summer Archives - A Calculated Whisk

Gluten-free Financiers with Figs

October 5, 2019 By Becky Leave a Comment

These gluten free financiers have a flavorful, tender crumb thanks to brown butter and almond flour, and are studded with fresh figs.

After weeks of sweltering weather with highs in the upper nineties, we’re finally having a “fallish” day here in Chattanooga with highs only reaching the upper eighties. I bake no matter the weather, but feeling a tiny chill in the mornings really makes me eager to turn on the oven. If you’re doing some fall baking this weekend, I highly recommend these gluten-free financiers with figs.

Financiers are a French treat made with brown butter, almond flour, and egg whites. There’s usually a bit of all-purpose flour in there, too, but here I’ve used cassava flour* (*affiliate link–I earn from qualifying purchases. All affiliate links in this post are marked with a *) to keep them gluten free and grain free.

Grilled Vegetables with Jalapeño Aioli

September 16, 2019 By Becky 2 Comments

These grilled vegetables with jalapeño aioli are a great way to make the most of the last few weeks of grilling season! Zucchini, okra, mini peppers, and red onion wedges grill up quickly and are irresistible dipped in the creamy and spicy aioli.

Here in the South, the highs continue to sneak into the nineties most days and the markets are still packed with tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and okra. So while fall may technically be looming on the horizon, I am not ready to give up grilling anytime soon.

All summer long I’ve been firing up my grill and filling it with local veggies, sometimes adding some sausage or chicken as well, and calling it dinner. Nobody has complained, but I recently decided the one thing a platter of grilled vegetables really begs for is a flavorful sauce for dipping. The grilled vegetables almost seem like extra flavorful and colorful French fries once you add a nice aioli to dunk them into.

Instant Pot Tomato Sauce (made with fresh tomatoes)

September 9, 2019 By Becky 2 Comments

Instant Pot Tomato Sauce (made with fresh tomatoes)

This simple and luxurious Instant Pot tomato sauce is inspired by Marcella Hazan’s classic recipe, but takes advantage of fresh summer tomatoes from your garden or CSA.

Something about September makes me want to bust out the Instant Pot for almost every meal! All summer long I only used it for rice (it makes the most PERFECT rice!), but now that it’s fall I’m ready to make all manner of sauces, soups, stews, and braises.

Cantaloupe, Corn, and Zucchini Salad with Lemony Pesto

August 5, 2019 By Becky 2 Comments

This cantaloupe, corn, and zucchini salad with lemony pesto is a perfect no-cook recipe for hot summer nights. It’s vegan, gluten free, and dairy free.

What’s fresh, fast, raw, and super delicious?

Cantaloupe, corn, and zucchini salad with lemony pesto, that’s what!

Cherry Pico de Gallo

July 2, 2019 By Becky 4 Comments

This cherry pico de gallo is an easy, sweet twist on your favorite fresh salsa. It’s great with chips or on top of grilled meats!

Cherry season! It’s my favorite time of the year. This is your moment to make this simple cherry pico de gallo, which goes well with pretty much everything and will disappear faster than anything else at your Fourth of July cookout.

Orange Chicken Skewers from Made Whole

July 30, 2018 By Becky Leave a Comment

These orange chicken skewers are packed with flavor and easy to throw together. They’re great on a salad or alongside grilled veggies!

I’m so excited to be sharing an easy and delicious recipe today from Cristina Curp’s brand new cookbook, Made Whole! The book has over 145 recipes that are all anti-inflammatory, paleo, and keto friendly. In addition to plenty of main dishes and several scrumptious-looking desserts, it has a big chapter of staples, sauces, and dressings that includes a couple of awesome paleo cheese recipes. If you’ve visited Cristina’s blog, The Castaway Kitchen, then you know she comes up with tons of creative low-carb recipes, many of which are Whole30 friendly, too.

Baba Ganoush with Spiced Lamb & Mint

July 16, 2018 By Becky 8 Comments

Turn silky smooth eggplant dip into a meal by adding a pile of fragrant meat on top! This baba ganoush with spiced lamb & mint will quickly become a summer favorite.

In case you missed my subtle Instagram announcements, I’m pregnant! For a few more hours, you can catch a glimpse of the growing bump in my stories. We’re expecting a baby girl right around Christmas, and both Ben and I are so excited.

This pregnancy is part of the reason I’ve been posting so infrequently the last few months. Even before I realized I was pregnant, I was hit with terrible exhaustion that lasted all of the first trimester and a few weeks into the second. Now, at 17 weeks, I finally feel like some of my energy has returned within the last four or five days.

It’s funny because I fully expected to have morning sickness, but didn’t at all–I got off scot-free with no nausea–but was completely unprepared for how tired I’d be. I’ve never experienced exhaustion anything like it in my whole life! No matter how much I slept, I’d wake up still tired, and only become less energetic over the course of the day.

I’ve never been a napper unless I’m really sick, but these past few months, I have napped like a champion. On days spent at home, I could nap from about 2-5, and still go to bed again around 10 pm and sleep through until 7 or 8.

Caprese Frittata

July 2, 2018 By Becky 4 Comments

This caprese frittata is a fast and delicious way to showcase summer’s bounty. It’s just as welcome for dinner as for breakfast!

My theme this week is caprese everything. These delicious tomatoes and basil from Big Sycamore Farm were just begging to be paired up with some fresh mozzarella and turned into all sorts of caprese things. The other night I made a classic caprese salad, then last night I made caprese sandwiches that were devoured before they could be photographed. And this morning I woke up with a hankering for a caprese frittata.

Grilled Lemon Chicken Kebabs

March 26, 2018 By Becky 26 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These grilled lemon chicken kebabs are packed with flavor, easy to make, and paleo/Whole30 compliant. They’ll be a huge hit at summer BBQs!

Who’s ready for spring? I certainly am! After a tease of gorgeous spring weather here in Chattanooga at the end of February, it’s been downright dismal for most of March. Despite the gloomy weather, I lugged the grill out of the garage and made these grilled lemon chicken kebabs. Perhaps by grilling, I can encourage spring to make a true and lasting appearance soon!

Pineapple Peach Margaritas

July 18, 2017 By Becky 6 Comments

These creamy, frozen pineapple peach margaritas are just the thing for hot summer evenings.

Somehow a whole month has passed without me sharing a recipe, and it’s felt like no time at all! I didn’t intend to take such a break, and I’ve been sitting on these scrumptious margaritas for quite some time, but one thing after another kept piling up. I’ve been hard at work on some exciting freelance projects that I can’t wait to tell you about as soon as I’m able!

For today, though, I’m offering a simple, sweet, and creamy libation. These pineapple peach margaritas are made with ripe summer peach, frozen pineapple, fresh-squeezed orange and lime juice, and a splash of cream or coconut milk. I like a mix of sea salt and raw sugar for the rim, which helps strike an ideal and refreshing balance between sweet and salty tastes.

Bolognese Stuffed Zucchini with Pesto

June 14, 2017 By Becky 36 Comments

This post is sponsored by .

These bolognese stuffed zucchini with pesto are a satisfying and summery Whole30 meal made with organic tomato basil sauce, ground beef, and plenty of fresh pesto on top.

How is summer treating you so far? Here in Chattanooga it’s been nice and hot (just the way I like it!) and we’ve been getting in a lot of swimming. I’ve also been working on my tan while doing my farm share work, and loving the first rounds of summer produce showing up, like zucchini, basil, and even a few tomatoes.

I used my early squash to make these bolognese stuffed zucchini with pesto, which combine seasonal vegetables and a few pantry staples to make an easy but hearty paleo dinner.

And no, I’m not suggesting you make a true bolognese sauce that needs to simmer away for hours in this heat. This is a bit of a cheater’s bolognese, because we’re letting Uncle Steve’s do the hard work for us. Their organic tomato basil sauce is so flavorful that all we have to do is brown the ground beef with a little onion, and stir in the sauce. The resulting filling will fool all your lucky dinner companions into thinking you worked all day to handcraft an authentic Italian sauce.

Mango Jerk Chicken + How to Cook Rice on the Grill

May 22, 2017 By Becky 31 Comments

This post is sponsored by Cost Plus World Market.

Marinated Jerk Chicken + How to Cook Rice on the Grill

This mango jerk chicken is extra delicious thanks to mango juice in the marinade, and the whole meal is super simple because the rice is cooked on the grill, too!

While it technically won’t be summer for another month, it’s already felt like summer here in Chattanooga for several weeks. Ben and I got the grill set up at our new place, and I’m eager to cook as many meals as possible entirely outside. It’s so much easier to keep the kitchen clean and cool when you make your whole meal on the grill! For this dinner, we’re marinating chicken breasts in jerk seasoning and a generous glug of mango juice, and pairing them with rice cooked on the grill and then mixed with fresh mango, cilantro, and peas.

I always have so much fun shopping at Cost Plus World Market Hamilton Place–since there are so many gourmet food items, beautiful linens, kitchen essentials, and tableware all in one spot, it is pretty hard to get me out of there once I walk in. And of course, they have everything you need for grilling. They’re also often sampling something delicious to sip or nibble on while you shop. Thanks to the samples, I got to make sure this mango juice was super tasty before I bought it! You can find your local Cost Plus World Market store here.