With the abundance of summer parties emerging as the weather warms up, planning the menu for a get-together with friends may become stressful. Fortunately, I have gathered four easy and healthy recipes that will satisfy your guests but will not be complicated- all recipes are under four steps!
Appetizer: Mini Caprese Skewers
This recipe was inspired by Iowa Girl Eats.
What you’ll need:
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Fresh basil leaves
- Mini mozzarella cheese balls
- Balsamic vinegar, to dress
- Toothpicks
Directions:
- Cut tomatoes in half. Spear the halved tomato onto the toothpick, followed by the mozzarella ball and a basil leaf. Repeat for desired amount.
- Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the caprese skewers.
Main Course: Quinoa Salad

What you’ll need:
Salad:
- 2 cups quinoa
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 baby cucumber
- ½ bunch cilantro
- ½ onion
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 jalapeno
- ½ green bell pepper
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 can of corn
- 1 avocado
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- Juice of 2 limes

Directions:
- Cook quinoa as instructed and let cool.
- Dice the remaining ingredients, aside from the black beans, corn, and avocado, into bite-sized pieces. Drain and rinse the canned beans and corn. Pour all the salad ingredients into a large bowl.
- Mix the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl. Once fully mixed, pour into the salad bowl and stir.
- Chill and serve topped with avocado slices. It’s best eaten on its own or with multigrain tortilla chips.
This recipe was inspired by Fit Foodie Finds.
What you’ll need:
- 1 banana
- 3 tbsp peanut butter (see last week’s post!), I used Trader Joe’s Chia and Flax Seed Peanut Butter
- Grated coconut, pistachio, or other desired toppings
Directions:
- Peel the banana and spread peanut butter just on the top portion when the banana is flat on the plate.
- Sprinkle the desired toppings on top of the peanut butter portion, and slice the banana, in which the slices will resemble a piece of sushi.
Drinks: Hibiscus Arnold Palmer
This recipe was inspired by Vegetarian Ventures.
What you’ll need:
- 4 cups of cooled hibiscus tea
- Juice from 4 lemons
- 1/3 cup agave nectar
- 3-1/3 cups water
- 1 lemon slice, mint leaves, and blueberries for garnish
Directions:
- Pour 1/3 cup of water and the agave in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until it boils. Simmer for 3 minutes and transfer to a heat-resistant pitcher.
- Pour the lemon juice, hibiscus tea, and the remaining 3 cups of water into the same pitcher and stir.
- Serve with ice and garnish.
So I would love to know:
- Which of these recipes would you try first?
- What is your favorite part about summer parties?
With assistance from future RDN Christina Chu. Photos credited to Christina Chu.
[…] Do not let food sit out for more than two hours (no more than one hour if it is over 90°F). If you are serving cold food, keep those portions small and store the rest in a well-insulated cooler. Check out these picnic-friendly recipes! […]