A Guide to Summer Entertaining

Guest post by Louisa from Living Lou

All of a sudden, it feels like summer is here. In Toronto, we’ve been having the most beautiful weekends filled with sunshine and hot weather and everyone is flocking to the parks and patios. This is my favourite time of the year and I try to spend as much time outside as possible. I find it just makes me such a happier person! I’m pretty lucky because I have a big backyard and tons of parks nearby, but many of my friends have cute rooftop terraces or balconies, which have the same feeling. 

I’ve been having a few of my girlfriends over pretty much every weekend for little appetizers and a glass or two of wine to decompress after the work week and catch up on everything that has been happening in our lives. We try to alternate food because it could get expensive, but I have a few staple dishes that I make. I always opt for simple dishes that I can throw together after work that are shareable. Here are a few of my favourites: 

1. Fire roasted tomato and goat cheese dip 

I serve this delicious and somewhat sophisticated dip when it’s hot out of the oven with crostini (just toast slices of bread at 375F for about 15 minutes). It is relatively inexpensive and comes together really quickly because it’s made with canned tomatoes and dried herbs (the goat cheese is a bit more of a splurge, but it is so worth it). This dish also goes really well with a glass of red wine – remember to always drink responsibly. 

2. Cheesy Refried Bean Dip 

This dip definitely doesn’t seem as fancy as the fire roasted tomato dip, but this is 100% a crowd pleaser (also a great dish to bring to a potluck). This dip has all the flavours of a Mexican seven layer dip, but without all the work. I like to serve this with tortilla chips and it pairs well with a cold Corona. 

3. Easy Homemade Bruschetta 

Tomatoes aren’t quite in season yet in Ontario, but once they are available, I can guarantee you that 90% of my meals will be bruschetta. This appetizer is definitely on the healthier side and is absolutely unbeatable when tomatoes are as sweet as candy. 

4. Avocado Shrimp Dip

This dish is definitely more of a splurge and a celebratory dish because it’s made with shrimp and avocados – neither of which are the most affordable things at the grocery store. That said, if someone is celebrating a new job or internship, this is the perfect dish to serve! I love to eat this with tortilla chips because it has a similar flavour profile to guacamole.