August temperatures are often hot, hot, hot. And even if the weather is mild, who wants to spend the last days of summer standing next to a hot stove? These recipes are oven-free, highlight seasonal produce, and come together fast, so you can spend more time savoring summer or getting ready for back-to-school.
Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad (serves 4)
What says summer more than the grill and a fresh salad? This "big salad" highlights seasonal produce and delicious marinated chicken.
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, divided
3 tablespoons coconut aminos (similar to soy sauce, but slightly sweeter and gluten- and soy-free)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon onion powder2 fresh peaches, cut in half vertically and pits removed
2 heads romaine, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon ghee or butter
1/4 cup coconut sugar (you can substitute regular granulated sugar here if desired)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1. Mix together 1/3 cup oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, coconut aminos, garlic, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and onion powder. Pour into a large container or Ziploc bag and let chicken marinate (at least 30 minutes, but ideally 4-5 hours).
2. Make simple lemon dressing by mixing 1/3 cup oil with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Set aside.
3. Assemble salad. Layer chopped romaine, red onions, and tomatoes.
4. Candy walnuts by melting ghee or butter over medium heat in a pan then adding in sugar and walnut pieces. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until nuts are toasted and sugar has caramelized. Make sure to watch closely, especially during the last minute, as the nut/sugar mixture can burn easily. Remove nuts from pan and set aside.
5. Grill marinated chicken breasts over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes per side or until cooked through. Breasts are done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
6. Take chicken breasts off grill and set aside.
7. Brush cut side of peaches with olive oil. Cook peaches cut side down (medium heat) for approximately 4 minutes (until you see grill marks). Flip and grill peaches on the opposite side for another 4 minutes.
8. Top assembled salad with candied nuts, sliced grilled chicken, peaches, and fresh basil. Drizzle with lemon oil dressing if desired.
Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp and Cherry Tomatoes (serves 4)
Zucchini noodles, or zoodles, are an easy and delicious substitute for pasta. This recipe pairs them with plump garlicky shrimp, sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and a touch of parmesan. It's a simple summer dish that's easy to make and packed with flavor.
Zucchini Noodles 101:
There are a variety of tools that you can use to spiralize zucchini (ranging from a handheld spiralizer for around $10 to a KitchenAid attachment that retails for around $99). Not ready to invest? You can use a vegetable peeler to make beautiful zucchini noodles (as pictured). Just run the peeler from top to bottom of the zucchini to form noodles or ribbons, making sure to use firm pressure so your noodles aren't too thin. An even easier option: many grocery stores now sell already prepared zucchini noodles.
4 medium zucchini (approximately 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound raw shrimp, deveined and shelled
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan (if desired)
1/3 cup sliced fresh basil (to garnish)
Lemon wedges (to garnish)
1. Spiralize zucchini or make zucchini noodles (see directions above).
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
3. Add shrimp to pan in a single layer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side on medium high heat until pink. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
4. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and cherry tomatoes to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally and pressing down gently on the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon until tomatoes begin to soften and burst, about 5 minutes. Season tomatoes with a pinch of salt to taste.
5. Add zucchini noodles into pan and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes.
6. Add shrimp back into pan and toss to combine.
7. Serve with fresh basil, grated parmesan, and a lemon wedge.
Grilled Salmon and Asparagus with Dill Potato Salad (serves 4)
If you haven’t added salmon and asparagus into your grilling rotation yet, you’re in for a real treat. Here I’ve paired them with a favorite summer side dish, my version of my dad’s famous dill potato salad.
4 skin-on salmon fillet portions
¼ plus ⅛ cup avocado or olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch asparagus
2 pounds red potatoes
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
½ vidalia onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
½ cup mayonnaise (homemade mayo is a game changer; you can find a recipe on my blog)
For the Grilled Salmon and Asparagus
1. Mix together ¼ cup oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large container. Dip salmon filets into marinade skin-side down. Then flip and let rest in marinade flesh-side down. Let marinate for an hour in refrigerator. (This is a good time to start your potato salad, directions below).
2. Trim asparagus spears. Put asparagus spears into a large Ziploc bag. Pour ⅛ cup oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper into the Ziploc bag. Gently massage asparagus to make sure all spears are coated in oil.
3. Take salmon out of refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
Cooking times for salmon will vary based on the thickness of your filet. For a standard 1-inch-thick filet you will want to grill salmon flesh-side down over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the edges start to curl up ever so slightly. Don’t touch your salmon until it’s time for you to flip it or else it may stick to your grill. Flip and grill for another 3 or 4 minutes until salmon is done to your preference. Remove salmon from grill.
4. Remove prepared asparagus from bag and carefully place on your grill perpendicular to the grates (it’s easy for asparagus to fall into your grill if you aren’t careful). I like to cook my asparagus for about 2 minutes on each side, until they are just slightly charred and still al dente. If you want crispier, more well-done asparagus, grill for a few minutes longer.
For the Dill Potato Salad
1. Place potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water (you want to have at least 2 inches of water above the potatoes) and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes until fork-tender, approximately 15 minutes. Drain water from potatoes. Once potatoes are cool enough to touch, peel and cube potatoes.
2. Gently mix potatoes with mayonnaise, fresh dill, salt, and pepper. Chill in refrigerator or serve at room temperature.
Bonus Online Content: Burgers with Corn and Tomato Salad
Tired of corn on the cob? Try this fresh corn and tomato salad with a savory beef burger. I like to serve my burgers wrapped up in butter lettuce, but feel free to use a traditional bun.
For the burgers
1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons coconut aminos
1 head butter lettuce or hamburger buns
For the corn salad
4 ears corn on the cob (about 2 1/4 cups corn)
1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil, sliced
Salt to taste
1. Combine burger ingredients with your hands and form into four patties. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in husked corn and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully remove corn from boiling water, and when it's cool enough to touch, slice kernels off cob. Combine corn salad ingredients.
3. Grill burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side.
4. Serve burgers in lettuce or buns with your favorite condiments and corn salad on the side.
By Susan Bowser
Susan Bowser is a former NBC TODAY show producer. She is a freelance writer and food blogger at SusanBCooking.com. She's passionate about making real food, showing that healthy eating can be delicious, and sharing recipes that her whole family enjoys. Find more inspiration by following her on Instagram @SusanBCooking.
