You get home from work after a long day and can’t wait for the moment you can sit back and relax for the rest of the evening. But it’s been a hot and humid afternoon and you can’t even imagine turning on the oven. Trust me, I’ve been there. 

I also know that sometimes it can be hard fitting meal prep and cook time into a jam-packed summer schedule. And when you’re on vacation, the last thing you want to do is more work. But thankfully, there are a ton of simple recipes to be made with real, honest food. No lazy drive-thru meals here!

With fresh produce overflowing at the farmers market and this list of my favorite no-cook meals, eating organic, delicious, and satisfying dishes can be as easy as throwing your ingredients in a bowl. Music to my ears after a long day in my fiery commercial kitchen! I hope you enjoy these creative (but easy) no-cook summer recipes as much as I do.

Let’s get started:
Overnight Oats. If you know you have a busy day planned for tomorrow, or if you finally have time to sleep in and don’t want to bother cooking up breakfast, overnight oats are perfect. The night before, simply combine milk and oats in a jar. Then layer: I like to mash in a banana and top it with fruit, fresh or frozen. Then add nuts and seeds. If you want, layer in some nut butter, too. Keep it refrigerated at night and enjoy cold in the morning.

Gazpacho. A soup made with raw vegetables and served cold, gazpacho is the best way to cool down on a sizzling summer night. Plus, there are so many ways to make it it’s impossible to get bored! Try it with a little spice and a few slices of avocado. You can even get creative with white gazpacho, featuring apples, grapes, almonds, and cucumber. Watermelon gazpacho is also incredibly hydrating. You really can’t go wrong, so have fun mixing it up.

Smashed White Bean Sandwich. This one is as easy as it sounds. Just mash white beans with spices, then spread on your favorite bread or toast. Add avocado, tomato, sprouts, cucumber, or really anything you’d like and have on hand.

Cucumber Salad. Cucumbers are so refreshing, you’ll be happy to make a whole meal out of them. You can cut or spiral the cucumbers, then toss in a simple dressing, and top with as many vegetables as you’d like. This is also a good way to combine any extra, fresh produce you have in the kitchen.

Summer Corn Salad. To be served on the side, or even as a main (it’s that good!). Combine corn, scallions, avocado, cherry tomatoes, parsley, and feta. Then enjoy.

Tapas Plate. Tapas are a Spanish favorite, and one of mine too. If you haven’t had them before, it’s really just a combination of appetizers or snacks put together into a satisfying meal. There are a ton of different ones to make. I use any or all of the following: pita, hummus, marinated chickpeas, cucumber, roasted peppers, feta, and olives. This is another one you can have fun with.

Excited to try these? I can’t wait to see what you make. Comment below or tag me in a post on Instagram to let me know what you come up with. Don’t forget the hashtag: #nocookrecipe

by Jim Berman
Article originally published by The Town Dish
Photos: Alexandra Whitney Photography
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Home cooking can be a challenge. There is the nutritious aspect to keep in mind. Then, of course, seasonality, availability of ingredients and flavor preference. Drop in trends, the time needed to shop, storage space and expenses, and the process can feel unsurmountable.
Of course, the evolution of what is supposed to merely be an appealing meal can get even more convoluted with allergies folded into the recipe. With a focus on big flavors, few of us are willing to give up a good dinner or give in to a second-rate meal because of some limitation.

Enter The Wildflower Chef. We asked chef/owner Emily Scott for her take on building meals that address the spectrum of allergy issues.

The Town Dish: Being ingredient-limited because of an allergy can be tough. How do you unearth solutions for, say, a gluten sensitivity?
Chef Emily Scott: I think that one of the most important things you can do is not immediately start thinking about all of the gluten-containing foods that you like (e.g., pasta, bread) and try to make a version that tastes the same with gluten-free ingredients. Mostly, this ends in disappointment. I think that the best thing you can do is turn to naturally gluten-free ingredients and learn how to cook with them to make them really shine.

For instance, millet is a really great gluten-free grain that many people are unfamiliar with. It cooks in about 15 minutes and has a fairly bland flavor but a nice texture. I like to mix it with quinoa, and it acts as a blank slate for any flavors I’m in the mood for. It could be Tex-Mex with the addition of some black beans, cumin, avocado, salsa and a dollop of sour cream. Or, I could combine it with some awesome Mediterranean flavors like sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil and crumbled feta cheese.

For things that call for wheat flour but are otherwise not very bready/starchy, such as using flour to thicken a soup or stew, I have had great luck with brown rice flour.

As always, my advice is to focus on fresh vegetables and fruits, which of course tend to be naturally allergen-free. By doing so you will enjoy a diet that is full of variety and very good for you. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: It’s just food, and I think it’s fairly important for people to learn to loosen their emotional grip on certain foods and instead learn to love what loves them back!

How do you save the flavor if having to lose particular, essential ingredients when an allergy makes a traditional preparation challenging? 
Increase flavor by using new and interesting spices, so you don’t miss the flavor of that thing you can’t have. You can also experiment with interesting vinegars and oils.

Expose yourself to new foods and get excited at the prospect of finding different foods that you’ll love. If you’re missing the saltiness of bacon in your corn chowder, try some salty dulse—seaweed—crumbled on it instead; it’s full of minerals!

Nut, seed and grain milks are great for adding a creamy texture to dishes when you’re cutting out cream or milk.

Sometimes, you just have to get creative: if I have a client who loves enchiladas but can’t have wheat or corn—which, of course, tortillas are usually made out of—then we might do a really delicious baked chicken and rice dish with a vibrant enchilada sauce. Sometimes you have to give up on the idea of a certain food and just learn to make the flavors taste great despite any allergies.

Are there specific replacement ingredients to which you turn?
Brown rice flour for wheat flour. Gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos for a gluten- and wheat-free alternative to soy sauce. A combination of cashews, garlic powder and nutritional yeast in place of parmesan cheese. Coconut or other non-dairy yogurt in sauces and desserts. Ground chia or flax seeds for eggs, mostly in baking.

Are there particular product lines that are your “go-tos”? Gluten-free substitutions are fairly easy these days, but watch out for over-processed gluten-free products. My absolute favorite gluten-free bread is DeLand Bakery’s millet bread, available at Kimberton Whole Foods.
I also love Tolerant Food’s red lentil and black bean pastas—no, they really don’t taste like wheat pasta, but they’re very delicious anyway, with a pleasing texture, and so much better for you than traditional wheat pasta.

I’ll use vegan sour creams and vegan cheeses on occasion, when I’m really looking for a certain flavor, but mostly I try to stay away from these because they tend to be fairly processed.
I prefer different plant-based milks for different applications. Oat milk tastes the most like “real” milk to me, so I use it often. I buy Pacific brand.

I am a major chocoholic, but I avoid cow’s milk and soy (soy is in most chocolate!), so my favorite brands for chocolate treats are Enjoy Life, Theo and Equal Exchange.

Any products/product claims to avoid?
Just because it’s “gluten-free” or “dairy-free” or “vegan” does not mean it’s healthy. Your best bet is always going to be to buy vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins in their most natural and raw form and cook and season them yourself.

It can be a challenge to craft a meal with dietary boundaries. Chef Emily added, “There are so many awesome foods to choose from out there that there’s no reason you can’t have a really delicious, healthy diet full of variety despite any restrictions. Again, it’s definitely my advice to focus on the positives and what you can have, rather than get bogged down and angry by what you can’t. I’ve heard of people who make pancakes out of just eggs and bananas—I actually haven’t tried it and it sounds pretty weird, but it’s amazing what you can do with different ingredients when you just get creative.”

Visit The Wildflower Chef website to learn more about Chef Emily’s personal chef services. Find more inspiration by subscribing to The Wildflower Chef newsletter and following along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Contact Chef Emily online via The Wildflower Chef website, by email or by calling (610) 715-8159.

Organic Meal Delivery* Organic Chef* Malvern Chef* West Chester Chef* Chester County Chef* Meal Delivery Malvern* Meal Delivery West Chester* Meal Delivery Chester County* Personal Chef Chester County* Personal Chef Malvern*

by Jim Berman
Article originally published byThe Town Dish
Photography: Alexandra Whitney Photography

Really good cooking is much akin to a well-performed dance in the kitchen. All the attributes that make for intrigue and skill on the plate are the same for, say, a ballet. Graceful. Interesting. Practiced. Intentional. Emily Scott is that kitchen performer.

The Malvern native’s residency with the Orlando Ballet Company was the impetus for founding The Wildflower Chef. “I was obsessed with Rachael Ray,” laughs Chef Scott. “I loved all of her food.” So inspired, the dancer invited the tight-knit dance community into her kitchen for meals. Scott pushed to incorporate myriad substitutions in an attempt to “eat things we wanted to eat, but couldn’t.” It was in Orlando that Scott’s creative energy shifted from the stage to the kitchen. Culinary school took the place of the dance floor, and her inventiveness flourished. Now Scott is bringing that creative energy to the dinner tables of West Chester and the Main Line.

Returning to the Philadelphia area, culinary degree in hand, Scott continued to hone her craft at The Desmond and move on to Fork. “But it felt too much like a grind,” she admits. Wanting to be more connected with farms and food producers, she made the move to Washington state, where she was inspired by a community supported agriculture (CSA) program while learning to make cheese at a fromagerie. There, Chef Scott also found herself out and about picking spinach, cultivating farming connections and sourcing wholesome ingredients.

Back on the East Coast working in and around Lancaster County with great, local produce from the likes of the Farm Fresh Co-Op, Scott had the entrepreneurial itch to share her reverence for wholesome, interesting food. “I wanted to be creative,” she says.
In founding The Wildflower Chef, Scott is focusing on wholesome foods. Her in-home cooking classes teach the everyday chef how to cook meals with that same healthful ambition, but the focus of her business is on preparing and delivering creative meals directly to her customers’ homes. With an affinity for organic and healthy, while keeping up with the craveability of big flavors, Scott delivers inspired dishes woven together with seasonally available produce.

Drawing influence from sources near and far, Chef Scott instructs on the preparation of meals and orchestrates larger gatherings with a constant light shining on clean eating. Amy Chaplain’s At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen and blogs like Nourished Kitchen and The First Mess lend an energizing flair to the dishes Chef Scott brings to life.
While The Killers and Taylor Swift filling the air at Chef Scott’s kitchen isn’t exactly ballet music, the frenetic energy is palpable. Creating meals, sharing insight into those meals and keeping the connection with good, clean eating is the spirited chorus that is the soundtrack for The Wildflower Chef.

Visit The Wildflower Chef website to learn more about Emily’s personal chef services, cooking classes for adults and children and boutique catering options. Find more inspiration by subscribing to The Wildflower Chef newsletter and following along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Contact Emily online via The Wildflower Chef website, by email or by calling (610) 715-8159.

Malvern Chef* West Chester Chef* Chester County Chef* Organic Meal Delivery Malvern*

Salads often get a bad rap. They’re seen as tasteless, unsatisfying, or only for women trying to go down a dress size. But they don’t have to be. Salads are one of my favorite things to eat in the summer, because they’re so fresh, filling, and easy to make. Plus, you can get creative with all that the season has to offer.

By using locally-sourced produce, you can take your salad to a whole new level. Not only are these foods better for you and your community, they’re also better tasting. A quick stop by your neighborhood farmers market (we love the Downingtown Farmers Market) will make for healthier, more exciting meals. You can have fun mixing and matching your favorite fruits and vegetables, and put your own spin on salad making.

Say, goodbye to those boring combinations and hello to a few of my favorites…

Tomato & Peach Salad
Ingredients:
4 tomatoes
4 peaches
1 red onion
Cider vinegar
Olive oil
Sugar
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Toss tomato and peach wedges with red onion slices. Drizzle with cider vinegar and olive oil. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper.

Chinese Marinated Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
4 medium cucumbers
Rice vinegar
Sesame oil
Soy sauce
Minced garlic
Sesame seeds
Red pepper flake
Salt
Sugar

Directions:
Slice cucumbers thin. Sprinkle with salt and drain in a colander, then rinse. Combine the remaining ingredients with the cucumbers and adjust seasonings to taste.

Want more? Start with one of these upgraded ideas—and feel free to adapt as you wish.

 Lemon-Shrimp & Orzo
 Watermelon, Feta & Mint
 Avocado Potato Salad

Expecting to be busy after a long holiday weekend? That makes this the perfect time to try your hand at one of these recipes. Or make one of your own! Be sure to let us know what you come up with in the comments below or tag us on Instagram with the hashtag #summersalads.