Too hot to cook!

by Memory
(Canada)

Hi Sassy,

It is way too hot this summer! Other than smoothies, sandwiches and salads, do you have any ideas for hot weather healthy eating?

My rice cooker lives on the balcony these days, so when I cook my grains they don't heat up the house. The barbeque is getting a real workout but frankly, I'm tired of carconegenic carrots!

Any ideas would be great.

Keep Cool!

Memory

*****
Sassy Sez - Hi Memory! Great idea, moving your rice cooker to the balcony! That put a smile on my face.

When the weather turns hot and there is simply no using your stove or oven, I rely on my steamer. You can use it to cook veggies, rice and other grains, and even heat/soften tortillas for wraps or burritos.

If you have a Vitamix you can use it to make soups and heat them to the temperature you prefer right in the blender itself.

Hot weather is also an amazing time to try some meals based on raw foods. There are so many faaaantastic dishes that can be made raw, such as lasagna made with thinly sliced zucchini for the noodles and a homemade macadamia nut ricotta like Renee Loux Underkoffler does in her fantastic book Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods. You can find other raw books that I have played around with and recommend (such as Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People) by visiting my Best Vegan Books page.

Hope it helps! Any other ideas out there? xo