Who wants to cook in the summer?!
Definitely not you pregnant and breastfeeding mamas.
I’ve got a salad recipe for you that is so good. I promise it’s worth the “marinate wait”.
I really can’t stop eating this salad. If you want a veggie burger with it, go for it, but a great piece of bread and big bowl of this salad if enough to satisfy.
A hit every time I serve it – with bigs and littles alike.
My sister sent me recipe years ago (BC – before children) exactly as I’m presenting it below. It’s original name is Sugar Beans from Celia Brown Brooke’s “Entertaining Vegetarians”. (That title makes me laugh – like will there be a circus with dinner…or am I the circus?)
Bean and Water Chestnut Salad
For the SALAD:
500 grams dried kidney beans
200 grams green beans, in bite-sized pieces—blanched for 2 minutes and refreshed in iced water
2 x 225 gram cans of water chestnuts, drained
1 green pepper cut into bite-sized pieces
1 red onion, sliced very finely
Soak beans overnight, drain and boil them in fresh water. Boil fiercely for 10 minutes, and then simmer for about 50 minutes (tender but not falling apart). Drain well and immediately add marinade (I do this in a wide shallow plastic container with lid).
For the MARINADE (make this while beans are cooking)
125 ml balsamic vinegar
85 grams caster sugar
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 tsp salt
Black pepper
125 mil olive oil
Whisk everything together (I do this in an old jam jar—shaking madly at the last minute just before I pour it onto the hot kidney beans)
Once the beans have cooled in the marinade (at room temperature), add the blanched green beans, water chestnuts, green pepper and red onion. Stir thoroughly. Cover and chill in the fridge for 3-4 days, stirring every so often (can be eaten after 24 hours but so much better after a few days)
And something to drink with that?!
Carlsberg makes a really good non-alcoholic beer. So does Becks. Make sure it’s cold though or else there really is zero point.
If you prefer something more microbrew-y – try Nanny State by Brew Dog.
In the non-beer category, we have Carlsberg’s Beo that I absolutely LOVE! It is actually brewed like beer, but has fruit flavors – more like a nice juice with bubbles but not thick at all. And not all sweet like cider. The flavors are Apple Green Tea and Hibiscus and Orange. I’ve been drinking them for years and can’t choose my favorite. I go after what color I’m feeling.
Super summer refreshing!
I have a Soda Stream that is in use constantly. I really enjoy bubbly water sans flavor.
Try icing your favorite herbal tea!
And when it’s really hot (or during labor, while breastfeeding – or other super thirsty times) you really can’t beat coconut water. Best on the rocks! Make sure it doesn’t have sugar in it. I bought that by mistake once and it was YUCK.
Speaking of yuck. Non-alcoholic wine.
Now I’m hungry! And thirsty!
What are your favorite things to drink on those hot summer days?
