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Quick & Easy Summer Recipes

Quick & Easy Summer Recipes

It seems as though there’s always something going on in the summertime, whether it’s a weekend at the lake, a neighborhood block party, or a last-minute BBQ with family. It’s helpful to always have a couple of quick and delicious recipes on hand for when these events sneak up on you. Keep reading for a couple of our favorite summer recipes and pointers on how to stay safe and healthy in the kitchen.

This recipe was pulled from Spend with Pennies, an entire site dedicated to quick, easy, healthy recipes. 

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 13 minutes

Ingredients:

1 box KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce & Dry Rub

1 3/4 cup pineapple juice (divided)

4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup mushrooms

1 red bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1 cup diced pineapple

1 green bell pepper

1 purple onion

Instructions:

Pineapple Honey BBQ Sauce

  1. Combine 3/4 pineapple juice and 1 pouch KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce & Dry Rub. Set aside.

Hawaiian Skewers

  1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. In a large zipper bag combine 1 cup pineapple juice and 1 pouch KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce & Dry Rub and chicken. Marinate 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat grill to medium-high.
  3. Thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers and brush with BBQ sauce.
  4. Grill 12–16 minutes or until cooked through.

 

There’s a reason we handle raw chicken the way we do. It can carry harmful germs and bacteria before cooked thoroughly. According to URMC, most viruses and bacteria that cause colds, flu, and foodborne illnesses are spread by hand-to-hand or hand-to-food contact.

We're willing to bet that you read recipes on your phone from time to time. If you don’t, you probably have it sitting close by while you cook, whether you’re waiting for a phone call or are showing all your faithful Instagram followers your newest conquered masterpiece in the kitchen.

Even if you’re being really careful, it’s likely that raw chicken juice (gross) ended up somewhere that you can’t see. This is why it’s important to do three things after cooking a meal:

  1. Wash hands for 20 seconds using hot, soapy water. (Do this before, too.)
  2. Wipe down counters with powerful surface cleaner.
  3. Use PhoneSoap 3 or HomeSoap to kill 99.99% of germs* on that phone or tablet sitting nearby.

We need to be careful about not picking up any harmful bacteria from the food we bring into our homes and not to expose our food to any lingering germs. We can do this using the same three steps listed above before we start cooking or prepping food. You’ll also want to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly unless they come packaged and marked "prewashed."

Which brings us to our second recipe, fruit pizza. This one is a tad more complicated than the kabobs, but what it lacks in efficiency, it makes up for in looks and taste. This recipe comes from Jamie Cooks it Up, so pay her a visit if you’re looking for more.

Sheet Pan Fruit Pizza

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Sugar Cookie Crust:

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 tb butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

Milk as needed 

Fruit:

Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwis

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Into your stand mixer place the butter and sugar. Cream together for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
  4. In a separate bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Mix until combined.
  5. Spray a large sheet pan (mine is 11x16) with cooking spray and carefully press the dough into the pan. The dough is kind of sticky, so be aware. I ended up spraying my hands with cooking spray and using them to press the dough into the pan.
  6. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown. Make sure not to over bake.
  7. Allow the pan to cool completely.
  8. To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the other ingredients and mix until silky. Add a bit of milk if it’s too thick.
  9. Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled sugar cookie crust and layer with beautiful fruit slices.

 

For more super helpful and easy tips on how to keep the kitchen bacteria at bay, check out this article by WebMD. My favorite one is to have three different colored cutting boards: one for fruits/vegetables, one for fish, and one for red meats.

Hopefully, you’ve found a new recipe to love and also learned some safe kitchen etiquette. Now go conquer those endless summer parties.

*Testing was conducted in a laboratory setting on actual phones, Apple watch, headphones, credit cards, and keys with a variety of pathogens, including Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Coronavirus 229E. Real-world results may vary depending on size, shape, and material of phone or phone case. For more information, click here.

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