Fast, Festive Summer Meals
by Mimi Doe
It’s summertime and the living should be easier – at least in the
kitchen.
Nature gives us everything we need to create simple, luscious, healthy
meals -- it’s up to us to slow down long enough to enjoy the bounty.
With extended daylight hours, and no need to nag our children about
homework, dinnertime can take on a whole new tone.
Shake things up a little bit this summer and have fun with these simple
dinner ideas. Even the pickiest eaters will be won over.
*Picasso in the Kitchen
Allow the vivid colors of summer fruits to become your palette.
Grab a large white plate or pretty tray and arrange slices of
watermelon, kiwi, peaches, mango, grapes, and strawberries.
This beautiful arrangement can become your table’s centerpiece. Add a
few bowls of various yogurts around the table and your hungry brood can
dip to their delight.
Warm a loaf of crispy French bread, wrap it in a festive cloth and add
it to the table. Arrange some sliced cheeses and smoked or roasted
turkey slices (pick these up at the deli counter) and you’ve got an easy
does it, display that’s good enough to eat.
*Participation is Key
Less structured summer days give kids the opportunity to join in meal
prep. When kids cut the carrots, chances are they will eat the carrots.
You might even assign your older kids a specific night to select and
prepare the menu -- with you as their sous chef.
Offer them a few ideas such as “breakfast for dinner” or “Mac and cheese
night.” The new social networking site for moms, MomJunction.com,
recently posted an easy, tried and true
Mac and cheese recipe:
Boil 8 oz. small pasta.
Drain, then stir in
1 cup milk,
1 tablespoon butter,
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar OR 8 oz. American cheese,
Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake at 350˙
until heated through. Easy and yummy and plain!
You will want to help with boiling the pasta but, other than that, it’s
a cinch for kids about 8 years and older. To make this recipe even
healthier, throw some peas (frozen or fresh) into the boiling pasta for
the last few minutes of cooking time.
*Picnics Inside
Even if it’s raining outside, think “picnic.” Who said a picnic needs to
be under the sky? Pitch a pup tent in the living room or use paper
plates in the dining room – the idea is simplicity and a lighthearted
approach to mealtime.
Buy a precooked roasted chicken from your local supermarket. You can
often find organic, barbecued, or even provincial chickens for under
$10.00.
Assemble a large salad from the salad bar or buy a Caesar salad in a
bag. Finally, pick up a container of vanilla frozen yogurt and some
chocolate chip cookies. When you get home, all you’ll need to do is cut
up the chicken, add it to the Caesar salad and scoop some frozen yogurt
between 2 cookies, wrap them in cellophane and freeze for dessert.
*Partner Up
Create a weekly summer pot luck dinner gathering with neighbors.
Hearkening back to those beach days where everyone contributed to joint
family dinners, enlist your neighbors to join you in creating the
ultimate summer easy potluck, one night a week. Your kids will love the
cooperative feel where gathering together is what counts. Get out a
picnic bench, paper tablecloths, and come up with simple contributions
from participating families.
*Protein Power
The combination of fat, protein and fiber in peanut butter makes it hard
to break down, so it lasts longer in our systems – providing us more
energy. A perfect, protein packed, summer dinner kids adore is Spicy
Peanut Noodles. It’s served chilled or at room temperature, so this is a
great dish to make in the morning before the day begins. Edamame is also
packed with protein punch and would make a great accompaniment to these
noodles. You can buy them in the freezer section of your local grocer
for ultimate ease.
Spicy Peanut Noodles
Whisk together:
-4 Tablespoons each creamy peanut butter (organic if available) and
low-sodium soy sauce
-4 teaspoons fresh lime juice and a pinch of red pepper flakes
Toss with:
-4 Cups of cooked pasta (spaghetti holds the sauce well)
-A seeded, sliced cucumber
-Top with a few sliced scallions
Options:
-Grated ginger and/or garlic
-Chopped fresh cilantro
About the Author:
Mimi Doe is a national parenting expert and the award-winning author of
Busy but Balanced (St. Martin’s Press). She serves as the Chair of
the http://www.MomJunction.com
Board of Advisors.
More Momscape articles by Mimi Doe:
5 Ways to
Raise Joyful Happy Kids, by Mimi Doe
Spiritual Parenting Principles, by Mimi Doe
Raising
Children in an Email World
