4 Tips for Simple Summer Entertaining

Entertaining. Some people love it. Some hate it.

I’m firmly in the “love it” camp. So much so that some may say that I have a pathological need to feed people. I know that not everyone feels the same way.

Often, people are in the “hate it” camp because they think that it’s a lot of work. It certainly can be. But you can host a fantastic, fun event without a lot of work. In fact, what I’ve learned over the years is that people have the best time at a party when the food is simple. And, summertime is the easiest time to create simple, delicious food.

Here are some tips to make feeding your friends easy:

1. Start with good ingredients. I’m often told that I’m a good cook. But in reality I keep things really simple. The secret isn’t my skill. It’s good ingredients. When your ingredients are delicious you don’t need to do much to them. This time of year so many veggies and fruit are at their peak. Mother Nature’s done the work for you, all you need to do is highlight the abundance. Green Earth Organics only sends you good ingredients all year long. Start with the ingredients in your box and you’ve got the makings for a delicious menu!

2. Serve healthy food. Often we feel that because it’s a party, we need to be serving rich, indulgent foods. But I find that people appreciate that I serve healthy food. They get to come and enjoy fantastic food and friends, without feeling guilty afterwards. All the pleasure without the guilt – sounds good to me.

3. Offer a variety. In this world of food sensitivities and special diets, serving a variety of foods makes everyone happy. People can pick and choose what works for them. For example, attending the evening gathering in the photo that I snapped, I had a vegetarian, two pescatarians (they eat seafood but no meat or poultry), an allergy to stone fruits, a hazelnut allergy, a blueberry allergy, and someone who eats gluten-free. The event was at 7pm so I knew that some people would have eaten dinner at home before coming out and some people would be arriving hungry for dinner. It was also during one of our summer’s heat waves so I didn’t want to spend all day in a hot kitchen, nor did people want to eat hot, heavy food. What did I serve?

• Cucumber topped with smoked salmon pate
• Quinoa salad in endive boats
• Sweet & spiced nuts (no hazelnuts)
• Cherry tomatoes
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Local melon
• Cherries, apricots, and peaches.
• Apricot-almond tarts
• Meringues  

4. Know when to outsource. Stick to what you’re good at, otherwise you’ll stress yourself out. For example, I don’t have the gift of baking. So I either plan a dessert without baked goods (e.g. a mixture of fresh fruit and some good-quality chocolate), or I ask a guest to bake dessert (many people love to help out), or I buy dessert at a bakery. At the event in the picture, I bought the tarts and meringues at an amazing local gluten-free bakery.

Don’t let the perception that it’s a lot of work get in the way of enjoying getting together with your loved ones. Keep it simple and enjoy their company.

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com


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Quick & Easy Freezer Jam

Adapted from
A Girl Worth Saving



Ingredients

1 lb berries or other fruit, cubed
1 Tbsp gelatin/pectin
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

Note: This recipe can also be used with frozen fruit, no changes necessary.

Directions

Throw your fruit, the sea salt, vanilla and honey into a medium sized pan and bring to a boil. 

Let the mixture cook into a low boil for roughly 45 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by half.

Leave the pan on the stove and mix in the gelatin. Stir thoroughly for 1 minute and then pour the mixture into a mason jar. Be careful not to add more than the recommended amount or to go over the 1 minute. Gelatin/pectin is very fussy and can easily turn your jam grainy if overcooked or too much is added.

Allow to cool, then seal with a lid and store in your freezer for long term storage or your fridge if you want to eat it right away.

Once opened, the jam is good for one week. 

If you don't eat jam that often, I recommend storing it in small stackable square jars so you only need to unfreeze what you're going to use and they save space in the freezer by being a square shape.

Fresh Apricot Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:
1 fresh ripe apricot, pitted
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil
Sea salt, to taste

Salad:
1/4 package rotini pasta
6 fresh apricots, pitted and sliced
1 zucchini, diced
1 bell pepper (any colour), sliced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp dried basil
2 cups spring salad mix or lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

DIRECTIONS

Combine apricot, vinegar, and sugar in blender, and whirl until blended. With blender running, slowly add olive oil until smooth. Stir in basil and salt to taste. Refrigerate.

Cook pasta according to package directions, then rinse in cold water, drain, and let cool.

Combine pasta, sliced apricots, zucchini, bell pepper, and basil in bowl. Toss with apricot basil salad dressing and serve on a bed of salad greens or lettuce.

Silken Tofu in Apricot-Honey Sauce

INGREDIENTS

8 fresh apricots
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp honey
1 package silken tofu - drained, patted dry, and cut into 1/4 inch slices

DIRECTIONS

Set aside 4 of the apricots. Peel, pit, and puree the other 4.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the sugar. Cook and stir until the sugar has melted and is lightly browned. Remove from heat and continue stirring until caramelized. Put over low heat and mix in the pureed apricots, vanilla, and honey. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until thickened.

Arrange the tofu slices on dessert plates and drizzle with the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until chilled. Pit and slice remaining 4 apricots. Serve tofu with sliced apricots on the side.

Blueberry-Apricot Muffins

INGREDIENTS

4 fresh apricots
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

Peel, pit, and diced the apricots. Check the blueberries for stems, wash gently, pat dry. Combine apricots, blueberries, and lemon juice, and toss to coat. Set aside.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together melted butter, milk, and egg. Stir milk mixture into the dry ingredients and blend just until moistened. Fold in the fruit mixture. Do not over-mix. Spoon batter into muffin cups.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins.