Weekend Cooking: Katie Lee's Easy Breezy Eats

I'm very sad that my year as a member of the Abrams Dinner Party is winding down, but I still have a couple of cookbooks I want to highlight here, and I have many recipes I hope to share in the coming weeks and months.

Today I'm talking about Katie Lee's Easy-Breezy Eats (Abrams Books, April), which I received from the publishers. The subtitle reads "The Endless Summer Cookbook," and it is indeed filled with recipes for warm-weather cooking, eating, and entertaining.

Food Network star Lee spends her summers in the Hamptons, on the South Fork, though she's quick to point out that her roots are in West Virginia, not Park Avenue. This collection of recipes reflects her casual lifestyle from Memorial Day to Labor Day: nothing too fancy; lots of outdoor dining.

The recipes in Easy-Breezy Eats are all about vacation (or weekend) fun and relaxed days on the beach. If you're in an area with an abundance of fresh seafood, you'll find new ways to serve it: lobster Ruben sandwiches, Thai-flavored fish cakes, and shrimp burgers, for example.

Lee's idea of summer entertaining includes the familiar classics--like hamburgers, three-bean salad, and pesto--but her versions feature easy, flavorful updates: turkey burgers with peach chipotle ketchup; green and wax bean salad with walnuts, blue cheese, and cranberries; and nutritious kale and flax seed pesto.

Now that the outdoor farmer's markets are open again and we're starting to see farm-fresh veggies, I'll be able to put Easy-Breezy Eats to good use. I'm especially interested in the salads and grilled meats, but I wouldn't say no to a super-easy strawberry brownie cake!

One of the other Abrams Dinner Party members loved Lee's spinach salad with strawberries and poppyseed dressing. I plan on making it just as soon as the local strawberries come into season. I also want to try the honeydew margarita (shown in the scan from the book); I bet it's really refreshing on a hot summer day. Maybe I'll make that part of my July 4 menu this year.

I recommend Katie Lee's Easy-Breezy Eats to those of you looking for new summer dishes or contemporary twists to old standards. Younger cooks, especially, will be attracted to Lee's recipes; experienced cooks who have no trouble tweaking Grandma's panzanella or cabbage slaw may want to look before buying.

I made the following Moroccan carrots a few weeks ago. They were so good, Mr. BFR and I finished off the whole bowl in one meal. They were really just that good. (The photo is mine.)

Moroccan Carrots
Serves 4

• 3 large carrots, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Pinch ground cayenne
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, grated or finely minced
• 1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Harissa (I didn't use this)

Using a mandolin or very sharp knife, very thinly slice the carrots on the diagonal, about 1/16th inch (2mm) thick and put them in a bowl.

Put the cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Cook stirring frequently until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the oil and swirl the pan; when the mixture begins to bubble, add the garlic and cook, swirling the pan for 15 to 20 seconds, until the dressing is very hot. Pour the hot dressing over the carrots and toss with a large rubber spatula until the carrots are evenly coated and have absorbed the dressing. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper, and toss until combined.

Serve at room temperature, with harissa, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

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