With summer weather upon us, it’s the perfect time to be with our kids more and enjoy BBQ’s with family and friends! 
I love all the joys of summer, but sometimes we get bored with the usual burgers and hotdogs. You’re in luck … I have created some summer recipes that you can use this season to spice up your taste buds, leaving you both nourished and totally satisfied.
These recipes include my favorite vegetable, the sweet potato. While I’m as Canadian as you can get, I love the orange gems from the U.S. as they’re so commonly available; due to the short Canadian growing season, local ones are hard to find. These beauties are packed full of nutrients, especially the American organic ones that you can readily shop for. I so enjoy these beauties I challenge myself each season to come up with new recipes and have gone way beyond fries, including sweet potatoes in smoothies, grilling them and including them in sauces. 


These recipes incorporate my two new favorite kitchen appliances. Investing in a few great small kitchen appliances is well worth the price – you can use them for a multitude of recipes, and will have them for years to come, plus they make eating healthier a snap for everyone. 
The KitchenAid® Artisan® Mini Stand Mixer does far more than just baking; with 16 available attachments, the culinary possibilities are endless. Powered by the Stand Mixer for hands-free operation, the KitchenAid Spiralizer attachment reinvents classic meals into healthier recipes using fresh fruits and vegetables.

And for those times when you want simplicity in your kitchen, I love the Philips Smokeless Indoor Grill's unique design and powerful 1800W rapid infrared heating technology that delivers great tasting grilled food with minimal smoke and smell. The one-set temperature of 446oF, along with advanced infrared technology, grills your food all at once, without the need for temperature adjustment, for perfectly seared meat on the outside and juiciness on the inside. No more need to fuss with a BBQ when you have this great appliance on hand!

Chili Lime Sweet Potatoes

•    2 large American Non-GMO Sweet Potatoes, skinned and sliced into wedges
Marinade
•    1 whole lime juiced
•    1/4 cup Organic Olive Oil
•    Chili Powder to your liking
•    1 Tsp garlic powder
•    Salt and Pepper to your liking

1.    Evenly coat your sweet potatoes in a large bowl and let sit for 1-4 hours
2.    Spread on a cookie or stoneware bake sheet and cook at 400° for 25 minutes turning once.

Turkey Feta Burgers

•    1 pkg organic, ground turkey
•    ½ cup goat feta
•    1-2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
•    Fresh herbs and spices to your liking

1.    Combine all ingredients to form patties and grill. You do not need eggs or breadcrumbs to hold these together. Use your Phillips Indoor Smokeless Grill and cook until clear juice runs and you achieve your desired taste, texture and flavour.
2.    Serve on a gluten-free bun or on top of Boston Bibb Lettuce greens and garnishes of your choice.
3.    Create a beautiful side-salad to go with these beauties
4.    I make these burgers or swap the recipe into turkey meatballs and store them in the fridge for 3-4 days for a quick option to have over top of a salad

Greek Inspired Sweet Potato Zucchini Pasta

•    1 large sweet potato, spiraled
•    1 large zucchini, spiraled
•    2 large handfuls pea shoots
•    1/2 cup goat feta cubed
•    2 Tbsp chia seeds
•    Raw pumpkin seeds to your liking

1.    Take a handful of each noodle and plate how you like; maybe 1/2 on one side, 1/2 on the other or combine the two together
2.    Top with pea shots, feta and pumpkin seeds
3.    Sprinkle the chia seeds over the feta for a poppyseed look but with way more nutrient density
4.    I love to drizzle a little olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, sea salt and pepper over this or shake it all up in a jar and pour over top.
5.    You could also lightly sauté this dish and serve warm before topping with your feta and seeds

Watermelon, Cucumber, Basil, Feta Salad

I prep this differently each time in terms of quantities and measurements depending on how many people I am serving.
•    Cubed watermelon
•    Cubed cucumber
•    Freshly stripped basil
•    Cubed goat cheese feta

1.    Toss your watermelon and cucumber together
2.    Top with cubed feta and basil

Fresh Citrus Dressing
•    3/4 cup olive oil
•    1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
•    2 tbsp each lemon and orange juice freshly squeezed
•    1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
•    Sea salt and pepper to taste

Chocolatey Coconut Cacao Smoothie

•    1 cup Thirsty Buddha Coconut water
•    1 scoop Genuine Health Chocolate Vegan+ Protein Powder
•    1 frozen organic banana
•    raw almond butter
•    cacao nibs (plus a little extra for garnish)
•    ½ tsp. cardamom
•    Shredded coconut for garnish
•    Ice *possibly extra water for thinning depending in your desired consistency
1.    Place all of your ingredients together in your blender MINUS the coconut shreds and few extra cacao nibs.
2.    Blend for 60 seconds. Pour into a fabulous glass and top with a few cacao nibs and some shredded coconut.
3.    Drink up!