In the summer I love socializing with family and friends with lots of cookouts and outdoor events. But by August I am usually getting pretty tired of the typical cookout cuisine. So this weekend I am going to mix it up a bit and throw a Spanish-style tapas party instead.

Tapas are a Spanish tradition of small plates of food served in between the main meals of the day (in Spain that would be a late lunch around 2 p.m. and an even later dinner around 9 or 10 p.m.). These delicious tapas dishes can be served hot or cold. In the U.S., plates of tapas are typically shared among several people and are often eaten as a light meal rather than just a between-meal snack, making this style of cuisine a perfect theme for a social event!

A tapas-style party typically works best if you invite only as many people as will fit around your table (so four to ten people). I am hosting my tapas party outside to minimize clean up before and after dinner, but you could easily have it indoors depending on the heat and the bugs in your region this time of year. I like to serve dishes on festive platters placed right in the middle of the table. You will want to make sure you have a stack of brightly colored smaller plates for everyone to load their tapas on. You may also want to provide plenty of toothpicks in case guests are a little hesitant about using their hands. A traditional, ceramic sangria pitcher adds the final dash of flair and your tapas party is ready to go!

Below is my menu for this weekend. Spanish and Mediterranean foods typically use a lot of seafood so I have chosen two simple seafood dishes for my main dishes and then added some easy items like cheese and olives to round out the menu. You could add more dishes (Shrimp Paella or the Butterfly Brushetta work well here too) if you want more food at your event.

• Spanish Shrimp over Yellow Rice
• Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Garlic Aioli
• Chunks of Manchego cheese and slices of Serrano ham served with thin crackers or toasted bread
• Black and green olives
• A pitcher (or two) of sangria

So if you are looking for an alternative to the traditional summer cookout, give a tapas party a try. And let me know how it goes.

Spanish Shrimp over Yellow Rice

Prep Time: 4 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Makes: 2-3 servings

1 (1 lb.) package or 2 (12 oz.) packages SeaPak® Shrimp Scampi (frozen)
1 – 5 oz package of Saffron Yellow Rice
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1 – 8.5 oz can of small sweet peas, well drained
1/4 tsp smoked paprika

COOK rice according to package directions.

PREHEAT large skillet on medium high for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and add frozen shrimp. Sauté shrimp for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red bell peppers to pan. Sauté shrimp with red bell peppers for 6 minutes, stirring regularly.Add peas and paprika to pan and stir to incorporate. Sauté mixture 1 minute or until shrimp are fully cooked.

SPOON rice onto serving plates, top with shrimp mixture and serve.

I have had a little bit of trouble meal planning lately. With a little one to chase after and feed, my meals often turn into whatever I can scrounge together from the fridge and pantry that isn’t expired. This has led to some less than optimally balanced meals.

In an effort to change my habits, I decided I am going to begin meal planning again, starting with this weekend. I am writing out a menu plan for the week and then bulk shopping once instead of several quick trips to the store throughout the week. In order to jump-start my new plan, I felt like I might need a meal that is a little bit jazzy. Something that tastes good and feels like a real treat, but it’s still easy to make.

You know this meal is going to have to include some seafood. Is there any better way to kick off a new habit? Not in my book! I perused SeaPak’s website this morning looking for the ideal dish inspiration and was reminded about this classic recipe that Robin Miller created for us a couple of years back: Island Shrimp Quesadillas with Lime Sour Cream. It was so delicious that it used to be a part of my regular rotating recipes!

I am going to be making this oldie-but-goodie tomorrow night. I might even really treat myself to a fruity drink as well. If you try it, make sure to visit our website and watch Robin make it herself. It’s like a cooking lesson right in your own home.

Here’s to the weekend and the start of real meals again!

Island Quesadillas with Lime Sour Cream
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 12 minutes Makes: 4 servings

1 (12 oz) package SeaPak® Shrimp Scampi – Butter and Garlic, frozen
4 pineapple rounds (fresh or canned in juice), about 1″ thick
8 (fajita-size) flour tortillas, regular or whole wheat
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican cheese blend, shredded
3/4 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
Cooking spray
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon lime zest, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

PREHEAT oven to 400º. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

COAT a large skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat to preheat. Place pineapple rounds on hot pan and cook 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Add shrimp to hot pan and cook according to package directions. Lift shrimp from butter sauce (discard butter sauce if desired) and cut shrimp and pineapple into 1/2″ pieces.

ARRANGE four tortillas on prepared baking sheet. Top tortillas with cheese (1/2 cup each), shrimp, pineapple, roasted red peppers, and scallions. Place second tortilla on top and spray the surface with cooking spray. Cover quesadillas with foil and bake 5 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 7 more minutes, until cheese melts and tortillas are golden brown. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream, cilantro, lime zest, and garlic. Mix well.

SLICE quesadillas into wedges and serve with lime sour cream on the side.

Memorial, Day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July – summer is filled with fun holidays centered around barbecuing. But if you are getting a little tired of the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers routine why not go for something a little more extraordinary? Bring a little Asian flair to your grill with this these tasty Asian Sesame Salmon Burgers with Wasabi Mayo.   Sound time consuming and complicated?  They’re not!

The salmon burgers are awesome – they go from frozen to perfectly grilled in about 10 minutes (no patty-making required!).  While those are grilling up, mix wasabi paste with a little mayo (light mayo works great in the recipe too!) to make the Wasabi Mayo.  Slice a red onion and lettuce and place on buns. Voila!  Gourmet Asian burgers ready in 10 minutes!  To complete your meal, grill some fresh corn alongside your burgers or toss a side salad with Asian sesame dressing, and serve a few watermelon slices too.  Bonus – you look like the gourmet super star of your family picnic without even breaking a sweat!

If you want to kick up the ambiance and make things really fun, stop by your local home or discount store and pick up a set of fancy-looking wooden chopsticks (which are usually surprisingly cheap), some bamboo placemats, and a few Asian lanterns for lighting. With just these few touches you’ll really feel like you’ve gone to the Far East!

Asian Sesame Salmon Burgers with Wasabi Mayo

1 (12.8 oz) package SeaPak® Salmon Burgers
2 teaspoons wasabi paste
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
4 slices red onion
4 leaves green leaf lettuce
4 hamburger buns with sesame seeds

PREHEAT grill to medium-high heat.

COMBINE wasabi paste and mayonnaise, set aside.

GRILL onion slices 5 minutes per side and salmon burgers according to package directions. Remove both from grill. Lightly toast hamburger buns on grill.

PLATE by placing salmon burger on toasted sesame seed bun and topping with grilled onion and lettuce. Spread wasabi mayo on inside of hamburger bun top half. Serve immediately.