We love hosting summer dinners on the deck and I’m always looking for dishes that can be made ahead and served at room temperature. Here are my go-tos:
Peach Caprese (similar to the Nectarine Caprese in The Forest Feast)
Sesame Farro Salad (from The Forest Feast Gatherings)
Roasted Potato + Greenbean Salad (from The Forest Feast Gatherings)
BBQ Corn Salad (from The Forest Feast Road Trip)
Happy cooking!
I love adding a grain salad to my dinner party menus because it’s hearty and does well made in advance. Farro is like a bigger, chewier rice and Trader Joe’s has a 10-min bag of it that I use often. This recipe is from The Forest Feast Gatherings cookbook. Enjoy!
Here is the perfect warm-weather solution to dinner from my latest cookbook, The Forest Feast Road Trip. It’s vegetarian, but can easily be made vegan by using a non-dairy yogurt and skipping the Feta. this is also a great picnic food, as it can easily be assembled on-site outdoors. Protein-packed and very easy to assemble, this is an easy snack or light meal! Use my ideas as a starting point and swap in your favorite toppings.
It’s the New Year (Happy 2020!) so I thought I would share some lighter ideas for those who are looking for clean, fresh, and healthy recipes. This avocado shake from my first book is filling and delicious and it is really quick to make for mornings when you need to head out the door!
Peanut Butter-Avocado Shake
recipe from The Forest Feast
1/2 ripe avocado
1 1/4 c (300 ml almond milk or your milk of choice)
2 frozen bananas (peel & cut in chunks before freezing)
1 T peanut butter (or any nut butter)
3 ice cubes
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth!
Serves 2.
* * *
For more light recipes, check out:
Cheers to the New Year!
xx
Erin
Every year we go to Santa Barbara to my aunt and uncle’s dreamy beach house for Thanksgiving but this year, we are heading to Sonoma County. I’m making a few sides to bring including these green beans from my new Forest Feast Mediterranean cookbook inspired by our time in Sicily.
recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean
4 c green beans
2 cloves minced garlic, trimmed & diagonally sliced
1/4 c (35 grams) pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup (30 grams) pistachio seeds, roasted & chopped
Saute on medium heat with 1 T olive oil, plus salt and pepper, for 3-5 minutes or until the beans are bright green. Then add 1 T balsamic vinegar and 1 T honey to the pan and toss until all the beans are glazed. (about 1 min).
Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and the pomegranate seeds and roasted & chopped pistachio seeds.
Max and me in Cefalu, Sicily in 2017 while shooting The Forest Feast Mediterranean cookbook
The rural area of Sicily we visited is known for its honey and pistachio production and these ingredients are used frequently in sweet and savory dishes from the region. I love the added crunch from the pistachios. We visited the snowy volcano peak in the morning and ended the very same day with a sunset walk along the coast in the village of Santa Maria La Scala.
Ezra making a snowball near the top of Mt. Etna, Sicily, 2017
Happy Thanksgiving!
For more vegetarian sides, try my Persimmon Cranberry Sauce, Butternut Hummus & Deviled Eggs , or Nutty Cauliflower Rice Pilaf.
P.S. The Forest Feast Mediterranean is on sale now and makes a great host gift!
