HOW TO...COOK DURING A HEATWAVE

• Make lots of stuff in advance in the evening when it's cooler; freshly prepared food will last 3 whole days in the fridge.  Don't roast one chicken; roast two. (Or three, freezing one.) Bake a couple of big panfuls of 4-ingredient easy-peasy glazed wings/drums - one for eating now; the other to be reheated within 3 days or frozen.  Don't forget your slow cooker for overnight cooking: a shoulder of lamb can be cooked Mongolian style, cooled, fat removed, shredded and crisped up in the oven or on the barbie. 

• Make big batches of pasta and rice for the fridge - cooked pasta should be lightly sprinkled with olive oil once drained to prevent sticking; it can be refrigerated 3 whole days.  Rice, once cooked, should be spread on a large platter to cool, left in the fridge overnight then bagged up for the freezer.  Use these as a base for different dressings and additions.  Chinese dried noodles soaked in boiling water 5 mins and drained make a change from pasta.  Potatoes cut into small pieces and cooked 5-10 mins make super-frugal salads with or without boiled eggs, cubes of bell pepper, celery and spring onions. 

Frugal Sesame Noodle Salad, Vegan

• Take advantage of supermarkets, delis and restaurant takeaway: smoked mackerel, tinned and frozen fish, bbq chicken, ribs, roast duck from Chinatowns all provide protein focus - add lots of salad ingredients to stay healthy. 

Exotic Duck & Pineapple Salad 

• Ready-made carbs save time and energy -- tinned pulses lightly dressed in vinaigrette or plain with herbs, rolls, bread, 

• Make cold soups from raw veg (Tomato Gazpacho or Spiced Avocado with vegan option.)  Add chunks of fruit to conventional salad ingredients for a twist.  

• Invest in small portions of flavourful salads from supermarket delis (M&S  has superb pre-packed salads at 3/£7 and more expensive but worth-it fresh salads); bulk them out with extra lettuce, tomato & cucumber and/or lightly cooked green beans, cauliflower, broccoli spears; adding yoghurt-mayo if needed.

150gm M&S Prawn Avocado Salad (£3.50) doubles in size by adding bits at home 

• Avoid heavy fat-laden dressings (see dressings below)

• Add fruit to salads; the juices help cool you down 

• Healthy Drinks.  Don't forget fruit-flavoured waters instead of fizzy sugar-laden drinks.  For adults: summer concoctions which do double duty as proper cocktails and alcohol-free fizzes are on the NavBar:RecipesI/Drinks.

Also: 

Dressings

Sauces/Dips

Warm Weather Food: NavBar RecipesII

Salads: NavBar RecipesII
Pinterest: Bmleegros/Board: warm weather food

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This information and these recipes have been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.