Cool it!

No need to heat the kitchen with these five summertime recipes

Cook? Not us. Not when temperatures soar into the 90s and possibly beyond.

From cold soup and salads to desserts, these tasty offerings will cool you down without heating up your kitchen.

For a cool breakfast idea, try overnight oatmeal. It takes minutes to assemble and the refrigerator does the rest.

Overnight Oatmeal With Apples, Raisins and Toasted Pecans

2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup diced apple (Granny Smith apples work well)

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons toasted pecans (see note)

In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, milk, yogurt, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, apple and raisins. Divide oatmeal mixture evenly among 2 (1/2-pint) glass jars and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate at least 8 hours. When ready to eat, top each serving with 1 tablespoon toasted pecans.

Makes 2 servings.

Note: To toast the pecans, place them in a small skillet and cook over medium-low heat, shaking or stirring almost constantly to prevent scorching, until fragrant and beginning to turn golden brown. Immediately transfer nuts to a plate to cool.

Recipe from Darlene Zimmerman, MS, RD, for Heart Smart

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 306 calories, 11 g protein, 8 g fat, 50 g carbohydrate, 291 mg sodium, 5 mg cholesterol and 5 g fiber.

If you don't have two- or three-day-old bread for this chopped Italian salad, dry the bread in a 300-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. This is best served immediately.

Garden Panzanella

Salad:

1 (16-ounce) loaf crusty bread, such as Italian bread or French baguette, preferably 1- to 2-days old

6 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 medium cucumber, peeled if desired, seeded if necessary, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 jarred roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup fresh chopped herbs such as basil, tarragon or oregano

Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or white vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard or more to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

Sea Salt and pepper to taste

1 garlic clove, pressed

If using old bread, cut bread into 1/2-inch chunks and place in a large serving bowl; set aside. If using fresh bread, cut bread into 1/2-inch chunks and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bread is dry, but not toasted. Cool. Place pieces in a large serving bowl; set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the tomato chunks and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Add the cucumber, red pepper and red and green onions to the bread. Add the tomatoes along with any juices. Sprinkle with herbs and season with sea salt and ground pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients until the mixture emulsifies. Drizzle the vinaigrette lightly over the salad and toss gently to coat. Use only enough vinaigrette to coat all the ingredients. Leftover vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Makes about 12 (side-dish) servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 207 calories, 4 g protein, 10 g fat, 25 g carbohydrate, 349 mg sodium, no cholesterol and 3 g fiber.

This recipe pairs a summertime favorite with some unexpected flavors.

Watermelon, Arugula and Israeli Couscous Salad

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided use

1 cup Israeli couscous

Salt to taste

2 to 3 cups watermelon, rind removed, seeded and cubed or diced

1 cup favorite cubed soft cheese (feta, goat cheese, ricotta salata, fresh mozzarella)

1/3 cup basil, chopped

1 cup arugula, chopped

1/4 cup white wine or sherry vinegar

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan and add the couscous. Stir until the couscous begins to color and smell toasty, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until the couscous is tender. Drain if any liquid remains in the pan.

Spread couscous evenly on a baking sheet, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top and stir.

Cover in plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled couscous, watermelon cubes, cheese, basil and arugula.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar and salt to taste. Pour over salad and toss to thoroughly coat.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving prepared with feta cheese contains approximately 446 calories, 11 g protein, 29 g fat, 38 g carbohydrate, 34 mg cholesterol, 424 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.

Gazpacho is one of the most ubiquitous summer soups. It's cool and refreshing. Serve it up with some crusty bread for an excellent dinner.

Gazpacho

2 pounds tomatoes, cored and seeded

1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded

1 green or yellow bell pepper, cored and seeded

3 mini cucumbers

1 large shallot, peeled

4 cloves garlic, peeled, divided use

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon hot red pepper sauce

Kernels from 1 ear corn

1 3/4 cups low sodium or no salt added tomato juice or vegetable juice blend

Fresh basil, sliced in shreds

Salt and pepper to taste

6 green onions, green and white parts thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)

Roughly chop about three-fourths of the tomatoes. Place in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender. Dice the remaining tomatoes and set aside.

Roughly chop half of each bell pepper and add to the food processor. Dice the remaining bell peppers and set aside.

Roughly chop two of the cucumbers and add to the food processor. Add the shallot, half of the garlic cloves, olive oil, vinegar and hot pepper sauce to the food processor. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.

Stir in the corn, remaining diced tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and half of the green onions. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Chill for 2 hours.

Mince the remaining garlic.

Slice the remaining cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, if necessary and dice.

Serve in cups, bowls and garnished with a bit of the diced bell peppers, diced cucumbers, minced garlic and green onion slices.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 104 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g fat, 16 g carbohydrate, 88 mg sodium, no cholesterol and 3 g fiber.

No need to turn the oven on for this chilled cake that brings some perfect sweetness for a hot summer day. It's best to allow this to set overnight.

Chocolate-Mint Icebox Cake

1 3/4 cups well-chilled heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon mint extract

1 (9-ounce) package chocolate wafers

1 1/4 cups miniature chocolate chips

Mint leaves for garnish

In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, sugar and mint extract until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the cake: Spread each wafer with about 1 tablespoon of mint cream, forming about four stacks of six to eight cookies. Lay the stacks side by side on a sheet of wax paper, pressing gently to form a log. With small spatula or knife, cover log with remaining mint cream. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 2 days.

To serve, gently remove wax paper from underneath cake (holding cake in place with a metal spatula, if necessary), and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Slice cake diagonally with a serrated knife into 1-inch-thick slices.

Makes 10 servings.

Adapted from www.marthastewart.com

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 360 calories, 3 g protein, 23 g fat, 36 g carbohydrate, 58 mg cholesterol, 162 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.

Food on 08/08/2018

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