I'm looking for easy recipes for the summer. I'm wanting cold things, but not salads, as I have tons of those recipes already. Can anybody give me some suggestions?
By Cricket from Parkton, NC
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Smoothies are healthy and can be made and kept in the fridge. Take one banana, one cup of milk, or half milk and half water, one teaspoon sugar and one teaspoon lemon juice so that it doesn't change color, and blend well.
You can make ice tea, water melon juice, passion fruit juice, or simple drinks like adding a slice of lemon to a glass of water.
Make simple sandwiches like chicken and mayo. Canned beans, toasted sandwiches, onion and tuna sandwiches, boiled eggs, sliced tomato, cucumber and lettuce. Saute some summer veggies and couscous with some pumpkin seeds and drizzle olive oil.
First, consider gazpacho, shrimp salads - wonderfully cool, tangy, and light yet not too light. Adding avocado to meals really helps cool things down a bit, too.
For summer kitchen heat: Crock pots. That way you can also spend more time doing fun things and less time getting overheated. My kitchen fan doesn't work so I understand not wanting to stand over pots or in front of ovens. (And I live on the Gulf coast in Texas, too!) They're a good way of getting the hot meals without the hot cook.
But true summer survival, for me, depends on cold or cool snacks. I can't live without my frozen fruit in the summer. I freeze washed grapes on the vine - just pluck them off and eat them. They're wonderful. Green and red seem to do best - seedless. Also I buy bags of frozen strawberries, blueberries, etc. I don't usually do smoothies. If I do, I use individual jello tubs instead of a dairy product to make them fluffy but not dairy or heavy. They also add extra tang.
What I DO more often use the fruit for is just eating with some yogurt. It freezes the yogurt making a sort of ice cream-frozen yogurt that cools you from the core out. Put those in your drinks, too. The juices come out more because the structure of the fruit is weakened a bit by freezing - which is perfect. The juice pours into the liquid. My boyfriend makes drinks with orange juice, ginger ale, and fruit juices - just whatever's on sale, and throws a few pieces of frozen fruit in (after mashing slightly) for a treat at the bottom. (Yes, I'm spoiled!)
Hope these ideas help. :)
Not sure how much the two of you eat at a meal. I can only eat one of these at a time but my neighbor friend can eat three or four ;-) Simply reduce the ingredient amounts if need be :-) This recipe makes six wraps :-)
Antipasto Wraps
6 slices deli ham
6 slices deli turkey
6 slices provolone cheese
1 jar (6-1/2 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts (Cara Mia is my favorite), drained and sliced
1/2 cup pitted chopped black olives
1/2 cup pitted chopped green olives
6 roasted sweet red peppers, drained and cut into 1-inch strips
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes
6 (8 inch) tomato basil tortillas
3/4 cup red wine vinaigrette (recipe below if you prefer homemade)
6 romaine heart leaves
Directions:
Layer the first eight ingredients on to each tortilla. Drizzle each with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette. Top with romaine, roll up and serve.
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
Makes two cups so there will be enough leftover for salads ;-)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1 1/2 cups olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Combine all ingredients in a cruet or glass jar with a screw-on lid. Tighten lid and shake vigorously before serving.
By Deeli from Richland, WA
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