Cooking without fire can be a fun way to engage children in food preparation, as well as teach valuable kitchen skills. Plus, it helps prevent indoor pollution.
Long cooking at low temperatures can significantly enhance many food items, like tough cuts of meat or old fowl while saving both fuel and time.
Fruit Salad
Fruit salad is a dish composed of multiple different kinds of fruits combined and usually served with some liquid, such as juices or syrup, for an appetizer or dessert course. It can be prepared from both fresh or canned produce and may include nuts or marshmallows; however, most commonly, just a mix of different fruits with creamy sauce is used. In its canned counterpart, it is often known as a fruit cocktail or tropical fruit bowl.
When making a fruit salad, it is essential to select an array of flavors and textures to keep the salad interesting for both its visually appealing qualities and to balance any overly sweet or sour fruits. Furthermore, selecting seasonal produce with peak ripening for optimal flavor is recommended for optimal flavor profiles.
Once you’ve selected your fruits, they must be chopped into similar sizes in order to create an eye-pleasing salad and to make eating it simpler and more manageable. Furthermore, bananas and apples tend to discolor quickly, so it would be wise not to use these items in your salad.
To prepare this recipe, place strawberries, blueberries, and grapes into a large mixing bowl and toss with prepared honey lime dressing until well mixed. Refrigerate before serving.
This fruit salad can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and kept chilled in the refrigerator with its dressing for optimal use at brunch buffets, potluck parties, or picnics.
This recipe can be adjusted to your tastes and available fruits. Feel free to switch up the fruits as desired – swap out strawberries for raspberries or blackberries; switch up apples for peaches, pears, or pineapples; for low-calorie options, use light whipping cream in place of heavy whipping cream!
Oreo Shake
Oreo cookies combined with creamy ice cream make an irresistibly indulgent milkshake that you can whip up quickly in just minutes, adding various toppings for added flair. Perfect for cooling off on those scorching summer days, Oreo shakes are sure to please all members of the family!
Start by placing four large scoops of vanilla ice cream into your blender, along with 1 cup of cold milk or dairy-free alternatives such as almond, soy, or coconut milk. Next, add 1 cup of crushed Oreos and pulse them until broken up (or larger chunks are desired). You could also swap out for chocolate ice cream if selected for an Oreo shake with more chocolate flavor; and for an added kick try swapping in cold coffee instead of milk!
Oreo Shakes can be served immediately or frozen to keep it extra thick and cold. Just don’t store it in the freezer for too long if you want a smooth texture again! For an attractive presentation, garnish this Oreo shake with some swirled whipped cream, mini Oreo cookies, and crushed Oreo crumbs to complete its look!
For an entirely vegan experience, substitute milk with nut-based, dairy-free alternatives or oat milk. Add frozen yogurt or non-dairy ice cream for thickness and added taste, or try it with smooth peanut butter added for extra richness and flavor! Alternatively, you could switch out vanilla for chocolate mint-flavored ice cream for even more variation on this classic cookie milkshake recipe; powdered sugar may add sweetness – just be careful as too much could end up as too sweet a drink!
Sprout Salad
This sprout salad is packed with protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin B1, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and antioxidants – essential ingredients to help combat inflammation and protect your heart health. Plus, it’s low in fat, so it’s perfect for diabetics or Weight Watchers looking for healthy options that can be stored easily in the fridge! Plus, it takes only minutes to prepare – perfect!
To prepare a Sprout Salad, rinse and drain mung bean sprouts before placing them in a bowl filled with hot water and pouring it on them for five minutes to soak and remove bitterness from them. Steaming also works. This salad works great as a breakfast or lunch option – or as an appetizer before dinner. However, avoid eating late at night as this could interfere with sleep!
This salad’s ingredients can easily be tailored to meet your unique preferences and palate. Add any combination of vegetables or fruits you desire while substituting the roasted peanuts with any number of nuts or seeds of your choice; try slivered almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds to add extra texture and flavor; you could also switch out mung bean sprouts for different sprout types such as pea, alfalfa or chickpea sprouts for something completely different!
Once the mung bean sprouts have been prepared, place them into a mixing bowl with all other ingredients and combine. Add lemon juice or vinegar for additional flavor enhancement, salt, and pepper as desired, and mix thoroughly before serving.
Sprouts are packed with proteins, vitamins, and minerals – but young children may find them hard to consume. If this is a challenge for your household, try pairing sprouts with fruit to make them more appealing – like this sprout salad, which features sweet red, orange, and yellow bell peppers as well as carrots to create something more precious than the more spicy radishes or broccoli often found in vegetable salads.
Cucumber Soup
Cold cucumber soup with its refreshing mint-parsley flavor is an easy and low-cal recipe that will hydrate and replenish the body, providing essential proteins, calcium, and iron as well as being packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C – making it perfect for Weight Watchers, diabetics, and heart patients alike.
Cucumbers offer natural cooling properties, but to make this soup truly memorable, you need the aromatic addition of some fresh herbs. Dill gives a piny, citrusy flavor, while mint brings out the cucumber’s natural sweetness and adds vibrancy. Coriander powder adds floral floral flavors while imparting its subtle earthiness into the recipe.
This simple chilled cucumber soup is quick and simple to prepare, perfect for summer barbecues, and served alongside other grilled bites like salmon skewers or seared steak appetizers. For an extra unique experience, add Barbari Persian Flatbread as an accompaniment!
Contrary to other chilled cucumber soup recipes that require a blender, this one does not. Wash and chop your cucumbers before combining them with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dill, parsley, water, and salt. Blend until smooth, chill the soup, and taste and adjust any seasonings if needed.
Although this soup is intended to be enjoyed cold, its flavors only become more robust as time passes in the fridge. As its components cool down, their aromatic components, such as dill, tarragon, and parsley, become even more vital, further enhanced by lemon juice’s acidity, which brings their notes out. Cucumbers develop an additional sweet edge.
Add an extra savory note to this recipe by cooking garlic and onion before simmering them together with cucumbers in this soup recipe. This will provide more structure than other cucumber soups that have been pureed, while the finishing touches include cayenne pepper, chopped dill, and red onion garnishes for an exquisite finish.
