This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate policy.
Last Updated on December 8, 2023
Summer is just around the corner, and it screams fresh vegetables and juicy fruits. Ripe tomatoes, crispy cucumbers, and sweet watermelons finally take over farmers’ markets. The weather is perfect for a sizzling grill, friends, and family gatherings.
Some of the finest summer recipes are quick and uncomplicated to make and taste fantastic and light. These recipes are ideal if you are a college student and want to spend more time enjoying long bright days outdoors. Healthy meals are an excellent way to boost your mood and make you feel great and energetic.
As a college student, cooking meals can take lots of time, just like tasks and assignments you need to do for your college. If you don’t want to spend lots of time writing and proofreading your projects, check out the essay proofreader service that can skillfully do the job for you. You will have lots of time experimenting, trying recipes, and enjoying the cooking.
We’ve gathered some of the most exciting summer meals and ideas to help you make your summer healthier, more nutritious, and energy-boosted. These recipes will make your summer unforgettable. Everybody can find something that will excite their taste buds, from the easiest crunchy salads and risottos – to chicken jambalaya and refreshing summer rolls. Without further ado, let’s dive right into these fabulous ideas. Don’t forget to reward yourself with cold fruits or ice cream after these dishes!
Three Healthy Summer Meals
- Chicken and Chicken Sausage Jambalaya
This tasty spicy pot meal requires fresh ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen. You can swap white rice with brown rice to make it even healthier, and don’t be afraid to add some chili if you like spiciness. This recipe serves three people, and it takes about 50 minutes to prepare.
You will need:
- 100g long-grain brown rice
- 250g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- One teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- 180g chicken sausage, thinly sliced
- 20 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 10g minced garlic
- 100g chopped red onion
- 50g coarsely chopped celery
- 100g chopped green bell pepper
- 1 cup fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- One teaspoon of black pepper, dried basil, garlic powder, dried oregano, white pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Directions:
According to the instructions on the package, cook the brown rice. When it’s cooked, set it aside. While the rice is still cooking, cut the chicken breasts into smaller pieces and season them with thyme and paprika. Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. Put it on a plate and set it aside when it’s fully ready.
Now, take a chicken sausage, put it in the same skillet, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the meat is brown. Remove the sausage and set it aside, just like the chicken. Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, celery, bell pepper, and minced garlic. Cook and stir the vegetables occasionally until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent.
Add tomatoes, chicken sausage, chicken breast, and brown rice to the vegetable mix when everything is nicely cooked. Stir all of the ingredients together and combine them. In the end, add some black pepper, white pepper, basil, garlic powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Put the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook the jambalaya until everything is warmed and combined. Bon appetit!
- Vietnamese-style Summer Rolls
If you are a lover of fresh and light snacks, look no further. These Vietnamese summer rolls are gluten-free and are great to dip in sweet or spicy sauce. They can be done in under 35 minutes and serve three people.
Ingredients you will need for three servings:
- 200g shrimp, deveined and thawed if frozen
- 50 dried rice noodles
- Sea salt
- One teaspoon of cane sugar
- Juice half a lemon
- Three tablespoons of fish sauce
- One small, thinly sliced red chili pepper
- One minced garlic clove
- 100g bean sprouts
- One handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
- Half a cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- Three shredded lettuce leaves
- Half a carrot, finely slivered
- 9 Vietnamese round spring roll wrappers
Instructions:
Cook shrimp in salted boiled water until they turn pink for about 2 minutes. Drain them and set them aside. In a separate pan, boil water and cook the noodles until softened. Lastly, drain them. Add sugar, two tablespoons of water, lemon juice, chilly pepper, garlic, and fish sauce in a smaller bowl. Combine bean sprouts, cucumber, lettuce, and mint in another bowl.
Put some water in a shallow bowl and soften a spring roll wrapper, working with one wrapper at a time. Let the excess moisture absorb into the towel. Take your bean sprout mixture, noodles, slivered carrots, and shrimp. Lay these ingredients at the bottom third of the wrapper and fold the wrapper’s tail up and over the filling. Lastly, fold the sides in and roll them. Serve these spring rolls with dipping sauce and enjoy.
- Tomato and Yellow Zucchini Risotto
This vegan-friendly risotto is a perfect pick if you like a colorful and tasty meal that you can upgrade by adding some parmesan cheese on top. This risotto serves four people.
Ingredients you will need:
- Four yellow or green zucchini
- One thinly sliced garlic clove
- Three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 200g baby plum tomatoes
- Finely chopped celery stick
- One finely chopped red onion
- 350g risotto rice
- 100ml dry white wine
- 300g tomato passata
- 1.5L hot vegetable stock
- Basil leaves, sea salt, and ground black pepper
Directions:
Slice the zucchini, heat a saucepan and add some olive oil. When the saucepan is heated, add garlic, zucchini, and salt and cook it for 8-10 minutes. Toss the tomatoes with olive oil and bake them for 15 minutes in the oven. When they cook, remove them to the side.
Heat a saucepan, and add celery and onion. After sauteing the vegetables, mix in rice and gradually stir in wine. After the rice absorbs wine, add the passata and stock; when rice absorbs fluid, put in a zucchini mixture and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add tomatoes and basil. Season to your liking and leave it to rest for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and give it one last stir before serving it. You can top it off with olive oil, black pepper, and parmesan cheese if you’d like.
Final Thoughts
You can make these meals any day of the week. Feel free to add more seasonings if you like spicier food. If you want to make a vegetarian version, add more vegetables and leave out the meat. Don’t be afraid to practice and experiment. Get creative and make your version of these dishes – you might even like your interpretation more than the original.
