Summer Entertaining Solutions: Recipes from Top Chef's Gail Simmons

Unexpected, pleasing summer entertaining tips that let you enjoy your own parties!

By The LifeMinute Team

July 25, 2016

During these hottest days of summer, try these simple entertaining tips that let you enjoy your party instead of being stuck in a hot kitchen. Entertaining expert Gail Simmons suggests serving some of your favorite go-to ingredients such as Pure Leaf Iced Tea. "It's made from real tea leaves and has a fresh-brewed taste that's not from powder or concentrate, just like I would make at home. You can even look at the label and see that it's made from real tea," she says.

It's also a bit of a secret weapon in the kitchen. "Try it as a marinade, salad dressings and grilling or as a liquid for braising. It's the perfect thing to use in the kitchen and I love cooking with it just as much as I love drinking it," says Simmons.

Slow Cooking Secrets

Another unexpected secret weapon in the kitchen in the summer months is a slow cooker. Many people associate a slow cooker with the wintertime, but it's actually perfect in the summer when you don't want to turn on the stove or even the grill. "Put in all your fresh meat and vegetables, set it, plug it in, leave it for hours and you come back to a beautiful pot of delicious food," says Simmons. To boot it's easy, serves a crowd and doesn't heat up your house.

The Coolest Chicken Recipe

To make the crowd-pleasing recipe Moroccan Spice Chicken, start with chicken thighs, chicken broth, onions, and some unsweetened Lemon Pure Leaf Iced Tea. Add some aromatics like ground cinnamon and ground ginger, plus a little cumin. Add some harissa paste or a little hot sauce to taste. Then let it cook in the slow cooker for two hours. Next add fresh vegetables like carrots, chick peas, apricots, and olives--any vegetable that is fresh and in season. Cook it for another hour and serve over some herbed cous cous at room temperature.

Create A Signature Cocktail

"When you're entertaining a crowd in the summer, a great idea is to make a big bowl of punch or even a pitcher drink. You can make it in advance and then when guests come over you can just put it out on the table with a big bucket of ice and let people help themselves. It also means that you're not spending all your time rushing around making sure your guests have a drink when you want to have a little fun too," says Simmons.

Refresh With Garden Punch

Start with two bottles Pure Leaf Unsweetened Green Tea and add to some mint simple syrup: sugar, water and a little bit of fresh mint strained out after the sugar is dissolved. Add some fresh, cool cucumber and lemon juice. Store it in the fridge for at least an hour to cool down. Right before your guests arrive, simply add some tonic water and fresh mint leaves to garnish, put it out on the table in a big punch bowl. Guests can help themselves and you have the perfect, most refreshing drink for summer. "If you want to make it alcoholic, just add a little gin, maybe some vodka, and there you go. Your signature cocktail!" suggests Simmons.

For more information on recipes and more summer entertaining tips, go to http://pureleaf.com/http://pureleaf.com/.