You don’t need me to tell you the heat has reached an all-new high this summer. We’re at the end of a five-day heat wave, with numbers we didn’t know our thermometer reached outside of an oven.
Here are some ways to keep it cool this summer with simple, no-sweat recipes and tips.
Prep ahead for convenience: Prepare cut-up vegetables in advance so they are easy to grab and go. Store them in sealed containers in the fridge for up to three days. This not only saves time but also ensures that you always have a healthy, refreshing snack ready.
Fruit preservation: Make a fruit plate and sprinkle a few drops of fresh lemon juice on the cut-up fruits to help preserve them in the fridge. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap to keep them fresh and ready to enjoy.
Quinoa for quick salads: Cook and cool two cups of quinoa to keep in the fridge. This versatile grain is perfect for adding a protein-packed punch to your salads, making meal preparation quick and easy.
Outdoor cooking: If you have the option to BBQ outdoors, take advantage of it. Grilling keeps the heat out of your kitchen and allows you to enjoy the pleasant summer evenings. Plus, grilled fruits and vegetables can add a smoky, summery flavor to your meals.
Double up cooking: When cooking chicken or beef, double the quantity so you can use the leftovers for a sandwich or fresh salad. This not only saves time but also keeps meal prep minimal and your kitchen cooler.
Crockpot usage: Surprise, surprise! Using a Crockpot, which we often associate with winter meals, actually keeps the kitchen cooler than using the oven or stove. Slow-cooked dishes can be just as delightful in the summer, especially when paired with fresh, light sides and salads.
Cucumber quinoa salad
I love the light and refreshing taste of this salad, making it perfect to bring for lunch or to add to any dinner. It’s so easy to put together in minutes, and the salad dressing makes enough for multiple servings.
Yields 4 servings.
2 cups of cooked quinoa (cooled)
4 cucumbers, sliced
1 radish, sliced
½ cup cooked lentils (cooled)
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped to garnish
Dressing:
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup raw tehina
¼ cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey or silan
½ tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
Put all the dressing ingredients into a jar or container, seal it, and shake it for about 30 seconds to mix. Can be kept refrigerated for up to a week.
Place the salad ingredients in a serving bowl, pour over the dressing, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve.
Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken
Ten 10 years ago, after I gave birth to my daughter, friends of ours created a meal train to get us through the first couple of weeks.
One of our dear friends, Sarah, came over the night before it was her turn and brought us prepared, chopped, and mixed ingredients for pineapple chicken to put in the Crockpot the following evening. I loved the idea that she took the time to do all the prep work and placed it all in Ziploc bags so we could have dinner when we wanted it fresh for the next evening. Well, I love that this has a summer flavor – plus, as I said above, using a Crockpot keeps your kitchen cooler than an oven or stove.Yields 4 servings.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can of pineapple chunks with juice (400 ml./14 oz.)
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 frozen cube of crushed ginger (or 1 tsp. fresh grated)
Garnish: green onions (scallions), sliced
Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of the Crockpot. Over a small bowl, drain out the juice from the can of pineapple chunks, set the can with pineapple chunks aside. Add the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch, garlic, and ginger to the bowl and stir until well combined. Pour this over the chicken in the Crockpot, then add the pineapple chunks on top. Cover the Crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Serve over cooked rice, or sesame noodles (recipe follows) and garnish with chopped scallions.
Sesame noodles
In the late afternoons of Shabbat, we often end up at my dear friend Tammy’s, who I am so grateful lives close by. Our kids play together, and we schmooze on her porch over ice cream (that she makes herself, by the way – I’ll steal that recipe next time).
Anyway, as it gets closer to dinner time for the kids, she often serves sesame noodles with cut-up veggies, a hard-boiled egg, or whatever protein she can add to it. She makes a large quantity in a parve pot so they can bulk up any meal throughout the week. I thought it was so clever to have this on hand during the summer months as a side or salad. You can serve it chilled or warmed. It can be kept in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week.
Yields 6 servings.
400 gr. cooked noodles
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
3 Tbsp. vinegar (white or rice)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
Sliced scallions to garnish
Boil the noodles according to package directions. In the meantime, in a small pot on low heat, place the oils, vinegar, honey, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, shut off the heat, and add the sesame seeds. Drain the noodles and return to the pot, then pour on the sesame sauce and mix well. Garnish with scallions before serving.
Chocolate cherry pie
Israeli cherries are absolutely delicious! We went cherry picking a couple of weeks ago, and we just loved how sweet and juicy they were. I put some aside when we got home to use for a dessert that Shabbat. I had a half-frozen tray of brownies in the freezer that I crumbled up and then patted down on the bottom of the pie pan; or you can use a ready-made graham cracker pie crust. Then I made a simple ganache, with raspberry liqueur – highly recommended but optional – and added the cherries on top. This has become our summer Shabbat dessert that gets applause every time, despite how simple it is to make.
Yields one 8” or 9” round pie.
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 250 ml. container of (parve) whipping cream
250 gr. dark chocolate
2 tsp. raspberry or cherry liqueur
20 cherries, pitted
If you buy a ready-made pie crust, great – but if you have some brownies in the house, you can crumble them up and then press the crumbs down on the bottom of a round pan. In a small pot on low heat, pour in the whipping cream and break up the chocolate, adding it to the pot. Stir occasionally for the next 6 minutes until it’s melted and smooth. Shut off the heat and add in the liqueur, mixing it in with the melted chocolate. Pour this over the pie crust and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then add the cherries onto the ganache and place the pan in the fridge to cool for at least 3 hours.
I hope these recipes are a breeze – pun intended – and you beat the heat this summer with some of our wonderful fresh fruits and vegetable, of which we thankfully have an abundance.
The writer is a kitchen coach who teaches women how to meal plan and cook so they get dinner on the table and prepare for Shabbat and chag on time. www.inthekitchenwithhenny.com