Summer meals can be tricky. Heavy dishes are pretty unappetising on a hot summer’s day, but your family will probably be hungry if you just serve garden salads every night. And while there are probably lots of lighter meals in your recipe collection you can cook, another thing about summer is that even those of us who love cooking can’t seem to get out of the kitchen fast enough at this time of year! Here are five of my favourite quick summer meals that require just a few minutes of your time.

1. Asian Grilled Chicken Salad

If you’re tired of the usual fresh recipes for chickpea salads and garden salads, shake up your summer with my Asian grilled chicken salad. The flavours in this chicken salad are incredible, and it comes together in a snap! You just whip up a quick marinade and let the chicken sit for 15 minutes – you can even do this step the day before and let it sit overnight. Then, grill the chicken while prepping the easy dressing and pour it over a salad of coleslaw, spring onion and coriander. 

2. 4-Ingredient Ravioli with Walnut Sauce

This 4-ingredient ravioli with walnut sauce is a deceptively simple meal with restaurant-quality flavour. In the time it takes you to boil up some store-bought ricotta ravioli, you can whip up the sauce of heart-healthy walnuts, garlic-infused olive oil, and cream in your food processor. Then, it’s just a matter of tossing and serving. Serve with a simple side salad of rocket topped with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Summer dinner ideas don’t get any easier than this! 

3. Hawaiian Chicken Burgers

Burgers are a quick summer meal staple, but they can get boring rather quickly. So I like to shake things up sometimes with this Hawaiian twist on the classic burger. Combine minced chicken with canned pineapple, breadcrumbs, egg and herbs, then shape into patties and grill. You can serve on buns or with a fork and knife. For toppings, sliced red onion, avocado, lettuce and tomato all work. These burgers pair nicely with ketchup or barbecue sauce – and you can even take it a step further and stir in a bit of pineapple juice left over from the can into your barbecue sauce to tie the theme together. This meal is great with salad and chips!

4. Spaghetti Amatriciana

When I need a quick meal, pasta is usually one of the first things to come to mind, and Spaghetti Amatriciana is everything you want in a summer meal. It’s satisfying yet won’t leave you feeling stuffed, and you don’t have to serve it piping hot.

This spaghetti sauce comes together in 10 minutes, and it satisfies even the pickiest of palates! Just sauté onion, garlic, pancetta, and dried chillies, then add polpa or crushed tomatoes and simmer a few minutes. Pour over spaghetti and you’ve got a quick, no-fuss meal that everyone will enjoy!

5. Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

When it comes to quick summer recipes that can be ready in minutes, don’t overlook slow cooker meals! Take my cilantro lime chicken tacos, for example. While this does technically take a few hours to cook, the CrockPot part is “set it and forget it” and you can make a big batch now before it gets too hot to freeze and keep on hand. This will set you up for a few nights of getting dinner on the table in just minutes! While you heat the chicken back up, you can prep your favourite toppings, like avocado, greens, cherry tomatoes, cheese and guacamole, get out some taco shells and dinner’s done!

Try out these quick summer recipes and find some new favourites, and share them with me! 😉

Love,

Nakita xxx

PS: if you’re constantly stuck for ideas on what to cook – why not join The Dinner Plan when we open doors next in October? Every 2 weeks, you get a Recipe Drop with 6 recipes. Plus shopping lists, and more!