Summer is a busy time for entertaining and enjoying that beautiful Okanagan sunshine, so nobody wants to spend hours in the kitchen preparing something yummy for guests (or themselves)! The best thing to do this time of year is to keep it simple; stick to fresh local produce, some flavourful condiments and avoid oven use if you can.

Here are five of my favourite summertime recipes that use 5 ingredients, or less, to keep it easy for you in the kitchen. They might only have a few ingredients, but I promise they're all full of flavour

Easy Mango Salsa

A summery twist on the Mexican pico de gallo that was made for corn-chip dipping.

Photo Credit: KelownaNow

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 mango

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 lime

1/2 red onion

Wash the tomatoes, and then halve them and toss into a mixing bowl. Quarter any particularly large cherry tomatoes. Cut the cheeks off the mango, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Cube into small pieces, and then toss in with your tomatoes (or follow this video). Finely chop your red onion and cilantro, and add into your tomato mango mixture. Add the juice of your lime and a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly.

Optional: Add in finely diced jalapeno and garlic for a kick.

Watermelon Feta Bites

The sweet, salty, refreshing combination is perfect for the patio.

Photo Credit: KelownaNow

1/4 to 1/2 a watermelon, cubed into bite sized pieces

1 small block of feta, cubed into pieces slightly smaller than your watermelon pieces

1/2 bunch fresh mint

1/2 lemon

Arrange your watermelon pieces on a plate, and then top each cube of watermelon with a piece of feta. Finely chop the mint leaves and scatter them overtop. Zest your lemon overtop, and then squeeze over the juice catching any falling lemon seeds.

Optional: Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and crack some fresh pepper over top too!

Caprese Salad

This classic and quick Italian salad highlights seasonal Okanagan tomatoes!

Photo Credit: KelownaNow

4-6 tomatoes

1 200g container of sliced bocconcini

1 bunch fresh basil

Store-bought Balsamic Reduction (such as Nonna Pia's)

Extra virgin olive oil

Wash, and thinly slice your tomatoes into rounds, then layer your tomato pieces with bocconcini slices in a ring pattern until the plate is full. Finely chop or chiffonade your basil and sprinkle overtop of the tomatoes and cheese. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and olive oil, and then sprinkle some sea salt to finish!

Bacon Wrapped Almond Stuffed Dates

Sweet, salty and loaded with umami flavour, these will be your new favourite go-to appetizer!

Photo Credit: KelownaNow

20 pitted dates

20 whole almonds (double if your dates are extra large)

10 pieces of bacon

1 small block blue cheese, such as Castello

Store-bought Balsamic reduction (such as Nonna Pia's)

Push one almond into each pitted date, or two almonds per date if they are extra large dates. Cut your bacon pieces in half, and then wrap the almond-stuffed dates in the bacon. You can skewer the dates with a toothpick if the bacon isn't staying secure.

Pan fry the dates over medium-low heat until the bacon is cooked through on all sides. You could also arrange them on a baking tray and cook them in your oven (350 degrees for about 15 minutes) or on your BBQ in a tinfoil pan. When the bacon is cooked and the dates are warmed, arrange them on a serving plate and crumble the blue cheese overtop. Drizzle with balsamic reduction to finish.

Homemade Tzatziki dip

Tastes even better than store-bought, and with no added preservatives.

Photo Credit: KelownaNow

1 medium sized cucumber

1 lemon

1.5 cups greek yogurt

2 garlic cloves

1/2 bunch dill

Grate your cucumber into a fine-meshed sieve in your sink, and sprinkle liberally with salt. Allow to sit about 20 minutes, and then squeeze the excess moisture out of the cucumber with your hands. In a large bowl, mix together the greek yogurt, drained cucumber, the zest and juice of your lemon, and the dill (finely chopped). Crush in your garlic cloves and mix thoroughly. You can serve it immediately, but it'll be even better if you can let it sit for a few hours! Serve with pita bread and fresh vegetables.

Photo Credit: KelownaNow

The Okanagan has such a bounty of excellent ingredients that it's easy to keep it simple, and it doesn't take much to make something exciting to #TreatYoSelf with. Let the ingredients shine through, and you can't go wrong! Plus, spending less time in the kitchen means more time to drink wine and socialize with friends and family.

Kelowna born and raised, Keddy Pavlik of TheTreatLife has been passionate about the local food scene basically since birth. If she's not in the kitchen, you can probably find her at the farmer's market or taking pictures of food. Photo Credit: Jordana Dickson.