Summer meals are all about enjoying those fresh, vibrant produce that grew beautifully throughout the year. It’s time to take advantage of the many fruits and veggies and start using them in our meals. Come winter, we’ll be begging for a ripe peach, juicy berries and vibrant veggies. They add flavor, color, taste, and of course, countless benefits. This week, I’m sharing some of my favorite ways to eat fruits and veggies. These meals are super easy to make and will make anyone a veggie/fruit fan.
Before we get to the recipes, know that by including fruits and veggies into a dish, as opposed to eating them plain, it can make even the pickiest eaters interested in them. There are so many different ones to choose from. They all have different tastes and textures and can be eaten in so many different ways. Let your creativity run wild and enjoy incorporating them into meals! I’m not saying you need to be bold and start making your brownies with beans, cookie dough with chickpeas or sneaking sweet potatoes into your muffins. Instead, have fun creating recipes that also highlight the fruit and veggies, but in a tasty way too.
If you don’t know where to begin, let me help you out with these three summer produce dishes. They’re filled with flavor and are so easy to make. Additionally, they all require less than 10 minutes in the oven/grill, so no need to sweat it out in the kitchen. Make these for your next BBQ, family meal or for the next time you’re hungry. OK, now that we got all that covered, let’s jump right in.
Salad Cones
Salads are good on their own, but how about taking the classic meal up a notch by making these delicious tortilla cones filled with salad? You can use a tortilla or wrap for this recipe. Watch as everyone gets excited to be eating a salad from a cone. The fun never dies. I filled my tortilla cones up with guacamole, but you can choose to add in your favorite salad and customize it with your go-to spices and flavors. The tortilla cones are super easy to make. You’ll want to cut a tortilla (or wrap) in half and form it into a cone. Once you have the cone ready, fill it with your salad/filling, top with your toppings and enjoy! You can also make fruit salad cones as a fun dessert.
Ingredients:
- 2 tortillas
- Guacamole:
- 1 large avocado
- 1 tomato
- ½ red onion
- 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Dash of salt and pepper
- Optional: Cilantro/herbs and cheese for the top
Instructions:
Cut the tortillas and form into cones. Place a wooden toothpick to keep the shape while baking and bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.
Make the guacamole by mashing the avocado, mixing the lemon juice and adding in a diced tomato, diced onion, salt and pepper.
Scoop the guacamole into the cones.
Top with cilantro and feta cheese.
Fruit Spring Rolls
Who said fruits need to be saved for dessert? I love incorporating fruits into my lunches and these fruit spring rolls have been one of my favorite ways to do so. They’re no-bake, are a great activity to do with the kids and are a fun way to add fruits into your lunch. Usually, spring rolls are made solely with veggies, but you’ll love these fruit ones just as much.
Spring Roll Ingredients:
- 1 pack of rice paper
- Choice of herbs (arugula, spinach, etc.)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 kiwis
- 1 mango
- 1 cup strawberries
- Juice of a lime
Strawberry Yogurt Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions:
Soak your rice paper until it gets a little moist
Assemble your rice paper rolls by placing a dollop of Greek yogurt, herbs, kiwi slices, mango and strawberries. Pour a little lime juice on top of the fruits for extra flavor.
Fold up the rice paper to form into spring rolls.
Blend the ingredients for the yogurt dipping sauce and serve in a dip bowl.
Grilled Eggplant
Eggplants may not be on your list of top veggies, but this grilled eggplant might up the vote. Growing up, I never loved eggplant. The texture, taste and way it was cooked never spoke to me. But since it’s summer season and the grill is out, I tested out grilled sliced eggplant and loved the results! Eggplant has so many benefits including being high in antioxidants and low in calories and fat. They’re so easy to add to your meals, and you never know, grilled eggplant may just be your new favorite side dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant
- ½ cup of your favorite sauce
- Salt
Instructions:
Slice the eggplant into ¼ inch rounds
Pour your favorite sauce onto a plate and dip in the eggplant rounds on both sides
Let it grill until tender, about 3 minutes each side.
Optional: Top the eggplant with parsley and feta.
Tali is a recipe developer that loves creating recipes that take minimal effort yet taste delicious. She started her Instagram account @behindthesnack back in 2019 and has grown it to 70K+ fans who all share the same love of easy and delicious recipes.
