Summertime cooking is all about fresh ingredients with bright flavors and contrary to popular belief, that doesn't mean delicious meals have to break the bank.
"Good Morning America" is helping home cooks find healthy dishes to make the most of what's in season without spending top dollar. And whether you're on a budget or just looking to save on food costs, these tips and recipes from top culinary creators will do just that.
Food blogger and recipe developer Jenn Lueke regularly shares budget-friendly grocery lists with meal plans and recipes on her Instagram to help take the guesswork out of shopping and cooking for multiple meals.
This summer, Lueke created a seasonal version of her series to stretch $60 into 20 healthy meals that feed three to four people.
She shared three recipes from the seasonal series with "GMA" below to recreate in your own kitchen.
Check out other healthy snacks and recipes to make this summer here.
"Love and Lemons Simple Feel Good Food" cookbook author and food blogger Jeanine Donofrio shared four of her favorite ways to keep costs low on seasonal recipes with "GMA."
Skip the meat and choose a vegetable to be the star of your dish
"For example, planks of grilled zucchini make a juicy and flavorful sandwich filling and smoky roasted eggplant slices are wonderful in my Eggplant Sheet Pan Shawarma pita wraps," Donofrio told "GMA," with both full recipes found below.
Top 4 simple tips to create budget-friendly meals with ease
Shop in season
"It’s summer, aka the best season for produce," she said. "If you shop locally and seasonally, your vegetables will likely be more affordable -- and more delicious -- than those at the grocery store."
All the produce in season during summer
Grow a few herbs
"You don’t need a green thumb to grow herbs like basil and mint in a few small pots. They’ll add fresh flavor to your meals all season long and are way less expensive than buying herbs in the little plastic containers at the store."
Have a few clean-out-the-fridge recipes in your back pocket
"At the end of each week, I like to use up any produce -- a few random squashes, a left over half of an onion, scraps of herbs -- that may still be hanging around my fridge," Donofrio said. "To use up these bits and bobs, I have go-to recipes that are flexible enough to work with most vegetables. A dinner frittata, a big colorful grain salad, or a simple vegetable curry are a few of my favorites. Waste not, want not."
Check out three of Donofrio's favorite dishes that shine a spotlight on seasonal veggies, plus three of Lueke's affordable seasonal recipes to make this summer.
"A great sandwich starts with a great condiment, and I'm obsessed with the red pepper tapenade in this one," Donofrio wrote alongside the recipe in her book. "It's tangy and briny like traditional tapenade, but it has a little sweetness from the ~ roasted red pepper and basil. I love pairing it with grilled zucchini and creamy fresh mozzarella, but for an equally delicious vegan sandwich, you can sub lemony smashed white beans for the cheese."
Ingredients
Red pepper tapenade
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1 small garlic clove, grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sandwiches
2 medium zucchinis
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling 8 slices sourdough or country bread
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
Fresh basil leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Make the red pepper tapenade: In a small food processor, place the red peppers, olives, basil, capers, olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and garlic. Pulse until just combined, so that the tapenade is still chunky. Season to taste with salt and pepper and chill until ready to use.
Make the sandwiches: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat. Slice the zucchini lengthwise into ¼-inch planks, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Grill for 2 minutes per side, or until char marks form and the zucchini is tender but still has some bite. Assemble each sandwich on the bread with the tapenade, zucchini, mozzarella, and basil.
"If you love big, bold flavors, you have to try this recipe! It's a veggie riff on Middle Eastern shawarma, with thinly sliced eggplant and sweet potatoes stepping in for the traditional meat," Donofrio wrote. "When the veggies come out of the oven, set them out on a big platter (or one of the sheet pans) with all the fixings, and let everyone assemble their own wraps."
Shawarma spice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
Vegetables
1 medium eggplant, sliced into thin half-moons
1 sweet potato, sliced into thin half-moons
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For serving
4 pitas, warmed
Tahini Yogurt
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
Fresh mint, parsley, or cilantro sprigs
1/2 cup pickled onions (optional)
Aleppo pepper, for sprinkling (optional)
Lemon wedges
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make the shawarma spice: In a small bowl, whisk together the cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric. Set aside 1 tablespoon and store the remaining spice for another use.
Roast the vegetables: Place the eggplant on one of the baking sheets and the sweet potatoes on the other. Generously drizzle the eggplant with olive oil, and lightly drizzle the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the shawarma spice over the eggplant and the remaining 1 teaspoon over the sweet potatoes. Season all the vegetables with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, spread evenly on the baking sheets, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are golden brown and the eggplant is tender, rotating the pans halfway through.
Assemble wraps in the pita with the tahini yogurt, roasted vegetables, cucumbers, mint, pickled onions, and sprinkles of Aleppo pepper, if desired. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
"I love the convenience of premade green curry paste, but rather than buy it in jars, I make my own and freeze it in ice cube trays. With the paste made ahead of time, this curry comes together in a hurry. For a milder curry, use fewer cubes, and of course, for a punchier flavor, use more!"
Ingredients
Green Curry Paste Cubes
2 1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
8 scallions, chopped
6 garlic cloves
4 serrano peppers, stemmed and chopped
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the vegetables and tofu
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped Japanese or Chinese eggplant
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup chopped broccolini
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
1 cup snow peas
7 ounces extra- firm tofu, cubed
2 (14- ounce) cans full- fat coconut milk
3/4 cup Green Curry Paste cubes (3 to 6 cubes, depending on your ice cube tray size, recipe below)
Cooked rice, for serving
Fresh herbs (mint, Thai basil, and/or cilantro), for garnish
Sriracha, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
For the curry paste cubes: In a food processor, place the cilantro, scallions, garlic, serranos, coconut oil, ginger, lime juice and zest, cumin, and salt. Process until the ingredients are finely chopped and form a thick paste. Portion into 2- tablespoon or ¼- cup ice cube trays and freeze until ready to use.
Tip: If you have these cubes in your freezer and canned coconut milk in your pantry, you can make green curry any night of the week! I love the curry recipe as written on page 149, but it works well with a variety of other vegetables too. Feel free to swap in what you have on hand.
Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, eggplant and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until softened. Add the broccolini, bell pepper and snow peas and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the tofu, coconut milk and green curry paste cubes and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste, portion into bowls with rice, and garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with sriracha and lime wedges.
Three above recipes reprinted with permission courtesy of "Love and Lemons: Simple Feel Good Food" Copyright © 2023 by Jeanine Donofrio. Published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
Marinade
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 lime, juiced
3/4 cup chopped cilantro (about 1/3 bunch)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 + 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
Salad
2-3 corn tortillas (save 8-10)
2 tablespoon + 1/4 cup olive oil
2 cooked corn ears, chopped off of cob
1 bag of arugula (at least 5-oz)
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lime, juiced
1 avocado, pitted and sliced or cubed
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
In a blender or processor, blend all of the marinade ingredients other than chicken on high speed until smooth. add the chicken to a large bowl or other container and cover them in the marinade. set in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, but the longer the better.
To cook, either heat your grill or a large skillet on the stove to medium-high, depending on how you’ll be cooking them. once heated add the chicken. cook fully, about 7 to 10 minutes each side, until crisp and at a temp of 165 degrees. cut up and set aside.
Make the tortilla strips but cutting up the tortillas into thin strips, covering in 2 tablespoon of olive oil + some salt, and cooking them in the air fryer or oven on 400 degrees for about 7 minutes, until crispy.
Assemble the salad by adding the arugula, 1/4 cup olive oil, ACV, maple, garlic, and lime to a large bowl, along with the corn, chicken, avocado, and tortilla strips. season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately for best results or in the fridge for up to 4 days. this will make you 4 servings.
Ingredients
2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 zucchini, sliced into half-moon shapes
1 garlic clove, minced
12-16 shrimp, shells removed (you can use frozen uncooked or cooked)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12oz gluten-free pasta (I used brown rice spaghetti)
4 cups of water (plus more as needed)
1 15-oz can coconut milk (use the thicker white part of the milk and discard the water)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Additional salt and black pepper to taste
Parsley or basil for topping, optional
Directions
Start by heating 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large pan.
Chop up your zucchini and garlic and set aside. Cover all of the shrimp in 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Add to the pan and fully cook, about 5 minutes each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add the garlic and zucchini and sauté until the zucchini is browned on each side. stir continuously so the garlic does not burn.
Remove the zucchini and garlic and set aside. add in the spaghetti and immediately cover with 4 cups of water and sprinkle in some additional salt. Cover the pan.
After about 5 minutes, uncover and stir so the pasta does not stick to the pan. add additional water as needed if all of the water has been absorbed. cover again and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and easily stirred.
Turn heat to low and mix in the coconut milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. add back the shrimp, zucchini and garlic.
Remove from heat, serve, and top with chopped parsley or basil if desired.
Ingredients
Mango Salsa
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 ripe mango, cubed
1/2 avocado, pitted and cubed
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
Tofu
1 lb firm tofu, pressed for 30 mins
1 tablespoon starch — cornstarch, arrowroot, tapioca, etc.
Teriyaki Sauce
1/3 cup coconut aminos, soy sauce, or tamari
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional, can sub olive oil)
1 big garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger (can sub ground)
For serving: 1 cup rice, cooked according to package instructions
Directions
Start by making your mango salsa by including all of those ingredients, giving it a mix, and setting in the fridge to chill.
Take your pressed tofu and cut it into small cubes. place into a mixing bowl. cover with 1 tablespoon of starch.
In a separate bowl, mix together all of the sauce ingredients. pour the sauce over the tofu and let sit for at least 10 mins (but the longer the better).
Heat a large skillet over medium heat with some oil, then add in the tofu and sauce. still consistently for 10-15 mins, until the sauce is a thick consistency. Serve over cooked rice (optional) and top with the mango salsa and some extra cilantro.
