5 Simple Summer Recipes You Can Make in Your Blender—and Without Heating Up the House

With no mention of smoothies or milkshakes.

Summertime hosting should be as easy as possible. There are only so many sweet sun-filled days in the year, and we're rather spend them relaxing with family and friends (delicious dishes and drinks included, of course) than slaving away in the kitchen. Not to mention whole the heat issue—once temps rise above 80 degrees, having the oven on for hours on end is out of the question.

The grill is obviously our favorite way to cook up a storm in the summer without heating up the house, but your blender is another under-utilized appliance that can help you prep party-friendly dishes without forcing you to blast your air conditioner. Seriously, blenders are useful for so much more than just smoothies. Try one of these delicious dishes and you'll see just what we mean.

Watermelon Mai Tais

Makes 50 ounces

Ingredients:

• 4 2/3 cups cubed watermelon

• 2 oranges peeled, halved

• 2/3 cup chilled pineapple juice

• 1/4 cup triple sec

• 1 teaspoon grenadine

• Extra ice cubes and watermelon for serving

Directions:

1. Place ingredients into blender jug and secure lid, or into personal blender cup and secure blade assembly.

2. Puree 15 seconds or until smooth.

3. To serve, strain into glasses filled with ice and garnish with watermelon wedges.

Peach, Passionfruit and Raspberry Yogurt Pops

Makes 10

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt

• 1 14.5 ounce can peach slices in natural juice, drained

• 2 tablespoons passionfruit pulp

• 1 1/3 cups fresh or thawed frozen raspberries

• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

1. Place 1 cup of yogurt, peaches, and passionfruit into blender jug and secure lid.

2. Puree 5-10 seconds or until smooth

3. Divide peach mixture among 10 x 4-ounce ice-pop molds

4. Place remaining yogurt, raspberries and sugar into blender jug and secure lid.

5. Puree 5 seconds or until smooth

6. Pour gently into each ice-pop mold on top of peach mixture

7. Place wooden stick into center of each mold. Place into freezer for 6 hours until firm

8. To remove ice-pops from molds easily, dip molds quickly into hot water and gently pull out the ice-pops.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 2 tablespoons water

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Toasted cumin seeds and pita bread, for serving

Directions

1. Rub peppers with ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Cook on a grill or under a broiler, turning regularly, until charred all over, about 20 minutes.

2. Transfer to heatproof bowl, cover and set aside for 10 minutes or until softened and cooled slightly. Remove and discard skin and seeds.

3. Place pepper and remaining ingredients into blender jug and secure lid, or into personal blender cup and secure blade assembly.

4. Chop 15 seconds, then puree 15 seconds more or until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper

5. To serve, transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle with cumin seeds and serve with pita bread or crudité.

RELATED: This Homemade Hummus Is So Good You’ll Never Buy It From the Store Again

Orange Dijon Vinaigrette

Makes 1 ½ cups

Ingredients

• 1 orange zest

• 1 small shallot

• 1 clove garlic

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients with a fork or whisk before drizzling over salads or using as a marinade. To store, transfer the dressing to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

RELATED: Real Simple's Go-To Vinaigrette

Salsa Verde

Makes 1 ¾ cups

Ingredients

• 3 cups roughly chopped Italian parsley leaves

• 10 anchovy fillets, drained

• 2 tablespoons capers, drained

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 2/3 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Place ingredients into blender jug and secure lid, or into personal blender cup and secure blade assembly

2. Pulse 30-40 seconds or until combined

3. Storage: Transfer to clean, airtight contain. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days

RELATED: Real Simple's Blender Salsa

If you're in search of an excellent blender for making everything from green smoothies to cocktails, hummus, salsa, and more, check out Breville's Super Q. It's super powerful and noticeably quieter than most other models on the market, plus it's compatible with the brand's genius new Vac Q pressure pump attachment.