A Refreshing Sip of Summer

Last night's Indian food feast (we'll ignore the fact that the appetizer was in fact much more Asian in seasoning than Indian) was a wonderful opportunity to test the theory of eating spicy food to cool yourself down in hot weather. To accompany the vegetable masala, spinach naan, and brown basmati rice, I tried creating a yogurt cucumber smoothie drink that was a huge hit. Refreshingly cool and tangy with very little sweetness, I can tell already we'll be drinking this smoothie all summer long. I also tried a chilled asparagus appetizer recipe from Citypalate's May/June issue which would be perfect for any summer picnic or meal. The best part is the minimal preparation time and the fact that if you make it the day before, it will taste even better. I love having recipes like that up my sleeve for social occasions!

Cucumber mint yogurt smoothie (serves 4)

• 1 English cucumber, peeled & chopped (peeling is important!)
• 2-3 cups of plain yogurt or kefir yogurt (I used 2% plain yogurt)
• 5-10 ice cubes
• 10-15 mint leaves, chopped
• Juice of 1/2-1 lime
• 1-3 Tbs grated ginger (to taste)
• handful of fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
• pinch of salt, masala spice, or cardamom (optional again)
• 1/2-1 Tbs agave nectar (optional)

1. Throw everything in the blender. Turn it on.
2. Taste, adjust spices, lime juice, mint, ginger, agave, to desired taste
3. Serve in tall clear glasses or martini glasses :)

 Asparagus Appetizer (serves 4)

• 2 Tbs canola oil/sunflower oil/olive oil
• 2 tsp soy sauce (or gluten free tamari)
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 pinch red chili flakes
• 1-2 Tbs grated fresh ginger
• 2 Tbs orange juice
• 2-3 Tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
• 1-2 lb asparagus, woody ends removed

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Toss the asparagus in and cover the pot. Let boil for 4-5 minutes until asparagus is bright green and tender-crispy. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Leave for 2-3 minutes and then pour into a colander/pat dry.
2. In a jar with a lid, combine all the dressing ingredients except sesame seeds and shake to combine.
3. Toss the asparagus with the dressing and sesame seeds. Chill in the fridge until ready to eat or serve immediately. Can be made a day ahead - better flavor develops.

My only comment on this recipe is I found the whole asparagus stalks a bit awkward to eat -- might be better once the asparagus are cooked to chop them  into 2-3" pieces before tossing in dressing.

Photos to come