With Two Spoons

Easy Summer Side Dishes

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Summer time is my favorite for entertaining. Grab a cold bottle of wine, throw something simple on the grill, and add an easy summer side dish or two and you’re all set. This year, thanks to the global pandemic, gatherings are smaller and simpler but that doesn’t mean we don’t all need a few good side dish recipes for those socially distanced gatherings. These recipes are simple, healthy, and easily made ahead of time. You can serve them cold or at room temperature. They are also easily scalable to feed a larger group! I promise, with these Easy Summer Side Dishes, summer entertaining can’t be easier.

Easy Summer Side Dishes

01. Roasted Carrot and Quinoa Salad
I love this dish for so many reasons. It is just about the simplest thing in the world and is packed full of flavor and nutrition. You can make the quinoa and vinaigrette up to two days ahead, keeping them in separate containers until the day you are planning to serve it. Don’t have fresh parsley? Try it with basil instead. Not a fan of golden raisins? Leave them out. Don’t have pine nuts? Toasted almonds would be great, too. The possibilities are endless.

Roasted Carrot and Quinoa Salad

02. Skillet Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette
Another healthy yet hearty side dish, I love this both piping hot and at room temperature. The lemon shallot vinaigrette really adds a great pop of flavor to the broccoli. The pine nuts give a great salty crunch! I love to double this for entertaining.

Skillet Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette

03. The Best Herbed Picnic Potato Salad
When we developed this recipe last year, our intent was to have a potato salad without a mayonnaise base. We love a classic potato salad, but as doctors, we don’t love worrying about summer heat and food poisoning. This potato salad uses pickled onions, capers, and lots of fresh herbs to pack it full of flavor. You won’t miss the mayo. We promise.

Vertical Herbed Picnic Potato Salad with Pickled Onions

04. Curried Cauliflower Quinoa Salad
If you’re looking for easy summer side dishes, this one completely fits the bill. The quinoa salad uses curry and a few other spices to put a spin on your typical picnic fare. Cauliflower is tossed in a little coconut oil and the beautiful spices and roasted until just golden. It then gets mixed into a big bowl of fresh quinoa and coated with a light, tangy vinaigrette. Pine nuts give it crunch and salt. You can easily make the quinoa and cauliflower a day ahead and toss it all together the morning you are going to serve it.

Still looking for side dish inspiration? Why not give these recipes from fellow food bloggers a try? I know I can’t wait to make them all!

Grilled Corn & Jalapeno Slaw
Strawberry Avocado Salad with Candied Pepitas
Easy Cucumber Salad

Simple Summer Desserts!

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As we approach the upcoming holiday weekend and the world continues the process of reopening, many people will be entertaining (at an appropriate social distance!) for the first time in awhile. I don’t know about you, but I plan to celebrate the reentry into some social events with dessert. Lots of it. Here are my favorite Simple Summer Desserts!

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Anti-Racism Resources For Kids

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I know that this probably isn’t a post you were expecting here. What does a food blog have to do with Anti-Racism work? Well, frankly, a lot. With Two Spoons is a food and cooking blog. But it is also a blog about community, and in particular, community building. Lately, the community we live in – and the world at large – has been hurting. Much of that hurt has stemmed from the racial injustices so heartbreakingly prevalent in the everyday lives of so many people. I am committed in my personal and professional life to breaking down the old, hurtful world and building up a new, better community. A table where all truly feel welcome.

Anti-Racism Resources for Kids
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Quarantine Distractions: Volume 2

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A month has passed since my last Quarantine Distractions post and while parts of the world are opening up again, we are largely still in the midst of social distancing and I don’t know about you, but I am definitely continuing to search for the little bits of light that brighten up these days at home. Here are my Quarantine Distractions: Volume 2.

Quarantine Distractions Volume 2

01. New Recipes to Try. While I’m still pretty sick of cooking some days (and all of the dishes!), I am still working on trying at least 1 or 2 new recipes each week. The recipes have come from cookbooks new and old, food magazines, and of course, from my favorite food blogs. What’s on my list for the next week or two?:

Skillet Roasted Salmon with Avocado, Pomegranate, and Bulgur
Instant Pot Egg Casserole Bites
Shaved Asparagus Salad
Caramel Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

02. More Books to Read. With distance learning, my busy three year old, and working, my free time at home has been more limited than I would like. I’m still trying to sneak in as much reading time as I can and since my last update, have finished a few gems and added many more to my TBR. I particularly enjoyed Saint X and The Stationery Shop. (Side note: if you are looking for a great list of summer reads, I always love the Summer Reading Guide from Modern Mrs. Darcy)

Recent Reads (L to R): 1 // 2 // 3 // 4
TBR (L to R): 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

03. Thought Provoking (or just plain entertaining!) Reads/Listens. Sometimes I can’t stomach watching the actual news, but I do enjoy keeping up with the world through interesting articles and links. Here are some I’ve enjoyed recently:
What Life is Like In Previously Tourist Heavy Cities Amidst The Coronavirus Outbreak
90’s Rom-Coms You Need to Revisit Now
A Dad Sharing Practical Knowledge on YouTube

Wild flowers
A field of wildflowers seen on a recent run

04. Podcasts and Walks. I’ve been taking full advantage of our recently warmed up weather to get out and walk. I love the sun, a fresh breeze, and the bright colors of late spring. Here are some recent podcast favorites:
J. Screwed (NPR)
A Crate Full of Summer Reads (What Should I Read Next)
Tips to Organize Your Photos with Miss Freddy (10 Things to Tell You)
Lori Gottlieb: Does My Pain Count? (Everything Happens with Kate Bowler)

05. Miscellaneous Goodness. Just a few things I’ve stumbled across that were too good not to share!
Spotify Daily Wellness Playlist
How To Host Your Family’s Own Personal Summer Camp (NYT)
Write A Letter To Your Future Self

Need more? Check out Quarantine Distractions: Volume 1 or any of our Good Food Reads posts right here on the blog!

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Quarantine Distractions: Vol. 1

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It’s the end of April and, sadly, we’re still knee deep in the land of social distancing, shut downs, and home haircuts (ouch). There are some wonderful things about this slower season of life largely at home. And there are some really stressful things, too. In the midst of it all, I’m continuing to look each day for the little things to lighten the days. Need some fun inspiration for your quarantine day? Read on for my current favorites in Quarantine Distractions: Vol. 1.

Quarantine Distractions
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Simple 4 Ingredient Flax Seed Crackers (GF, Vegan)

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In my quest to clean up my nutrition during this crazy COVID era, I’ve been focusing on trying to choose better snacks. Because let’s face it – this pandemic life calls for snacks. I’m pretty good at keeping my meals full of veggies and overall, pretty nutritious. My downfall tends to be the snacks. I’m a total sucker for salty, crunchy, savory snacks which unfortunately are often highly processed and not so healthy. These easy, gluten-free (and vegan!) Simple 4 Ingredient Easy Flax Seed Crackers are my favorite new snack. They are ready in under 30 minutes and the perfect way to get that savory, crunchy fix without a bunch of unnecessary, processed ingredients.

Simple Flax Seed Crackers
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It’s The Little Things

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I don’t know about you, but life feels really heavy right now. The news is more present and more intense than ever. We are socially distancing (Thank you! Keep it up!) which is important, but can result in feeling disconnected from our friends, family, and life in general. And all of our normal routines have been disrupted. It can be overwhelming, to say the least. In the midst of all of this chaos, it’s the little things in life each day to bring a laugh or some joy. Need a little pick me up or just want to laugh? We’re sharing some bits of goodness for your week. Read on for more.

It's The Little Things
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Easy Lemon Tahini Sauce

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It feels a little funny to be writing about tahini in the midst of everything going on in the world. Life as almost everyone knew it has turned upside down and it seems like each day it changes even more. As restaurants have closed and more and more people are staying home (thank you! #socialdistancing matters!), cooking has become an even more important part of our lives. That is why we have decided to continue to post recipes here at With Two Spoons, despite world events. We hope that we can provide you with some healthy, tasty food to comfort and nourish you and your families during this crazy time. Read on for our Easy Lemon Tahini Sauce.

Easy Lemon Tahini Sauce
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A simple sauce like our Easy Lemon Tahini Sauce is great way to transform basic foods into something special with very little effort. I love to whip up this sauce on the weekend and use it to top roasted veggies for a bowl lunch, toss it on salads as a dressing, or dip veggies in it for a snack. It has only a handful of simple ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to make.

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