5 easy, cold and refreshing recipes to beat the heat

Counteracting the rise in temperature with fresh food is an excellent way to cope with the excesses of summer. These recipes bring freshness and flavor.

When it is hot it is convenient to adapt the menu. If you choose well what you eat, you will prevent the internal temperature of the body from rising. If it’s a particularly hot day, you have several options to prepare a refreshing menu:

• Opt for raw ones. Salads, vegetable crudités, fruit salads… There are a thousand options to be able to eat raw dishes that are consumed cold.
• Prepare dishes that are served cold. Dishes served cold don’t always have to be raw. In this article we show you examples of recipes for dishes that are cooked and left to cool to serve very cool.
• Add fruits whenever you can. Dishes that have fruits among their main ingredients are especially refreshing. You will check it in the recipes that we show you below.

5 REFRESHING RECIPES TO BEAT THE HEAT

Take note of these especially refreshing and very easy to prepare recipes that are ideal to take on the hottest days.

GREEK SALAD WITH TWO-COLOR PEPPER

INGREDIENTS (FOR 4 PEOPLE)

• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 green pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 red onion
• 1 celery sprig
• 20 pitted black olives
• 200 g feta vegetable cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• virgin olive oil
• apple cider vinegar
• Herbal salt

PREPARATION (12′):

1. Wash the tomatoes, peppers and celery under the tap and dry everything well. Cut tomatoes into eighths and peppers into medium-sized squares. Peel the onion and cut it into very thin slices. Chop the celery sprig into small pieces and the cheese into cubes of about two centimeters.
2. Carefully mix all these ingredients in a wide salad bowl along with the black olives and sprinkle with the dried oregano.
3. Finally, season the salad with olive oil, apple cider vinegar and herbal salt.

VARIANTS:

• Capers or pickles preserved in vinegar, cut into slices or lengthwise, will give a good touch to this Mediterranean salad.
• Instead of oregano, basil can be used.
• Vinaigrettes made with grain mustard also suit you.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Calories: 345
• Carbohydrates: 9 g
• Protein: 7 g
• Fat: 31 g
• Cholesterol: 22 mg.

VEGETABLE RASPIC WOK WITH BEET SAUCE

INGREDIENTS (FOR 4 PEOPLE):

• 1 small broccoli in twigs
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 zucchini, cut into tacos
• 1 medium turnip, diced
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon and a half agar-agar
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• olive oil and salt

For the sauce:

• 100 ml olive oil
• 75 ml vegetable milk
• 50 g raw and peeled beetroot
• a little salt

PREPARATION (25′ + 18′ COOKING + 30′ STANDBY):

1. Put the wok on the fire with a little oil and add the carrots and turnips. After five minutes and without stopping stirring, add the broccoli. Continue stirring for two or three minutes and finally add the zucchini, a pinch of salt and vinegar. Remove from heat when they are done but crispy inside and let drain in a strainer.
2. In a saucepan dissolve the agar-agar in the broth. Put it on the fire and boil for eight minutes. Let warm, prepare eight small flaneras and pour a little mixture into each one, letting it harden slightly. Add the vegetables to the rest of gelatin and pour everything into the flaneras.
3. Let the aspics curdle in the fridge and unmold them by immersing them for a few seconds in hot water.
4. For the sauce, beat all the ingredients with the help of a blender and pour over the aspics.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Calories: 359
• Carbohydrates: 13 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Fat: 30 g
• Cholesterol: 2 mg

COLD CREAM OF RED PEPPERS AND COCONUT SHAVINGS

Ingredients (for 4 people):

• 6 medium red peppers
• 1 medium onion
• 1 leek
• 150 ml coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon Modena vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Shredded coconut
• Tamari or salt

PREPARATION (25’+20′ COOKING + 1H. REST):

1. Cut the peppers and remove the seeds. Grill them until the skin darkens. Let cool, peel and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion along with the leek cut into julienne.
2. Crush the vegetables with the coconut milk and add broth if necessary to give it consistency. Add salt or tamari to taste, pour the vinegar and stir so that it integrates well.
3. Refrigerate the soup in the fridge and serve cold sprinkled with grated coconut.

VARIANTS:

• This cream is very showy with yellow pepper.
• Coconut milk can be substituted for soy milk.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Calories: 157
• Carbohydrates: 12 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Fat: 10 g

SWEET RAVIOLI WITH MELON AND PUMPKIN WITH OATMEAL CREAM

INGREDIENTS (FOR 4 PEOPLE):

• 400 g spinach ravioli stuffed with fresh vegetable cheese
• 350 g cantaloupe or Gaul melon
• 250 g violin gourd
• 200 ml oatmeal cream
• 2 tablespoons black sesame
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• salt

PREPARATION (15’+12′ COOKING):

1. Pour the stuffed ravioli into a large pot with boiling water and salt and cook until al dente. Drain the paste and cool under the tap.
2. Prepare the melon by removing balls of pulp with the help of a vacuum cleaner. Spread them in the oil and coat with the sesame seeds. Peel the pumpkin, cut it into cubes and mix with the ravioli.
3. Serve the pasta on individual plates, add the melon balls and drizzle with some oatmeal.

VARIANTS:

• This recipe is equally delicious if served with a yogurt sauce in any of its variants.
• Instead of sesame, melon can be coated with poppy seeds.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Calories: 330
• Carbohydrates: 33 g
• Protein: 11 g
• Fat: 13 g
• Cholesterol: 55 mg.

FROZEN PEAR TERRINE WITH BLUEBERRIES AND RASPBERRY SAUCE

INGREDIENTS (FOR 6 PEOPLE):

• 1 kg of ripe pears type Williams
• the juice of half a lemon
• 75 g whole sugar
• half a teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 75 g blueberries
• 2 sprigs of fresh mint
• water

For the sauce:

• 200 g raspberries
• 20 g ground brown sugar

PREPARATION (20′ + 15′ COOKING + 1H. REST):

1. Peel the pears, peel and chop. Simmer and cover for 15 minutes along with lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar and a few tablespoons of water. Let cool.
2. Crush the pears with their syrup until you get a fine puree. Transfer to a container and leave in the freezer covered until it acquires consistency. Re-crush and pour into an elongated mold lined with cling film. Cover and freeze again.
3. To make the sauce, crush the ingredients and pass them through a Chinese. Shortly before serving, remove the pan from the freezer, unmold and cut into slices. Top each slice with the sauce and garnish with blueberries and fresh mint.

VARIANT:

This recipe can also be prepared with apples.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Calories: 249
• Carbohydrates: 57 g
• Protein: 2 g
• Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg.