The celebration of (the end of) summer

We had a busy summer – from sending kiddos to overnight camp, to 50^th Wedding Anniversary Celebrations (not ours), to the Parade of Family Visits through our house and a last minute trip to New Orleans.

It’s been about a week since Labor Day – representing the last gasp of summer freedom – and we spent the weekend at my in-laws lake house where we spend many of our summer weekends. Labor Day is usually our last weekend at the lake before we truly settle into the school year routine (and that school year routine is worth celebrating after a busy summer).

There’s a certain rhythm of being at the lake. The mornings start slow but every day crescendos with cocktails/wine on the deck followed by slightly tipsy people cooking an over-abundance of all things meat on the grill.

I always struggle with what sides to make on hot summer days (and at the lake) that please varied taste buds, dietary restrictions, are healthy, easy and tasty. As a side note, I had a family dinner party this summer and my vegan sister-in-law was there with my nephew who eats “kosher style,” my aunt who can’t eat cheese and my uncle who is offended by any meal that doesn’t include a slab of meat with some form of starch. When I say varied I really mean TOTALLY OPPOSITE.

So … below are a few recipes I used a lot this summer as side dishes and sometimes a main meal. They can be modified without losing flavor, are delicious and healthy. Chances are, I’ll be eating all of these things into the Fall and the flavors, colors and smell will remind me of the Celebration of (and the end of) Summer.

Spicy Grilled Mango with Chiles and Crema (Taken from Cooking Light, March 2014)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

1 thinly sliced green jalapeno pepper

1 thinkly sliced red jalapeo pepper

2 ripe peeled mangoes, cut into 1/3 inch thick slices

Cooking spray

¼ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

3 tablespoons Mexican crema (I think you could replace this with coconut milk to make it vegan friendly)

¼ c cilantro leaves

What to do with the ingredients:

1. Combine 2 tablespoons juice and jalapenos in small bowl.
2. Coat mango slices with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and ground red pepper. Heat grill pan over high heat until smoking hot. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mango to pan. Cook without moving, 4 minutes or until well marked. Turn and cook 2 minutes; place on platter.
3. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon juice and crema in a small bowl, stirring with whisk until smooth. Spoon jalapenos over mango. Drizzle with crema mixture; sprinkle with cilantro leaves.

Green Mango Salad – adaptedfrom Bon Appetit, March 2014

I know there are a lot of ingredients here but pulling it together is super easy AND totally worth it! If you can’t find green mango or green papaya, do what I did. I used cucumber, julienned carrots and red pepper and added Boston leaf lettuce. I don’t have a mandolin so I do everything by hand.  Also, I make extra salad dressing and use it for a similar salad for my lunch the next day. I know this sounds like a lot of work but it’s super easy – don’t let the ingredient list intimidate you!

Ingredients:

2 Thai green or red chiles, with seeds chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

½ cup (or more) fresh lime juice

¼ cup fish sauce

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. palm or light brown sugar

4 green mangoes or 1 green papaya julienned on a mandolin.

2 medium shallots, thinly sliced

½ cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

2 Tbsp. toasted dried shrimp (this is TOTALLY optional. I’ve never used it and didn’t miss it. Although some nice grilled shrimp would round out this salad as a full meal).

2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

What to do with the ingredients:

1. Puree chiles, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, oil, and palm sugar in a blender until smooth.
2. Toss mangoes (or other veggies), shallots, peanuts, cilantro, mint, dried shrimp, if using, sesame seeds, and dressing in a large bowl. Season with salt if needed.