Who likes to cook in the summer?

I don’t blame you if you don’t! Who wants to cook when it’s 100° outside? I don’t like to do it even though I’m a chef but a bit of planning goes a long way, and the family can be well fed during the summer (with a minimum of effort).

My favorite food to make during the summer is chilled or raw (uncooked) soups, salads, veggie noodles, no – mayo coleslaws, grilled veggies, and smoothies. For most of those dishes, there is no stove required, which makes things easier!

Salads— an excellent main dish

Salads can be a lot more interesting than a wedge of iceberg lettuce, two slices of cucumber or a tomato. Beautiful, warm and inviting summer evenings are the best time to experiment with composed entrée salads. No need to be fancy, there is brilliance in simplicity.

• Select a base of field greens, kale, chard, spinach, spring mix, arugula, or watercress.
• Throw your greens of choice in a mixing bowl; add your favorite chopped vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, green onions, or peppers.
• Add your favorite fruits such as grapefruit, strawberry, orange, blueberries.
• Add a protein such as baked salmon, halibut, chicken, tempeh, beans, hemp seeds, chia seeds, spirulina or shrimps.
• Drizzle with olive, avocado oil, oil, your favorite vinegar, lemon juice or grapefruit juice.
• You can add nutritional yeast and seaweeds for extra vitamins and minerals.
• Don’t forget about fresh herbs, which brings the flavor as well as amazing nutritional properties.
• Season with salt, cayenne, red pepper flakes or pepper, and toss before serving.

Chill out with a summer soup

I love chilled soups. They are a perfect addition to the summer and a perfect way to incorporate more veggies into our diet. Chilled soups are very popular in Europe and other countries in the summer season. They are refreshing, cooling, filling, and keep well in your fridge.  Although some chilled soups need to be cooked first, my favorite way of making them is using a high-speed blender.  Super quick and easy.

• Take two peeled cucumbers, 1 cup fat from full-fat coconut milk, fresh dill, 1 avocado,  one clove of garlic, few scallions, a pinch of salt and coconut sugar along with one tablespoon of lemon juice.
• Put the ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender and purée in a food processor until smooth, and then chill.
• To add a finishing touch add a sprig of fresh dill and serve for a great dinner starter.

There it is, your dinner is ready!

Veggie noodles

Vegetable noodles are the hit of a summer season because they are super easy to make, they are fun, they are nutritious and cooling. You need to buy a spiralizer to make them. You can buy the spiralizer on Amazon, and you are ready to play, explore and experiment! You can make a bunch of different sauces for them and enjoy lower calories dished than pasta.

You can use all kind of different veggies for the noodles: celery root, cucumber, celery, carrot, zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash, kohlrabi and more. The recipe is coming up!

Smoothies

There is nothing easier, nutritious and more refreshing during the summer than chilled smoothies filled with fruits and veggies of the season! Play with ingredients and have fun!

Best peak of the summer season

• Berries of all kinds
• Peaches
• Apricots
• Plums
• Peaches
• Cantaloupes
• Cherries
• Nectarines
• Zucchini
• Melons
• Kale
• Corn
• Tomatoes
• Green beans
• Eggplant
• Broccoli
• Summer squash
• Cucumber

Beet and carrot noodles salad

Serves 2

2 carrots

2 beets

1 orange

2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon avocado oil

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

2 tablespoons golden raisins

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch of salt

¼ cup of mint chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon- chopped

Make noodles from beets and carrots using a spiralizer. Put in the bowl. Pre-cut orange and add it to a bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix it. Garnish with hemp seeds.