A Simple Summertime Meal for Family and Friends

Sometimes the best summertime memories are the simplest.

Asking a few friends and their kids over for a patio dinner. An impromptu cousins-and-kids cookout. Asking friends to stay for grilled burgers and root beer floats after a fun day in the pool.

These are the things kids will remember when thinking about their childhood summers. “Remember that time we ate dinner outside and played soccer until it got dark?” Taking the time to create these memories is worth it!

Whether you’re entertaining friends or just planning some backyard fun for your own family, keep it simple and stress-free. Grilling means less mess to clean up in the kitchen, so we’re sharing a great recipe for a grilled chicken marinated in ginger and soy. It’s a versatile marinade that can be used for a vegetarian dinner of grilled vegetables, too.

Rice goes well with this dish, and lemon rice adds an extra bit of flavor. If you prefer lime juice, give it a try. You can also make this rice ahead and reheat before serving.

Let everyone get involved in dessert. Yogurt parfaits made in little terra cotta pots make a super-fun end to an al fresco dinner. Set up the ingredients on a backyard table, and let kids make their own parfaits. Similar to a dirt cake, yogurt is placed in the terra cotta pot, then layered with fruit and then topped with granola. It’s a fun presentation that kids will remember and will earn you the “fun mom” or “fun dad” badge for the summer.

Vacations and summer camps are great, but so are simple summer evenings spent at home!

This ginger-soy marinade is great with chicken, but is also good with pork and vegetables.

Ginger Soy Grilled Chicken

Makes 4-6 servings

• 6 skinless chicken legs or breasts
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Chopped green onions for garnish

1. Whisk together the sesame oil, lime juice, honey, soy sauce, grated ginger, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Pour into a Ziploc bag or shallow baking dish.
2. Add the chicken to the marinade. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. You can do this step in the morning, and let it marinate until it’s time grill.
3. Preheat grill to medium to medium-low heat. Grill chicken 8 minutes per side. Before flipping, check to see that the bottom side has a nice brown color. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees before removing from heat.
4. Garnish with chopped green onions.

This citrusy rice is great with grilled seafood or grilled chicken. If your kids aren’t fans of “green things” in their food, leave out the oregano.

Lemon Rice

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups long-grain rice (not instant), uncooked
• 3 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped oregano
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and mushrooms until tender. Add rice, sautéing for a couple of minutes to lightly brown.
2. Pour in hot water, lemon rind and oregano. Place lid on skillet and simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice, and fluff before serving.

Move over, dirt cake. Try one of these fun dirt-cake-inspired parfaits for a healthy dessert kids will love.

Flowerpot Parfait

Makes 4 parfaits

• 4 (8-ounce) containers berry yogurt
• 2 cups fresh sliced strawberries
• 1 banana, sliced
• 8 tablespoons granola (2 tablespoons per parfait)

Directions for flowerpot parfaits:

1. Line 4 small terra cotta pots with foil muffin cups or wax paper.
2. Spoon in granola then layer, alternating yogurt and fruit.
3. Sprinkle top with granola.

Natalie Mikles is a mom of three. She writes about food, sharing recipes for busy families and picky eaters. She has been recognized for her food columns as well as features on families and issues affecting local children. She loves pizza and movie nights with her family.