BY KEDIBONE MATLALA
It’s summer in Saudi Arabia and it’s a task to go outside in this very hot weather. It’s the perfect opportunity to spend some time in the kitchen cooking some fresh seasonal ingredients to make a comforting soup and a healthy dessert. Enjoy!
Mango Banana “Nice-Cream”
Gluten free | Egg free | Dairy free
Time to prepare: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Makes: 4 scoops
Serves: 2 people
Calories: 160 per serving
Ingredients:
2 frozen medium chopped bananas
1 frozen medium prepared mango (peeled, chopped and pitted)
5 tablespoons of non-dairy milk (I use coconut milk.)
Equipment:
High speed blender
Spatula
Plastic container
Scooping spoon
Bowls (or a split coconut)
1. Add 2 tablespoons of your non-dairy milk to the bottom of the blender along with the frozen fruits.
2. Blend on medium speed until smooth (add a bit more milk, only if needed, a tablespoon at a time to keep ice cream-like consistency, use spatula to clean sides).
3. Place the blended mix into a plastic container, cover and freeze for an hour (stir every 20 minutes). When firm, scoop and serve immediately!
“Chechu” Butternut Squash
Summer Soup
Gluten free | Egg free | Dairy free
Time to prepare: 1 hour 40 minutes
Makes: about 1.2 liters
Serves: 4 people
Calories: 120 per serving
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
1 large onion
1 large yellow capsicum
Half a garlic bulb
1 liter vegetable stock (or as much as you need for preferred consistency)
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil (optional)
Spray olive oil to coat for roasting
Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment:
An oven
A stove
A medium deep pot
A fine sieve and a blender
Bowls to serve
Foil to cover vegetables
Chopping board
Knife
Baking tray
1. Clean vegetables well, (you can leave the skin on). Don’t throw the seeds out! You can roast them for 5 minutes (or until they are slightly brown, roast them with salt and olive oil); they taste amazing as a snack or garnish for the soup.
2. Lightly coat the vegetables in salt, pepper and olive oil spray.
3. Roast the vegetables at 220 degrees until soft (about an hour to an hour and a half) (40 minutes covered and the rest open) make sure they are well-cooked and soft.
4. Add the vegetable stock to the blender along with the roasted vegetables and blend until smooth.
5. Pour mixture gradually from the blender through the sieve into the pot to remove the rinds of the vegetables and make the soup extra smooth.
6. Simmer over low heat in a pot.
7. Add coconut or olive oil (optional).
8. Serve with the roasted pumpkin seeds on top or add coconut cream to decorate (optional). Serve chilled, you can make this recipe a few hours before serving or the day before (it can be enjoyed both hot or cold).
