FRESH & EASY Recipes to Try This Summer

As college students, we’re always on the hunt for easy-to-make recipes. Since we have extra time in the summer, now is the perfect opportunity to test out new recipes. I personally love watching cooking and baking videos, in hopes of finding new seasonal recipes.

One of my go-to YouTube creators is Chef Julie Yoon. Her channel consists of simple instructions for beginner-friendly recipes. Julie is adaptable, when something goes wrong, she adjusts the recipe, showing her viewers how recipes are not meant to be perfect or identical to any other chef. She embraces individuality and encourages broadening our food palette by changing the recipe based on personal preferences.

Julie has created hundreds of YouTube videos over the past 11 years, so there are MANY recipes to choose from. I rounded up my favorite fresh and easy recipes from her channel for each meal you can try this summer!

 

Breakfast Idea: Overnight Oats 

Have you tried overnight night oats? The popularity of this simple breakfast has been on the rise, and Julie’s recipe is exceptional! For anyone unfamiliar with overnight oats, they are essentially raw oats soaked in your choice of milk. During the process of letting the oats sit in the refrigerator overnight, the oats become a soft consistency. My favorite aspect of overnight oats is the versatility this breakfast choice offers. From your choice of milk to the oats, to the toppings, you will never get tired of it because of all the different options to choose from. Overnight oats would be the perfect addition to your summer routine when you are rushing out the door.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (old-fashioned) oats
• ½ tablespoon Chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons (unsweetened vanilla almond) milk
• 2 tablespoons (vanilla Greek) yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Agave
• Toppings (your choice of berries, shredded coconut, nuts, etc.)

This recipe takes approximately 5 minutes to prep and place in a jar. For the best results, leave the jar in the refrigerator overnight.

 

Lunch Idea: Summer Veggie Spaghetti   

Since zucchinis and tomatoes are in season in the summer, what better time than now to make vegetable spaghetti? In this fun twist on the Italian classic, use thin slices of zucchini instead of entirely pasta, which lightens up this meal for the summertime.

Ingredients:

• ¼ lbs. of spaghetti
• 1 large zucchini
• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
• Crumbled Feta cheese
• Fresh basil thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

This recipe takes approximately 25 minutes in total to make: ten minutes to prep and fifteen minutes to cook. To personalize this dish, use your preferred choice of cheese. You can also swap out the zucchini for another other squash for a different flavor!

 

Dinner Idea: Rigatoni with grilled sausage and broccoli  

Pasta is one of the essential comfort foods for many people. The great thing about pasta is the options we can choose from: rigatoni, linguine, tortellini… The options are endless! For this recipe, instead of adding a heavy sauce, squirt some lemon and cheese on it after you cook the pasta. Based on your preferences, add tomatoes or cheese for additional flavor!

The great thing about this recipe is that it will only take about 35 minutes in total to make!

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• ¼-½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp dried oregano (original recipe calls for 1 tbsp fresh)
• 1 bunch broccoli, trimmed, about 1 lb. (original recipe calls for broccoli rabe)
• 4 sweet or hot Italian sausage links, about 14 oz total
• 10 ounces rigatoni (original recipe calls for mezze rigatoni)
• Grated parmesan cheese for topping

 

Snack Idea: Super Green Smoothie 

 

Packed with greens like kale and spinach, this smoothie is the perfect detox drink to make this summer. Add flax seeds, chia seeds, oatmeal, or yogurt to your liking. The best part about making smoothies is that the variations are endless!

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups almond milk
• 3 tablespoons raisin paste
• 1 banana
• 1 cup chopped kale leaves
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup frozen strawberries or berries of your choice

 

If you enjoyed those easy recipes, visit Chef Julie’s channel for her full playlist of Summer Recipes for even more cooking inspiration! Which recipes will you be attempting to make? Let us know at @asicpp on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook!