My Favorite Summer Meal

Spinach Salad, Grilled Garlic Potatoes, and Insta Pot Beef Brisket Recipes

With the deck ready for Summer, we will enjoy almost every meal outside this year. The weather is beautiful, my flowers are thriving, and the grill will get a workout for sure!

My husband is a BBQ king and so many of our meals will be in his domain. To be honest, he is really the king of the kitchen as well. In short, I am always amazed that not only was I lucky enough to marry my best friend, BUT, he cooks too!!!! He is responsible for what I consider to be my favorite summer meal. Well, the meat of it anyways.

Salad

I can’t imagine a summer meal without a salad. Consequently, June bearer strawberries are at their sweetest right now and it just so happens that an easy Strawberry Spinach Salad is the one I crave the most.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Print recipe
Cooking time30 min
Preparation time10 min
Nutrition157cal
Servings6

Light, fresh, salad perfect for any summertime meal.

Ingredients

  • 10 oz. baby spinach
  • 2 cups fresh sliced strawberries
  • 1/2 cup of sour cream
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

1

Tear Spinach into bite size pieces. Slice strawberries according to preference. Gently mix together and refrigerate.

2

In a small bowl combine sour cream, honey, lime juice, and nutmeg and mix well. Cover and refrigerate to allow flavors to blend for about 30 minutes.

3

Lightly toss salad and dressing. Garnish with toasted coconut.

Side Dishes

On hot summer days, when the air conditioner is running nonstop, the last thing we want to do is use the oven. Therefore, on those days, we plan a meal that can be done on the stove top, the BBQ, or the pressure cooker. For this meal, we have utilized all three. Grilled garlic new potatoes and corn on the cob are the perfect sides. While I would normally grill the corn, I chose the stove top this time to leave plenty of room for potatoes.

Grilled New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic

Print recipe
Cooking time45 min
Preparation time15 min
Nutrition190cal
Servings6

Mellow roasted garlic flavor and quick prep time makes this a perfect summer side dish

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds new red potatoes
  • 4 large unpeeled garlic cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons snipped chives
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1

Slice potatoes to 1/4 inch thickness. In a large bowl, toss together potatoes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt.

2

Tear two large pieces of heavy foil and place across one another in opposite directions. Place potatoes in the center, add unpeeled garlic cloves, and bring sides together to form a packet allowing room for steam to build.

3

Place on the grill in the center of the rack over medium heat. Grill for 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender, turning packet over occasionally.

4

Remove packet from grill, set aside garlic cloves and allow potatoes to cool for 5 minutes.

5

Meanwhile, mix together remaining olive oil, white wine vinegar, and dijon mustard. Add chives, pepper, and squeeze the paste from the garlic cloves into the mixture. If necessary, mash the garlic with a fork and blend together well.

6

Transfer potatoes to a large bowl, pour garlic mixture on top and toss gently to coat.

Main Dish

I am convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, this beef brisket is the best I’ve ever had. I absolutely love brisket but I have been disappointed so many times when ordering out. It is either too tough, too dry, or both. This is by far the most tender, moist, and flavorful brisket all at the same time.

I know so many people who rushed out to get the Insta Pot when it first hit the market. Certainly, enough time had passed since we last heard the horror stories from our parents. The stories about the pressure cookers of the past that exploded in their kitchens. However, along came the Insta Pot and once again, it became the must have small appliance on the Christmas list for several years running. I also know so many people who have never taken it out of the box.

Full disclosure, if I was the cook around here, which clearly I am not, I would have been that person. I was, after all, the one who stood in my kitchen watching my old crockpot all day. After the episode of This is Us where we lost Jack to a crockpot fire it just seemed prudent. But…lucky for me…my husband has no such fear of kitchen appliances. Thus, I give you the greatest Beef Brisket recipe ever!

Insta Pot Beef Brisket

Print recipe
Cooking time2 hours
Preparation time45 min
Nutrition415cal
Servings6

Tender, moist, flavorful, Insta Pot Beef Brisket for an easy summer meal

Ingredients

  • 5 pound beef brisket
  • 4 oz. of liquid smoke
  • water (according to pressure cooker size)
  • 1 tablespoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1

Wash brisket and trim fat to 1/4 inch.

2

In a small bowl mix together Lawry’s, salt, and pepper. Pat into fatty side of brisket.

3

Add liquid smoke to a large pan. Place brisket, fat side up, into liquid and refrigerate for 25 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

4

Turn Insta Pot to the meat setting. Add water according to your Insta Pot guidelines. Place your roast inside and pour the liquid smoke from your pan over the top. Close and set timer for 2 hours.

5

Allow Insta Pot to depressurize as per your instructions.

6

Remove your brisket and place on a platter to rest for 15 minutes.

7

Slice beef, add your favorite BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Perfect night! Perfect meal! Hello Summer!

Be sure to check out my latest post Fourth of July Decor for some great ideas for the upcoming holiday. I’ve added some free patriotic printables to the summer library. As a member, click here to take a look!

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