By Marci Lutsky
While the worst of the most recent heat wave may be behind us, we are in no way out of the woods yet in regards to high temperatures. One of my summer goals is to turn my oven on as little as possible. In the cold weather I crave all things hot and filling while in the summer, I crave all things cold and light. Here are some ideas to help you get through the summer heat with minimal cooking.
Popsicles, popsicles and more popsicles! My freezer is always filled with popsicles all summer long. My kids love anything in popsicle form. I picked up a huge watermelon last week at a roadside stand for $4. We ate half of it and the other half I added to the blender along with a splash of water and honey. I blended that until smooth and poured it into popsicle molds. Adding fruit to vanilla yogurt in the blender is great too and you could pour some granola into the popsicle molds first to add some texture to your pops. Breakfast is served!
Here is what I’m not doing on summer mornings, cooking anything hot. Maybe I’ll toast something in the toaster, but that’s it! A great breakfast option when it’s over 80 degrees before 7am is a smoothie bowl. Keep frozen fruit in your freezer. You can either buy it already frozen or freeze fruit like bananas, pineapple and mango. Mix the frozen fruit in a blender with yogurt, top with granola and give it a drizzle of honey. Next time you find yourself at a smoothie place like Bungalow Bowls or Goji, take a picture of the menu so you can get inspiration for your at-home creations. I also recommend picking up Nicole Gaffney’s new cookbook, The Art of the Smoothie Bowl.
If you aren’t growing basil this summer, head to the closest garden store and pick up some. Then you can make one of my favorite lunches, caprese salad. Slice some juicy Jersey tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, top with chopped basil and drizzle with olive oil. If you want to add a little more substance to this salad, you could chop everything and toss with pasta that has been cooked and cooled.
I am lucky to have a friend who catches fresh tuna every few weeks during the summer and shares it with me. One of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh tuna is by making a poke bowl. Chop the sushi-grade tuna into small chunks and toss it with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, scallions and avocado. Delish!
You don’t need to turn your oven on to enjoy refreshing and satisfying food all summer long. From popsicles to smoothie bowls, hopefully you have some new ideas to eat healthy when the temperatures are too high to cook. Stay cool this summer with these cold treats!
Marci Lutsky is a food blogger at Vegging at the Shore, www.veggingattheshore.com and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE BOWL
YIELD: 4 SERVINGS
TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb frozen organic raspberries
- 2 bananas
- 4 cups non dairy milk
- 2 tbs flaxseed meal
Toppings
- 1/2 cup granola
- Fresh fruit
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
Place ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth. Divide soomthie mixture onto four bowls and spread topping ingredients over smoothie. Serve immediately.
Smoothie Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt (Greek or regular)
- 1 dragon fruit smoothie packet
- toppings of your choice (sliced banana, shredded coconut, granola)
Instructions
Add yogurt and dragon fruit to blender. If you don’t have a high powered blender you might need to add a little bit of crushed ice to loosen things up. Pour mixture into a bowl and add toppings of your choice.
Marci Lutsky is a local mom of eight year-old twins and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.
