Summer Recipes | Spa Week Daily

By Arielle Sidrane

We can’t believe that the last big weekend of summer is only a few days away! We’re ready to celebrate hard work, wear those white pants one last time, and barbecue with family and friends.

But we’ve worked hard all summer to keep our bodies in tip-top bikini shape, and Labor Day weekend is no excuse to let it all go! That’s why Spa Week rounded up a few great summer party recipes, lightened-up so you can celebrate guilt-free!

Healthier Sausage and Peppers
Sausage and peppers is a favorite summer barbecue staple, but unfortunately it can really add up in the calorie department. Why not lighten it up by using equally-as-delicious chicken sausage? Try this yummy recipe from The Food Network for sausage and pepper skewers, layered with healthy vegetables and a drizzling of olive-oil and spices, then grilled to perfection.

Gluten-Free Vegan Cornbread
How about vegan (and gluten free!) cornbread for a side dish? A tasty baked bread that includes vegetables and is only 100 calories a piece almost sounds too good to be true. Try this recipe from award-winning blogger Chocolate Covered Katie, using real corn, milk and cornmeal – you won’t be disappointed!

100-Calorie Cheesecake Cupcakes
And of course, no barbecue is complete without dessert. Get in the spirit of the red, white and blue by baking these cheesecake cupcakes from Skinnytaste. These healthy-yet-delicious cupcakes (less than 100 calories each!) use reduced fat vanilla wafers, Greek yogurt and festive fresh fruit – yum!

Do you think you’ll try any of these out this weekend? Share your favorite healthy barbecue recipes with us below!

Spa Foodie: Gluten-Free Cranberry Coconut Avocado Smoothie

By Amie Valpone

There’s nothing like a chilled summertime smoothie. It is just simply fun to slurp n’ sip on when the summer heat is getting to you. Instead of the traditional smoothie, I decided to get a lil’ bit creative. You will LOVE this recipe. Refreshing is an understatement – it’s flavorful, smooth, sweet n’ fun to sip. I added a fresh and ripe avocado just because, then a few raw cashews, chia seeds and flax seeds to add a nice balance of protein and healthy fats. You can add in or substitute the cashews for another nut but I just love the creaminess in raw cashews. This succulent smoothie is hands down one of my top 5 favorites. I may just have to make it again tomorrow. I simply can’t resist the coolness this brings to my mouth and I know it will do the same for yours…

Ingredients

Serves 1

1/4 cup dried cranberries
10 fresh cherries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 ripe avocado
1 large, ripe banana
2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
1/2 cup Greek plain yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt)
2 fresh Basil leaves
1 tsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. coconut flakes
1 tsp. honey
5 raw cashews
Dash of cinnamon

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender; pulse until smooth
Pour into serving glass; serve chilled
Enjoy!

Amie Valpone is a Manhattan based Personal Chef, Culinary Nutritionist, Professional Recipe Developer and Food Writer specializing in simple Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free “Clean” recipes for the home cook. She is the Editor-in-Chief of The Healthy Apple and the Publisher and Marketing Director of the online gluten-free magazine, Easy Eats. See more of her posts on Spa Week Daily, here.