We have this mentality about food. If it's healthy, it has to mean work and sacrifice. I am soooo against that way of thinking! For me, food is art, and it's creative energy, and thinking up ways to make it healtthy is part of the process.
I shop a lot at Fresh and Easy, and they have a sale shelf. It's one of my favorite things to do, see what's cheap and see what I can concoct from unexpected combinations.
Here's an example of what can happen when you decide to have fun with food. At last month's Places, Spaces, and Faces dinner here in Phoenix, the theme was fusion. inCYSTer Ivonne Ward, whose heritage is Cuban, started out with a basic Cuban ingredient, plantain bananas.
She called me from the store asking for some inspiration for a savory dish. I suggested Moroccan couscous.
Ivonne found a pre-mixed version, as well as some chicken curry salad. We decided to make what we ended up calling"Cous-chettas y Brus-curry de Havana"…a bruschetta-like appetizer, using broiled platano rounds instead of bread.
Here's how to replicate it.
Cous-chettas y Brus-curries de Havana 1 bag of plaintain chips 2 plaintain bananas 1 bag Mediterranean dried fruit mix 1 container guava jelly 1 salad container prepared couscous salad 1 salad container prepared chicken curry salad Mint leaves Olive oil
1. Separate the plaintain chips, setting aside all of the whole ones. Grind the broken ones into crumbs in a food processor.
2. Chop the dried fruit mix.
3. Slice the mint leaves into thin ribbons.
4. Cut the plantain into 1-1/2 inch slices. Stand them upright and smash them from top to bottom, to make what looks like mini pancakes. Spray them on both sides with olive oil and broil them on both sides until browned.
5. Take a few squares of guava jelly, add a bit of water, and heat over medium heat until it melts into a syrup. Set aside.
6. Spoon a small amount of salad on top of the plantain rounds, then spoon a small bit of chopped dried fruit mix on top of the salad.
7. Sprinkle crushed plantain chips on top of the salad, then drizzle a bit of guava syrup over the salad.
8. Lay a mint strip on top, and insert a whole plaintain chip for decoration.
9. Give yourself a pat on the back for having fun with food!
You can use any topping you have, really. What I liked about this creation is that we used ready-made salads to save some time and took a cultural favorite, fried plantains, and figured out a healthy way to cook them.
It's been super hot around the country. It's that time of year when hydration is extra important. But water can get boring, and many of the options are just too full of sugar to be realistic in large quantities. Here is a great beverage option that is lower in sugar but more interesting than plain water--the Arnold Palmer.
The classic Arnold Palmer is a half and half mix of lemonade and iced tea. But with the many fruits in season and all of the great non-caffeinated teas on the market, there's no reason to stop there! I spent the afternoon Google searching and found some great, creative lemonade recipes. I've altered them a bit to cut the sugar even more, and asked Kerstin Wingert, a local tea purveyor and copfounder of Souvia Tea, to pair them with some of their offerings to get you thinking about what potential your own local farmer's market holds. I got Kerstin's suggestions back and immediately wanted to head to my own kitchen! Who would want to drink soda when you've got these incredible alternatives?
A think-ahead suggestion, when juicing your fruit, and making the tea, make a little extra for ice cubes to add to your final beverage!
Note: In the lemonade recipes, I've cut the sugar by half from the original recipe, (except in the cucumber and ginger versions) and doubled the fruit. I encourage you to start at this point and then sweeten to taste, rather than oversweetening. Remember that even those these beverages are lower in sugar than soda and juice, they still contain sugar. They will be best tolerated when enjoyed with a meal, to help you tolerate the sugar.
Here is the general link to Souvia's online store. For your convenience, I've also linked each of the individual teas below in case you'd like to try them.
Watermelon Arnold Palmer (lemonade recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market) Lemonade: 10 cups 1-inch cubes seedless watermelon, 1 bottle (10-ounce) 365 Everyday Value® Organic Lemon Juice, 6 cups water. If you use real sugar, start with 1/4 cup and increase to taste. Iced tea: Honey-Do, a fruit blend of melon, apples and a touch of hibiscus
Raspberry Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 2 cups rinsed fresh raspberries, mashed with 1/3 cup sugar, 1 cup lemon juice, and 2 cups water. Add more sugar if desired. Iced tea: Raspberry Honeybush – a naturally sweet tasting infusion that is caffeine free
Peach Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 4 peaches peeled and cubed, 4 C water, 1/2 C sugar, 3/4 C Fresh Lemon Juice Iced tea: Black Peach – a blend of black teas with the taste of ripe peaches. Or…Cranberry Peach – a black tea that combines flavors of sweet peaches with the tartness of cranberries.
Blueberry Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 6 cups blueberries, 1/3 cups sugar, 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3 cups cold water Iced tea: Blueberry Yoghurt – Rooibos from South Africa with blueberries. Freeze-dried yoghurt pieces add to the smooth flavor.
Pomegranate Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 cup pomegranate juice, 2 1/2 cups water Iced tea: Pomegrante/Grape – White and green tea blend with pomegranate and grapes – light and refreshing
Cucumber Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 1 cucumber, peeled and cubed, 1 lemon, 5 c water, sugar to taste Iced tea: Lemon Souffle– Rooibos with a creamy lemon taste
Strawberry Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 2 pints mashed fresh strawberries, 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups water Iced tea: Strawberry Fields – A mélange of black and green teas with strawberries and pineapple pieces
Basil Hibiscus Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 1/2 cup rinsed, lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, 3 tablespoons sugar, 4 cups water, 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice Iced tea: Lemon Basil Oolong – Formosa Oolong combines the savory taste of basil with sweet citrus note
Mango Mint Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 4 large mangoes, 2 1/2 cup(s) water, juice from 6 medium lemons), 1/4 cup(s) sugar Iced tea: Moroccan Mint Organic
Lavender Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 1/4 cup dried lavender, 2 cups boiling water, 1/3 cup white sugar, 8 lemons, 5 cups cold water Iced tea: Quiet Mind – Rooibos with coconut and lavender
Green Apple Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 3 green apples, cored and juiced, juice from 2 lemons, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 cup cold water Iced tea: Apple/Mango Rooibos
Ginger Arnold Palmer Lemonade: 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 4 quarts water, 14 slices fresh ginger root, 4 cups fresh lemon juice In an 8-quart saucepan combine sugar, water and ginger root. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Cool 15 minutes. Remove ginger. Refrigerate lemonade at least 1 hour, or until chilled. Iced tea: Georgia Peach – Black tea with ginger and peach pieces
For those of you who love green tea, you may wish to expand on your experiences with matcha. This version of tea is made by covering tea bushes before harvest, which causes them to turn a darker green. The biochemistry of this change gives matcha a sweeter flavor than traditional green tea.
This form of green tea is a super power house; gram for gram, it ranks higher in antioxidants than many of the foods consistently on health writers'"top ten supefoods" lists. In fact, researchers recently reported that the ECGC content of matcha can be up to 137 times higher than commercial green tea!
These leaves are then ground into a super-fine powder, which can be used in baking and cooking. If you've ever had green tea ice cream or a green tea smoothie, it is likely matcha that provided the flavor. I think it adds a beautiful color to whatever it is used in.
Most recipes on the Internet using matcha seem to be oriented toward sweets. However, if you look, there are some really interesting options in other categories. I've posted some of the most interesting below, along with links to the websites where I found theme so that you can be inspired in your own kitchen.
If you can't find match locally, consider visiting my friend Kerstin Wingert's online store. That is where I've found it and she is very popular in Phoenix because of her attention to quality in her products.
A storage note: Once opened, matcha does oxidize quickly so be sure to have a plan for using it, or share with friends and have fun tasting each others' creations!
One of the many smoothie recipes I found
Matcha Mango Smoothies
1 1/4 cups mango chunks 1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk or low-fat milk 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon matcha tea powder 1/2 cup ice cubes Honey or agave syrup (optional)
Add mango, soymilk, yogurt and matcha tea powder to blender container. Cover and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes; cover and blend until smooth. Taste for sweetness. Add honey or agave syrup if needed; cover and blend to combine. Pour into 2 glasses.
Makes 2 servings (1 1/4 cups each)
Tip: Adding too much matcha tea can result in a bitter flavor. Start with a small amount of matcha and adjust according to taste.
Here is the most interesting one I found. It is on my list to try!
Green Tea Fish Stew
5 Tbls. Olive oil 1 Clove garlic; peeled 4 medium Potatoes; peeled and diced 1 lb. Flounder, cod or red snapper fillets cut in chunks 2 bottles clam juice 2 cups water 16 ozs. diced or pureed tomatoes 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 Bay leaf 1 tsp. Salt 1/8 tsp. Crushed red pepper or to taste 3 Tbls. Chopped parsley 1 tsp. Matcha green tea powder
Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add garlic; sauté until well browned. Discard garlic. Add potatoes to Dutch oven, cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Add fish, stock, tomatoes, wine, Matcha, bay leaf, salt, crushed red pepper, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until fish and potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaf. Serve sprinkled with parsley. Serves 4
You could probably cut the sugar in this one. Be sure to use dark, high quality chocolate. A great holiday treat!
Matcha Almonds 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 8 ounces unblanched almonds 2 teaspoons butter 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces 1/2 teaspoon matcha (powdered green tea) or more to taste
Preparation
1.Combine the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a saucepan and slowly heat to boiling, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook sugar syrup until it reaches 240 degrees, or to soft-ball stage. Add almonds and stir to coat. Add the butter and remove from the heat. Stir until the almonds are glazed with syrup. Cook over medium-low heat until little liquid is left in the pan.
2.Add the chocolate and heat until it melts and almonds are completely coated. Set aside to cool.
3.When almonds are cool, dust from on high with the matcha to coat evenly.
And just for a little fun, here is matcha martini recipe! Isn't this the most Christmasy looking beverage! The photo shows a strawberry garnish, the recipe suggests mint and cinnamon, but for this holiday in particular, garnished with a candy cane it would be so pretty!
Weiss, David J; Anderton, Christopher R (2003-09-05). Determination of catchins in matcha green ttea by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Journal of Chromatography1011 (1-2): 173–180.
2 heads cauliflower, finely ground in a food processor 1/2 fresh cup lemon juice 1 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon black pepper pinch of sea salt 1 bunch fresh parsley, stems removed 1 bunch fresh mint, stems removed 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed 1 13oz jar pitted Greek olives
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly
Marinated Bok Choy Salad
5 heads baby bok choy 1/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup Nama Shoyu 4 cloves garlic, peeled
Starting from the bottom of the plant, chop the bok choy stalks into half-inch pieces, leaving the leaves whole. In a blender, combine the olive oil, Nama Shoyu and garlic and blend thoroughly. Add to the bok choy, mix well and serve.
Pesto Sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled 1/2 fresh lemon juice pinch sea salt 1 cup raw pine nuts 1 cup fresh basil 2 tablespoons olive oil
In a high speed blender, combine all the ingredients, and blend until smooth. (can add 3/4 cup Thai cocunut water if desired) We served this last night over brown rice linguini pasta and it was delicious!!
Marissa Kent of Mission Viejo, California wrote a wonderful article about watermelon for her August newsletter. Be sure to check out the watermelon salad recipe at the bottom of the post!
In addition to being a dietitian specializing in eating disorders and a certified diabetes educator, Marissa loves food, cooking, and hanging out at her local farmer's market.
You can learn more about Marissa and her nutrition counseling services at http://www.marissakentnutrition.com/.
One of the most enjoyed fruits during the hot season is the watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), which originated from Africa. Did you know a watermelon is 95% water, and there are more than 200 to 300 varieties grown in the United States alone? Only about half a dozen of those varieties make it into your supermarket. There is even a square shaped watermelon grown in Japan, so that it will fit into refrigerator shelves nicely and not take up too much space.
Watermelons do grow from a vine, but the melon is on top of the ground. Growing a watermelon can be very demanding. They require a lot of sunlight, space, water, and nutrients.It takes about 90 days for a full mature watermelon. California’s peak season for watermelon is May – October, but in general you can buy watermelon throughout the year.
Picking a watermelon requires both talent and skill, or just pure luck. Ideally you want a firm, smooth melon with a yellowish creamy-white underside where it touched ground. Ripe watermelons should have a healthy sheen and a melon smell. One popular way of picking a watermelon is by knocking on the melon with your knuckles and listening for a dull, hollow sound. The unripe melons have a higher pitched sound.
Most people prefer watermelons for the cool sweet refreshing taste, but little do they know a watermelon is filled with nutrition.
Nutrition values:
1 cup of diced watermelon: 50 calories 11 grams of carbohydrate 0.6 grams of fiber 9 grams of sugar 1 gram protein– (can you believe it!) 11 mg calcium 170 mg potassium– (helps you stay hydrated) 12.5 mg Vit. C 875 IU (International Units) Vit. A 6900 mcg (micrograms) lycopene — Wow!
Watermelon (as defined by its name) mostly consists of water. It’s a great source for keeping your body hydrated during this hot season. Most of the water will come out of your body through sweat or urination. This does not mean it is low in nutritional value!
The top 2 benefits of eating a watermelon are: 1) the values of vitamin A and 2) lycopene. Both of these are antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect the body from damage caused by free radicals (highly reactive and unstable molecules). Vitamin A aids in the building and strengthening of bones, soft tissue, skin, and mucous membranes. Lycopene is in the subcategory of Vitamin A, and has been shown in recent studies to have potential health benefits to reduce the risk of cancer! Watermelon contains potassium. Potassium helps trigger your heart’s squeeze of blood through your body. It also helps with reducing the amount of muscle cramps.
People with diabetes may be concerned with the sugar content of watermelon. However, other foods you eat with watermelon will reduce the impact on your blood sugar.
Glycemic index refers to how fast a specific carbohydrate (bread, rice, potato, fruits, etc… ) food raises the blood sugar within a given time. The glycemic index of a food can change when you eat a combination of nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat). Watermelon (as defined by its name) mostly consists of water. It’s a great source for keeping your body hydrated during this hot season. Most of the water will come out of your body through sweat or urination. This does not mean it is low in nutritional value!
The top 2 benefits of eating a watermelon are: 1) the values of vitamin A and 2) lycopene. Both of these are antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect the body from damage caused by free radicals (highly reactive and unstable molecules). Vitamin A aids in the building and strengthening of bones, soft tissue, skin, and mucous membranes. Lycopene is in the subcategory of Vitamin A, and has been shown in recent studies to have potential health benefits to reduce the risk of cancer! Watermelon contains potassium. Potassium helps trigger your heart’s squeeze of blood through your body. It also helps with reducing the amount of muscle cramps.
People with diabetes may be concerned with the sugar content of watermelon. However, other foods you eat with watermelon will reduce the impact on your blood sugar.
Glycemic index refers to how fast a specific carbohydrate (bread, rice, potato, fruits, etc… ) food raises the blood sugar within a given time. The glycemic index of a food can change when you eat a combination of nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat).
For example, if you are eating a hamburger and then a slice of watermelon, that will decrease the time it takes to rise the sugar level. You may want to work with a dietitian to learn more about combining and preparing foods to achieve the lowest glycemic index levels in your meals.
The glycemic index of a watermelon is 72, which is high compared to the chart below. Most nonstarchy vegetables, legumes, high fiber fruits and grains, have a low glycemic index.
Here is a chart of the levels of the glycemic index:
Low (good) glycemic index levels: 55 or less
Medium glycemic index levels: 56–69
High (bad) glycemic index levels: 70 or higher
In conclusion, the glycemic index of watermelon is high. If you stay within the recommended portion size (1 cup diced), your blood sugar will not be significantly affected. In addition, if you enjoy watermelon with a meal this will further balance blood sugar.
Enjoy picking out and eating your watermelon while we are still in summer!!!
Watermelon Summer Salad
Dressing:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) 1/4 cup minced shallots (1 large) 1 T honey 1/2 cup olive oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Salad:
6 cups of baby arugula, washed 1/8 of a seedless watermelon, rind removed and cut into 1 inch cubes 12 oz of feta cheese, 1/2 inch diced 1/2 cup whole fresh mint leaves, julienned
Directions
Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice and shallots, honey, salt and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.
Place arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste and serve immediately
One of my litmus tests for how healthy a vegan's diet truly is, is to listen to how they describe what they eat. If they focus on telling me what they DON'T eat, and have a limited list of what they DO eat, I start to consider that what we're describing is an eating disorder, not a vegan eater.
Here's a challenge to encourage you to be more vegan and less disordered. It comes from the blog http://www.lunchboxbunch.com/., and it's a list of 100 vegan foods. I've been instructed to italicize foods I'd never try, and bold face foods I have eaten. And to encourage you to share the challenge on your own blogs.
I'm a pretty adventurous eater so there are no italics. I did better than I thought I would, actually, since I am not 100% vegan myself. I now have some great items to add to my own list!
Have fun! 1. Molasses
2. Cactus/Nopales 3. Scrambled Tofu 4. Grilled Portobella Caps 5. Fresh Ground Horseradish 6. Sweet Potato Biscuits 7. Arepa 8. Vegan Cole Slaw 9. Ginger Carrot Soup 10. Fiddlehead Ferns 11. Roasted Elephant Garlic 12. Umeboshi 13. Almond Butter Toast 14. Aloe Vera 15. H and H Bagel NYC 16. Slow Roasted Butternut Squash 17. White truffle 18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes 19. Freshly ground wasabi 20. Coconut Milk Ice Cream (not store bought) 21. Heirloom tomatoes 22. Orchard-fresh pressed apple cider 23. Organic California Mango (in season Sept-Oct only) 24. Quinoa 25. Papaya Smoothie 26. Raw Scotch Bonnet (habanero) pepper (just a bite!…hot! 27. Goji Berry Tea 28. Fennel 29. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie 30. Radishes and Vegan Buttery Spread 31. Starfruit 32. Oven fresh Sourdough bread 33. Sangria made with premium fruit and juices 34. Sauerkraut 35. Acai Smoothie 36. Blue Foot Mushrooms 37. Vegan Cupcake from Babycakes nyc 38. Sweet Potatoes and Tempeh combo 39. Falafel 40. Spelt Crust Pizza 41. Salt and Pepper Oyster Mushrooms 42. Jicama Slaw 43. Pumpkin Edamame Ginger Dumplings 44. Hemp Milk 45. Rose Champagne 46. Fuyu 47. Raw Avocado-Coconut Soup 48. Tofu Pesto Sandwich 49. Apple-Lemon-Ginger-Cayenne fresh-pressed juice…with Extra Ginger 50. Grilled Seitan 51. Prickly pear 52. Fresh Pressed Almond Milk 53. Concord Grapes off the vine 54. Ramps 55. Coconut Water fresh from a young coconut 56. Organic Arugula 57. Vidalia Onion 58. Sampler of organic produce from Diamond Organics 59. Honeycrisp Apple 60. Poi 61. Vegan Campfire-toasted Smores 62. Grape seed Oil 63. Farm fresh-picked Peach 64. Freshly-made pita bread with freshly-made hummus 65. Chestnut Snack Packs 66. Fresh Guava 67. Mint Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies 68. Raw Mallomar from One Lucky Duck, NYC 69. Fried plantains 70. Mache 71. Golden Beets 72. Barrel-Fresh Pickles 73. Liquid Smoke 74. Meyer Lemon 75. Veggie Paella 76. Vegan Lasagna (raw optional) 77. Kombucha 78. Homemade Soy Milk 79. Lapsang souchong 80. Lychee Bellini 81. Tempeh Bacon 82. Sprouted Grain Bread 83. Lemon Pepper Tempeh 84. Vanilla Bean 85. Watercress 86. Carrot you pulled out of the ground yourself 87. Vegan In-Season Fruit Pie 88. Flowers 89. Corn Chowder 90. High Quality Vegan Raw Chocolate 91. Yellow fuzz-free Kiwi 92. White Flesh Grapefruit 93. harissa 94. Coconut Oil 95. Jackfruit 96. Homemade Risotto 97. Spirulina 98. Seedless 'Pixie' Tangerine 99. Gourmet Sorbet, not store bought 100. Fresh Plucked English Peas
My Facebook friends already know most of this story, but my kitchen experimenting turned out so well I wanted to share it.
I got an email from Whole Foods Market with a recipe for watermelon lemonade. I had just bought a watermelon so I decided to try it. However, rather than using lemon juice, I used 3 lemons that I threw in the food processor. I also added no sugar or sweetener. I did have some dried mint which I crumbled in, and I think that enhanced the sweetness of the fruits. Some of you probably have sweeter teeth than I do, so you may need to add something. I'm betting you could use the artificial sweetener of your choice.
After I let the finished product sit for a day (and it was perfectly tasty that way), I decided to take the fun one step further. I brewed a cup of organic decaf green tea, put it in the refrigerator to cool, and made an Arnold Palmer (a mix of tea and lemonade). My ratio was 3 parts tea, with 2 parts lemonade, but mix it up in whatever ratios suit your taste.
I got natural fruits, with natural sweetness, all of the fiber from the lemons and the watermelons, the benefits of the green tea…with none of the added sugar. And it quenched my thirst!
If you have a few minutes and a few simple ingredients, and you're looking for something other than a soft drink to quench your thirst, give this recipe a whirl!
I live primarily in Arizona, which means if I'm going to eat locally, I have to learn how to use watermelon a gazillion different ways. It's been a fun adventure to take on…if you look online you can find recipes for grilled watermelon, chicken stir fry with watermelon, watermelon feta salad…happy experimenting!
As it gets hotter, it's tempting to drink more sweet beverages. We hope you have an opportunity to try Solixir, the functional, herb-containing beverage we profiled on our radio show last week.
Here are a few other ways to spice your water up a bit without adding unnecessary sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.
1. Mix a little bit of Hint Essence Water in with regular or mineral water. Just a little changes the flavor enough to remove the monotony.
2. Throw some mint leaves and cucumber slices in your water. I've learned, the longer it sits, the better it gets!
3. Freeze fruit juice in your ice cube trays and drop in your drink.
4. Freeze whole fruit or fruit chunks and do the same thing.
5. Try Sweet Leaf flavored stevia drops. inCYST intern Sarah Jones' favorite cooler is a few drops of vanilla creme in mineral water for an instant sugar-free cream soda.
Most people tend to think of soup as a winter/comfort food. I love it year round, but especially in the summer. I use my slow cooker, which doesn't heat up the kitchen. I have a week's worth of lunches or dinners when I'm finished, which I can heat in the microwave. Neither of those appliances heat up my kitchen. Plus, it's a great way to take even more advantage of summer's bounty and all of the related antioxidants. For me, a pretty perfect meal is a fresh salad with a vinaigrette dressing, a bowl of soup, a piece of hearty whole grain bread, and some fresh fruit for dessert. Tonight I'm making a red pepper/cauliflower soup and enjoying some of this week's very cheap cherries for dessert. Here is the recipe. And I'm putting some of my other favorites below. If you want something cooler, I'm giving you recipes for gazpacho and cucumber soup.
Bon appetit!
Red Pepper-Cauliflower Soup (adapted from Sunset Magazine)
6 large red bell peppers,stemmed and cored, halved lengthwise, and pressed flat 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 shallots, peeled and choped 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1 quart fat-skimmed chicken broth 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets 1 teaspoon sugar freshly ground pepper extra-virgin olive oils, chopped fresh chives, and lemon wedges (optional)
1. Preheat broiler to high. Arrange bell pepper skin side up on baking sheet. Broil, watching carefully, until skins are blackened,about 10 minutes. Remove peppers from oven and let cool. Peel over a bowl to collect juices; set peppers and juices aside.
2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add shallots, salt, and cayenne and cook, stiorring until soft, 3 minutes. Add broth and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to as immer. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Add peppers with juices and cook, covered, until cauliflower is tender, 10 minutes. Puree in batches in a blender and add sugar. add pepper to taste.
3. Serve hot or cold, garnished with a drizzle of olive ol, some chives, and a squeeze of lemon juice of you like.
Chicken and Corn Summer Chowder (from Sunset Magazine)
2 slices turkey bacon, chopped (I used an apple-smoked ham hock) 1 onion, chopped 3 tbsp flour 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, chopped 6 cups reduced-sodium or homemade chicken broth 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (you can get this pre-cooked to make it easy) kernels cut from 3 ears corn 1/4 to 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves 2 limes cut into wedges freshly ground black pepper
1. In a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon until fat renders and meat starts to brown. (Alternately, place ham hock into soup at last stage). Add onion, reduce heat to medium, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring, until flour smells cooked (like baked pie crust) but hasn't started to brown, about 3 minutes.
2. Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to keep mixture simmering and cook until potatoes are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and corn and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir inyogurt to taste. Heat through, about 2 minutes. Serve in soup bowls, garnished with tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, a squirt or two of lime juice, and pepper to taste.
Summer Gazpacho (from Sunset Magazine)
4 lbs. tomatoes, cored 1 1/2 lbs. cucumbers, washed and scrubbed tomato juice base: 3 cups tomato juice, 3/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 large bell peppers, 1 yellow and 1 green, stemmed and seeded 1/2 cup diced onion 1 large firm-ripe avocado 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup Greek yogurt
Chop 3 tomatoes and 1 cucumber. Fill a blendor or food processor with vegetables; with motor running add enough of the tomato juice base to smoothly puree mixture. Pour mixture into a large bowl or tureen. If needed, puree any remaining chopped vegetables. Add to tureen with any remaining tomato base.
Cut remaining tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers into about 3/8 inch cubes. Add to bowl along with onion; mix.cover, and chill until cold, about 2 hours, or up to 1 day.
Peel, pit, and slice avocado into 10 to 12 wedges; coat wedges with lemon juice. Stir gazpacho and ladle into wide soup bowls; top with avocado slices and spoonfuls of yogurt. Offer olive oil to drizzle into portions to taste; season to taste with salt. Makes 9 or 10 servings.
Cold Cucumber Soup (adapted from Emeril Lagasse) 6 pounds cucumbers (about 6 cucumbers), peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (12 cups) 2 yellow bell peppers, stem and seeds removed, coarsely chopped 4 green onions, chopped 2 jalapeno peppers, minced 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill 3 to 4 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 6 cups plain Greek yogurt 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Directions
Combine the cucumbers, bell peppers, green onions, jalapenos, cilantro, mint, dill, garlic, Essence, salt, cayenne, yogurt, 2 cups sour cream, olive oil, and white wine vinegar in a large bowl. Working in batches, puree the ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Transfer the soup to the refrigerator until well chilled, at least 2 hours. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the soup, with each bowl garnished with a dollop of the remaining sour cream and some of the minced chives.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
