5 Easy and Light Summer Meal Recipes for a Delicious Dinner with Friends!

Cooking for friends is cooking for sharing and enjoying! But what summer meal recipe to prepare this weekend and get the best possible result? For small meals or big occasions, these 5 easy and gourmet proposals to share with family or friends will help you!  And don’t forget, when food is prepared with love, it’s always good!

Summer Meal Recipes to Share with Friends: 5 Ideas for a Successful Large Summer Table

In summer, it is not uncommon to meet around a large sunny table covered with dishes to share. Because if you say “summer”, you also say “good mood”! However, spending your time in the kitchen is out of the question. The advantage of preparing a summer meal recipe to share with friends is that it is much easier and faster than individual portions. Simplicity does not mean dishes that lack flavor. Of course, you can opt for classic summer meals if you feel like it, but why not bet on delicious recipes that will surprise your family and friends? Here are 5 ideas for success!

Greek Stuffed Tomatoes – A Vegetarian Summer Meal Recipe

Ah, the who doesn’t love Greek cuisine! Stuffed tomatoes is the perfect summer meal recipe if you plant to entertain friends this weekend!

Ingredients:

• 6 beefsteak tomatoes
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion
• 120g Feta cheese
• 150g long rice or bulgur
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• parsley
• mint
• dill
• the zest of an organic lemon
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C, then cut the tops of the tomatoes and remove the flesh. Chop the fllesh and put it in a bowl.
2. Place the tomatoes and their tops in a baking dish.
3. Fry the chopped onion for a few minutes in a little olive oil. Add the rice, the tomato sauce, then cover with water. Season with salt, pepper and bring to a boil.
4. Cook al dente for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the dish from the heat, add the herbs and the lemon zest.
5. Fill the tomatoes with the stuffing before covering them with the caps.
6. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.
7. Garnish with Feta, olive oil and lemon zest.
8. Serve hot or at room temperature

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Easy paella recipe – the safe bet

Ingredients:

• 12 mussels
• 250g squid rings
• 4 cups chicken or fish broth
• 600g shelled prawns
• 4 large chicken breasts cut into small pieces
• 2 cups medium grain rice or jasmine rice
• ½ cup frozen peas
• roasted sweet peppers, cut into strips
• 1 large chopped onion
• 6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, roasted, cut into small pieces
• 4 tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 teaspoon saffron powder or saffron threads
• 2 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion, garlic and pepper.
2. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until they are tender.
4. Then add the mussels and squid rings and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
5. Pour in the broth, add the rice, peas and saffron powder. Mix well until all ingredients are well combined. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat until the rice is al dente, stirring occasionally.
6. When the rice is al dente, add the prawns. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover and cook 5 more minutes until shrimp turn pink and rice is cooked.
7. Finally, sprinkle the dish with chopped fresh parsley and garnish with the roasted pepper strips.

Scaccia or pizza loaf

For a small family summer meal or a big reunion with friends, there’s nothing like pizza! But for a change, we will give you the recipe for the rolled version called Scaccia!

Ingredients:

• 900g pizza dough
• 200g scamorza
• 800g chopped crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 onion
• lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 bunch of basil
• ground pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the tomato sauce. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. In a casserole, cook the onion with a little olive oil for 4-5 min. Then add the garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Remove from the heat, add the basil and let cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 210°C. Line a loaf pan with baking paper. Cut the cheese into thin slices. Unroll the dough on a floured work surface. You need to form a large rectangle.
3. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the central third of the dough, then place half of the cheese. Fold the edges towards the center, overlapping them.
4. Spread a new layer of sauce and distribute the rest of the cheese. Fold the edges of the dough to form a rectangle. Transfer the dough to the loaf pan.
5. Bake for 1 hour. Unmold and let cool before serving.

Glazed pulled pork with hoisin sauce

For the sauce:

• 8 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
• 4 tbsp. peanut butter
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• a few pinches of garlic powder
• a few pinches of powdered ginger
• 4 tbsp. sesame oil
• a few drops of Tabasco

For the pork:

• 1.5 kg pork shoulder
• 2 tbsp. sesame oil
• 3 onions
• lettuce leaves
• 1/2 red onion
• Cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare the sauce the night before. Pour the sauce ingredients into an airtight jar. Season with salt, pepper and close. Shake the container vigorously, then keep in the fridge overnight.
2. The next day, prepare the pork. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
3. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil and brown the meat on all sides. Once nicely browned, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Generously brush the pork with the sauce, close the Dutch oven and bake for 6 hours.
5. Remove from the oven and let the meat relax for 1-2 hours before shredding with a fork.
6. Peel the red onion and cut it into rings.
7. Wash and chop the cilantro.
8. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves, then garnish the pork. Add the red onion rings and cilantro.

Mackerel en papillote, green beans, garlic and sesame

Ingredients:

• 4 mackerels
• 3 lemons
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro
• 1 apple
• 4 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 kg of fresh green beans
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 chili
• 2 tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 210°C.
2. Squeeze one of the lemons and cut the others into slices.
3. Peel and press the garlic cloves, chop the cilantro and wash and cut the apple.
4. In a bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, apple, coriander and garlic.
5. Place each mackerel on a large sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle with the mixture and season with salt and pepper.
6. With a sharp knife, make slits on the fish and insert the lemon slices. Carefully close the paper and bake for 20-30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, wash and cook the green beans in a pan filled with salted water for 12 minutes. Drain them and rinse with cold water.
8. Peel and chop the garlic cloves and chili. Heat a frying pan with a little sesame oil, then sauté the beans with the garlic and chili.
9. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, salt and pepper.
10. Serve the fish with green beans.