We have had quite an unusual Summer weather wise here in Southern California. Unseasonable thunder and lightning, rain and humidity has become the norm lately. Since we don't have air conditioning, this means our fans are running around the clock and it also means you don't want to heat up the kitchen. I have been looking for meal solutions that are both easy and satisfying. This grilled peach and arugula salad checked all of the boxes!

I picked up a big bag of peaches and arugula from our farmer's market to take advantage of the Summertime fruits and veggies. The salad is dressed with a simple vinaigrette which is a nice combination of tang with a slight sweetnesss and topped with the nuttiness of the pecans, and saltiness of the cheese. It is the perfect Summer dish!

Before I put the peaches on the grill, I brushed some of the vinaigrette on them which helped from sticking to the grill and gave them great flavor. The peaches only need to be grilled for a couple minutes per side until you get good grill marks and the peaches have softened.

This salad is perfect on its own for a light lunch (you could also add protein to it) or it makes for a great side salad for dinner. You could also put the salad on a large platter and serve it family style for dinner. No matter how you decide to make it, the flavor combination will not disappoint!

My favorite part of making any salad is putting all of the ingredients together. I tossed the arugula with the dressing, added the grilled sliced peaches, cheese and finished it with the pecans. To top it off, I added another drizzle of dressing and a few flakes of maldon salt.

I hope you add this peach and arugula salad to your Summer menu and it helps you beat the heat!

Grilled Peach and Arugula Salad

Ingredients: (4 servings)

Dressing

4 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. champagne or white vinegar
1 Tsp. honey
Moldon salt and fresh cracked pepper

Salad

3-4 ripe peaches (depending on size), cut in half with pits removed
Fresh arugula (I used a large bag from the farmer's market, about 8 cups)
3 oz. feta or goat cheese (I used feta)
Handful of pecans to top each salad (1/3 cup)
Maldon salt

Directions:

To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Warm the grill to high heat. Cut the peaches in half, removing the pits, and brush with the vinaigrette. Place the peaches directly on the grill, cut side down. Grill for a few minutes until the peaches have softened and have grill marks. Remove the peaches onto a cutting board, slice, and let cool to room temperature.
Toss the salad with a 1/4 of the dressing and top with the peaches, cheese, and pecans. Finish the salads by drizzling the remaining dressing and maldon salt on top. Serve and enjoy!

Nothing screams Summer like a cool sweet treat! Growing up, I must have had at least 1 popsicle a day to get me through the Summer heat. I wanted to find a recipe that not only tasted great but one that I wouldn't feel guilty enjoying all Summer long. These greek yogurt and peach popsicles are definitely it for me.

Besides the fact that I love peaches, these popsicles were inspired by a recent trip to my local farmers market. There were peaches and nectarines spilling out of barrels and were as sweet as can be. I took a full bag home, and knew that I had to make something amazing with them.

The hardest part about making this recipe is waiting until they freeze! Otherwise, you just throw all of the ingredients in a blender similarly to a smoothie and let it do its magic for you.

If you are looking for a sweet treat to keep you cool this Summer, these popsicles need to be stocked in your freezer at all times! This recipe is so versatile, you can add any fruit you fancy.

Greek Yogurt and Peach Popsicles, adapted from this recipe

3 cups of peaches, halved, pitted and roughly chopped (or fruit of choice)
1/2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup full fat greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1/2 Tbs. honey

Place peaches, lemon juice, almond milk, greek yogurt and honey into a vitamix blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
Pour mixture into popsicle molds, leaving about 1/2 inch of room at the top for freezing expansion add popsicle sticks.
Place in freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours. To remove from molds, just run a little warm water over the outside until they come loose.

Note: I used this popsicle mold but use whatever you've got on hand!