Simple Summer Dinner Recipes To Beat The Heat
Here are some simple Summer dinner recipes to get you away from a hot kitchen. When the temperature is hot, it’s the best time to keep it easy. And it sure has been a hot one for us this Summer!
We have an excellent chopped salad recipe for you along with grilled Japanese marinated filet mignon and a light, easy dessert that feels like you are dining near the Mediterranean Sea.
And it’s fun as we are sharing our friends’ summer recipes, too. Like a virtual Summer Soirée with Cindy, Annie, Kim, Elizabeth and Juliet. Their links are at the end of the post.
Simple Summer Dinner Menu
Take it easy. Here’s what we had for dinner last week with a couple of friends.
- Chickpea Chopped Salad
- Grilled Japanese Marinated Sliced Steak
- Chilled Cherries And Grapes For Dessert
- Aperol Spritz and Lemonade Popsicles
Easy Greek Chickpea Chopped Salad
This tastes great the next day too.
I served it in my favorite “organic” shaped bowl from Hudson Grace. Makes a pretty gift, too.
Chopped Greek Salad With Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved, or cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced and cut in half
- 2/3 cup kalamata pitted olives
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas and prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Add them to the salad bowl.
- Drizzle the olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and dried oregano over the salad and gently toss to combine
- Enjoy immediately or leave for 10 – 15 minutes to let the ingredients marinate.
Japanese Marinated Sliced Filet Mignon
Marinate the beef in the refrigerator with delicious Japanese Barbecue Sauce for about 60 minutes. Take out about 20 minutes before grilling to come to room temperature.
We are still making Sicilian Sea Salt on a regular basis (in the little bowl next to the sliced steak). Makes great party favors, too.
Clean your grill. Howard loves this new Giddy Up cordless cleaner. No dangerous bristles that can come off on your food. I threw away his bristle brushes.
Then spray the grill with cooking spray.
Grill the filet mignon steaks on high heat for three to five minutes on each side for rare to medium rare. Remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing into about 3/4″ pieces.
Simple Chilled Fruit Dessert
I love this pretty fruit colander for serving chilled berries at the end of dinner. Cherries are especially good right now where we are.
Homemade Popsicles – Aperol Spritz and/or Lemonade
Howard made these Aperol Spritz Popsicles from Food And Wine that I enjoyed. Not everyone likes the more bitter taste of Aperol (I do) or wants the alcohol. So I would make some from lemonade, too.
The mold is from Amazon. I served the popsicles in juice glasses since they were pretty drippy.
And those are my Simple Summer Dinner Recipes!
Thanks for this fun menu, Mary Ann — I have guests coming next week and not much time to cook ahead, so this is very appealing (tho I might add a summer fruit crisp w/ vanilla ice cream)!
Now you’re talking, Joan. I love a good dessert. If it all gets eaten…otherwise I eat it all 🙁
I love salads and this one with chickpeas is a little different, but in a good way. Can’t wait to try all the dishes you’ve highlighted. A great summer menu. Thanks for the grill cleaner recommendation. I can think of two people who will be getting this for Christmas. So helpful!
It’s a good gift for people who like to grill!
Mary Ann, your salad with tomatoes and chickpeas looks amazing! And Aperol Spritz popsicles! How fun is that? xx
Thanks, Annie!
MA! I swore I already left a comment, and then came back to get the link for the GiddyUp which I need to get for Jim. Anyway, there’s nothing better than a summer alfresco menu especially when it ends with Aperol Spritz popsicles! Right up my alley. Everything else looks delicious too, especially that marinated steak. Yum. I’m all about summer soirees and wish I could hop on a golf cart and drive over to yours! xo
That would be so fun if you could, Juliet. I just took Chief out for a golf cart ride…his favorite thing in the world (well, up there with treats).
Aperol Spritz popsicles?! I’m in! In fact, I’m in for the entire menu. Wish I could hop on a golf cart and cruise over for a summer soiree. Great food, even better company … and Aperol spritz popsicles. Cheers! xo
Hi Mary Ann,
Thank you for doing this, I love your recipes and will save the grill tool for my man’s birthday coming up!
Happy summer!
Francesca, did you see all the horror stories on the internet about the bristles getting stuck in the roofs of peoples’ mouths? :/
That is so funny! I had a post with the exact same topic a few years ago! Great minds think alike! Every one of these recipes sounds delicious! I have made a similar salad, but this one sounds even better! I need to get that gadget for Steve!!
Probably as it’s too hot to cook here now…91 degrees!
Mary Ann I love all these. Going to try the chickpea salad for dinner one night this week!
I need to order that grill cleaner for Max.
So fun doing this with you ladies. xo
I am off to read your post, Kim!
Mary Ann, this salad looks delicious! A salad is always refreshing and easy to make on a hot day.
I haven’t made a popsicle in years! Thanks for the encouragement, off to order the molds.
Thanks, Elizabeth. The popsicles will be fun to make when our grandkids are here too.