What to eat during the hot summer months

During the hot summer months, I like to travel with my husband, to go to the swimming pool, and to enjoy the outdoors. Therefore, I cook easy and fast recipes, but still delicious ones. Sandwiches, cold puddings, and cold pasta salads are only few of my favorites!

I baked homemade pecan bread, sliced it, and topped it with homemade mayonnaise, tomato slices, prosciutto di Parma, 79424 arugula, 4-minutes poached egg, and Hass avocado slices. A little bit of fleur de sal and freshly ground black pepper and voila! The best summer sandwish :)



The 4-minutes poached egg sandwich with prosciutto and avocado




The egg is so soft, it is almost like a sauce for the crunchy pecan bread

I baked homemade granola with regular oats, dried cranberries, apricots, dried plums, pecans, and almonds. The blend is mixed with a little bit of butter and wild honey. It is the perfect quick breakfast or afternoon snack. I serve it with shredded coconut and cold milk. But you can try it with Greek yogurt or on top of ice-cream. DELISH!



Apricots, Plums, and Cranberries Homemade Granola




Almond and Pecan Fruit Granola topped with coconut

For the hot weather, there is nothing better that grilled caponata, served with kalamata olives and honey-Dijon white balsamic dressing. The ingredients list is short: eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, and red bell peppers. But the flavors are big!

Eggplant, pepper, and summer squash grilled caponata

For dessert, a cold rice pudding with cinnamon! I fisrt boil the rice and then add some milk, sugar, and eggs to make it thick and rich. Sometimes I drizzle some honey on top for extra sweetness. Believe me, it is SOOO refreshing, smooth, and silky :)



Rice pudding with cinnamon

I like to bake savory muffins. For instance, my parmesan muffin is so buttery and salty, that it is great with soups and salad. I often prepare cold Greek salad with pepperoncini, because the cucumber is so refreshing and the fresh oregano reminds me of all delicious summer garden fresh herbs!

Pepperoncini greek salad with Parmesan muffin



Parmesan muffin with fresh oregano

For a make-ahead dinner, I filled chicken breast with sun-dried tomatoes, feta, and fresh thyme. Then, I placed them in aluminium foil packets. Later, I cooked some shallot-jasmine rice and baked the chicken. To serve it, I placed some homemade mayonnaise on the plate, topped it with the aromatic rice, the soft chicken and its accumulated juices. Some basil on top and you have a summer elegant dinner.



Sun-dried tomatoes and feta stuffed chicken with jasmine rice

My secret is that I also make ahead everything. I bake a big batch of brioche rolls. Once they are out of the oven, I brush them with some extra butter for a nice rich flavor and pretty look. Thus, these are the best buttery, packed with eggs dinner rolls. Then, I freeze them and summer lunch or dinner is always 1 step away!



Brioche rolls




Brushed with some butter, brioche rolls are shiny and pretty

There is so many ways to serve pasta, but during the summer, the most convenient way is to mix a cold pasta salad. Take some leftover grilled vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, green bell pepper, etc.), add whole wheat penne (which is really good for you), grilled chicken, feta cheese, balsamic-olive oil vinaigrette, and fresh herbs. To complete the lunch, I serve a hot brioche roll and enjoy the beautiful colors and unique flavors!