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Turn off the stove, turn up the air conditioning, find a fan. It’s that time of year when easy meals are the order of the day. Eating out is great, but it gets costly.

Local produce is plentiful and fresh vegetables are perfect fare. Backyard barbecues are going strong. The cook is busy at the grill, complaining because the surrounding air feels like an oven!

Summertime is brief, so relax, stay cool and take any shortcuts you can. Here are some simple suggestions to beat the heat:

• Stay hydrated! If you wait until you’re thirsty, you’re waiting too long. Choose water over juice. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Most of hunger is thirst!
• Spicy foods are super – they make you perspire and cool down.
• Most chilled foods are at their best when served almost at room temperature. Over-season foods slightly as many flavors are more subtle when foods are chilled.
• Prepare salad greens in advance; wash and dry thoroughly. Refrigerate in a plastic bag with paper towels to absorb excess moisture. They’ll keep for 2 or 3 days.
• Get together with friends and share the cooking. Make extra to freeze for another day.
• Cook a big batch of pasta. Serve some hot with your favorite sauce and use the rest in a cold pasta salad. You could also freeze pasta in air-tight baggies. When needed, remove from bag, place in a strainer and rinse with boiling water; or reheat in the microwave, allowing 1 minute on HIGH per cup of pasta.

Outdoor grilling is very popular during warm weather. However, it’s not always the healthiest way of eating. Typical barbecue fare usually features hot dogs, burgers, steaks and chicken, with less emphasis on vegetables and grains.

Leaner cuts of meat are a healthier choice. For variety, make burgers with lean ground beef, veal, chicken or turkey. Boost the nutrient value by adding finely minced carrots, celery and onions to the mixture; bind with some bread crumbs or matzo meal. Don’t over-handle the mixture or your burgers will be tough.

Chill burgers before cooking to prevent them from falling apart during grilling. Veggie burgers or marinated portobello mushroom caps are great vegetarian alternatives. Serve on whole wheat rolls or pita bread, topped with sliced tomatoes, lettuce, roasted red peppers and grilled onion slices.

Visit www.weber.com/bbq for smart shopping tips when buying a grill, plus great grilling recipes and tips.

For great taste and delicious recipes, check out Renee’s Gourmet at www.renees.com.

MARIN-AIDES

According to the American Cancer Society, research suggests that cooking meats at very high temperatures creates chemicals (heterocyclic amines, or HCAs) that may increase cancer risk. However, scientists believe that marinating helps creates a barrier against heat that dramatically lowers the formation of HCAs created when meat, poultry and fish are grilled or broiled at high temperatures.

Marinating meats and poultry before cooking makes them more tender and flavorful. If making an acid-based marinade, use a non-reactive container (glass, ceramic, stainless steel or a heavy-duty ziploc plastic bag). Turn the food or shake the bag during marinating so the food is evenly coated.

Marinate either at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 1/2 to 1 hour. For longer marinating, cover and refrigerate the food overnight. Don’t marinate fish for more than an hour before cooking, or it will start to “cook.”

Drain the marinade before grilling. If you want to reserve the leftover marinade for basting or as a sauce, be sure to bring it to a boil, then simmer it for 2 minutes before drizzling it over the cooked food.

TIPS FOR HEALTHIER GRILLING

• Keep meat and chicken lean by trimming away excess fat before cooking. To keep poultry moist and prevent it from drying out during grilling, remove the skin after it is cooked.
• Keep the grill clean. Clean the grate twice, once after preheating the grill and once at the end of cooking.
• Cook meat and poultry thoroughly, but not so much that pieces become charred and blackened. Don’t eat any charred or blackened parts.
• You can pre-cook meat or poultry in the oven or on the stove ahead of time, then complete the last-minute cooking on the grill. This gives foods a wonderful, grilled flavor. It also saves time at mealtime!
• To pre-cook chicken pieces in the microwave, micro-cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 minutes a pound. Then transfer them immediately to the hot grill. This helps reduce cooking time, as well as exposure to smoke.
• Don’t grill over direct heat. Place food around the hot coals, not directly over them.
• Don’t peek! When you open the cover of the barbecue, it loses heat, increasing cooking time.
• Lift the lid only when you have to turn the food. The lid traps the heat and smoke, helping to cook and flavour your food.
• Enjoy grilled meats, poultry or fish with plenty of vegetables, fruits and grains.

GO FOR THE GRAINS!

Grain-based salads make a terrific accompaniment for your next barbecue. Try this Quick Couscous Salad for a quick summer side dish.

Experiment with various grains. Prepare a big batch of rice (basmati), bulgur, couscous or pasta (e.g., spirals, elbows, bow-ties). When cooled, add chopped green onions or shallots, coloured peppers (red, green, orange or yellow), a handful of fresh herbs (minced dill, basil), parsley and a handful of cherry or grape tomatoes. Add a splash of your favourite low-fat salad dressing; season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Chill thoroughly before serving. Adjust seasonings, if necessary, before serving. If desired, sprinkle salad with a handful of toasted almonds or pine nuts. Crumbled feta or goat cheese, grated Cheddar, Swiss or Parmesan cheese also make terrific toppers.

You can “veg-out” at your next barbecue with this easy Mediterranean-style dish. Great Grilled Vegetables and Enjoy!

Adapted from Norene’s Healthy Kitchen by Norene Gilletz

Shake it Up, Baby!

• Kosher salt is additive-free. Table salt contains additives, including iodine.

“Sea”-soning!

• Sea salt, either fine-grained or large crystals, is produced by the evaporation of sea water. Sea salt contains trace amounts of minerals.
• The sodium content of fine-grain sea salt is comparable to table salt.The sodium content of coarse sea salt is comparable to Kosher salt.

Weighing in on Salt:

• Did you know that 1 tsp. of Kosher salt contains less sodium than 1 tsp. of table salt? That’s because Kosher salt has a larger grain, so less salt fits in the spoon!
• If you measure by volume, the sodiium content will be lower for Kosher salt than for table salt. If you measure by weight, the sodium content will be the same.

How Much is Enough?

• The current recommended sodium intake is about 2,400 mg a day (about 1 tsp) but less is better (1,500 or less), especially for middle-age and older adults, and for people with high blood pressure. Most people eat around 4,000 to 5,000 mg of sodium a day (about 2 tsp of salt). Blood pressure creeps up as we age, so cutting back on salt can prevent or delay the inevitable rise.

Go Slow:

• The best approach is to gradually reduce the amount of salt you use when preparing foods. Try using half to one-quarter of the amount stated in the recipe. You can always add salt at the table.

Shake it Up?

• Each shake of the salt shaker equals about 40 mg sodium! Instead of adding salt to foods, add a squeeze of lemon or lime, a splash of vinegar, a drizzle of low-sodium soy sauce, a dash of pepper, or a sprinkling of different herbs.

What to Use?

• Many chefs prefer the clean taste and texture of Kosher salt.
• Chefs often use sea salt as a finishing salt, adding it to foods just before serving.
• As a general guideline, use table salt in cooking and baking.
• For cooked foods, salads, veggies, etc. season them with either Kosher salt or sea salt, sprinkling it on at the last minute.

Hide and Salt!

• Salt-free doesn’t mean sodium-free. Foods with no salt added can still contain sodium, which can be in many forms – not just as table salt or sodium chloride. It also comes as sodium benzoate (a preservative), sodium nitrate (found in processed meats), and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Even baking powder, baking soda, diet colas, sport drinks, and sparkling mineral water contain sodium.

Enjoy your red wine without fretting over spills! This trick removes red wine stains, no matter how old, from clothes and tablecloths – regardless of material or colour. Just mix hydrogen peroxide with dishwashing liquid and pour on the stain to pre-soak before laundering.

Treat wine stains while they are still wet. Blot up as much as possible with an old towel, some paper towels, or even a disposable diaper. Pour some club soda on the stain, then blot it up immediately. If the stain is still there, cover it with a thick layer of salt and let it stand overnight. Vacuum up the salt in the morning.

There is a product called Red Wine Stain Remover which is non-toxic and does not contain bleach. It also removes coffee, tea and blood stains from carpets and clothing. It has been tested and endorsed by the Good Housekeeping Institute and Food & Wine Magazine. For information, call toll-free: 1-888-946-3292.

Sukkot celebrates the final gathering of the harvest before the winter. Meals are served in the Sukkah, an outdoor structure with a leafy roof partly open to the sky. The Sukkah symbolizes the temporary shelters in which our ancestors lived during their 40 years in the desert.

The agricultural theme is celebrated by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. Stuffed vegetables (cabbage, eggplant, zucchini, peppers) are served for Sukkot. Kreplach and kugels, challah and strudels – these are a few of my favorite things!.

Read more “Food for Sukkot” →