The Ultimate Summer Recipes - cookingwithcassandra.com

Refreshing Strawberry Margaritas

Strawberry & slice of lime Margarita | cookingwithcassandra.com

I am a huge margarita fan! Aside from wine, tequila is my go-to for my cocktail of choice. Recently, I shared my margarita pitcher recipe which is great for serving big crowds. While a classic margarita makes for a delicious cocktail, sometimes I like to switch it up, especially if I’m feeling particularly creative. Today, I’m sharing a variation of the traditional recipe: a frozen strawberry margarita. This homemade strawberry margarita recipe uses frozen strawberries, tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and honey. When blended together, the mixture turns a very pretty pink...

Pasta With White Wine Lemon Sauce

Lemon Pasta topped with Cherry Tomatoes and fresh Basil | cookingwithcassandra.com

When life gives you lemons, what do you do? If you’re Cassandra Morris, you concoct a divine lemon sauce with white wine to go with fettuccine pasta. This lemon white wine pasta sauce recipe is the ultimate game changer. While I do love myself a rich carbonara and a light aglio olio, this white wine sauce is the perfect in-between. If you’re someone who loves to experiment with new flavors, you are going to love this one. This pasta is coated with a lemon-infused garlic cream sauce, and the white wine does wonders that you can only experience when you’re cooking this...

Peach Arugula Salad With Honey Balsamic Dressing

Summer is here!!! Aside from the fact that I can finally stash away those bulky jackets, the warmer weather and sunnier days are welcomed by more time at the cabin, playing outside with Pete followed by ice cream! Guess who loves getting out of the house more than I do? Woof, woof! Summer also means an array of ripe and juicy fruits just waiting to be picked and brought home. The first thing I’m getting my hands on is fresh peaches. These plump and fuzzy fruits are great eaten as-is, but they’re even better in a crispy peach cobbler and a boozy red sangria. One other peach...

Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Slice of lemon blueberry cake with fresh blueberries on the side | cookingwithcassandra.com

One habit I’ve gotten into – and has helped me for years now – is to follow a solid morning routine. I start by making the bed, do a light workout (these days it’s yoga and jogging) and then have breakfast before getting to my office on time to start the work day. Some days, I can muster up the effort to cook a full breakfast spread for me and hubs. On other days, we take it easy with a sweet cake and cup of coffee. That’s where this recipe comes in: a lemon blueberry coffee cake with cream cheese. This streusel coffee cake has a sweet cream cheese filling and tarty lemon batter....

Garlic Butter Baked Shrimp

Garlic Butter Shrimp | cookingwithcassandra.com

Does anyone else find themself frequenting the frozen dinners aisle at Costco a lot more than they should? That was 100% me before I began my cooking journey… There are just so many different things to try! Who can say no to an easy, no-frills, microwaveable meal every now and then? My days of frozen dinners are behind me, but I recently thought about this garlic butter shrimp scampi I once had which actually tasted amazing. I decided to recreate it with my own spin on it. I present you: the best garlic butter shrimp you’ll ever have. Instead of going the pasta route, this...

Healthy Strawberry Summer Salad

Strawberry Summer Salad | cookingwithcassandra.com

Every summer, my husband and I host barbecue parties for our family and friends. Because I like having variation, that means needing to think of different sides and fixings for each party. One of my must-haves is a salad – it’s healthy, refreshing and helps to balance the “heaviness” of all the grilled meats. But you’ll never see a boring salad at my party! I love serving steak salads (like this delicious steak salad with yogurt dressing), but when I need to fix something quick and easy, this strawberry summer salad is a great option. You really can’t go wrong with this salad. It’s...

Overnight Zucchini Bread Oatmeal

Zucchini Bread Oatmeal | cookingwithcassandra.com

From the popular peanut butter-banana combo to the annual pumpkin spice, there are many ways to upgrade boring oatmeal into a delicious treat. My latest conquest involves zucchini bread overnight oats, which turned out to be surprisingly good. All it takes is some creativity and courage to experiment with new things! What is zucchini bread? Zucchini bread, typically made by baking a bread mixture of grated zucchini and walnuts, is well-loved for being adequately sweet and moist. When baked in a loaf, this summer squash makes a heartwarming treat for any time of...

Homemade Margarita Pitcher

Margarita Drinks | cookingwithcassandra.com

The margarita is a drink that needs no introduction. Every Mexican bar or restaurant has a margarita on its menu, and it’s a popular cocktail everyone can recognize from a mile away. Those salt-rimmed glasses filled with an iced cocktail and a fancy lime wedge? Iconic. But what really sets a good margarita apart is the cocktail mixture. If you combine just the right amount of high-quality tequila, sweet triple sec, and tangy lime juice, you’ll get a smooth margarita that tastes divine! In this recipe, I’ll be showing you my best homemade margarita recipe for a serving of 16....

Easy Homemade Pico De Gallo

Homemade Pico De Gallo Recipe | cookingwithcassandra.com

What’s a tangy, fresh dip that goes super well with chips? You guessed it – salsa! No more buying bottled salsa, my friends. Today, I’m showing you exactly how to make authentic pico de gallo. It isn’t exactly salsa, though it is just one step shy. The only difference is that salsa is a puréed form of the same ingredients, whereas pico de gallo (or salsa fresca) keeps its vegetables in solid form. In Mexican restaurants and fast food joints, pico de gallo is found in fish tacos and meat burritos, acting as a sweet and spicy relish. Plus, it’s the perfect dip for tortilla...

Easy Quinoa Salad Bowl With Avocado Cilantro Dressing

Today, I’m sharing with you one of my favorite make-ahead recipes: a veggie-loaded quinoa salad bowl with (the yummiest!) avocado dressing. If it’s going to be a busy day, you bet I’m gonna be digging into this – one thing I’m vowing to do this year is to never let myself get hangry. In under 20 minutes, I can put together an insanely delicious and seriously healthy meal in one bowl, ready to go. And the avocado cilantro dressing is the cherry on top. Some of my readers have asked if this is a raw vegetable salad, and actually, while that might be nice, I should clarify that...

Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki mixture | cookingwithcassandra.com

Okay, before I proceed to rave about this Greek godsend, let’s say this together: Tzatziki is pronounced sat-see-kee. Not tuh-za tuh-zi-kee, nope. Sat-see-kee. I had to learn that the hard way. Oh, if you could just see the waiters trying to stifle a smile for all the times I proudly requested “more of that delicious tuh-za tuh-zi-kee for my kabobs”. It wasn’t until I was on the phone later that night, telling a friend how darn good it was, when she laughed, “You know it’s pronounced sat-see-kee, right?” LOL. I never made that mistake again. Anyway, if you’ve never...

Best Greek Salad Recipe

Do you know the feeling of watching movies and wishing you were right there in the scene? Or is it just me? I especially love movies that feature a group of old friends enjoying a long summer lunch in the backyard and sipping on a fruity watermelon cocktail. The backdrop is filled with orange trees and olive trees, and even though lunch is over, it’s nice to just lounge about and graze on cheese. Whenever I’m making this Greek salad, I try to picture myself in a movie like that. I’ll have a nice, slow lunch and then take a dip in the pool when I'm done. Okay, snap out of it,...