 1 m with a rolling pin.
  • Rub with the lemon zest, pepper, salt, oil, and paprika. Set aside and start with the lentils.
  • In a skillet, heat the unused oil and add fennel seeds, fennel slices, and garlic with the salt. Cook it for 5 minutes until it becomes softened and tip in the vinegar, lentils, and tomatoes.
  • Then, turn off the heat.
  • Now on a high flame, heat the other non-stick pan and add chicken breast. Cook it for 7 minutes until it becomes golden brown.
  • In the lentils, add watercress and squeeze lemon juice.
  • Cut the chicken into slice and serve it with the yogurt, dill, and lentils.

Summer Rolls

Source www.bonappetit.com

Summer rolls contain carbohydrates, protein, sodium, calories, cholesterol, and dietary fiber. To prepare this recipe, follow the below steps:

  • In a small bowl, stir 1 tablespoon of warm water and sugar until sugar dissolved properly.
  • Then, stir mirin, vinegar, soy sauce, and lime juice, set aside dipping sauce.
  • As per the instructions on the packet, soften the rice noodles, and drain them under cold water.
  • Take a shallow pan and put in some warm water. Dip the rice paper in the water and turn it occasionally till only pliable almost for 20 seconds.
  • Then, place a half lettuce leaf in the rice paper’s center.
  • Top-up with the rice noodles, some chicken pieces, cucumber, avocado, carrot, and bell pepper. You can also add chile if you use mint and cilantro.
  • Over the filling, fold the bottom of the rice paper, fold the sides, and roll into a tight cylinder.
  • Finally, put the roll on a platter and serve it with a dipping sauce.

Lemony Hummus Sandwich with Cucumber, Radish Sprouts, and Red Onion

Source www.finecooking.com

Hummus in the sandwich incorporates chickpeas to add texture and cumin makes it flavorful and interesting. If you use dried chickpeas, put it into a container, and add 6-8 cups of water and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, rinse and drain the chickpeas.

  • Over high heat, place a saucepan, bring chickpeas, and almost two quarts of water.
  • Reduce the flame from medium to low and simmer for minimum 1 to 1.5 hours.
  • Remove chickpeas from the flame and drain them. In case of canned chickpeas, rinse and drain under the cold water.
  • In the blender or food processor, combine the chickpeas with lemon juice, garlic, cumin, tahini paste, olive oil, pepper, and salt until the puree becomes smooth.
  • Scrape down the bowl as required to ensure that hummus is smooth and well blended.
  • Place a bread slice on a dry and clean counter and evenly spread hummus on every slice.
  • Fill the slices’ top with greens and evenly divide them, then top the green with the slices of cucumber and tomatoes and then, sprinkle salt. Next, add alfalfa sprouts, onion slices, and shredded carrot.
  • Close every sandwich with the bread slice and put down the hummus slice.
  • Your sandwich is ready. Cut into half, and serve it.

Greek Salad Pitas with Olive-Garlic Tapenade

Source www.finecooking.com

To prepare this recipe, you need several ingredients like garlic, olive oil, vinegar, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, dried oregano, cucumber, radish, spinach leaves, black pepper, and wheat pitas.

  • Take a blender or food processor, put garlic into it and process until finely chopped.
  • Then, add olive oil, vinegar, and olives and process it but not fully smooth.
  • In a big bowl, combine tomatoes, radishes, feta, and cucumber. Add, some pepper grinds, oregano, vinegar, and olive oil, toss it to the combination.
  • Then slice pitas in half and open its pockets. Stuff every pita with a half a cup of salad mixture and spinach and serve it.

Kale, Black Bean & Avocado Burrito Bowl

Source cookieandkate.com

Kale, Black Bean, and Avocado Burrito Bowl is a delicious recipe prepared with tasty components such as brown rice, avocado salsa, black beans, and kale.

  • Take a large pot of water to boil dump brown rice in it and cook for at least 30 minutes.
  • Turn off the flame and drain the rice and put it into the pot. When rice fully steamed, season with the salt.
  • After this, whisk olive oil, cumin, salt, lime juice, and chopped jalapeno in a bowl.
  • Toss it with the chopped kale and lime marinade.
  • In a blender or food processor, combine salsa verde, lime juice, avocado chunks, and cilantro, blend it well.
  • Placed on a medium to low flame, add one tbsp of olive oil in the pan.
  • Sauté the garlic and shallot until fragrant. Next, add chili powder, cayenne pepper, and beans.
  • Cook it for almost 5-7 minutes.
  • In a bowl, add kale salad, beans, and rice portions with avocado salsa verde and garnish it with the cherry tomatoes.

Cajun Pizza

Source www.acouplecooks.com

Cajun Pizza is an easy-to-make and delicious recipe.

  • In a microwave oven, put a pizza stone on the bottom rack and preheat to 500 degrees and leave the dough for at least 30 minutes over the room temperature.
  • On a surface, roll the dough into a circle of 12 inches.
  • Dust a rimless baking sheet or pizza peel with cornmeal. Then, transfer the dough into the peel.
  • Over the dough, spread crushed tomatoes and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning and garlic.
  • Top with the onion, jalapeno, cheeses, corn, and bell pepper and sprinkle a kosher salt.
  • You can use the peel to place the pizza in the oven. Bake it for at least 10 minutes until all the crust and cheeses are browned.
  • You can also add Italian sausage over it and serve.

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From our editorial team

Take a Walk after Having Dinner

A walk outside can help clear your mind and relax you from a hectic day. Walking here doesn't mean you're walking off what you've eaten, it just aids digestion. Drinking water can help in flushing out some of the sodium that you have consumed. But Don’t chug too much water if you're overly full. Stick with four to eight ounces after a large meal and try to stay hydrated for the rest of the next day.