3 Summer Menus for Effortless Entertaining 🍽️

Yes, there are recipes (+ my dinner party essentials)

I was interviewed for a podcast this week—The Smartest Doctor in the Room with Dr. Dean Mitchell (an amazing holistic allergist in New York and one of my favorite doctors to work with—I’ll let you know when it’s live!). He asked me a great question:

How can we make healthy eating exciting instead of boring?

If you’ve followed me for even a minute, you know I love food. In fact, my entire nutrition practice is built around that love. And every one of my clients knows my cardinal nutrition rule: you have to like the food.

If you think this looks delicious, you’re in luck! Full menu + recipes are below. Keep reading.

But, it’s a fair question. For a lot of people, “healthy” eating conjures up images of plain chicken and steamed broccoli, dry salads with no dressing, and tiny portions of bland food. This is a stereotype I wholeheartedly reject.

I am committed to providing low cost and low stress nutrition information to help you live a healthier, happier life. This post is free (including the recipes). If you want to support my work, make a healthy dinner for your friends this weekend (and send me pictures!) or consider becoming a paid or free subscriber.

Thank you, as always, for being here.

xx Mia

In fact, fresh, whole foods, prepared with love and a little creativity is the healthiest way to eat. And sharing meals with friends and family is something that is hardwired in our DNA—it’s an immensely pleasurable experience that has been clinically proven to reduce stress and increase happiness.

Cooking for friends is my love language. Come to my house and I will make you a meal—I love planning the menu, setting the table and creating an atmosphere where we can laugh, connect, unwind, and enjoy each other’s company.

Well then, what do I make when people come for dinner? I have a formula that I’ve been using for years. It’s simple:

THE DINNER PARTY FORMULA

• A protein

• Two veg (normally a big salad and some sort of cooked vegetable)

• Something starchy

• A sauce that goes on everything

Serve family-style, make it look fresh and wildly abundant. Pile it on. You have to trust me on this one—it works every time. Your friends will have their phones out trying to capture your gorgeous spread.

So…in honor of

Ina Garten

—the queen herself—joining Substack (yes, it’s true!), I’m going to share a few sample menus in case you might be planning a summer soiree this weekend or just want a little dinner party inspiration.

I’ve also included a PDF with all the recipes for menu #3 (my current favorite), and some dinner party essentials (all the way at the bottom, so keep reading).

Still not over this scene from my dinner with Carly of Donabe with Me a few weeks ago.

1. The Summer Nicoise Spread

A fresh, family-style take on the classic—roasted salmon, jammy eggs, and salsa verde brings it all together.

• Protein: Roasted salmon + hard-boiled eggs

• Veg #1: Roasted tomatoes + haricots verts

• Veg #2: Little Gem salad with radishes and olives

• Starch: Warm baguette + baby potatoes

• Sauce: Italian-style salsa verde

2. The Mediterranean Mezze Grill

Colorful platters, pistachio-arugula pesto, and all the summer herbs. Perfect for lingering around the table.

• Protein: Grilled chicken

• Veg #1: Grilled zucchini spears, asparagus and cauliflower

• Veg #2: Greek salad with cucumber, tomato, feta, and capers

• Starch: Socca flatbread (or rice pilaf)

• Sauce: Arugula-pistachio pesto or hummus—or both!

3. The Umami Steak Situation

Flank steak with basil-mint chimichurri, blistered veggies, and something carby to soak it all up.

• Protein: Tamari-ginger marinated steak with sungold tomatoes, pea shoots & red onion

• Veg #1: Mixed greens with carrot-ginger dressing and avocado

• Veg #2: Blistered green beans & shishito peppers with lemon and flaky salt

• Starch: Crispy garlic-chili smashed potatoes

• Sauce: Basil-mint chimichurri

Umami Steak Dinner Party

1.39MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

DINNER PARTY ESSENTIALS
The gear and vibes matters. And pretty food tastes better (I’m not just saying this—there is science to back it up).

1. Cast iron grill pan — I know I have mentioned this 10x recently, but I bought this 2 months ago and can’t believe I didn’t have it before. I use it 3x a week, minimum.

2. A great platter + a large beautiful wooden board — I love serving food family style. It makes it feel abundant and interactive, and is less work for the host!

3. Fun serving utensils — These have such an elegant shape, but the color makes them feel playful. I’ve had my eye on them for so long, maybe I should just buy them.

4. Candle sticks — Candles really set the vibe. I love how these are tall and clear, so they don’t distract from the food.

5. Cute cloth napkins — Still on my fun fish summer kick.

6. Vintage glassware — I love these colorful mis-shaped glasses. Etsy is a treasure trove for finds like this.

7. Water pitcher for the table — Bonus for adding lemon slices and mint.

8. A mandoline — If you have to slice vegetables, a madoline will make your life 100x easier.

9. Good olive oil + flaky sea salt — Makes everything taste better.

10. A comfortable outfit you feel great in (like this cute dress, flats and a fun summer necklace) — I just got this dress and it’s so cute (and lightweight). Looks great with a funky pair of flats.

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