Feed Your Body Friday: 5 Simple Picnic Recipes

On a summer day, who doesn’t love the idea of a picnic? Eating outdoors is an unparalleled pleasure in summer. The sun shines, the mercury rises to perfection and a light breeze refreshes you, just enough.

To stimulate your inspiration and excite your taste buds, here are some simple recipes to help you enjoy the fresh air during the summer season, whether you’re in the park, on the road, or at the beach.

1. Corn Salad

An easy salad to make and absolutely perfect for the summer. A lot of freshness and crunch!

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup asparagus, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups corn
• 1/2 cup basil, finely chopped
• salt, to taste

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil, add asparagus, and cook for 6 minutes.
2. Drain and place under cold water to stop it cooking
3. In a bowl, combine oil, vinegar and salt. Add corn, asparagus, pepper, onion and basil. Mix gently.
4. Serve and enjoy.

2. Potato Salad with Mustard & Dill

This potato salad is a lighter version than the classic recipe. Thanks to the avocado, this delicious salad is as creamy as the traditional version. It’s not common to add avocado to a potato salad, but wait until you taste the result. It’s delicious!

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 4 potatoes
• 1 avocado
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup mustard
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut the potatoes in cubes and cook them in a pot of saltwater for about ten minutes, until they are tender.
2. Drain and let cool.
3. In a blender mix avocado, olive oil, mustard and apple cider vinegar.
4. In a bowl, combine the potatoes, pepper and dressing mix gently.
5. Add dill, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Parmesan Potato Vegetable Bites

This recipe for Parmesan potato vegetable bites is inspired by the traditional Swiss recipe for röstis, a dish made from grated potatoes. Its crust is crispy and the inside is soft.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serving: 24 mini – 12 large

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 large potatoes, peeled
• 2 large carrots
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg with parsley, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, onion powder, and garlic powder.
3. Grate the potatoes and carrot and add them to the bowl. Salt, pepper, and stir.
4. Butter mini muffin pan and spread the mixture over it. Bake for 40 minutes.

4. Chicken Salad Wraps

These delicious chicken wraps are refreshing and nourishing! They’re healthy and absolutely perfect for summer lunches and picnics!

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 large tortillas
• 1 1/4 cups cooked chicken, finely chopped (~1 large breast)
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. tahini
• 1/2 tsp. curry
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 4 lettuce leaves
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Cook the chicken in the oven or in a saucepan until well done. Let cool and chop it finely.
2. In a bowl, combine the ingredients of the chicken salad.
3. Place the lettuce leaves on the tortillas and spread chicken salad and peppers on top. Close by folding down the bottom and sides.

5. Simple Summer Raspberry Cake

A tasty and easy cake. This recipe is just as good with other varieties of berries!

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• The zest of a lemon
• 1 egg
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh raspberries (or the berries of your choice)
• Icing sugar to sprinkle

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Butter and flour a 20-inch pie mould. Reserve.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the sugar with the lemon zest.
4. Add the eggs and whiten the mixture for 3 minutes.
5. Add the flour maple syrup and butter and mix again.
6. Pour the dough into the prepared pan and spread the raspberries on top.
7. Bake cake for 30 minutes.
8. Let the cake cool completely, then sprinkle with icing sugar.

Picnics are a great way to break the daily routine. Just remember that foods that need to be refrigerated have to remain cold until they are eaten. Using a good icebox and plenty of ice packs is the best way to ensure food safety.

To have the perfect picnic, leave your grandmother’s recipes in your filing cabinet. Pack up some reusable plates and cups, and don’t forget your picnic blanket! Surround yourself with greenery, flowers, and seasonal fruit to connect with nature! After the picnic, leave the place where you have just eaten in such a state that no one would suspect that you had a picnic there. Store everything, put scraps, used papers, boxes, and bottles in the garbage, and recycle what you can.

If you whip up any of these recipes, be sure to snap some photos of your picnic and tag us on Instagram or Facebook!

Related Article: Feed Your Body Friday: 5 Fruity Summer Popsicle Recipes