As part of a paid sponsorship, I recently teamed up with the health and wellness experts at GOLO to develop a series of recipes inspired by their Metabolic meal plan.

Since it’s summertime, I wanted to focus on recipes that take advantage of the range of fresh seasonal ingredients that are more abundant this time of year, like tomatoes, red peppers, avocados, and cilantro. I also “leaned in” on nutritious proteins like shrimp and turkey.

The goal was to create fun and tasty recipes that families and friends can enjoy as part of their backyard cookout plans this summer. After considering several ideas, I locked in on three crowd pleasing and nutritious recipes that celebrate the tastes of the
summer season:

Grilled Southwest Turkey Burger Sliders:
Nothing says summer like grilling burgers in the backyard with friends and family. Brimming with flavorful ingredients like onion, cilantro, and cumin, and topped with fresh tomato, these Southwest Grilled Turkey Burgers are sure to impress.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos:
I don’t know about you, but Taco Tuesday is always a big winner at my house. Switch up your menu this summer with this recipe for Grilled Shrimp Tacos. The combination of fresh shrimp, mashed avocados, and succulent tomatoes served with a warm corn tortilla makes for some seriously good and fabulously fresh eats.

Red Pepper Deviled Eggs:
I’m always looking for a great side dish to bring to the cookout. Colorful and loaded with flavor, this recipe for Red Pepper Deviled eggs just screams summer to me. Packed with healthy protein and complimented by a red pepper punch, you’ll have as much fun making them with your family and friends as you will eating them.

Click here to see the recipes.
Remember, summer cooking is all about enjoying time with family and friends, and I hope you have fun making and eating these GOLO-inspired recipes.

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Pork and Slaw Sandwiches

Pulled pork is an instant classic and slow-cooking it is simply genius. Use packaged cabbage and carrot coleslaw to shave off prep time.

Barley, Black Bean, and Corn Burritos

Loaded with grains and vegetables, these burritos make a complete one-dish meal!

Pineapple-Coconut Tapioca

Small pearl tapioca combined with coconut milk and fresh pineapple makes a simple tropics-inspired treat. Fresh mango or papaya works equally well as a substitute for the fresh pineapple.

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Labor Day is right around the corner – that means the end of the summer and the last of summer’s sweet berries! Make the most of summer’s final bounty with a simple, delicious dessert that’s perfect for your Labor Day barbecue. This strawberry shortcake recipe made with biscuits comes together in a flash and is sure to be a hit with young and old, alike!

Ingredients:

1 quart (4 cups) strawberries, sliced
¼ cup sugar
2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
½ cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
½ cup whipping cream

Servings: 6

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 425°F. In large bowl, mix strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.

2. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk, 3 tablespoons sugar and the butter until soft dough forms. On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by 6 spoonfuls.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.

4. Split warm shortcakes; fill and top with strawberries and whipped cream.

Tips & Tricks:

To save time and add some fun, set up a make-your-own strawberry shortcake dessert bar! Kids will love getting hands-on and making their own fruit-full creations.

Video:

For other tips and a visual guide of the recipe, view the video below!

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner.  Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children.  She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Summertime has a bounty of colorful fruits and veggies to fill our families’ plates. With so many choices in the grocery store, sometimes it is hard to remember what is really actually in season! Our friends at Cooking Light have put together a guide to summer produce, along with recipe ideas, and tips to picking out the perfect piece of produce. So get your families’ tastebuds ready to savor the  best that mother has to offer this summer!

Peaches

The state fruit of Georgia, peaches are in season from May to late September. To select, look for fruit that is firm; with a taut, unblemished skin; and no signs of bruising or wrinkles. If you smell peaches when you walk up to the stand, you know they are ripe.

Click here for recipes and tips!

Watermelon

You can find fresh watermelons between May and September, but they are at their peak from mid-June to late August. To select, choose a firm, symmetrical, unblemished melon with a dull rind, without cracks or soft spots, that barely yields to pressure. Some people swear by the “thump” test, but experts say that method is unreliable for determining ripeness. Rather, look for a pale yellow patch, indicating where the watermelon sat on the ground while ripening on the vine.

Click here for recipes and tips!

Plums

A plum’s skin is tart and a little rough, yet its flesh is sweet, soft, and juicy. When you cook plums, something magical happens. The sweetness of the flesh, tartness of the skin, and spectrum of colors come together in harmony. To select, feel for plums that yield slightly to the touch; but don’t squeeze them. Let the fruit sit in your palm. It should give a little. If you buy firmer fruit, though, don’t put it in the refrigerator or the kitchen window—put it in a paper bag in a dark place for a day or two. After the plum is picked, the sugar level remains the same, but the acidity falls, so it only seems sweeter.

Click here for recipes and tips!

Basil

There are more than 60 types of basil, all members of the mint family. Basil is available year-round in supermarkets, but summer is the herb’s best season. To select, look for basil that isn’t wilted and doesn’t have dark spots. And if you’re growing your own, be sure to harvest it on a sunny day, as the sun will bring out the essential oils that won’t be present otherwise.

Click here for recipes and tips!

Figs

Keep figs stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator’s produce drawers, where moisture levels are higher. Figs require little work. Simply give them a good rinse, pat dry, trim the stems, and enjoy.

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Tomatoes

Heirloom is a term used to describe any tomato plant that’s openly pollinated (by wind and bees) and has been cultivated for more than 50 years. Seeds from the best plants are saved at the end of the growing season for future use. They come in many shapes and sizes—from the two-pound beefsteak to cherry tomatoes as tiny as currants. Because they ripen on the vine and are not stored under refrigeration, heirlooms are more likely than hybrids to have succulent flesh. But they vary in texture, running the gamut from firm, and barely seedy to soft and moist. Some seem at once juicy and firm.

Click here for recipes and tips!

Corn

A type of grass, corn is a New World food. May through September is peak season. To select, a fresh husk is the number one thing to look for. Nice deep brown silk tips or ends mean it’s ripe, but the whole silk shouldn’t be dried up. Open the tip of the husk to see if the kernels are all the way to the end of the ear; kernels should be plump and milky when pinched.

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Eggplant

Store eggplant on the countertop—not in the refrigerator. Choose a spot that’s away from direct sunlight. Choose a container that allows for circulation, like a vented bowl or perforated bag. Peeling a standard globe or Japanese eggplant is optional. Leave the skin intact for contrast, or remove it for a paler look.

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Zucchini

Summer is the perfect time to savor just-harvested zucchini. It’s peak season is June through late August, but you may see zucchini in markets in some regions year-round. With its slightly curved cylinder-like shape, this green summer squash is perfect for blending with other ingredients or in simple preparations highlighting the taste of fresh herbs. Because zucchini has a high water content, it doesn’t require much cooking; raw, it adds nice texture to a salad of greens or a crudités plate. Like its yellow summer squash counterpart, zucchini is also a good source of vitamins A and C, and fiber.

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Summer Squash

Unlike winter squashes, such as butternut or acorn, summer squash has edible skin and seeds. The most common summer varieties are yellow squash (also called crookneck), pattypan squash, and zucchini. Whether you’re gathering them from the backyard or from the supermarket produce bins, choose small, firm squashes with bright-colored, blemish-free skins.

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Blueberries

Of all the popular summer fruits, blueberries have an advantage, nutritionally speaking. They’ve earned the distinction of one of the most potent source of antioxidants, which help counteract heart disease, cancers, and other types of illnesses. Blueberries are also full of fiber and high in vitamin C. To pick the best of the crop, look for powder-blue berries that are firm and uniform in size. Store them in a single layer, if possible, in a moisture-proof container for up to five days, and don’t wash until you’re ready to use them.

Click here for recipes and tips!

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner.  Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children.  She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.