Light Summer Dishes

During the warm seasons, keeping your cuisine light and fresh is a necessity. The last thing you want is to feel heavy or over-stuffed when it’s humid and hot outside. Here are a few recipes that are extremely easy to make and will fill you up but not make you feel heavy or sluggish.

Baked Kale Chips

Everyone loves a good crunch (or to fool yourself by creating something that resembles junk food). Baked kale chips are the perfect crunchy yet still healthy snack that is perfect for hot weather. Remove the stems of your kale leaves and cut into 1 inch bites. This will leave you with a few cups of raw kale. Make sure to wash and dry thoroughly.

Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and 3 cloves of minced garlic and spread over a cookie sheet. Put it into a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, tossing it halfway through. Add some parmesan cheese and put it back into the oven for 3 minutes (or until the cheese is crispy). Scoop onto a plate with a paper towel over it (to catch the leftover oil) and serve at room temperature. These kale chips are light and airy but still are salty and fulfill that junk food craving.

Dill Chilled Salmon

Fish is a healthy protein to eat during the summer seasons, but a hot meal is not always what you may be craving. This dish is extremely easy to prepare in advance, and since it’s a chilled dish, it is refreshing and tasty.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You will need a few personal sized filets of salmon with the skin left on. In a bowl, mix together dried dill, Dijon mustard, a small amount of mayo, and 3 cloves of minced garlic. To prepare your filet, wash it, dry it, and cover with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put it on a baking sheet and smother in your dill mixture. Bake for 15 minutes depending on the thickness of your filet. Put it in the fridge until cool. Sprinkle with fresh dill to serve. You can serve it by itself or with bread.

Creamy Yogurt Fruit Salad

This is an easy and refreshing fruit salad that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Cut up strawberries, apples, grapes, and fresh pineapple and throw into a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together fat free vanilla yogurt, honey, and lemon. Toss your fruit gently with your yogurt mixture. Sprinkle with fresh mint. This is easy to make, and you can substitute your favorite yogurt flavors and favorite fruit in.