Fresh & Easy

Light Continental meals for you during the season of warmth – no, not Christmas, but a second summer. Whip up something fresh and easy to keep the belly light. These recipes will do the trick

Text: Team UpperCrust

For all those who like their meals nice and easy, with few ingredients, no masala, less spice, and not so heavy, summery foods would fit the bill.

You will hear, most commonly, round this time of season in India, that the stomach doesn’t feel hungry, only desiring liquids. Non-heaty foods, just the cooling stuff. Fair enough, but one must get the daily dose of carbs, proteins, fats and essential nutrients which can only come from food, and more importantly, based on the quality of ingredients you consume. Taking all this into account, and not just because we are biased towards it, we find Italian cuisine is best in the summer and ingredients such as eggplant, beetroot, asparagus, Burrata, scampi and salmon, and salads, without a doubt.

Pastas when done right can be good for you, when not quaffed down or eaten in copious amounts, of course. Digestion itself will heat the body more. A little aside: when you eat, your body expends energy to break down, absorb and metabolise food, a process called the thermic effect of food (TEF). This generates heat and can slightly raise body temperature, especially after protein-rich meals.

Enjoy your one-dish Shrimp Scampi or Cabbage Rolls, or Baked Eggplant or a beautifully golden Potato au Gratin, with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc, your current Netflix show on, and the hot seasons are sorted. A salad with beet and goat cheese, or an unusual version in an Asparagus with Cheese Sauce can help cool down the system without you even knowing it. Go easy on the cheese and oil during the season, note to self. And avoid sugary foods, mostly sodas or pops that we think are hydrating us well, when in fact, sugar causes dehydration, which you certainly don’t want in these raging temperatures.

A light supper can be delightful, when done in the right manner. We’ve brought you these handful of recipes that will keep you at ease in the coolness of your kitchen, try them out and let us know how the season goes.

Click below for the recipes