Elevate your classic picnic finger food with this healthful, Asian-inspired take. These little burgers are as flavorful as they are portable, making them one of our favorite picnic ideas for foodies. Saku is sushi-grade tuna that's been super-frozen in under an hour to give it a firm texture.
Ingredients (serves 4):
4 five-ounce saku tuna pieces
4 whole grain mini buns
4 beef tomato slices
1 fresh avocado
2 cups daikon radish sprouts
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoons wasabi paste
Directions:
Blend mayonnaise, lime juice, ginger, soy sauce and wasabi paste in a food processor until smooth. Set aside for assembly. Season tuna with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a sautè pan, add tuna, then sear to rare. Slice tuna into seven thin strips and set aside. Spread wasabi aioli on top bun, and place tuna slices on the bottom bun, then top with avocado, tomato, daikon sprouts. Put your buns together, and enjoy.
Recipe courtesy of chef Hugh Preece, Salt Creek Grille, Princeton, New Jersey
Recipe courtesy of chef Hugh Preece, Salt Creek Grille, Princeton, New Jersey
Picnic recipes don't get simpler than this appetizer, which offers spice, crunch and creaminess -- guilt-free. Inspired by Mediterranean cooking, this is picnic food for those who love fresh flavors.
Ingredients (serves 6):
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 quart Greek yogurt
1 avocado, halved, scooped and mashed
1 tablespoon fresh herbs, finely chopped (such as chives, tarragon or cilantro)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 Habanero pepper, thinly sliced
6 baby cucumbers, or 1 large seedless cucumber, cut into slices with a peeler and patted dry with paper towels
Directions:
The day before your picnic, add sea salt to Greek yogurt and let drain in the fridge for 24 hours. Next day, combine 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, avocado, herbs and lime juice in a medium bowl until smooth. Spoon into a plastic zip lock bag. Cut bag at the corner to make a half-inch opening. Squeeze mixture lengthwise onto cucumber slices. Roll up like a pinwheel. Top with a small slice of pepper.
Recipe courtesy of Little Rusted Ladle
Recipe courtesy of Little Rusted Ladle
Deviled eggs are a classic American picnic food, but this summer recipe incorporates pesto for an unexpected Italian twist.
Pesto Ingredients:
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon pine nuts
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Deviled Egg Ingredients (serves 6):
6 hard-boiled eggs, shells removed
1 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Directions:
For pesto, combine basil leaves and lemon juice in a food processor -- pulse three to four times on high. Add cheese and pine nuts, and pulse five to six times, until everything appears finely minced. On high speed, drizzle in olive oil until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Hard boil the eggs, wait until cool, then remove the shells. Cut eggs in half long ways, and place cooked yolks in a large bowl. Add yogurt to the bowl of yolks, and mix with a whisk until smooth. Add 1/2 tablespoons pesto, then chill in the fridge until cool. Once cool, add mixture to a piping bag, and squeeze a dollop into each hard-boiled egg half (or scoop with a spoon). Garnish by adding a drop of the remaining pure pesto to each deviled egg, and sprinkle fresh chopped chives on top.
Recipe courtesy of Easy Homemade Meals
Satisfy all your picnic guests with a heaping bowlful of this sweet but filling island-inspired salad. The combination of farro and pineapple proves that salad recipes don't have to be boring.
Ingredients:
6 ounces farro
1 pineapple, sliced and grilled
1 or 2 yellow squash or zucchini, cubed
1 medium yellow or red bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, cubed
Parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Goat cheese (optional)
Olive oil
Vinegar
Directions:
Cook farro according to package directions, drain and let cool. Once cooled, spoon farro into large serving bowl. Cut grilled pineapple into bite-size chunks, and add to a large bowl with farro. Toss in squash or zucchini, pepper and avocado. Add parsley leaves, a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Give the salad a good toss. Top with goat cheese, oil and vinegar.
Recipe courtesy of My Man's Belly
This sophisticated take on the traditional ham and cheese sammie takes just five minutes and five ingredients. If you're all out of picnic ideas, this is one picnic food that can't go wrong.
Ingredients:
Thinly sliced ham
Sliced Brie cheese
Thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
Mango chutney (or the chutney of your choice)
Sliced whole grain bread
Directions:
Spread mango chutney on bread slices. Layer ham, cheese and apple on first slice, and top with second.
Recipe courtesy of Framed Cooks
One of the best things about summer: eating outdoors (preferably in the park, on a blanket, with a chilled bottle of wine). Summer is picnic season, and while classic picnic fare is fine for an impromptu gathering, we prefer our picnic dishes to be next-level, Instagram-worthy affairs. Anyone can slap together a basic cheese plate, but these easy, healthy recipes are the kind that taste as lovely as they look against a checkered blanket. Want to put your fellow picnickers to shame without blowing your summer diet? From inventive new recipes to nutritious takes on traditional picnic cuisine, these are all the picnic food ideas you need to have the best summer spread on social media.