Summer Recipe Series

Summer is here, which means it's barbecue, pool parties, picnic and summer-fun season. We reached out to you to find out what some of your favorite summer recipes are. To start things off, we've got some favorites from the Marin Magazine staff.

Want to submit a recipe? Be sure to email your name, the recipe and a photo to [email protected].

Recipes from You


Black Bean Quinoa with Cumin Orange Vinaigrette

Recipe provided by Joyce Porter of Mill Valley, featured on her blog goodmotherdiet.com

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup mango, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 red or green jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced

The Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt

To Prepare

  1. Rinse quinoa to remove bitterness and cook according to package instructions; set aside and let cool.
  2. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, cumin and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, mango, bell pepper, jalapeno, black beans, avocado, onion and cilantro. Pour the vinaigrette on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
  4. If you aren’t serving immediately, place the avocado pit on top of the salad to keep the avocado from turning brown, or add the avocado right before serving. Serve at room temperature.

Santa Rosa Plum Crisp

Recipe provided by Joyce Porter of Mill Valley, featured on her blog goodmotherdiet.com

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 cups plums, pits removed and chopped
  • 1 Tbsn coconut, oat or almond flour (white or wheat work too)
  • 2 Tbsn sugar (honey, agave necter, etc.)–– more if your fruit is under ripe or sour
  • 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping:

  • 1/2 cup flour (made from any grain or legume)
  • 1/2 cup oats (not instant or fast cooking)
  • 1/2 cup pecans or almonds, finely chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 cup dates, pitted and finely chopped (optional)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, melted

To Prepare

  1. Combine plums, flour, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Pour into an ungreased baking dish or pie pan.
  2. Mix together all topping ingredients with a fork until crumbly.
  3. Spread topping evenly over the plum mixture Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
  4. Plums should be bubbling and the topping a golden brown.
  5. Serve with vanilla ice cream (optional).

Zucchini & Apple Spiral Salad with Basil and Mint

Recipe provided by Joyce Porter of Mill Valley, featured on her blog goodmotherdiet.com

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 medium zucchini
  • 1 Fuji apple (or other firm apple)
  • 1/4 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) or pine nuts, pistachios or hazelnuts
  • 1/2 cup sugar snap peas
  • 1 firm avocado
  • Salt
  • 10 basil leaves
  • 10 mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil (or other light oil)
  • 1 scant teaspoon honey (or more if you like it sweet)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

To Prepare

  1. Cut the ends off the zucchini and spiral or shred into thin strips using a mandolin or grater. The spiraler is definitely the easiest! Cut spirals into desired lengths if needed (about the length of a strand of spaghetti). Put the spirals in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and let sit for 10 or 20 minutes. Taste. If too salty, rinse, drain and pat dry. No need to rinse if the taste is fine, just don’t add more salt later without tasting first.
  2. Dry toast pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) on medium heat in a small skillet for a few minutes, until golden. Add to zucchini when cool.
  3. Cut basil and mint into ribbons. An easy trick is to stack the leaves and slice thinly cross wise. Add to zucchini. (Leave a few for garnish)
  4. Remove strings from sugar snap peas and cut lengthwise into julienne strips and add to the zucchini.
  5. Whisk oil, lemon juice, honey and apple cider vinegar together and set aside.
  6. Spiral apple (core first if using a mandolin) and add to the zucchini.
  7. Gently toss with a bit of dressing to keep from turning brown.
  8. Core and chop avocado and add to the zucchini mixture. Add a bit more dressing and gently combine.
  9. Taste for seasoning and add salt if desired.

Recipes from the Marin Magazine Staff


The Only Chocolate Chip Cookie You'll Ever Need to Know How to Make

Recipe provided by Calin Van Paris from forme-foryou.com

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups minus
  • 2 Tbsp. cake flour (8 1/2 oz)
  • 1 2/3 cups bread flour (8 1/2 oz)
  • 1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp. baking powder 1 ½ tsp. coarse salt, such as kosher
  • 2 ½ sticks (1 ¼ cups; 10 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¼ cups (10 oz.) light brown sugar
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (8 oz.) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks, preferably about 60% cacao content, such as Ghirardelli Sea salt or kosher salt for garnishing

To Prepare

  1. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until very light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
  3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
  4. Reduce the mixer speed to low; then add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. (Unless you have a plastic guard that sits around the rim of the bowl, this will make a big mess at first, with flour flying everywhere. I found that carefully holding a dish towel around the top of the bowl helped a lot.) Add the chocolate chips, and mix briefly to incorporate. Press plastic wrap against the dough, and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. The dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
  5. When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
  6. Remove the bowl of dough from the refrigerator, and allow it to soften slightly.
  7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Using a standard-size ice cream scoop and scoop six mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, making sure to space them evenly. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, and bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies onto the rack to cool a bit more.

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs Appetizer

Recipe by Veronica Sooley, featured on her blog Easy Does It Style

Makes 24 halves

Ingredients

  • 12 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3 ounces diced cold smoked salmon
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
  • 2 tablespoons chopped dill
  • Ground black pepper to taste (can omit this if you use peppered smoked salmon)

To Prepare

  1. Hard boil the eggs: Place eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce to a low boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and run cold water over eggs (the cold water will help preserve the yellow yolk color instead of the grey tint you can get if you let them stay warm).
  2. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks (reserve yolks in a separate mixing bowl). Mash yolks with a fork and beat in sour cream, then stir in salmon, chives, dill, and pepper.
  3. Spoon the filling back into the egg halves and sprinkle more dill and chives on top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Loco Moco

Recipe by Leah Bronson

Makes one serving

Ingredients

  • White rice
  • Black sesame seeds
  • Hamburger patty
  • 1 egg
  • Brown turkey gravy or homemade brown gravy

To Prepare

  1. Follow the instructions on the bag of rice to cook it properly. Add black sesame seeds to cooked rice.
  2. Using ground beef, make a hamburger patty using ingredients of your choice. (Standard is one egg, onions (or onion powder), garlic powder).
  3. Fry or poach your 1 egg.
  4. Make the brown turkey gravy per insturctions on the box or use homemade gravy.
  5. Serve stacked: rice on the bottom, hamburgery patty in the middle, egg on top and pour the gravy over all of it.

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Lemon and Asparagus

Recipe by Kirstie A. Martinelli, taken from Bon Appétit

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fusilli or rotini (spiral-shaped pasta)
  • 1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon plus sprigs for garnish
  • 1 5- to 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese

To Prepare

  1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until pasta is tender but still firm to bite, about 3 minutes longer.
  2. Meanwhile, combine oil, lemon peel, and chopped tarragon in large bowl. Coarsely crumble in goat cheese.
  3. Drain pasta and asparagus, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta, asparagus, and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid to bowl with cheese mixture. Toss to coat, adding more reserved liquid if dry. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow platter. Garnish with tarragon sprigs.

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

Recipe by Leigh Walker, taken and adapted from the Fit and Healthy with Debbie blog

Makes 16 muffins

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup plain low fat greek yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 TBSP ground flax seed
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 ripe bananas (when they're starting to get dark)
  • Unsweetened dark chocolate chips -or- almonds or walnuts
  • 2 teaspoons of cinamon (optional)

To Prepare

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line 12 muffin tins with silicone or foil liners.
  2. Place the oats in the food processor or blender and pulse for about 10 seconds. Add remaining ingredients to the food processor. If you don't have a food proccessor, a mixer works just as well.
  3. Process until everything is mixed together and oats are smooth.
  4. Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Place muffins on a cooling rack. Cool for a 5 minutes and then dig in!