It’s the dog days of summer. The humidity suffocates; the heat scorches. The commute is torture. And truth be told, the heat in your car after a day in a parking lot is probably as close to an oven as you wish to get.
When you finally make it home, the last thing you want to think about is cooking dinner. You don’t feel like getting dressed and going back out for a meal and you’re sick of takeout pizza and moo shu pork.
Yet you still want something that will pique your heat-ravaged appetite. We’ve all been in this situation and we’ve found a solution: Recipes you compile instead of cook. Simply gather the ingredients–on your way home from work, if you wish. And then just whir them in the blender, layer them on a flour tortilla or simply shake and toss.
To vary the menu, we have looked to several foreign cuisines for inspiration. There’s nothing more elegant than a seafood bisque. But a chilled version is simple enough for a summer’s day. It tastes rich but is surprisingly light.
Exotic flavorings marry well in an Asian shrimp and cabbage salad with a vinaigrette of sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Use it to dress napa cabbage, red bell peppers, fresh sprouts and cooked shrimp (available at supermarket fish counters). The cabbage and sprouts add a refreshing crunch.
You also can use the Asian vinaigrette as a marinade for grilled meats and seafood on those nights you don’t need to beat the heat. Try it with chicken, pork or tuna.
Looking to the Southwest, there’s turkey sandwich rollups made with flour tortillas.
Use fresh fruit in a strawberry-mango sauce. Made with chicken broth, this sauce complements roasted chicken you purchase at the supermarket or favorite rotisserie spot.
Most of these recipes are meals-in-one, but simple accompaniments include breadsticks, lavosh (Middle Eastern flat bread) or a green salad. You can opt for those bags of prewashed and mixed greens, but for something a little different, try using a whole head of butter lettuce or bibb lettuce on each plate. Drizzle it with a light dressing of your choice or the Asian vinaigrette.
If the heat hasn’t tamed your sweet tooth, desserts should be simple too. You might try the strawberry-mango sauce over fruit, bakery angel food cake or poundcake. Just substitute water or orange juice for the broth in the recipe and omit the balsamic vinegar. Then serve it as is or add yogurt as directed in the recipe.
Simpler yet, make dessert a wedge of watermelon, a juicy peach, a bunch of chilled grapes, or a neon-colored Popsicle from a passing ice cream truck.
CRAB AVOCADO BISQUE
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted
1 jalapeno or serrano chili, seeded if desired
3 tablespoons cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh chives
1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 ear sweet corn
1/2 cup diced bottled roasted red pepper
3 small green onions, thinly sliced
1 can (4 1/2 ounces) lump crabmeat, drained
Salt to taste
1. Combine avocado, hot chili, cilantro, chives and clam juice in a blender; mix until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Cut kernels from ear of corn. Add to avocado mixture along with remaining ingredients. Chill about 1 hour.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories………..215 Fat……………14 g Cholesterol………65 mg
Sodium……….225 mg Carbohydrates…. 13 g Protein…………..11 g
ASIAN SHRIMP AND CABBAGE SALAD
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
The dressing for this salad was inspired by “Steven Raichlen’s High-Flavor Low-Fat Cooking.”
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 cup mixed sprouts, chopped, see note
5 green onions, including tops, chopped
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, chopped, optional
1/2 pound cooked, peeled shrimp
Asian vinaigrette:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon hot sesame oil, see note
1 teaspoon each: chopped fresh ginger, minced garlic
Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss lightly.
2. For vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to combine.
3. At serving time, toss salad mixture with 1/2 cup dressing or more to taste.
Note: We used a combination of alfalfa, red clover, cabbage and radish sprouts sold as organic Gourmet Sprouts in the supermarket. Asian sesame oil mixed with hot red pepper flakes, to taste may be used in place of hot sesame oil.
Nutrition information per serving (with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette): Calories…………405 Fat………….34 g Cholesterol……….85 mg
Sodium………..255 mg Carbohydrates…12 g Protein……………15 g
TURKEY SANDWICH ROLLUPS
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 serving.
Many other fillings can be used. Try roast beef with arugula, tomatoes and horseradish cream; smoked salmon with lemon mayonnaise, paper-thin onions and dill; or ham and cheese with mustard mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes.
1 (8-inch) flour tortilla
1 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 leaves romaine lettuce, large center ribs removed
6 very thin slices tomato
4 paper-thin slices cooked turkey breast
6 basil leaves
Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Place tortilla on work surface and spread with mayonnaise. Cover with romaine. Arrange tomato slices to cover area defined by top three quarters of the tortilla. Arrange turkey slices to cover same area. Distribute basil leaves over all. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Beginning at top edge, roll tortilla towards you to form a “log.” When rolled, trim about 1/2 inch from each end of the log; discard ends. Cut crosswise into about 5 equal pieces.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories…………235 Fat…………..8 g Cholesterol……….50mg
Sodium…………75 mg Carbohydrates…20 g Protein…………..20 g
STRAWBERRY MANGO SAUCE
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield : 2 1/2 cups
Savory or sweet — you pick. To serve with a savory item such as roasted or rotisserie chicken, use the broth and vinegar or yogurt. The addition of balsamic vinegar gives this sauce a sharper flavor; the yogurt makes it creamier and more mellow. To use over a sweet item such as fruit or angel food cake, use orange juice or water instead of broth and omit the vinegar and cilantro. Serve it as is or add the yogurt.
8 large strawberries
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, cut into pieces
1/2 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth or orange juice or water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
1. Combine all ingredients except cilantro in a blender and puree until smooth. Add cilantro and blend quickly to combine.
Nutrition information per tablespoon (with broth and vinegar):
Calories……….5 Fat…………0 g Chlosterol……….0 mg
Sodium………2 mg Carbohydrates..1 g Protein………….0 mg
Nutrition information per tablespoon (with orange juice and yogurt):
Calories……….7 Fat…………..0 g Cholesterol…..0 mg
Sodium………2 mg Carbohydrates….2 g Protein………0 mg
