Cool Treats for Hot Days

It was another scorching weekend, and while that annoys the crap out of me in some ways, it's a fun meal-planning challenge. I love that I can't remember the last time I turned on the oven, that recipes for crisp salads and cold treats abound, and that all the fresh produce makes "improvisational cooking" -- something I often enjoy -- even more fun and colorful.

Here's what we've been eating lately.

Chicken Salad Wraps

• Chopped fresh chives and parsley from the garden
• Slivered almonds
• Diced red onion
• Canned chicken breast
• Light mayo mixed with a little horseradish for bite
• And here's the best part: chopped dried cherries

Mix it all together, and spoon it onto tortillas that have been drizzled with honey mustard. If you'd like, boost the antioxidants by throwing in a few leaves of baby spinach.

Creamy Tomato-Cucumber Salad

• Diced fresh tomatoes (ours came from a road-side stand)
• Fresh cucumbers, skin and seeds removed
• Chopped red onion
• Fresh parsley and dill from the garden
• Marinade: red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and a little Splenda

Marinate for up to three hours. Drain. Gently mix in cubes of sourdough bread that have been spritzed with olive oil and grilled (or toasted). In a separate bowl, mix a little more red wine vinegar with light sour cream and more herbs or salt to taste. Toss with the tomato mixture. Great with chilled Pinot Grigio.

Lemonade with Blueberry-Infused Vodka

• Dump a handful of blueberries into about eight ounces of vodka. Let steep overnight in the fridge.
• Prepare frozen lemonade according to the directions on the can, but substitute the blueberry vodka (including blueberries) for one can of water.
• Add a little orange liqueur for complexity (I like Patron Citronage, but you could also use Cointreau or Grand Marnier or even Triple Sec).
• If it's too tart, add a little Splenda.

This is soooo smooth that you have to be a little careful. You can barely taste the vodka, so it's easy to get carried away with this on a hot day.

RSSIMHRN: Did anybody else catch the Live Earth broadcast? We watched a little of it, and the Keith Urban/Alicia Keys version of "Gimme Shelter" was phenomenal. Unfortunately, that's not the song that got stuck in my head. This is. Bummer.