Man alive does it feel like summer here or what! We tied a record for June with 29 consecutive days without rain. I could get used to this. We’ve been barbauqing, dining with the windows wide open, and eating light food such as this recipe. It’s healthy, easy to prepare and requires no oven!

Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Roasted Red Peppers and Spiced Cumin Dressing
Recipe from smitten kitchen

• 1 1/2 cups fine-grain bulgur
• 3 cups boiling water
• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 t honey
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup roasted red peppers, diced
• 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 medium head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

Place the bulgur in a large bowl with the boiling water and set aside until the bulgur has softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the bulgur, in a  strainer, gently pressing out excess moisture. Place bulgur back into the bowl. Whisk the lemon juice, honey, cumin, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil until the dressing is incorporated. Add the chickpeas, roasted peppers, tomatoes, red onion and parsley to the bowl with the drained bulgur and stir to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the bulgur mixture and toss. Serve alongside bibb lettuce.

Images: sammyw

Yes, you read that correctly, cashew pasta. Don’t be scared off to quick, trust me on this one. Think cashews are to tomato basil pasta as pine nuts are to pesto, you following me? This was super hearty, simple, 15 minutes tops. Nestle this against some salad and a little toasted garlic bread and you’ve got yourself a yummy little meal.

Tomato Basil Cashew Pasta
Adapted from vegan yum yum

• 2 cups tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup Raw Cashews
• 1 T Tomato Paste
• 1/4 cup Water

• 2 T Olive Oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 6 oz Spaghetti
• 1 t salt
• 2 T red wine
• 2 t Black Pepper
• 1 Large Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

Cook pasta in large pot of salted water until al dente. Add tomato, cashews, tomato paste and water to your blender. Blend until very smooth. Add olive oil to a large pan. Add garlic and saute until golden. Pour sauce from the blender into the saute pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine to thin out the sauce. Once pasta is cooked, drain. Add pasta to the saute pan with black pepper and freshly chopped basil leaves. Toss to coat. Serve immediately, garnishing with more pepper and basil.

Images: sammyw