Recipe Mutiny steals recipes from food blogs and recipe sites. Then we publish them. With credit (Naturally).
Packed with fresh tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers—not to mention Kalamata olives and feta cheese—this pasta salad has all the flavor of your favorite Greek salad! The lemony garlicky dressing is also flavorful enough to stand up to olives and feta, but it doesn’t overpower the more delicately flavored ingredients such as cucumber and tomato.
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As summer reaches its peak and families across the country gather around their campfires to roast hotdogs and s’mores, many food-lovers find themselves just a little unfulfilled with the traditional campfire fare. However — with just a little creativity and planning — anyone can use a roasting fork, barbecue skewer, or a classic wooden stick to bring their campfire cuisine up a notch. Here, we’re doing to break down what ingredients and methods can make your campfire extraordinary this summer.
Meat
While hot dogs and sausages have always been campfire staples, consider roasting other types of meat on the open fire. Bacon, meatballs, and cut-up steak are just a few great options for roasting. Be sure to marinate and season the pieces before roasting them, but mind any dripping oil to avoid fires. Be wary of cross contamination any time handling raw meat — smaller pieces make thorough cooking easier as temperatures can be more unpredictable with an open flame.
Fruit
Chowhound
For a delicious, sweet and healthy treat, use your sticks to roast some fruit. Strawberries, bananas, apples, pears, apricots, dates, and avocado all make excellent roasting options — without any concerns about undercooked food. Try sprinkling a bit of cinnamon, sugar or maple syrup onto the sweeter fruits for added flavor. For a more savory option, try tomatoes on a stick with a bit of mozzarella and spinach. Drizzle the product with a bit of oil and vinegar and suddenly your campfire meal is looking pretty high-brow. While fruits are less traditional, fire-roasted corn and carrots are two more age-old options for campfire cooking that make for a great snack.
Kebabs
On the topic of roasting mozzarella and tomatoes, kebabs are an excellent option for campfire cooking. Bell pepper, onion and a seasoned meat is my own preference — but kebabs offer a great opportunity for picky eaters to make their own unique combination. Consider using a sweet combination of fruit for a dessert kebab, or perhaps offering a kebab-making station. If using raw meat, be sure to mind cross contamination and internal temperatures.
Chowhound
Fire-Roasted Sandwiches
From the simple grilled cheese, to a meat layered delicacy — sandwiches over the campfire make for a crispy, melty campfire treat. The key to sandwich success, despite laying on the layers, lies with the stickiest components of the meal. By making sure to place cheese and other sticky ingredients between layers of meat and veggies, it’s incredibly easy to just use two sticks to hold the bread together above the flame — toasting it to perfection. A splash of color from lettuce and tomato, with cheese holding the masterpiece together makes it look and taste artisan. With the right meat, cheese and vegetable options, everyone can make their sandwich the way they want and toast it to exactly to their own personal liking.
Egg
For some protein outside of the traditional campfire options of hot dogs or sausages, try roasting an egg. While it’s not the easiest task without the right type of “Y” shaped stick, an egg can be placed in an orange peel and roasted. Without the buffer of the orange peel, the egg will explode — so be careful. While it does take some practice, this is a great option for picky eaters and vegetarians.
Croissants and Biscuits
Another great option for those avoiding meat are croissants and biscuits. While homemade ones are delicious, a classic refrigerated cylindrical popping tin with a rolled up sheet of dough works perfectly for a campfire treat. Roll them up and stab them through the thickest parts with your roasting stick, and cook them over the fire until they become flakey and brown.
In general, a good rule of thumb is that if you can put a stick in it, it can be roasted over a fire. Consider using tin foil to protect your food from the flame as it roasts, as well as keeping it tucked safely together. While having the right ingredients is obviously a priority, your campfire cooking will only be as good as your roasting tool. Your poker needs to be chosen carefully: If you don’t have a stainless steel fork or rod available, be sure to pick a stick that can support the weight of the food and won’t get debris on your meal. A dry or brittle stick runs the risk of catching fire and breaking, but it does need to be small enough to puncture the item without destroying it. With the right stick and some grocery shopping, your crew’s campfire cuisine can make your trip this summer unforgettable. Just because your team doesn’t have a kitchen while camping doesn’t mean you should have to be wedded to the tradition of hot dogs and marshmallows — so get creative and start roasting.
Related Video: How to Make Steak Kebabs with Potatoes
They say you should never mess with a good thing, but when it comes to what might as well be the National Appetizer of Italy (that’s not actually a thing, but we’re making it one!)—Caprese salad—a little creativity can actually make it even better. That’s because the ingredients are so simplistically, deliciously pure that they continue to authentically shine with the addition of a few extra (equally simple) accouterments. Satisfy your next Caprese craving with one of these mouthwatering twists.
Caprese salad deluxe
Adding surprising ingredients to a Caprese salad in its classic form (seasonal tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt) is an easy way to elevate the dish from elegantly simple to simply elegant. For David Burke, renowned chef and restaurateur—who just opened his newest restaurant, Woodpecker, in New York City—that means adding flavors that stay within the boot-shaped borders of Italy. “I like something that gives crunch, something effervescent, and a little spice, too,” he says. “Crushed pistachios or pine nuts, lemon or orange zest, and a little black pepper or chili flakes would be very nice.”
Caprese pizza
Homemade Pizza Tips
Caprese salad technically already exists in pizza form (it’s called a margherita), but you can add some wow-power by introducing decadent burrata to the mix—trust us, your taste buds and dinner guests will both be seriously impressed. Macchina in New York City is Insta-famous for its version of the dish, so we asked Sean Rawlinson, culinary director and partner at Macchina, to tell us how its made. Top your dough with a tomato sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes, then add fresh mozzarella (or mozzarella curd, if you can find it), basil, and a ball of burrata nestled right in the middle. Then comes the best part. Burrata is a solid shell of fresh buffalo mozzarella that’s stuffed with stracciatella (unpulled mozzarella) and cream, which oozes out as soon as you cut into it—before digging in, spread the rich, gooey cheese across every slice.
Caprese risotto
What happens when you marry decadently creamy risotto with bright and fresh Caprese salad? Magic, that’s what. There are two schools of Caprese risotto thought, says Lidia Bastianich, renowned chef, award-winning public television host, bestselling cookbook author, and restaurateur. You can stir traditional Caprese salad ingredients into a finished onion-based risotto. Or, you can serve the risotto plain and top it with those Caprese ingredients just before serving. Both sound equally delicious to us!
Caprese bites
Piling the salad ingredients on a poppable vessel is a quick and easy appetizer or snack. Choose something sturdy and crunchy, like toasted baguette slices, Triscuit crackers, or pretzel crisps.
Caprese sandwich
Tuck the salad ingredients between your favorite bread, then bite into it cold or grilled like a panini. We recommend crusty baguette, flavorful focaccia, hearty ciabatta, or good ol’ Italian.
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Almost Caprese salad
Keep it simply surprising with this innovative iteration that’s perfect for dinner or dessert. “For a modern twist, I like to replace tomatoes with grilled summer fruit like white peaches, which are in season now,” says Donatella Arapaia, celebrity chef and partner at Prova Pizzabar in New York City.
Caprese parfait
Here’s a whimsical idea that lends itself to a pretty and fun presentation, courtesy of Burke. “Cook tomatoes down, sort of like a ratatouille. Then layer with ricotta cheese instead of mozzarella,” he says. We suggest devouring it with a hunk of fresh Italian bread.
Caprese pasta
Whether you serve this dish hot or cold, you’re sure to be going back for seconds. “Cook the pasta, drain, and toss with extra virgin olive oil. Then throw in the Caprese ingredients and mix, or just set them on top of the pasta and serve. You can also substitute wild arugula instead of the basil, if you want,” says Bastianich.
Caprese soup
Make a chilled tomato soup and top with shreds of fresh mozzarella, strips of basil, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. For a little extra kick, add some red pepper flakes or tiny slivers of fresh chili pepper.
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Caprese skewers
Fancy up finger food by stacking toothpicks or short skewers with grape tomatoes, mini fresh mozzarella balls, and basil leaves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, then munch away. Or, use it as a tasty and edible garnish on a Bloddy Mary. “It’s a great way to wash down a meal and enjoy a snack at the same time,” says Rawlinson.
Caprese-ish salad
Burke is a creative culinary genius, known for his out-of-the-box flavor mash-ups and presentations (if you haven’t had his clothesline bacon that’s blow-torched on the spot, head to Woodpecker right now), so it’s no surprise that this idea is, well, pretty surprising! “I love grapes with tomatoes. Deep fry red grapes—wet them, roll in flour, egg, and corn flake crumbs, then fry. They’re great as croutons and a nice surprise,” he says. “You can do the same thing with black olives, just stuff them with pesto, first, then fry.” Toss with the rest of the Caprese ingredients and consider topping with some bits of crispy prosciutto for some extra salty goodness.
If that sounds too ambitious, Burke suggests mixing red and yellow grape tomatoes with watermelon cubes or melon balls (cantaloupe or honeydew) for a refreshing twist.
Related Video: How to Make Caprese Mac and Cheese
Many sweet and savory pie recipes require pre-baking or “blind baking” a crust. No one really knows where the term got its name, but “blind” baking a crust means baking it without a filling.
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One thing we gardeners can count on in the peak of summer is a surplus of zucchini and tomatoes, right? That basil plant in the corner of the garden bed is pretty happy too.
If you are looking for ideas of what to make with the most summery of summer produce, check out this zucchini tomato quiche!
It’s simple enough as quiches go—shallots, shredded zucchini, an assortment of colorful cherry tomatoes, basil, and herbs with a custard base of eggs, milk, cream, sour cream, and Parmesan.
Tomatoes, basil, and zucchini play well together as a matter of principle, and they work beautifully in this quiche. Every bite is a taste of summer.
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This month, Summer Miller is back, sharing her meal plans for July. Summer is a mom, a full-time food writer, and also helps test the fabulous recipes we bring you every week at Simply Recipes.
Summer has arrived launching cannonballs of heat and humidity. The air is thick and heavy like wet blankets. I can feel the weight of it on my skin and in my lungs.
I wade through the sticky and heat-stricken Midwestern masses by day, awaiting the cooler evenings that seem endless this time of year.
The fireflies are out in droves looking for love in the twilight skies and between blades of grass peppered with white clover. Every evening is an opportunity for dinner and a show. Meals by the window or on the porch suit me just fine in July even in the thick summer air.
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