summer

Five ways to organize your summer meals

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Summer is a busy season for everyone – between summer camps, trips, and day-long activities, there is usually little time to prepare and cook a meal. However, with these tips, you can ensure that you will have a meal ready to eat without the stress or cost of ordering out:

Pre-purchase ready to eat protein options

When the weather is hot, the last thing people want to do is heat up their homes by turning on the oven. Instead, stock up on pre-cooked protein options, like rotisserie chicken or shredded pork from your local grocery store. Canned tuna and hard-boiled eggs can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for recipes like these. You could also pre-cook your meat early in the morning or at the beginning of the week, so you can avoid using the oven during the heat of the day.

Take advantage of the fresh vegetables

Summer is prime time for fresh vegetables, so why not take advantage of them? Stock up on your family’s favourites and incorporate them into easy meals, like stir-fry, salad and sandwiches. Vegetables can be washed and cut up at the beginning of the week or earlier in the day, so you don’t have to worry about doing all of your preparations right before the meal. To save time and avoid your oven, you can also use your vegetables raw instead of cooking them. Most vegetables taste even better when they are fresh during the summer, so incorporate them into your meals like this recipe for Shaved Squash Salad with Tomatoes and Ricotta.

Utilize your kitchen appliances

Instead of always using your oven, utilize your other kitchen appliances to plan your meals in advance, like a slow cooker. Your meat, vegetables and grains can all be prepared the night before and turned on in the morning so they are ready for you to eat in the evening. You can even use a rice cooker to cook up rice at the beginning of the week, so you have a side dish ready to go for multiple meals. Get creative and use your other kitchen appliances to put together stress-free and tasty meals like these over the summer.

Use your leftovers!

Don’t feel bad about having a “leftovers” meal night when you are out at the lake or park all day! Save any leftovers from your meals throughout the week, and plan on having one meal made up of all your leftovers. If you don’t quite have enough food, supplement your meal with a quick side salad or fresh fruit.

Stay simple

Most importantly, don’t feel the need to plan large, complicated meals. They take a lot of time, ingredients, and energy that could be better spent on outdoor activities or gatherings with friends and family. When the weather is hot, many people don’t feel like eating multiple courses or rich dishes, so it’s okay to stick to simple meals with simple ingredients. During the summer months, there are plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to purchase at the store or grow in your own garden that are full of flavour. It’s easy to organize meals for the week because they are so readily available and quick to prepare.

This summer, don’t stress about making meals when you’re busy soaking up the sun, or break the bank because you’re always ordering out. Cook simple meals with ingredients that are ready to go and don’t require using your oven, so you can avoid heating up your home. By following these tips to organize your meals, you can relax and enjoy your summer without the stress at mealtime!

Make-Ahead Barbecue Ideas

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Save yourself the time of doing all the cooking and preparation work for your barbecue on the day-of. Instead, get everything you need prepared ahead of time so you can relax and enjoy the barbecue with your household!

Drinks

There is plenty you can do ahead of time to make sure everyone stays refreshed and hydrated. Bar tools can be brought out from storage and given a quick rinse, and any outdoor cups and pitchers can also be given a quick wash and organized in a bar area or on a counter until they are needed outside. Make sure to put cans and bottles into the fridge to chill in advance and bring out any coolers that may be needed. Don’t forget to make sure you have plenty of ice as well! 

While some garnishes are best prepared closer to the actual barbecue to prevent them from wilting, others can also be cut up and placed in containers until everyone in your household is ready for dinner.

Thrillist has a list of cocktails that can be made ahead of time. While they had the beach in mind for these drinks, the recipes can also work great to cut down on preparations even if you’re just at home and relaxing with your household in the backyard.

Otherwise, you can start planning what ingredients and tools you might need to make these classic cocktail recipes that are perfect for any size of household, like these Peach Bellini and Sangria recipes or this unique Apposta Cocktail recipe, all from Better Homes and Gardens.

 

Food

The food is obviously the main event of any barbecue, and many classic barbecue dishes can easily be prepared in advance so all you need to do once supper time comes is heat the grill and cook!

These two foil pack recipes from Delish conveniently include all you need for a barbecue meal in one individualized pouch. Even better, you can easily put these together ahead of time by prepping the vegetables, preparing the foil pouches, marinating the meat, and assembling everything together ahead of time to store in the fridge. Check out this recipe for Chicken, Tomatoes and Corn or this one for Sausage and Peppers.

Burgers are a popular meal to serve at a barbecue, and this “Full Works” burger from Olive has it all! While it looks like a lot, the sauce and other garnishes are best made a few hours or even a day before, leaving you with less preparation right before the meal.

Barbecue ribs, like this recipe from Food Network Magazine, are always a great choice to cook on the grill, especially if you have a larger household to feed. To get the most flavour out of these ribs, they are best if the spice mixture is prepared and rubbed onto the ribs the night before the barbecue – leaving only the cooking to be done in the oven a couple of hours before they are finished off on the barbecue.  

Every barbecue star dish is not complete without a side dish (or more!), and there are plenty of recipes and ideas that are easy to prepare the day before or morning of. For example, this unique take on a tomato salad from Taste of Home features a lot of different vegetables that can easily be prepared a day or two before so it only needs to be assembled right before eating.

 An even simpler dish like grilled vegetables requires even less effort – simply wash and cut your favourite vegetables, give them a light seasoning, and place them on the grill! This grilled rapini recipe from AllRecipes shows just how easy and delicious grilled vegetables can be! A lighter salad or dessert option perfect for an outdoor barbecue is a fruit salad, which is also good to prepare in advance and leave in your fridge. You can simply put together a salad from what fresh fruit you have on hand or try something new like this watermelon and basil salad from AllRecipes.

Organize the perfect summer barbecue!

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Serve up a backyard barbecue with your family this summer and enjoy the warmer summer weather! By planning and preparing ahead, you can spend time with your loved ones and experience a stressed-free meal.

What to Make

The best summer barbecue recipes are ones that use common ingredients found in your kitchen and can be made in advance so you can spend more time with your loved ones.

When it comes to making a refreshing beverage, try this Make-Ahead Summer Punch from Brit + Co for an easy to put together pitcher of drinks. No need to individually assemble! For a summer-inspired non-alcoholic option, try The Busy Baker’s recipe for Sparkling Mojito Lemonade made with healthy ingredients. The ingredients for this recipe can be made ahead of time for a quick mix together when the meal is about to begin.

Having a simple but delicious appetizer is a must to keep you and your family satisfied while you’re all waiting for the grill to heat up. This Tuscan White Bean Bruschetta from Whatcha Cooking Good Looking can easily be made a day or two before your barbecue and stored in the refrigerator. Pair it with fresh bed from a local bakery – to stay safe and make sure you don’t run out the day of, place an order online or over the phone ahead of time so it can quickly be picked up before supper.

 A side dish is a must – whether you go with simple grilled vegetables or a salad, make sure you find a recipe that doesn’t take up too much time and can also be made the day before or earlier that morning to cut down time spent in the kitchen before and during the meal. Recipes like this Mediterranean Pasta Salad from Becky’s Best Bites can be prepped and put together well in advance so all you need to do is place it on the table before eating!

Whatever you’re cooking on the barbecue will be the main event of the evening – so make sure you choose something that is not only tasty but doesn’t take you hours to put together! Consider grilling up a recipe like these Prize-Winning Baby Back Ribs from Allrecipes. With an easy-to-put together rub that doesn’t need to marinade or sit for hours ahead of time, this can easily be mixed together the morning of so it’s ready to rub on the ribs with some barbecue sauce right before grilling.

For the grand finale, serve up a dessert that is perfect for a warm summer evening! This Rasperry Summer Sensation Dessert from Food needs time to freeze and put together, but you’ll be happy it is done and ready to eat when you need it!

 

What to Prepare

Besides the meal itself, there are still a few other items you’ll want to make sure you have ready to use before the barbecue. Don’t forget to take some time before the meal to wipe down outdoor furniture and make sure other drinks are stored in a cooler or the fridge. With mosquitos flying around, it’s important to make sure you have plenty of bug spray and other equipment like Off Lanterns or candles to keep them from disrupting your meal. Umbrellas to block out intense sun rays are also helpful and consider bringing out a lawn game or frisbee to play together after the meal is over.