Summer has arrived in Beijing. The heat is here, but the sunshine is hiding behind a thick blanket of pollution. Many from the international community have flown off to sunnier places, or are visiting their home countries, while some of us are stuck with the heat and thunderstorms in Beijing. Wherever you are this summer, delicious, easy, and healthy food is a must. In this series, I will share cooling recipes that don’t need a stove or oven.

Put that freezer in use, and freeze anything in sight. It’s so hot, the dogs won’t even want to go outside. The only way to cool down is sitting in front of your AC and sucking on a ice lollipop. So make your own, and you won’t be surprised by durian flavor lollies from the stores. It’s also much healthier.

Here are several combinations to try, and make sure to mix to taste. Make your lollipop mix a bit sweeter, since it will mellow when frozen. Other than that, nothing can go wrong. Take your blender, measure out how many ice popsicles you want to make, and blend and freeze. Simpler than that it can’t get.

Coconut Blueberry Popsicle 

– Fresh blueberries
– Coconut milk
– Maple syrup
– Vanilla

Peanut Butter Banana Popsicle

– Banana
– Almond milk
– Peanut butter

Cucumber Lime Popsicle 

– Cucumber juice
– Lime juice
– Mint leaves

Lemon Raspberry Popsicle 

– Yogurt
– Raspberry
– Lemon juice

Photos: Pixabay.com

Summer has arrived in Beijing. The heat is here but the sunshine is hiding behind a thick blanket of pollution. Many from the international community have flown off to sunnier places, or are visiting their home countries, while some of us are stuck in the heat and thunderstorms in Beijing. Wherever you are this summer, delicious, easy, and healthy food is a must. In this series, I will share cooling recipes that don’t need a stove or oven.

This week, a super easy, healthy breakfast. Bircher muesli reminds me of the time I worked at the Dorchester Hotel in London, and had to make breakfast for the executive chef and serve it on a platter. Bircher Muesli with fresh apple juice; you guessed it, he was German. This bircher muesli is spruced up a bit with healthy ingredients. Add honey for sweetness, or Greek yogurt for a tart kick in the morning.

Healthy Bircher Muesli (serves four)

– 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and grated
– 3 cups rolled oats
– 1 cup cooked quinoa
– 1 cup raisins
– 2 tablespoons chia seeds
– Dash of cinnamon
– 1 vanilla bean
– 4 cups almond milk
– Half cup toasted almond flakes

Put all the ingredients in an airtight container except the toasted almonds. Mix together, and leave overnight in the fridge. When the morning comes, serve in a bowl with the sliced almonds and some honey. Breakfast is served!

Photos: Pixabay

Summer has arrived in Beijing. The heat is here but the sunshine is hiding behind a thick blanket of pollution. Many from the international community have flown off to sunnier places, or are visiting their home countries, while some of us are stuck in the heat and thunderstorms in Beijing. Wherever you are this summer, a delicious, easy, and healthy dinner is a must. In this series, I will share cooling recipes that don’t need a stove or oven.

First up is a creamy cool avocado soup, featuring healthy and easy-to-find ingredients. Since the most important ingredient in this recipe is a blender to fix the family dinner, we can promise you there will be no sweating in the kitchen preparing this refreshing, summery soup.

Cool Avocado Soup (Serves 4)

Ingredients
– 2 avocados
– 1 cucumber (half cut in cubes for garnish)
– 100 ml cold water
– 200 ml cold milk
– 1 lime juiced
– 1.5 tablespoons tahini
– 1 handful coriander leaves
– 1 garlic clove
– 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
– 1 handful seeds toasted
– Salt and pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients to your blender except the seeds and half of a cubed cucumber. Blend the mixture till it is smooth; this should take around a minute. Add some olive oil for extra smooth texture, then pour the cold soup into bowls, and sprinkle the seeds and cubed cucumber on the top for some crunch. I usually pop some sourdough bread in the toaster for a full-blown healthy cool down meal.

Photos: Pixabay