Summer serves as the time for many celebrations in our home, including both of my sons’ birthdays. What are you ready to celebrate?

My new cookbook, You Never Cook Alone, is not just a collection of menus and recipes. It’s full of funny and touching stories about the recipes from my childhood in my Portuguese grandmother’s kitchen and from my own kitchen. My mission is to help others learn how to build well-fed families – emotionally and physically.

Check out the book to find out why these summer recipes are some of my older son Nathaniel’s birthday favorites. (My younger son Alexander’s favorite birthday meal was a Klingon Banquet—we are all Star Trek fans.The recipes and story behind that meal are in the book, too!) Order You Never Cook Alone at www.CookingwithElise.com.

Peach sweet tea

About 6 cups water                  ½ cup granulated sugar
3 peach tea bags                        1 cup water

Fill your tea kettle or saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Turn off your heat and place the tea bags in to steep for one hour or more.

While the tea is steeping, make your simple syrup by bringing your granulated sugar and one cup of water to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until sugar has completely dissolved and reduced by half.  Please note: Be careful to not walk away because this happens rather quickly!

Remove the peach tea bags, pour tea into the pitcher of your choice. I like to use the tall, pretty glass pitcher my dear friends found at a yard sale. They thought of our family when they saw the letter “J” (for Johnson, of course) etched into the glass pitcher. Always brings a smile to my face as I think of the thoughtfulness of our dear friends!

Add your simple syrup (wasn’t that easy?) to your tea and refrigerate until nice and cold. Enjoy big sips!

Summer Tip: Make a little extra tea to use in ice cube trays. Place one piece of mint in each cube, fill with tea and freeze. As the frozen tea cubes melt they will add flavor to your tea instead of diluting it like ice cubes do.

Spinach Feta Burgers

Moist and flavorful, these burgers are definitely a family favorite! A simple weeknight supper or a fun weekend treat, your whole family will love these burgers! How can moist and flavorful burgers filled with antioxidants and loaded with vitamins be bad for you? You’ll never miss your regular burgers once you’ve tried these!

1.5 lbs. lean turkey
1 cup frozen spinach, finely
chopped
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup reduced fat feta cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder

Mix ingredients together and form into patties. Place between waxed paper and store in the refrigerator until ready to cook. Put burgers on the grill or in a skillet with a little vegetable oil for about 6 or 7 minutes per side.

Green Goddess Dressing

In a blender, blend together:
1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
Juice of half of a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful of cilantro

Serve burgers on a whole wheat bun with Green Goddess Dressing and slices of tomato and lettuce.

Tortellini Salad

Perfect for any cook out or family gathering, this recipe will provide the color needed for any festive gathering and the flavors that will please every guest! This pasta salad is always requested at family gatherings, especially my son Nate’s birthday cook out—a tradition in our family since his birthday is in the month of July.

Another reason I love serving this side to my guests in the summer time is because it does not have any mayonnaise or sour cream like some other summer sides so it can stay out longer.

1 lb. frozen cheese tortellini, you can also use a whole grain or whole pasta if you’d like (We enjoy the bit of saltiness the cheese tortellini provides in this recipe)
2 cup cubed pepperoni, chopped
1 (14 oz) can small kalamata or black olives, drained
2 jars artichokes in oil or water, drained
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
½ yellow bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese
Handful of minced parsley
Handful of chopped basil
12 ounces Italian dressing– the zestier the better
Zest of 1 lemon

Cook pasta for five minutes or until the tortellini pop up to the top of the water.

Combine all ingredients and let sit in refrigerator at least two hours, but overnight is best!

Blueberry Peach Crumb Cake

A perfect combination, the blueberries and peaches add the right touch to this old-fashioned dessert! This coffee cake is to die for! Delicious by itself, but even better with a dollop of my cinnamon ice cream!*

¼ cup softened butter
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cup fresh blueberries
2 peaches, peeled and sliced (optional)

In a mixer, blend together butter, brown sugar and egg until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Combine dry ingredients and add to the mixture. Stir just until combined. Add buttermilk and vanilla extract. Stir until well incorporated. Carefully fold in your plump, sweet blueberries. Carefully spread mixture in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Insert peach slices every couple of inches into your batter. Make topping and sprinkle on top.

Topping
¼ cup cold salted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

*Visit cookingwithelise.com for my Cinnamon Ice Cream recipe. It goes perfectly with this crumb cake!