the round up: dinners best eaten outside

6 easy summer meals + this today's cooking demo replay!

Jun 19, 2025

Boston weather has been playing with my heart lately… we’ve had 13 consecutive rainy weekends (I heard this is a new record??) with some 85-degree days and some 55-degree days mixed in, so you could say I’m ready for summer to officially start. Here’s to hoping for some consistent summer sun! 🤞

In the spirit of manifesting sun, today’s edition of The Round Up features recipes that I recommend you make and enjoy outside this summer. Whether it’s tacos, pasta salad, burgers, or any dish featuring beautiful summer produce, one of my greatest joys during warmer months is a meal on the patio. Paired with a mocktail and good company? Even better!!

Despite the not-ideal weather lately I’ve been working hard on new summer recipes, so you can expect even more coming to you soon 🥰 Including a plant-based chilled noodle salad I can’t stop making, a 30-minute spicy and crunchy dinner for busy summer nights, and even a few special dinner party/hosting menus… stay tuned!

Keep scrolling for six easy-to-make meals that are perfect for a little dining al fresco moment.

The Round Up: dinners best eaten outside

One Pot Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pasta — I know, warm pasta? In the summer time? But I promise these creamy flavors are perfect to cook up inside and take out on the porch or deck to enjoy! The sun-dried tomato is the perfect punchy summer flavor. Grab a bunch of fresh basil from a farmer’s market! This is from today’s live demo (linked below).

Mediterranean Inspired Orzo Pasta Salad — Nothing beats a pasta salad eaten out on the patio!! Take advantage of the summer produce with fresh, in-season tomatoes and cucumber from your local farmer’s market or farm stand & add chickpeas for protein.

Spiced Chickpea Tacos with Avocado Sauce — These tacos are quick to put together and full of flavor. Use red cabbage for a stunning pop of bright color, or use what you have on hand—coleslaw mix or green cabbage work just as well! To make things even easier, swap the homemade avocado sauce for pre made guacamole.

Chipotle Mango Steak Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa — These chipotle mango steak tacos can be easily prepped ahead by making marinated steak and corn salad ahead of time, then when dinner time comes around all you need to do is cook your steak. If desired, you can also make this recipe with chicken breast or thighs, or even chickpeas.

Spiced Lamb Burgers — Nothing screams summer dinner like a burger. If you’ve never cooked with lamb before, I definitely recommend starting by trying a recipe like this! You can easily swap for ground beef or ground chicken, and add on all your favorite toppings.

Teriyaki Tofu with Mango Salsa — This teriyaki tofu with mango salsa will blow your mind, even if you don’t typically eat plant based meals! It’s a meal perfect for a warm summer night because of the fresh mango salsa (make sure you get a ripe mango) and reminds me of hot days by the pool. So easy to swap for chicken skewers or grilled salmon!

Catch up on today’s Substack Live ⤵️

ICYMI on todays’s Substack live, we cooked the One-Pot Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pasta I recommended—a fan fave!! And hint hint… it may also make an appearance as one of the few favorites in my cookbook 😉 Watch the recap now and let me know if you’ve tried it!