Beat The Heat - Cool Summer Meals

With temperatures reaching triple digits I am not in my usual cooking or baking-mode.

Here are some tips that help me deal with the heat.

1 - Eat small frequent meals - and eat less in general.   Small meals will keep you feeling energized and refreshed even when the weather is hot.

2 - Eat salad.  Salads are super refreshing and super healthy.  Tonight I had spinach salad, with sliced fresh organic strawberries, fresh organic blackberries, apple slices, pine nuts and a drizzle of homemade salad dressing (good quality olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard and sea salt).  I made a 15 minute pot of basmati coconut rice with turmeric and currants and a dash of cinnamon.n.

3- Learn to make cool summer soups.  For inspiration Julia Child has a fine selection of cool soups in volume two of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."   My son Brett looks forward to gazpacho when tomatoes are in season.  I like to dress gazpacho up with tiny cubes of cucumber, bell pepper, tomato and avocado.

4 - Stay hydrated with refreshing smoothies and fruity-concoctions.  One of my summer-time favorites is watermelon blended up in the blender and enjoyed like a slushi.

5 - Bananas tend to ripen fast in warm weather.  I like to freeze them rather than bake banana bread when the weather is hot.  Frozen bananas, along with frozen berries, are a great addition to smoothies.  The result can be so thick that you will be eating your smoothie with a spoon.

6 - If I do have to bake something or cook something - I try to do my cooking and baking in the morning.