Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
Succotash is shown in this undated handout photo. When it's hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, you can keep your cool by turning to your grill, blender and food processor to prepare easy, no-cook meals.
TORONTO — When it seems like it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, the last thing you want to do is heat up the kitchen.
Strawberry mango mojito salad. (CP)
Television host and cookbook author Christine Cushing tries to avoid using the oven during hot weather.
"When you think of summer eating or cooking, you want it to be satisfying, but you don’t want it to be heavy. That’s the fine line we dance. How do you make it satisfying and not heavy at the same time?"
Her outdoor grill with its side burner is "my right-hand man, my sous chef."
"I look at everything I can make on the barbecue because it’s outdoors, I don’t turn on the oven inside, and I use my barbecue not only to grill but also as an oven."
The Toronto-based Cushing grills meats, fish, vegetables and desserts and suggests doing prep early in the week to make summer eating easy.
Vegetables can be grilled, refrigerated and added to salads or sandwiches or teamed with barbecued meats throughout the week. Brown rice or quinoa can be cooked ahead and used in salads. Then there’s no need to turn on the stove again.
"When you’re eating in the summer, look at the week a little more holistically," she says. "If I grill a bunch of veggies on a Monday or Sunday night I’ll have a few leftovers for a couple of days."
The veggies, she suggests, can be mixed with a salad, combined with a can of tuna or salmon or teamed with fish, shrimp or chicken grilled just prior to eating.
Here are two recipes from Cushing to make summertime living easy:
Succotash is a southern combination of corn and lima beans but has many variations. This is a quick fresh version that shows off the summer’s harvest. To beat the summer heat, Cushing uses her barbecue’s side burner to saute all the vegetables. For extra flavour, grill the corn, husked and on the cob, for a few minutes, then remove kernels and add to saute pan.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
In a large skillet with over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add onion, red pepper and jalapeno and saute for 4 minutes, just to soften. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute , just until golden.
Add corn kernels, lima beans and tomato and reduce to medium heat, season and cover. Cook until tender, 7 to 10 minutes, until corn and lima beans are softened. If pan is dry before beans and corn are tender, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
Season with salt and pepper and add chopped cilantro.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Source: "Pure Food: How To Shop, Cook And Have Fun In Your Kitchen Every Day" by Christine Cushing (Whitecap Books, 2010).
This refreshing no-cook summer dessert combines the delicious lime-and-rum combination of the classic Cuban drink known as the mojito with sweet mangoes and ripe strawberries. Serve it over yogurt, ice cream or on its own. You won’t know whether to serve this colourful dessert in a bowl or a drink glass. You can also go virgin by eliminating the rum.
Prep time : 15 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes
In a medium bowl, combine strawberries and mango. Sprinkle with sugar, mint leaves, lime juice , zest and rum, if using.
Let stand for about 30 minutes before serving to allow flavours to develop.
Serve in a martini or rock glass for maximum impact, with lime slice on edge of glass and mint sprigs.
Makes 6 servings.
Source: "Pure Food: How To Shop, Cook And Have Fun In Your Kitchen Every Day" by Christine Cushing (Whitecap Books, 2010).
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition July 28, 2012
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TORONTO — When it seems like it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, the last thing you want to do is heat up the kitchen.
Television host and cookbook author Christine Cushing tries to avoid using the oven during hot weather.
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TORONTO — When it seems like it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, the last thing you want to do is heat up the kitchen.
Television host and cookbook author Christine Cushing tries to avoid using the oven during hot weather.
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