Our Favorite Summer Recipes 2022

‘Tis the season of summer fun…and summer flavors! All those long, hot days filled with, cookouts, campfires, beach time, and road trips combine with the magic of fresh fruits and vegetables to make some tasty dishes!

I’m sure it won’t surprise you to hear at Wholesome Story we’re a bunch of foodies. Yes, we love our food, and everyone in the company is busy slurping up all our warm-weather favorites. So, we thought we’d share some of our favorite recipes to keep you cool, nourished, and ready for all your summer fun.

 

Justine’s Summer Rolls with Thai Peanut Sauce

Our dietitian is a fan of Asian flavors, especially the sweet, salty, umami flavors of Thai and “Thai” cuisines. These summer rolls are a favorite for dinner on hot nights, for picnics, for weekday meal prep, and for having friends over. Carbs bathed in fat with just enough protein and vegetables to call it healthy. What could be better?

Ingredients:

Rolls:

1 package extra firm tofu

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 cup torn or shredded lettuce (soft lettuces work better than crunchy ones)

1 cup shredded or matchstick carrots

1 cup thinly sliced cucumber

1 medium avocado, thinly sliced

¼ cup fresh cilantro, stems removed

¼ cup fresh basil or mint, stems removed

2 ounces brown rice vermicelli noodles

8-10 sheets rice paper (spring roll wrappers)

 

Peanut Sauce:

1/3 cup peanut butter (any variety will work)

2 T. lime juice

2 T. soy sauce or tamari

2 T. sugar

1 T. rice vinegar

1 T. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. garlic powder

2-3 T. water (or as needed to desired consistency)

Directions:

Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp. sesame oil. While pan warms, slice the tofu into strips approx. 1 inch wide and ¼ inch thick. Arrange the strips in the pan and toast both sides until lightly golden. Remove tofu and set aside.

Place the noodles in a heat-proof bowl or pan and set aside. Boil enough water cover the noodles, then pour it over them and wait 3-5 minutes, or just until noodles are soft. Rinse noodles under cool water in a colander or mesh strainer. Leave to drain in the sink.

Fill a wide, shallow pan or bowl with just enough warm water to submerge one sheet of the rice paper. Gently slide a sheet of rice paper into the warm water and let soak for a few seconds. When the rice paper is pliable but still a little stiff, remove to a work surface and lay it flat to fill. Put a little of each ingredient in the rice paper wrapper and roll it up like a tiny burrito. The rice paper should stick to itself to seal the roll and keep it from opening. Repeat until ingredients are used up.

For the peanut sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.

Now you can dip your beautiful rolls into your delectable sauce and enjoy the taste of summer!

For non-vegetarians, you can add 1 tsp. of fish sauce to your peanut sauce for a more authentic taste, and/or swap the tofu for some shrimp or thinly sliced pork.

 

Junghwa & Eiko’s Blender Fruit Sorbets

It seems our leading lady and our graphic designer extraordinaire share a penchant for making their sweet treats out of frozen fruit. If you’ve got a high-powered blender and some frozen bananas, berries, or other fruit, you can toss them in along with your favorite plant-milk, hit “frappe,” and whip up some delicious “nice cream” that everyone is sure to love. Word to the wise though, choose very sweet fruits like ripe bananas, mangoes, blueberries, or pineapple if you plan to not add any sweetener.

Ingredients:

2 cups of cubed/sliced frozen fruit of your choice (bananas will make the creamiest treat just FYI)

1-2 T. plant milk (or dairy milk) of your choice. (You can omit the milk or add extra depending on texture preference, but if you want it thick, you’ll need to stir it between blending.)

Directions:

Add fruit and milk to a high-powered blender and start on the lowest setting. Gradually increase the speed to high and blend until it reaches the consistency of soft serve. (If you have a Vita-Mix or other blender that includes a tamper or paddle, you can stir and blend at the same time, but if your machine doesn’t have a safe, built-in method of stirring while blending, please be sure to switch the blender off each time you stir the sorbet.)

Portion out sorbet into two bowls and top it with goodies like fresh fruit, granola, chocolate syrup, and nuts, or enjoy it simply as is!

 

Taka’s Everything Smoothie

Our SEO is on the frozen fruit bandwagon too, but he enjoys his smoothies with extra PROTEIN! If you want a little bit of everything in your smoothie to give you lots of nourishing power for the day, the Everything Smoothie is an excellent option.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen strawberries

½ cup frozen blueberries

1 banana, frozen

1 packet frozen acai, unsweetened

1 cup fresh spinach

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (whatever brand you like best)

1 scoop greens powder (again, use whatever you prefer)

1-2 cups non-dairy milk (Taka uses almond milk, but any kind will do)

Directions:

Put all the ingredients, except the milk, into a high-power blender and pour 1 cup milk over everything. Blend until smooth, adding a second cup of milk to thin if desired. Enjoy immediately!

 

Mika’s Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta

Our brilliant social media manager is living that Mediterranean lifestyle this summer with her go-to recipe of Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta. This recipe is so quick and so easy; it’s really a no-brainer for a hot summer day.

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped Campari tomatoes

¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves (more or less to taste)

3-5 cloves of garlic (depending on your preference for garlicky things)

1-2 T. extra virgin olive oil (or to taste; sensing a theme here?)

Salt and pepper to taste (see we did it again!)

1 16 oz package of pasta

Directions:

Follow the package directions to cook the pasta.

While the pasta, is cooking, combine all other ingredients in a blender and pulse until desired consistency is reached. You can go for a super smooth sauce, or you can leave it a little chunkier. Allow sauce to sit while pasta finishes cooking; this will ensure your flavors have thoroughly melded.

When pasta is ready, drain it, immediately top it with the fresh sauce, and then serve right away. You can finish the dish with a generous sprinkling of parmesan or your favorite Italian cheese, fresh cracked pepper, more fresh basil, red pepper flakes, or really whatever suits you. Delicious!

 

Isul’s Lulada

Isul is from Colombia and she’s getting all exotic on us. Yay! She suggested we share a recipe for a traditional Colombian lulada, which is a refreshing drink/snack full of fruit, sugar, and ice. Ahhhh just what summer called for.

Ingredients:

6 lulos, peeled and diced

3 T. fresh lime juice

5 cups cold water

3 cups crushed ice

Panela or brown sugar to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl or pitcher, combine the lulos, panela or sugar, and a splash of the water. Using a fork, potato masher, or other instrument of destruction, mash and stir the mixture until pulpy.

Add the remaining water and the lime juice and stir.

Fill glasses with the crushed ice and pour the lulada over it. Serve each glass with a lime wedge, spoon, and straw.¹ Que deliciosa!

 

Well, if you’re not hungry now, then I don’t know what’s wrong with you. We’re all going to find things to eat now, since all this food talk has made us hungry, and we humbly suggest you do the same. Happy summer feasting everyone!

 

In parting, remember that eating healthy, whole foods, and lots of plants foods, is one of the simplest, safest, and most effective things we can do to promote good health in our bodies. As with every preventative/restorative measure though, sometimes these changes alone are not enough to help our bodies function the way we want or need them to. If you are struggling with health problems, please contact your doctor or other healthcare provider such a Naturopathic Doctor, Dietitian, or Mental Health Professional to see if they can offer appropriate guidance and care. We at Wholesome Story believe that healthy communities require community effort, so we advise you to keep your healthcare community aware and involved in your journey as you pursue better health.

 

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