Serena Wolf’s Easy Summer Dinner Ideas
Plus: One thing to do before you make a meal plan.
Serena Wolf has a way of putting you at ease; of helping you feel like you, too, can get meals on the table effortlessly. She’ll explain that she’s mostly eating clean-out-the-fridge lunches these days, but she’ll casually walk you through a stone fruit salsa that “feels very fresh and summery” and only takes five minutes to make.
“I’m just talking like a peach, some jalapeño, cilantro1, red onion, lime juice, salt, and pepper, and that’s it,” she says in this week’s podcast conversation. She’s putting it on tacos, sure, but also eating it with grilled fish and grilled chicken.
No peaches on hand? You can use a nectarine, a plum, some cherries. Happen to have a leftover ear of grilled corn in the fridge? Throw it in! “Also very delicious,” Serena says.
This use-what-you’ve-got attitude anchors every page of Serena’s cookbook, You Do You. She doesn’t want you to get discouraged because you’d have to go to the store to pick up just two things you’re missing for a recipe.
But she also wants to make sure the substitutions actually work, and to help all of us understand why.
She says a lot comes down to the role an ingredient is playing in a dish, as well as the specifics of how each ingredient cooks. A crunchy vegetable can likely be swapped for another crunchy vegetable. But can you use farro when the recipe calls for quinoa? “If you’re cooking the grains separately beforehand, for sure, no problem.” A cooked cup of farro can go wherever a cooked cup of quinoa goes.
“But if it’s a one-pan dish,” Serena warns, and you’re starting with dry grains from the pantry, “they’ll absorb different amounts of liquid. And until you know that, you might swap in the farro and then be like, oh, why is this so watery?” She hopes You Do You will help people gain confidence and a deeper understanding of all the swaps you can make, whether you’re cooking a recipe of hers or someone else’s.
In this week’s episode of The Dinner Plan pod, Serena gets me inspired for late summer’s highlights: festive barbecues, beach picnics, and the one big backyard gathering that gets everyone together. She shares her signature cookout menu—including a trick for making neverending creamy mac and cheese for a crowd.
But there’s a lot of everyday inspiration in this episode, too, and below, you’ll find two flexible, easy dinners from the book to make this week. Before you start mapping out your meals, though, Serena suggests one crucial step:
The rest of our conversation is only on the podcast; you can listen on Apple, or Spotify, or any of the other podcast apps.
Lots of good stuff below; this email may be too long for your inbox. Click here or hit “View Entire Message” below to make sure you get the recipes!
🥇 We’re giving away a copy of Serena’s book! The simplest way to enter to win a copy of You Do You is to sign up as a paid subscriber to this newsletter by end of day Sunday, August 2, 2026.
🥈 Free subscribers can enter to win by sending in a 30-second “what’s in my pantry/fridge/freezer” voice memo for us to play at the end of an episode of The Dinner Plan podcast. We’ll come up with a dinner idea just for you based on what you have around. Just follow all the instructions here by end of day Sunday, Aug 2, 2026.
Winner will be alerted by Substack DM and email. 18+, U.S. addresses only. Giveaway not sponsored or administered by Substack. Ends Aug 2, 2026. Commissions from affiliate links in this newsletter help to keep this project going.
Serena mentioned:
Alex Snodgrass’s Grilled Fish Tacos
Gaby Dalkin’s Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizzas
Alexandra Stafford’s Bread Toast Crumbs (Bookshop here)
Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (Bookshop here or get a signed version from Omnivore!)
Kenji López-Alt’s The Food Lab (Bookshop here)
Hetty Lui McKinnon’s Neighborhood (Book Larder here)
From the ad break:
Find Ajinomoto yakitori chicken fried rice, shoyu ramen, yakisoba with vegetables, and gyoza at your local grocery store, and stocked in bulk at your nearest Costco.
Une Femme Wines: Use code DINNERPLAN for 20% off. Must be 21+
Find Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Safeway, Albertsons, and other grocers nationwide.
Made In Cookware: Visit madein.cc/dinnerplan to unlock your discount offer.
Maggie mentioned:
Grace Elkus’s Protein-Packed Vegetarian, especially the peanut tofu noodle bowl (Bookshop here)
Crispy California Turkey Burgers from ATK’s Ultimate Burger Book
Gaby Dalkin’s What’s Gaby Cooking: Grilling All the Things (Bookshop here)
The Dinner Plan’s big summer giveaway closes Wednesday, July 29. Prizes include a whole stack of cookbooks, a Made In carbon steel griddle, pantry favorites, Staub baking dishes, and way too much more to list here.
Did you enter yet?
Chicken Saltimbocca Orzo Skillet
Excerpted with permission from You Do You: 100+ Endlessly Adaptable Recipes to Boost Your Culinary Confidence (August 2026; BenBella Books)
If you’re not familiar with the deliciousness that is chicken saltimbocca, it’s a dish of pan-seared chicken cutlets wrapped in prosciutto with fresh sage, served in a buttery white wine sauce. This skillet borrows saltimbocca’s bold flavors, adding orzo, peas, and a blanket of fontina cheese to the mix for a well-rounded meal that comes together in just one pan. And since it reheats excellently either in the microwave or in a skillet over medium-low heat with an extra splash of broth, leftovers are something to be psyched about.
Serves 4
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1¼ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided, plus extra to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces diced pancetta (½-inch cubes)
1 cup orzo
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
½ cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup frozen sweet peas
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup grated fontina cheese for the crispy sage (optional)
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 fresh sage leaves
Pinch Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
Preheat a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or 3.5-quart ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken thighs and sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until they’re golden brown and release easily from the pan. Transfer to a plate. (It will not be cooked through at this point!)
Reduce the heat to medium and add the pancetta. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Some pancetta is fattier than others, so if there’s more than about 2 tablespoons fat left in the pan, pour off the excess.
Add the orzo, garlic, sage, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for about 90 seconds, until the orzo is lightly toasted and the garlic is fragrant. Add the wine and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the liquid has been absorbed. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and return the chicken thighs and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the orzo is tender. There should still be a bit of liquid in the pan—you need it to keep things loose. If it’s dry, just add a splash more broth.
If you’re feeling fancy, fry some sage leaves while the skillet simmers. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 4 whole sage leaves to the pan. Cook for 5 to 10 seconds, just until dark green and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining sage leaves. Sprinkle the crispy sage with a tiny pinch of salt.
Place an oven rack as close to the broiler as possible and preheat the broiler on high.
Transfer the chicken thighs to a cutting board and shred the meat with two forks.
Add the butter and frozen peas to the orzo and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted and the peas have thawed. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Return the chicken to the pan, along with two thirds of the pancetta. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle the fontina on top of the skillet and top with a few extra cranks of pepper (if you like).
Place the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned. This will likely take 3 to 4 minutes, but broilers are fickle, so keep a close eye on it.
Garnish with the remaining pancetta and the crispy sage leaves (if using) and serve warm.
YOU DO YOU
If you need to use chicken breasts, slice them in half crosswise before browning.
Diced thick-cut bacon works in place of pancetta.
If necessary, use 2 teaspoons dried sage or 1 teaspoon ground sage in place of fresh.
6 ounces (about 1⅓ cups) ditalini or macaroni elbows are good swaps for orzo in a pinch.
Sub an equal amount of arborio rice for the orzo to make this gluten-free. You’ll likely need to add an additional ¼ cup broth to loosen it after simmering in step 4.
If you need to omit the wine, deglaze the pan with an additional ½ cup broth.
Gouda, mozzarella, and provolone are great fontina subs.
For a cheesier skillet, stir ½ cup grated fontina into the filling before adding the top layer of cheese. You can also omit the cheese and skip broiling. Serve the orzo directly from the skillet after returning the shredded chicken and pancetta to the pan.
Not into peas? You can also finely chop 2 packed cups spinach or baby kale and cook just until wilted in step 8. Or stir in 1 cup finely chopped broccoli florets or ¼-inch asparagus rounds as soon as you remove the chicken thighs in step 7 and cook just until tender, adding a splash more broth if necessary. The broccoli or asparagus should have enough time to cook while you shred the chicken.
BBQ Turkey Burger Salad
Excerpted with permission from You Do You: 100+ Endlessly Adaptable Recipes to Boost Your Culinary Confidence (August 2026; BenBella Books)
PSA for anyone in a tough relationship with turkey burgers: Adding a little mashed avocado to seasoned ground turkey will transform your turkey burger experience. The avocado flavor is virtually undetectable, but the added fat yields tender, juicy patties that become even more awesome when coated in a thin layer of tangy BBQ sauce. These burgers would be very much at home on a soft bun with your favorite fixings (just throwing out sharp cheddar and coleslaw as a dynamic duo), but I love to serve them over a crunchy, colorful salad with plenty of pickled jalapeños, pepper Jack cheese, and a three-ingredient BBQ dressing for a nutrient-dense meal with mass appeal.
Serves 4
For the turkey burgers:
½ medium ripe avocado, pitted
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
4 scallions, 2 very finely chopped and 2 thinly sliced
1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
1 tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral oil
¼ cup BBQ sauce of your choice (I recommend a Memphis style sauce.)
For the salad:
⅓ cup BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil
6 cups chopped romaine hearts2
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced crosswise into thin rounds
2 Persian (mini) cucumbers, sliced into thin rounds
1½ medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced
½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
⅓ cup pickled jalapeños
⅔ cup shredded pepper Jack cheese (optional)
Scoop the ½ avocado into a medium bowl and mash until very smooth. (Make sure you don’t exceed ⅓ cup mashed avocado or the burgers will fall apart.) Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, chopped scallions, and ground turkey and, using your hands or a fork, gently mix all the ingredients just until combined. (Avoid overmixing to keep the burgers as tender as possible.) With damp hands, mold the turkey mixture into 4 patties, about ¾ inch thick. Make a small indentation with your thumb in the center of each burger to keep it from puffing up as it cooks.
Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Carefully add the burgers, thumbprint side down, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, undisturbed, until browned on the undersides and beginning to firm. (The uncooked burgers are very soft, so wait to flip them until they’re ready or they will fall apart.) Flip with a thin spatula and cook for 3 minutes on the opposite sides. Brush the tops and sides of the burgers with BBQ sauce and cook for 3 minutes more, until cooked through.
Prep the salad while the burgers cook. In a large bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, lime juice, and oil. Add the romaine hearts, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados, onion, jalapeños, and cheese (if using) and toss to coat with the dressing. Divide the salad among four plates or bowls and top each with a burger patty. Garnish with the sliced scallions and serve immediately.
YOU DO YOU
You can use turkey with a higher fat content, but please do not use 99% lean ground turkey—it will make for dry burgers! These burgers can also be made with ground chicken, 90% lean ground beef, or your favorite plant-based ground meat alternative.
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro or chives are great in place of scallions.
Any crunchy lettuce, such as gem or baby greenleaf, can be subbed for romaine hearts. (See footnotes below.)
Dice half a smaller seedless (English or hothouse) cucumber if you don’t have Persian.
I love a diced yellow peach in place of tomatoes during the summer months. Mango is also a treat.
Swap in the quick pickled onions on page 195 for raw.
Sharp cheddar and goat cheese are favorite cheese options if you don’t like pepper Jack.
Sliced pepperoncini or banana peppers are awesome in place of pickled jalapeño if you prefer less heat.
Not in the mood for BBQ flavors? Substitute pesto for the BBQ sauce! Use just 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice instead of lime and extra-virgin olive oil instead of avocado oil in the dressing.
This conversation was recorded before the current Cyclospora situation; I’m definitely not a doctor and can’t give medical advice, but right now, you may want to source cilantro from a local farmer or garden plant, or just skip it! (Or sub in whatever tender herbs you have growing at home.) Local folks: I found this thread on the NY outbreak helpful.
Again, not medical advice, but right now I’m buying lower-risk whole heads of lettuce and other salad ingredients from local farmers. Serena also mentioned that she loves to serve these burgers on a bun instead, or skip the barbecue sauce and serve them on top of her orzo salad, or stacked on bread and topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce to make a sorta-meatball-sub.
I love how substitutions are become more and more a standard part of how recipes are published. It works so much better for real life! And adding this cookbook to my TBR!
LOVE the idea of this. So smart. Also, yum. I want both of these even though it's before 10 AM.