15 Summertime Eats and Treats

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Wednesday was the first official day of summer meaning 2012 is now more than officially half over. How are we doing on those New Year’s Resolutions? Thought so.

No resolutions in this post. Just 15 summer recipe ideas for that are lighter, cooler, fresh and easy.

Orange Ginger Tempeh and Brown Rice Salad with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette (vegan, GF if GF tempeh is used)

Orange Ginger Tempeh and Brown Rice Salad with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette

Orange Glazed Chilean Sea Bass with Mustard Dill Cucumber and Orange Champagne Relish

Orange Glazed Chilean Sea Bass with Mustard Dill Cucumber and Orange Champagne Relish

Steamed Brussels’s Sprouts & Broccoli with Cheezy Coconut Sauce (vegan GF)

Steamed Brussels’s Sprouts & Broccoli with Cheezy Coconut Sauce

Fresh Vegan Spring Rolls and 2-Minute Peanut Sauce (raw, vegan, GF)

Fresh Vegan Spring Rolls
Peanut Sauce

Roasted Grapes and Balsamic Reduction with Cheese and Crackers (use GF crackers to keep GF and vegan cheese to keep vegan)

Roasted Grapes and Balsamic Reduction with Cheese and Crackers

Peaches & Coconut Cream Smoothie (vegan, GF)

Peaches & Coconut Cream Smoothie

Homemade Horchata (Vegan, GF, Soy-Free)

Homemade Horchata in three jars

Vanilla Iced Coffee – save your extra coffee, pour it into a pitcher or glass and store it in the refrigerator. Pour cold coffee over ice and add cream and sugar, to taste, and stir.

Also, pour extra coffee into ice cube molds for coffee ice cubes, which will water down your drink even less, if you really want to get fancy.

People make such a big deal over iced coffee but it’s so simple and I’m always amazed at the elaborate “recipes” and “techniques” about pouring coffee over ice cubes that I see.

Vanilla Iced Coffee

Vanilla Baileys Slushie

Baileys bottle and NuNaturals Stevia

Peach Mango Pineapple White Sangria

Peach Mango Pineapple White Sangria

Vanilla Avocado Banana “Ice Cream” (vegan, GF, no ice cream maker required)

Vanilla Avocado Banana “Ice Cream”

Strawberry Banana Bread

Strawberry Banana Bread

Baked Orange Banana Coconut Donuts with Orange Coconut Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze

Baked Orange Banana Coconut Donuts with Orange Coconut Vanilla Cream Cheese Glaze

Pink Lemonade Freezer Bars

Pink Lemonade Freezer Bars

No-Bake Rolo and Caramel Cheesecake Parfaits

No-Bake Rolo and Caramel Cheesecake Parfaits

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups and Ice Cream

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups and Ice Cream

Is summer weather in full swing for you?

Unfortunately in San Diego, it’s far from hot. In fact, it’s actually cooler now than it usually is in September or October. We are plagued by fog and a heavy marine layer this time of year, known as May Gray and June Gloom, and the gloom is more pronounced closer to the coast. Inland, not so much, but I live pretty coastal so have seen more gloom than sun many days. However, I think we’re breaking out of it because this week was much nicer.

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t always look like this here.

Coronado Island path with grass and palm trees

What are your favorite summer foods and recipes?

Link them up.

Thanks for the 3 Vegan Cookbooks Giveaway entries

Have a great weekend!

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Comments

  1. Vanilla Ice Coffee and Vanilla Slushie are the best, by far they are the top of the list in Summer!

  2. Great recipe recap, I need to try your Orange Ginger Tempeh – yum! Funny that our weather is not very summer like this weekend either, temps are in the 70s this weekend – quite a change from triple digit heat last weekend!

  3. Ah! New Year’s? *tear* I’m going to ignore all statements floating around the blogisphere that the year is half over, Christmas is almost upon us and Fall is up and coming. Denial of it all!

  4. Personally, I love the June Gloom weather for working out.

    And this year, at 38 weeks pregnant, I REALLY love it!

  5. these look yummy!
    you’re lucky with that weather..i live in bakersfield and just a few days ago it was 109. i hate the heat so much (especially since i grew up in santa barbara, moving here wasn’t fun!)

  6. Everything looks incredible but I think I’m starting with the Peach Mango Pineapple White Sangria!!

  7. Everything looks so dam good!!!! My favorite summertime treat is grilled vegetables! For some reason when that have that BBQ flavor they taste so much better!!

  8. Summer makes me think of delicious fruit, berry pies and light, fruit salsas! Here is a great salsa that I am going to make on the 4th of July:

    http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/06/sweet-spicy-glazed-chicken-corn-avocado-tostadas-with-blueberry-peach-salsa/

    And I love the look of the berry pie:

    http://erinschubert.blogspot.com/2011/05/peach-blueberry-blackberry-pie.html

    Anything that can be blended in the Vitamix with ice and stevia is a winner! I love your broccoli and nooch cheese sauce! Nooch + stevia are my 2 necessary daily ingredients!! :-)

    1. I saw Jessica’s fruit salsa and thought…yum! when I read the post!

      Glad that the broccoli and nooch cheese sauce is a hit!