In the heat, you don't want to stand at the stove for a long time. Standard lunches of hot dishes should be replaced with light, low-fat, refreshing meals based on vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Herbs and spices can help make your meals more appetizing.
A fresh vegetable salad
A versatile summer dish is a vegetable salad. It is better to season it with a small amount of vegetable oil, natural yogurt or low-fat sour cream.
Ingredients:
- 100 g of white cabbage;
- 1 ripe tomato
- 1 small cucumber;
- a bunch of fresh salad;
- 2 sec. l. canned corn;
- low-fat yogurt;
- 0.5 tsp dijon mustard;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Finely chop the cucumbers, chop the tomatoes into larger pieces, finely chop the cabbage, tear the lettuce leaves with your hands. Mix vegetables in a deep bowl, add corn. Season the salad with yogurt, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper sauce, stir and serve with white bread.
Toasts with mozzarella and tomatoes
A variation on a popular Italian snack. This dish is ideal for a summer breakfast, hot toast can be served with tea or coffee.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices of white toast bread;
- 1 scoop of mozzarella;
- 1 ripe meaty tomato
- butter;
- freshly ground black pepper.
Grease slices of white bread with butter on both sides, fry in a pan until golden brown. Place a layer of mozzarella on each toast, cover it with a tomato circle and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Eat immediately, keep the toast hot.
Light cucumber soup
An alternative to tartare, okroshka and gazpacho is the traditional English soup made from fresh cucumbers and yoghurt. It can be prepared in just a few minutes; the dish is rich in calcium, vitamin C, valuable amino acids and fiber. In hot weather, it is better to eat the soup chilled; you can add a couple of ice cubes to it.
Ingredients:
1 large cucumber;
- 300 ml 10% cream;
- 300 ml low-fat yogurt without additives;
- 3 tbsp. l. chopped cilantro;
- 0, 5 tbsp. l. crushed mint leaves;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Grind the cucumber in a blender, add cream, finely chopped garlic and yogurt. Whisk again. Add parsley, mint, salt and pepper, refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish with cucumber slices and bell pepper strips before serving.
Warm pasta salad
A very simple Italian-style dish, perfect for a hearty dinner.
Ingredients:
- 1 large sweet tomato;
- a bunch of parsley;
- 100 g grated cheese (preferably parmesan);
- 100 g chicken fillet;
- penne, fettuccine or other curly pasta;
- vegetable oil;
- lemon juice;
- salt;
- ground black pepper.
Boil the pasta in boiling salted water. While they are cooking, grill or microwave chicken fillet, cut it into small pieces. Chop parsley and cheese, chop the tomatoes into small cubes. Throw the pasta in a colander, put in a deep bowl, add vegetable oil and lemon juice. Stir, add chicken, tomatoes, cheese and herbs, pepper to taste. Serve the salad warm.
Eggplant with tomatoes and cheese
A universal recipe for the vegetable season. Better to use young eggplants with thin, delicate skin and soft seeds. Microwaving will help eliminate oil and other fats.
Ingredients:
- 3 small eggplants;
- 1 large tomato;
- 100 g semi-hard cheese;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the eggplants into slices and place on a microwave-safe dish. Bake for 3-4 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Lightly salt the eggplants, add chopped garlic. Place the tomato circles on top, sprinkle the cheese on the dish and bake in the microwave until tender. Season the hot casserole to taste, add salt if necessary. Serve with toasted toast or a slice of ciabatta.
Fruit dessert
The best dessert for summer is fruit. Fresh fruits and berries can be mixed with canned ones, add nuts, cream, ice cream or honey. The proportions are chosen according to taste, depending on the fruits that are used for the salad.
Ingredients:
- 1 sweet apple;
- 0.5 pears;
- 3 canned mango slices
- 1 kiwi or a few large strawberries;
- 1 large tangerine;
- 1 tbsp. l. pine nuts;
- 1, 5 tsp honey;
- 2 tbsp. l. orange or tangerine juice;
- 3 tbsp. l. whipped cream without sugar.
Peel the fruits, cut the apples and pears very thinly, chop the kiwi, tangerine, mango and strawberries into larger pieces. Put the fruits in a bowl, add honey diluted with a little tangerine or orange juice. Gently mix everything, put the salad on the bowls. Sprinkle each serving with pine nuts and garnish with whipped cream.
