“WHEN it’s scorching hot outside, the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen” says Granny Mouse Country House & Spa General Manager, Sean Granger.
“With the summer heat, most people prefer to eat healthy meals that are light and fresh, but still satisfying. Light meals also help keep our bodies cool since they are easily digested, while heavier meals require a lot of energy and cause your body temperature to rise.”
If you’re in need of a little inspiration to help you make satisfying, summer-friendly, flavourful and healthy dishes without too much hassle, give these easy liquid lunches a try. Not the boozy kind, but the good-for-you kind (well, maybe not the first one!).
This is also a great way to curb food wastage in wilting hot weather; save those not-so-fresh veggies and cook them before they expire.
Spicy watermelon gazpacho
Classic take on a gazpacho with a twist of watermelon, jalapenos and Danish feta to bring some heat and sweetness to this cold soup.
Ingredients
. 350g watermelon cubes, rind removed
. 3 large tomatoes
.
½ cucumber
. 1 red bell pepper, pips removed
. ½ red onion, diced
. 1 clove of garlic
. 3g mint leaves
. 3 tablespoons olive oil
. 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
. 3 tablespoons old brown sherry
. 10g jalapenos
. Salt and pepper to taste
. To garnish, you will need some cucumber slices, mint, Danish feta and cherry tomatoes
Method
1. Add cubed watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, garlic, mint, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, sherry and jalapenos to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Season the mixture and blend again for about 30 seconds.
3. Set mixture aside in the refrigerator to cool completely. In
this time it will also clear up the gazpacho and leave the excess pulp floating at the top to be removed before serving.
4. Start arranging your garnishes on a skewer or a toothpick
depending on your serving sizes or choice of crockery. I chose a wine glass for mine.
5. Once completely cooled, remove excess pulp from the gazpacho, give it a good stir and then pour into your glass or bowl.
6. Garnish and serve.
** For a twist, you can add in a tot or two of vodka before serving to give it an extra kick **
Avo and cucumber soup
For the avocado lovers, a light, fresh and hydrating soup with avocado, cucumber and lemon topped with a fresh load of cucumber, cherry tomatoes and red onions
Ingredients:
.
1 cup of vegetable stock
. 1 avocado (2 if they are small)
. ½ cucumber (you can choose to leave the skin on for more roughage or remove for a smoother soup)
.
4g fresh dill
. 1 clove garlic
. Juice and zest of 1 medium lemon (zest is for garnishing) .Salt and pepper to taste
. Cherry tomatoes
. Red onions
. Olive oil
. Homemade or store-bought croutons (if you are making them at home then you can cut up some bread into little cubes, lightly drizzle with olive oil or normal vegetable oil and season with your preferred seasoning and toast in the oven until golden, before setting aside to cool.)
Method:
1. To start, grab your avocados and cut them in half, remove the pip at the centre and then scoop out the insides and add to a blender.
2. Cut up your cucumber into pieces and add to the blender with half of your veg stock and begin to blend. Your soup will be slightly thick in consistency which you can easily thin out by adding more veg stock.
3. Add in 2g of dill, lemon juice and garlic and season your soup as required and blend further until a smooth consistency is obtained.
4. Pop your soup into a bowl and into the refrigerator whilst you prep your garnishes to serve your soup.
5. The topping is a basic salsa of Cherry tomatoes, red onions and dill seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh dill.
6. Once ready, spoon your desired amount of soup into a bowl, drizzle with some olive oil, add some croutons and top up with your salsa.
