Mint-Pesto Fettuccine with Cherry Tomatoes

While our tomatoes are very slow to grow and ripen, our mint is truly flooding our small garden out back. Without a real yard we are growing everything in pots, but the mint is really pushing the limits of its home! It grows as fast as we can possibly eat it, or possibly even faster. Yet, it’s delicious and enticing and keeps us playing with new recipes. Here we try a mint pesto, a first for me, and it works out wonderfully.

I also tried out the garden delight pasta as opposed to my typical use of whole wheat pasta. These noodles are made from a variety of vegetables, providing nutrients and protein into a meal that may not have had a ton of them otherwise. With the toppings I can’t say I tasted a stark difference, but the entire meal was delicious so I’m sure that contributed without me directly noticing it.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 20 min

Mustard-Chives Smashed Potatoes and Apricot-Pluot Salad

This amazing summer menu comes together extremely quickly and provides a burst of fresh, exciting flavors. Mashed potatoes are a typical favorite, but at restaurants they come piled with butter, salt, and cream. Here, I keep on the skin for added nutrients, cut out all butter and salt, and use fat free half and half for a creamy texture without the guilt. Use a food mill if you can to make the potatoes truly perfect in texture. The mustard, meanwhile, adds a wonderful pop that is tantalizing without being spicy (suiting me perfectly!) so you won’t even know they’re healthy until you read the nutrition.

Along with the potatoes, I made use of some in-season local stone fruits for a delicious salad. I chose to use apricots and pluots, but you could substitute other stone fruits if you prefer. If you’re not familiar with pluots, they are part apricot and part plum and 100% juicy and delicious. The recipe is simple but lets the produce truly shine.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 25 min

Banana Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Ice Cream! And not just any ice cream... homemade, low fat, banana chocolate chip ice cream! That's right, somehow I've never made ice cream before, but with my new toy, an old fashioned ice cream maker, I decided to dive right in and try my hand at it. I decided to use up the quickly-browning bananas on my counter to make one of my favorite and not-readily-available flavors. I also strove to maintain a creamy texture while severely cutting back on the fat content. It was ambitious, but it worked. The ice cream turned out rich, super banana-y, and delicious.

Unfortunately, we ate it so quickly that I forgot to take a picture... But without using any added colors, it came out a creamy off-white, as have my other flavors since. Most of the bright colors you see in store-bought ice cream are from food coloring rather than naturally occurring.

The chocolate chips are optional, so dive right in and try your hand at this delicious recipe!

Time: 4 hrs (1 hr making and 3 hrs chilling)
Difficulty: medium

Forbidden Black Rice with Salmon, Mango, Green Onions, and Spinach

If you haven't cooked with forbidden black rice before, you're in for a treat. It's not only tasty but absolutely gorgeous. Legend says that it was once eaten solely by emperors in China and was rumored to increase health and increase life longevity. Today it's still rarely used, which is a shame. The black rice turns a deep, royal purple when cooked (that stains fingers!) that is undeniably beautiful.

Surprisingly, it also doesn't taste like other rices. It has a much richer flavor, almost nutty in nature, that will leave you wanting more. That's okay, though, since this heirloom treat is actually far better for you than it's white cousin. It's whole grain and has more nutrients than any other rice, including huge stores of iron and antioxidants. So dive right in, prepare this striking meal, and feel good while eating it... just like an ancient emperor of China.

Difficulty: medium-easy
Time: 40 min

Fresh Mango Salad with Shrimp

This is a perfect summer meal. The mango salad combines super fresh, tasty ingredients that, while they can be enjoyed year-round due to our shrinking world, just zing on an entirely new level at this time of year. The tomato positively bursts with flavor, the mango is sweet and juicy, and the red onion provides both brilliant color and perfect tang and spice. Meanwhile, the shrimp pairs perfectly with its hint of protein and texture change.

I served this as a full meal but if you're looking for a little extra try some freshly prepared basmati rice with diced green onions and sesame seeds. Or, if you think of something else that goes even better, let us know in the comments below.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 20 min

Pea-Shiitake Risotto

I love risotto. It's endlessly delicious and good in all situations. Summer? Winter? Casual? Fancy? It always works. In this case I made it with peas and mushrooms and it was delicious. Feel free to start with this base and add whatever you have around, though, to use up leftover veggies or just to enjoy your favorites.

I made some fresh corn on the cob to go with the risotto to add some extra veggies. It's in season so it's hard to resist! But feel free to whip up your favorite vegetable or a tasty summer soup to go with this entree.

Difficulty: medium-hard
Time: 40 min