Great for summer entertaining, these pair well with grilled meats, or they stand alone as a wonderful summer meal. Now the problem is, which one will you try?

The post 35+ Summer Salad Recipes appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

Who doesn’t love a good burger? They’re an affordable dinner option, especially for a larger family or crowd as takeout and restaurant prices keep climbing. This line-up of burger recipes is about to get you excited to fire up the grill and make your own at home.

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This is undoubtedly one of the easiest shortcake recipes you’ll ever make. Skip the time-consuming step of shaping individual shortcakes and just pour the batter into a 12×17-inch jelly-roll pan and bake. Such a simple summer dessert that everyone loves!

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We like to serve chicken or Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day – and all the celebrations in between. Chicken is also delicious at any summer dinner party, pool party (kebabs or skewers!), or enjoy the leftovers in a chicken salad.

The post 30 Finger-Licking Summer Chicken Recipes appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

From creamy cold dips to warm, cheesy favorites, these 30 summer dip recipes are perfect for entertaining all season long. Easy, crowd-pleasing, and made for sharing! Many of these summer dips can be made ahead of time, letting the flavors meld and intensify in the fridge overnight, while others come together in mere minutes, perfect for when guests are walking through the door. 

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Eat the rainbow on a picnic! Enjoy these colorful veggies, tossed together with bowtie pasta, salami, olives, cheese and Italian dressing, for the ultimate Italian bowtie pasta! A bow tie Italian pasta salad is a vibrant salad featuring farfalle (bow tie) pasta tossed in a zesty, vinegar-based Italian dressing, making it a popular, mayo-free choice salad for summer picnics, BBQs, and Game Day!

This pasta salad is characterized by its colorful mix of crunchy and savory ingredients, commonly including halved cherry tomatoes, black olives, diced bell peppers, red onions, and fresh basil. To add substance and savory flavor, this dish often incorporates diced salami or pepperoni, along with mozzarella pearls or grated Parmesan cheese.

The post Italian Bowtie Pasta Salad appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

Deviled eggs are always one of the first things to disappear at any gathering, so why not make them the star of the table? This Deviled Egg Snack Board is a simple and beautiful way to serve a variety of deviled eggs alongside easy, crowd-pleasing bites like crackers, cheeses, and fresh fruit. Perfect for Easter, spring brunch, or any casual get-together, it’s an effortless way to create something festive and memorable.

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For summer or your favorite holiday (Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day and Fourth of July), this classic Banana Split Recipe is everyone’s favorite! Layered with Neopolitan ice cream, chocolate, bananas, nuts and whipped cream – it’s the ultimate banana split!

This Banana Split Freezer Dessert takes very little time to make ahead, freeze, and then pull from the freezer when you’re ready to serve. You only need to defrost for a few minutes before slicing!

The post Banana Split Freezer Dessert appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

I love hot brie! This Roasted Strawberry Brie, topped with warm, juicy, roasted berries, is an easy and elegant appetizer that everyone loves. It’s hot and gooey and a perfect spring dish to serve at any party! Baked Brie has always been one of my favorite things to make for guests, and it’s even better topped with strawberries or berries. The leftovers? I love it in a wrap the next day (just add chicken!)

Roasted Strawberry Brie

Who could resist creamy melty Brie, topped with syrupy berries? This recipe is a super popular and a great addition a brunch, lunch, or appetizer for entertaining.

The post Roasted Strawberry Brie appeared first on Reluctant Entertainer.

We love summer grilling here in Oregon, and our Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon recipe is one of our favorites. We first smoke it on the grill, and then we top it with a homemade cashew and pesto topping, with graden heirloom tomatoes. It’s the ultimate summer dinner, on a warm evening, and for sure it’s company-worthy.

Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with Pesto

Growing up in Oregon, I’ve enjoyed a lot of salmon recipes. My favorite has always been grilled salmon. There are so many ways to prepare the salmon, but this recipe today is the best. One reader recently wrote: “This is among the most delicious meals we have ever had at home. It was just so freaking juicy and GOOD.”

Why I love this recipe

• Salmon is so easy to grill – and easy for company!
• Make your own (dairy-free) cashew pesto!
• The flavor of cashew and pesto pairs perfectly with salmon and the tomatoes.
• The ultimate summer meal.

We recently served this Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon for dinner guests, with a side of Tennessee Onions, a Greenhouse salad, and Salted Watermelon Salad. We picked up the heirloom tomatoes from the Farmer’s Market here in Bend.

This is an easy salmon recipe, on the table in less than 30 minutes, perfect for a summer party!

Gather these ingredients

• Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon filet, we buy at Costco
• Heirloom tomatoes
• Ground cashews
• Olive oil
• Bunches fresh basil
• Black cracked pepper
• Salt
• Honey
• Garlic
• Lemon juice

How do you make Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with pesto

1. Rinse and dry Wild Sockeye Salmon filets. Layer two sheets of foil together, large enough for the salmon, and fold up the sides to make a tray. Place filet on foil. (We used 3 trays, so 6 pieces of foil).
2. Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, honey, and lemon. Process until smooth. Add in finely ground cashews and continue to blend until smooth.
3. Spread pesto evenly on fish. Slice tomatoes and place on top.
4. Place on grill at 300 degrees heat, for about 10 minutes, or until white areas appear on the top of the salmon. Cooking time will depend on thickness of fillet. Use the back of a spatula method to see if fish is done. (Press on the fish using the back of a spatula. If fish is firm, then it is done. If it is spongy, you need to keep cooking it:)
5. Remove from the grill and serve immediately!

How do you smoke salmon?

Using our Traeger grill, it’s optional to smoke the salmon first. You’ll want to cook it on low—170°F – 200°F . Use your favorite flavor pellets to get that nice smoky flavor. After smoking you can turn up the grill for a few minutes untilt he salmon is done (whiteness will form). Or if you don’t have a smoker, follow the recipe.

Tips and substitutios:

• The best wood for smoking salmon are hardwoods. Some of the best options include cedar, alder, apple, lemon, and cherry.
• You can buy Wild Sockeye Salmon at Costco or Market of Choice, Whole Foods, or even Safeway.
• It’s the best with heirloom tomatoes, but of course you can use any fresh tomatoes.
• Optoinal to use pine nuts in place of the cashew (to make your own pesto).
• Also optional to use store-bought pesto if you don’t want to make your own.
• We love that our pesto is dairy-free!
• Cook the bread on the grill the same time the fish is cooking.
• How do you know if the salmon is done? Use the back of a spatula method to see if fish is done. (Press on the fish using the back of a spatula. If fish is firm, then it is done. If it is spongy, you need to keep cooking it:)

How do you serve grilled salmon?

Summer meals are the freshest and so healthy! Serve this salmon with sliced watermelon or cantaloupe, a side of green salad, and a bowl of homemade vanilla ice cream (with fresh blackberries).

This meal was the essence of summer and good friendships, we all agreed.

More salmon recipes you may want to try while you are here:

• Grilled Lemon Dill Salmon
• Wild Rice Stuffed Salmon
• Pistachio Salmon with Lemon

Print

Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon

Delicious grilled Alaskan Wild Sockeye Salmon with dairy-free pesto and cashew is a favorite summer recipe, with fresh heirloom tomatoes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 393kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Ingredients

• 2 pound Wild Sockeye Salmon filet we buy at Costco
• 3 medium heirloom tomatoes
• 1 cup finely ground cashews
• ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1-2 large bunches fresh basil
• 2 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 tsp. honey
• 4-5 tsp. garlic
• 6 tsp. lemon juice

Instructions

• Rinse and dry Wild Sockeye Salmon filets. Layer two sheets of foil together, large enough for the salmon, and fold up the sides to make a tray. Place filet on foil. (We used 3 trays, so 6 pieces of foil).
• To make the pesto, in a food processor, combine basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, honey, and lemon. Process until smooth. Add in finely ground cashews and continue to blend until smooth.
• Spread pesto evenly on fish. Slice tomatoes and place on top.
• Place on grill at 300 degrees heat, for about 10 minutes, or until white areas appear on the top of the salmon. Cooking time will depend on thickness of fillet. Use the back of a spatula method to see if fish is done. (Press on the fish using the back of a spatula. If fish is firm, then it is done. If it is spongy, you need to keep cooking it:)
• Remove from the grill and serve immediately!

Notes

Reposted from May 2018.

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 533mg | Potassium: 803mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

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