12 healthy dinner foods in usa that cool for hot days

Introduction:

As the sun blazes across the American landscape, there’s nothing more enticing than a dinner that not only satisfies your taste buds but also keeps you cool and energized in the summer heat. In this blog post, we’ll explore a delightful array of 12 healthy dinner foods that are perfect for those scorching hot days in the USA. From light and vibrant salads to succulent grilled delicacies, these recipes are not only a treat for your palate but also ensure you stay nourished and refreshed during the warmest evenings. Join us on a culinary journey as we discover the perfect balance of nutrition and indulgence to make your summer dinners both delicious and health-conscious.

01- Watermelon, feta and mint salad with sumac prawns

Watermelon is the perfect summer fruit, as it is incredibly cooling. Here it does a great job of tempering the heat in the salty feta and prawns. I buy watermelon with seeds because I believe it has a better flavour than the seedless type

• 500 g raw prawns, peeled and deveined, tails left intact
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 750 g peeled watermelon, cut into large wedges
• 100 g Bulgarian goat’s feta, crumbled
• a handful of mint leaves
• seeds of 1 pomegranate
• pomegranate molasses, to drizzle
• sumac, to sprinkle
• lime wedges, to serve

Combine the prawns, garlic and oil in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until you are ready to cook. Allow 15 minutes to bring the prawns to room temperature before cooking.

Heat the barbecue chargrill plate or large non-stick frying pan to medium–hot. Cook the prawns for 3–5 minutes, until pink and tender.

Arrange the watermelon, feta and mint leaves on a platter, top with the prawns and pomegranate seeds, then drizzle with the pomegranate molasses. Sprinkle on the sumac and serve with the lime wedges.Serves 4–6

02- Quinoa tabouleh

• 100 g (½ cup) tricolour quinoa
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 large handfuls of flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
• a large handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 200 g cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 100 g sprouted chickpeas
• 100 g sunflower sprouts
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• crisp cos or iceberg lettuce leaves, to serve

Rinse the quinoa under running water, then cook in a large saucepan of boiling water until the tails start to separate from the grain. Rinse under cold water, drain well. Set aside to cool.

Put the spring onion, herbs, tomatoes, sprouted chickpeas, sunflower sprouts and quinoa into a bowl and mix well.

Whisk together the lemon juice, garlic and oil. Pour over the salad and mix to combine. Cover and allow to rest for 1 hour before serving in the lettuce leaves.Serves 4–6

03- Charred chicken with chimichurri sauce

• 500 g free-range chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and halved
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Chimichurri sauce

• 2 large handfuls of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 large handfuls of coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 long red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced
• 125 ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil
• green salad, to serve
• barbecued asparagus, to serve

Put the chicken into a bowl, add the garlic, ground coriander and olive oil and mix to coat the chicken. Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge, if time allows.

Bring the chicken to room temperature 30 minutes before you are ready to start cooking.

To make the chimichurri sauce, combine the herbs in a bowl, add the garlic, vinegar, oregano, chilli and olive oil and mix well. Set aside while you cook the chicken.

Heat a barbecue or large non-stick frying pan to medium–hot. Cook the marinated chicken for 10 minutes, until charred and cooked through.

Add cooked chicken to the chimichurri sauce and toss to coat.

Serve with the salad and asparagus.Serves 4–6

04- Zucchini, pea and ricotta fritters with garlic tahini yoghurt

• 2 zucchini, grated
• pinch of salt
• 140 g (1 cup) frozen peas
• 100 g ricotta, broken into bite-sized pieces
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• a handful of dill, chopped
• a handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• a handful of mint leaves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons quinoa flour
• 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• olive oil, for frying

Garlic tahini yoghurt

• 1 tablespoon hulled tahini
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tablespoons Greek-style yoghurt

Avocado, lime and coriander salad

• 2 avocados, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• a handful of coriander leaves

Put the zucchini into a colander, sprinkle with salt and allow to stand for 20 minutes. Rinse under cold water to remove the salt, then drain really well, squeezing to remove any excess liquid.

Combine the zucchini, peas, ricotta, spring onion, herbs, flour and eggs in a bowl and mix to combine.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then spoon in a heaped tablespoon of batter per fritter and cook in batches of four for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a plate lined with paper towel. Cook the remaining fritters.

To make the garlic tahini yoghurt, whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, yoghurt and 1 tablespoon of water in a bowl.

To make the salad, place the avocado, lime and coriander in a bowl and mix to combine.

Serve the fritters with the avocado, lime and coriander salad and the garlic tahini yoghurt drizzled over the top.Serves 4

Salt is heating, so limit the amount you add to your food in summer, especially if you are a Pitta type. Take the time to rinse the zucchini well after salting to remove all of the salt

05- Fish masala

This is a delicious and simple south Indian fish curry. Like all curries, it is best made ahead of time and reheated. I make the curry sauce and leave it for a few hours, then add the fish when I am about to serve

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 6 fresh curry leaves
• 400 ml can coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
• 750 g firm white fish fillets (such as mackerel or mahi mahi)
• 200 g green beans, trimmed
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 100 g cherry tomatoes

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and cook for 10 minutes, until golden. Stir in the coriander and fennel seeds and cook for 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric and curry leaves and cook for 5 minutes, until the oil separates from the spices.

Stir the coconut milk, salt, tamarind and 125 ml (½ cup) of water into the pan and simmer for 20 minutes, until the oil separates from the sauce. Add the fish, beans, zucchini and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, until the fish is just tender.Serves 4–6

06- Indonesian turmeric chicken

Turmeric is considered to be tridoshic, making it suitable for all doshas: Pitta, Vata and Kapha. I am often accused of putting it in everything. It is so incredibly therapeutic, why shouldn’t I?

• 5 cm piece of fresh turmeric, scraped with a teaspoon to remove the skin, coarsely chopped
• 2 lemongrass stems, pale part only, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons coriander roots, scrubbed
• 1 garlic bulb, cloves separated, peeled
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon kecap manis
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 500 g free-range chicken thigh fillets
• steamed jasmine rice, to serve
• steamed Asian greens, to serve

Pound the turmeric, lemongrass, coriander root, garlic and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl, add the kecap manis, fish sauce and chicken and mix well. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate overnight.

Bring the chicken to room temperature 30 minutes before you are ready to start cooking.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with the jasmine rice and Asian greens.
Serves 4

07- Almost raw salad

There is a huge swing towards raw food, but I recommend eating raw vegetables only in hot climates and only if you have a good, strong digestive system

• 50 g baby rocket
• 200 g broccoli, cut into florets and steamed
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 beetroot, grated
• 2 zucchini, grated
• 30 g (¼ cup) roughly chopped pecans
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Layer the vegetables and nuts in serving bowls.

Whisk together the garlic, mustard, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, maple syrup and olive oil and pour over each salad.Serves 4–6There is a belief in traditional medicine that we have a digestive fire and it needs to be kept burning, raw foods are believed to temper that fire and slow down digestion

08- Warm roast vegetable, chickpea and quinoa salad

• 100 g (½ cup) red quinoa, rinsed
• 1 red onion, cut into thick wedges
• 1 red capsicum, cut into thick strips
• 2 carrots, cut into thick matchsticks
• 2 zucchini, cut into thick rings
• 400 g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 200 g broccoli
• 100 g baby kale or spinach

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon hulled tahini, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Put the quinoa and 250 ml (1 cup) of water in a saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Cook for 15 minutes, until the tails start to separate from the grain, then drain well. Allow to cool slightly, then fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, put the red onion, capsicum, carrot, zucchini and chickpeas on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes. Add the broccoli, return to the oven and roast for 15 minutes more, until the vegetables are tender.

Transfer the quinoa to a bowl, add the kale or spinach and fold in the roast vegetables.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients, pour over the quinoa salad and gently toss to coat.Serves 4

09- Coconut and kale dhal

I consider dhal to be a medicine: it stimulates the digestive fire and cools the body. It is very soothing for the digestive system and is recommended for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or diverticulitis. I like to serve my dhal with basmati rice, as they do in India. Mung beans are an easily digested protein that are used a lot in Ayurvedic cooking. If you have trouble finding them at health food stores, you can always use red lentils, but they don’t have the same therapeutic qualities and are heating rather than cooling

• 210 g (1 cup) split mung beans (moong dal)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 15 g (¼ cup) shredded coconut
• 100 g kale, stems trimmed, leaves shredded
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
• pinch of black salt

Soak mung beans in cold water for 2 hours, rinse and drain well.

Put the mung beans, coconut oil, turmeric, cumin, fennel, ginger, coconut and 1 litre (4 cups) of water into a saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, until the dhal is soft and most of the water has been absorbed.

Stir in the kale and cook until it wilts. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, ghee, coriander and lightly season with black salt.Serves 4

10- Herbed hummus

• 400 g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon hulled tahini
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• pinch of sea salt
• a handful of baby kale leaves, coarsely chopped
• a handful of mint leaves, coarsely chopped
• a handful of coriander leaves, coarsely chopped

Put the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, kale, mint and coriander into a small food processor and process to form a smooth paste. With the motor running, gradually add 2–3 tablespoons of iced water and process until the hummus is light and creamy.Serves 4

11- Madjara

• 200 g (1 cup) dried chickpeas
• 300 g (1½ cups) basmati rice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 red onions, cut into thin wedges
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Wash the chickpeas, ensuring any that float to the surface are discarded, then drain well. Wash and drain the rice separately.

Put the chickpeas into a saucepan, cover with water and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, until just soft. Drain well.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until the onion is dark brown and caramelised. Remove half of the onion from the pan and reserve to garnish.

Add the spices to the pan, with a splash more oil if the pan is dry, and cook for 1 minute, until the spices are fragrant. Add the rice and 1 litre (4 cups) of water, bring to the boil and cook over high heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cook for 10 minutes more, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is just tender. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Fluff the madjara with a fork and serve, topped with the reserved caramelised onion.Serves 6

12- Felafel

• 400 g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 155 g (1 cup) frozen broad beans, thawed and peeled
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon chickpea flour (besan)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
• olive oil, for shallow frying
• Herbed hummus, to serve
• Madjara, to serve
• Quinoa tabouleh, to serve

Put the chickpeas, broad beans, cumin, ground coriander, chickpea flour, lemon juice and coriander leaves into a food processor and process until the mixture comes together to form a rough paste.

Using wet hands, shape tablespoons of the chickpea mixture into patties.

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, cook the patties in batches of four for 5 minutes, until crisp and golden on both sides. Drain on paper towel.

Serve the felafel with the hummus, madjara and tabouleh.Serves 4

To delve deeper, watch the video.