Easy and refreshing summer recipes you must try at home

As heatwave makes a comeback after temporary relief from the showers a couple of days back, once again it’s time to look for refreshing recipes to beat the heat and also the ones that do not require us to spend too much time in kitchen sweating and feeling uncomfortable. Good thing is there is no dearth of fresh vegetables and fruits in summer that can easily be transformed into mouth-watering meals. (Also read: 5 lip-smacking raw mango recipes to keep digestive issues at bay in summer)

In summer, health experts say one should try to include more cucumbers, fennel seeds, coconut water, pomegranate, melons, squashes, and other lighter vegetables more than the leafy greens or whole grain pulses.

Nina Maria Saldanha Executive Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospital, Sahakar Nagar, Bangalore, suggests 3 refreshing summer recipes.

1. Zesty Green Margarita

Ingredients

Ice Cubes

Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp.

Raw Mango: 20 g

Mint Leaves: 5-6 leaves

Kiwi: 50 g

Honey: 1-1 ½ tsp. (as per taste).

Salt: 1 pinch, 1 tbsp (for garnish)

Water: 100 ml

Chaat Masala: a pinch

Lemon Wedge, Lemon Slice: 1 no. (each)

Method

• Add all the ingredients to a blender, and mix well.

• Use the lemon wedge to grease the rim of a glass, and then place the greased part of the glass in a small plate containing the salt, so as to coat the greased rim of the glass.

• Make a small slit in the lemon wedge, and insert it over the rim of the glass.

• Pour the blended icy juice, into the glass, and garnish with chaat masala, and a mint sprig.

• Serve cold.

2. Citrus Quinoa Blast

Ingredients

Quinoa – 150 g (cooked)

Walnuts – 3 nos. (roughly chopped, roasted)

Raisins – 5 nos. (roughly chopped)

Flax seeds – 1 tsp. (roasted)

Chia seeds – 1 tsp. (roasted)

Bell peppers – 2 tbsp. (chopped small)

Pomegranate seeds – 2 Tbsp.

Corn (boiled) – 2 Tbsp.

Cherry tomatoes – 2 nos.

Orange: ½-1 no. (peeled and deseeded).

Pumello: 100 g (only flesh)

Grilled paneer/chicken/tofu – 50 g (roughly chopped)

Lettuce – 1 Leaf (washed thoroughly, roughly chopped)

Dressing:

Olive Oil – ½ Tbsp.

Salt – to taste

Pepper – to taste

Lime juice – 1 tsp.

Method:

• In a small bowl, add all the ingredients for the dressing, and whisk well; keep aside.

• In a large bowl, add all the main ingredients for salad and lightly toss.

• Pour on the salad dressing and toss well to coat.

• Serve at room temperature or cold.

3. Kiwi Lemon Mango Cheesecake

Ingredients

Kiwi: 2 nos. + ½ no. (ripe)

Mango: 1 no. + ½ no. (ripe)

Lemons: (juice of 2 lemons)

Sugar: 150 g

Hung Curd: 300-500 ml

Biscuits: 10 nos.

Butter: 1 tsp. melted. +1 tbsp.

Condensed Milk: 50 ml.

Cornflour: 1 tsp.

Gelatin: 1 tsp.

Method:

• Kiwi Lemon Mango Curd:

– Zest the lemons and mix with sugar, and keep aside.

– Post zesting, extract the juice and keep it separately.

– Mix cornflour and water, and keep aside.

– Make a puree of mango and kiwi, and keep aside

– In a pan, on low heat, add the lemon zest and sugar mixture, and stir well.

– Once the sugar starts to dissolve, add the butter and lemon and mix well, to this mixture add the puree of mango and kiwi, and mix well.

– Slowly and gradually add the condensed milk, to this mixture, while stirring continuously.

– Add the cornflour slurry, and mix well.’

– Cook on slow for 10-15 mins, stirring continuously, till the curd lightly coats the back of the mixing spoon.

– Take out a small portion (for garnish), and allow the entire mixture to cool.

• The Base:

– Make a fine powder of the biscuits

– Add the melted butter to the biscuit powder, mix well.

– Place the biscuit mixture along the base of a spring-form pan/ glass serving dish.

– Firmly press the mixture down using a small cup.

– Place the base in the fridge for 30 mins-1 hr.

• Cheesecake mixture:

– Add 1 tbsp. of hot water to gelatin powder, mix it well, and keep aside to bloom,

– Take the hung curd in a mixing bowl, and whip it well.

– Gradually add the cold Kiwi Lemon Mango Curd, while whipping the mixture.

– Once the Kiwi Lemon Mango Curd and hung curd have been mixed well, add the bloomed gelatin, and whip thoroughly.

• Final Preparation:

– Slowly pour the cheese cake mixture into the disn/tin containing the cold biscuit base.

– Allow this to set in the fridge for 4-6 hours (for best results- leave it overnight).

– Once the mixture has set, gently pour a thin layer of the remaining Kiwi Lemon Mango curd onto the cheesecake, and leave it to set for 1-2 hours.

– Garnish with thinly slivered slices of ripe mango and kiwi.

Follow more stories on Facebook & Twitter