Summer Picnic or Brunch Recipes

Summer picnics and brunches are a tasty way to spend time with family and friends.  Don't forget the liquid recipes too, with this heat, dehydration can set in faster than you realize.  To top the whole thing off, throw in a few water guns and water balloons and you're sure to have a fun and refreshing get-together.

Personal Pan Quiche (also gluten free)

Using a muffin tin in this recipe give you the perfect hand size quiche for a brunch or picnic.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 of a small sweet onion (diced)
1/2 of an organic red pepper (diced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 c. organic spinach (chopped)
Handful fresh basil (chopped)
1 package firm or extra firm tofu (drained)
1/2 c. vegan mozzarella cheese (grated)
1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. tamari
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.  Lightly spray muffin tin, set aside.  In a large skillet, add oil over medium high heat.  Once heated, add onion and red pepper.  Cook until soft (about 5 minutes), add garlic, cook another minute.  Remove from heat, add black pepper, spinach and basil, stir well.

In a high speed blender or food processor, add tofu, cheese, nutritional yeast and tamari.  Blend until smooth (you may need to scrap down the sides and blend again).  Add tofu mix to skillet and mix well. With ice cream scooper, fill each about half full until all mixture has been used.  Place in oven, bake 25-  30 minutes.  Tops should be browned.  Remove and allow to cool slightly before serving.


Potato Salad (gluten free)

Ingredients:
10 medium yellow or red organic potatoes (quartered, unpeeled)
3/4 c. vegan mayo
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 large organic carrots (peeled and chopped)
2 stalks organic celery (chopped)
Handful fresh chives (chopped)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
Place quartered potatoes in large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10-15 minutes (until tender, but too soft or it will become mushy).  Remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water, set aside.  In a large bowl, mix all other ingredients, whisk until well incorporated.  Once potatoes cool, cut into cubes, add to the large bowl and gently stir until well coated.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Sugar Cookies (gluten free, nut free, soy free)

The best thing about sugar cookies is that you can use them for any occasion just by changing which cut-out you choose.  Of course, for summer festivities, star cookies were the preferred cut-out this time around.  

Ingredients:
3 c. Bob's Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp. ground flax meal whisked well with 3 Tbsp. water)
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. coconut sugar
1 c. organic vegetable shortening (spectrum is a good one)
3 Tbsp. rice milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (gluten free)
water (optional)
dye-free sugar crystals (optional)

Directions:
Prepare flax egg and set aside.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.  In a medium bowl mix all flours, baking powder and salt, whisk well.  In a large bowl combine sugar and shortening, cream together until well incorporated, mix in flax egg, milk and vanilla.  Combine until fluffy.  Slowly add dry ingredients, mix well.  Divide dough into 2 balls, place in large Ziploc bags, flatten slightly.  Place in refrigerator for at least an hour.  When ready, preheat oven to 375.  Take out one bag at a time.  With confectioners sugar, lightly dust clean surface area (may want to spread out parchment paper to roll out dough).  Roll dough until 1/4 inch thick and use preferred cutouts.  Place on prepared cookie sheets, brush each cookie with a little water, sprinkle with sugar crystals and bake for about 10 minutes.  Continue until all dough is used.  Allow cookies to cool for a minute before moving to a cooling rack.  Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container.


Flavored Ice Cubes

Ingredients:
assortment of fruits or veggies (washed, de-stemmed, peeled if necessary and cut)

Directions:
Place fruit or veggies by itself or into preferred groupings (i.e, strawberries and blueberries together or lemon and lime, etc) into food processor.  Puree until liquid, pour into ice cube trays and freeze.  As they melt in your drinks, they give a great added flavor instead of tasting watered down.

Energizing Water

Ingredients:
48-64 oz. of distilled water
assortment of fruits (organic strawberries, organic blueberries, organic apples, organic grapes, oranges, lemons, limes, really anything goes) or veggies (cucumbers, organic carrots, etc.)
ice or flavored ice

Directions:
Wash and thinly slice fruits or veggies (peels can be left on).  Fill pitcher with water, add fruits or veggies, add ice and serve.  This is really easy, but super refreshing on those hot, sticky days.


Cut up extra fruits and throw them in a large bowl for a fruit salad and you're sure to stay nice and cool.