With Memorial Day weekend almost upon us, closely followed by July Fourth celebrations, here are some healthy substitutes for summer time favorites to help keep you on track.
Everyone loves to indulge in ice cream and & fruit shortcakes at summer bar-b-ques, but if you are gluten & dairy intolerant, the summer celebrations can be a challenge.
If you have been invited to a party, bringing your own special contribution to the meal is usually welcomed by your hosts. When throwing your own celebration, you can always have the traditional fare and offer some alternative dishes for both you & your guests.
Both “Soo Delicious” & “Pure Decadence” offer a variety of wonderful coconut milk/agave sweetened ice cream substitutes. My husband, who is an ice cream connisseur, actually prefers “Pure Decadence” to ice cream. If you can handle rice based products, “Rice Dream” makes a killer mint chocolate chip ice cream along with carob/chocolate coated “rice cream” bars. I really like these!!
You can easily make your own shortcakes in less than 30 minutes by substituting any gluten-free baking/biscuit mix for the flour in a traditional shortcakes recipe. Just top the short cakes with your favorite sliced fruit marinated in frozen unsweetened orange or apple juice concentrate. Fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches nectarines are great toppers. We like to do combinations of fresh seasonal fruits. Gild the lily with a scoop of any of the above ice cream substitutes.
To kick grilled chicken or fish up a notch, simply marinate for a few hours in “Sis Meliss” gluten, soy & sweetner free Balsamic Vinaigrette.
For amazing grilled veggies, marinate in the same “Sis Meliss” vinaigrette. Some super veggies to grill are any of the summer squashes, asparagus, artichoke hearts, zucchini & mushrooms. Be sure to make a lot because guests usually go back for seconds & thirds. If there are any leftovers, just toss into some cooked pasta for a tasty pasta salad.
Red potatoes halved & tossed in olive oil with some Spice Hunter or Frontier Pizza blend are a nice side dish.
For a refreshing spritzer, mix your favorite unsweetened fruit juice with sparkling water. Float a few sliced strawberries with a slice of lemon or lime in each glass for some flair. If you freeze the fruit slices it will keep a large punch bowl of this spritzer cool for hours without the diluting factor of ice cubes.
Some simple treats to beat the heat around the pool are a selection of sliced frozen & cubed fresh fruits. Whole grapes, sliced oranges, pineapple, mango, nectarines, kiwi, strawberries, & peaches work well, along with cubed melons.
Remember to keep your water intake up during the summer months especially if you have imbibed in alcoholic beverages..as well as your low starch veggies.
A Votre Sante……
Kaaren