Healthy Summer Recipes and Summer Drinks

We give you summer recipes and summer drinks that will not only have a cooling effect on your tummy but also energize and hydrate you from the summer heat.

Summers suck the energy out of us, and between all this draining, cooking an elaborate Indian meal can be taxing. We give you summer recipes and summer drinks that will not only have a cooling effect on your tummy but also energize and hydrate you from the summer heat.

Mango Salsa:  Combine 1 ripe mango, 1/2 medium red onion, 1 jalapeno, 1 small peeled cucumber, 3 tbs fresh coriander, 3 tbs fresh lime juice, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Add some diced avocados for variety.

Gazpachio :  Put 1/3 cup olive oil and juice of 1 lemon into a blender. Add 6 -8 tomatoes chopped; 1/2 large white onion, chopped finely; 1/2 large white onion, chopped in 1/4 inch chunks; 2 small cucumbers or 1 large cucumber, chopped. Season with sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, chopped basil or cilantro,2 cloves garlic. Mix until the gazpacho is soupy but still has some good-sized chunks; add salt, pepper, oil or basil to taste. Serve cold.

Hung Curd Dip:  The cooling effect of hung curd – which is curd wrapped in a muslin cloth until all the water drains off – combined with your favourite spices like garlic, onions, capsicum, green chilies, cucumber, red chili flakes, oregano, salt, pepper, etc. is great when paired with fresh vegetables. Make a big batch of your favourite hung curd dip and keep munching carrots, celery, cucumber, broccoli, or banana or kand (purple yam) chips once in a while to take care of your snacking needs during summer.

Cold Buttermilk and ShrimpSoup:  In a large bowl, whisk together 1 quart buttermilk, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar. Add 8 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped and 2 tbsp chopped green onion. Stir until well combined. Refrigerate, covered, for 3 hours or until very cold.

Fruity Green Salad: Toss together 6 ounces mixed baby salad greens, 1-cup seasonal fruit of your choice, ½ cup dried figs or dried cranberries, ¼ cup slivered almonds in large bowl. Whisk together:¼ cup Real pomegranate juice drink, 1tsp lemon juice and ½ tsp sugar in small bowl. Add ¼ cup mayonnaise and 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk until smooth and creamy . Drizzle over salad.

Grilled Chicken Salad with seasonalfruit: Grill 1 pound chicken breasts, 8 mins on each side, or until juices run clear. Remove from heat, cool, and slice. Roast ½ cup pecans until fragrant, stirring frequently, 8 mins. In a blender, combine 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, ½ cup sugar, 1 cup olive oil, ½ minced onion, 1 tsp mustard, I tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Process until smooth . Top with grilled chicken slices, I cup sliced mangoes, and pecans. Drizzle with the dressing to serve.

Coconut water: An inexpensive coconut is full of health benefits and has wonderful cooling properties. It is laden with simple sugars, electrolytes and essential minerals which help keep the body well hydrated.

Iced lemongrass tea: Get a few stalks of lemongrass, trim and peel them, then cut and smash the stalks with the flat of knife blade to release the “juices.” Bring them to a boil in a pot of water and cover. Cut the flames and let it steep for twenty minutes. At this point, add sugar. Leave to cool, refrigerate overnight and serve with ice.

Berry Ice: In a mixer, combine 4 cups berries and ¾ cup white grape juice and pulse until mixed. Strain the mixture into a medium-size bowl through a medium mesh strainer. Add ¾ cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and pinch of salt to bowl and stir. Transfer mixture into a pan and freeze for 1 hour. Remove the pan and scrape frozen edges into the center. Freeze again, then scrape ice crystals into the center again. Freeze for 1 hour, or overnight. Serve when mixture is firm.

Aam Papads: These jellied mango sheets are simply delicious. It keeps your energy levels up, too.

Goti Soda: This is an old-style soda bottles sealed with a marble. With a pop, the marble is pushed in the lemon juice, which is added to the soda with a dash of chaat masala when serving. Unfortunately, this treat has now become rare, and is seen only in small towns and villages.

Cucumbers:  A refreshing snack that are sold by cart vendors. Cut into long slivers, these are usually sprinkled with a basic tangy mix. You can easily make this at home, or combine it with curd, and make a cool cucumber raita.

Green Mango: Tart pieces of green mango sprinkled with some chilli and salt, or slathered with a spicy red chutney makes for a classic Indian snack during summer.

Lassi: This beverage is made from churned yoghurt. It can be salted or sweetened, or in a number of flavours. Try this popular mango lassi.

Here is some healthy drinks and there recipes for staying healthy and fit in summers. To know more details visit us at www.kebhari.com