So yeah, it is definitely sizzling out there, and the best way to deal with it is to keep cool by eating refreshing foods that don’t heat up the kitchen. These recipes are so easy and fun to do with kids, and you get delicious, healthy results for solving the “I’m bored and it’s so hot out” dilemma!
Get your blenders ready (alternatively you can use a food processor with the “S” steel blade) and let’s dive into some cool recipes!
Green Mint Smoothie
Everyone enjoys fresh smoothies to cool them off when the heat is high. I enjoy experimenting with different fruits and veggies to see what blends work the best. This blend is so refreshing and also very cleansing that you feel your body temperature plummet and the sweat just melts away with these fresh ingredients.
Yields 2 servings.
1 green apple3 cucumbers½ cup of mint leavesI cup of ice cubesJuice of one squeezed lemon1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
Cut the green apple into chunks and remove the core, slice up the cucumbers and place all the ingredients into a blender besides the honey. Pulse on and off for the first minute or two and then put the blender on high speed one minute at a time until it is very well blended, for at least 6 or 7 minutes. You may need to stop and shake the blender a bit to get all the ingredients smooth, then add in the honey. Serve right away and enjoy. If you want to prepare this ahead of time, after it’s all blended place it in an airtight container and freeze. Remove it from the freezer 2 hours before serving, and reblend it to give it a smoothie-like texture.
Fruit Soup
Soup is super except when we’re feeling hot and sticky! Fresh cold soup cools us off and is a great starter for any summer meal! I used frozen strawberries, fresh watermelon slices, and pure orange juice. The lemon juice really brings out the flavors and keeps this fresh in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
Yields 4 servings.
4-6 slices of watermelon2 cups of frozen or fresh strawberries1 ½ cups of orange juice½ tsp. saltJuice of ½ squeezed lemon
Cut the watermelon slices into chunks and remove all the pits. Place the watermelon, strawberries (if using frozen strawberries let them sit out for 15 minutes to slightly defrost) and 1 cup of the orange juice into the blender and pulse on high for about fifteen seconds at a time, then add the remaining orange juice. Blend for about five minutes, stopping and stirring occasionally. Place in a container with a lid and let chill before serving.
Iced Coffee
When I treat myself to an iced coffee on a very hot day, I literally feel an incredible amount of gratitude to God for having created this drink of heavenly bliss! You may think I am overdoing it, but it is seriously one of the greatest ice-cold drinks that gives me tremendous happiness and something tells me I am not the only one.
I wanted to try my own attempt at iced coffee and see how it compares and I was completely surprised at how simple it was to make and the amazing, delectable results.
Yields 2-3 servings.
1 tray of coffee ice cubes1 tray of milk ice cubesI tray of ice cubes1 cup of milk or almond milk¼ cup of chocolate syrup3 Tbps. of sugar/sweetener
Make a strong cup of coffee and then pour it into an ice cube tray, pour milk into another ice cube tray (you can use almond milk if you want to make it parve). Put them both in the freezer for at least two hours or until frozen. Place the coffee, milk and regular ice cubes in the blender with 1 cup of milk. Start by pulsing on and off for about 2 minutes and then add the chocolate syrup and sugar and blend for another 3-5 minutes. Pour into tall glasses and add in a thick straw. Take a breath and feel the gratitude as you sip away at your perfect summer drink of bliss!
Cold Beef Salad
OK, so we blended lots of refreshing stuff, and it’s all good – but where’s the beef?? This salad is so easy to prepare and is an awesome dinner, take to work lunch and is fancy enough for a cool Shabbat meal – and then there’s no need to keep on a Shabbat hot plate! You can prepare the steaks and peppers on Thursday as well as the dressing so it will take only two minutes to put together on Shabbat morning.
Yields 4 servings.
3 grilled steaks (spices of your choice)3 cups of baby leaf lettuce3 peppers, different colors½ tsp. coarse black pepper1 tsp. olive oil
Dressing
1 Tbsp. mustard2 Tbsp. mayonnaise1 Tbsp. olive oil2 tsp. apple cider vinegar1 tsp. granulated or crushed garlic Dash of salt and pepper
Slice up the peppers and place them in a bowl, then drizzle olive oil and black pepper and mix well – set aside. Spice the steaks to your liking, I use black pepper, a dash of kosher salt and granulated garlic. Grill the steaks to medium ahead of time so they cool completely, then slice into strips. I grilled mine in a grill pan on the stove for 4-5 minutes on each side. Using the grill pan from the steaks or a sauté pan on high heat, add the pepper strips for about 4-5 minutes mixing occasionally. Remove from the pan and let cool.
Make the dressing by putting all the ingredients together in a small container, mix it very well and keep refrigerated.
Place the baby lettuce on a flat plate, add the peppers and steak strips and drizzle on the dressing. Feel free to add other veggies like cherry tomatoes, or scallions. Dig in, keep cool and enjoy!
The writer is a kitchen coach inspiring confidence and creativity in the kitchen. She runs online kitchen workshops, does private events for organizations and is available for one-on-one coaching to bring the best out of your kitchen. www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com