Spicy Salads to Cool You Down
Believe it or not, eating spicy foods when it is hot can actually cool you down for longer. Here are a fewhot recipes to help you stay cool.
by Shoshana Isaacson
UNORTHOBOXED Magazine Food Editor
When the days are long and the temperatures are high the idea of cooking is far from most of our minds. Even with adequate air conditioning, being stuck in a hot kitchen is less than appealing; because of this cold plates and salads have been a part of the summer menus of many different cultures around the world for years. In locations where the temperatures are often high, foods
tend to be spicy. It makes sense if you think about it; spicy foods make you sweat and sweating cools you down. As satisfying as an icy cold beverage might be as you drink it, the effects are short-lived. Eating foods that are on the Scoville scale (a measurement of how spicy a pepper is) will cool you down for longer. So here are a few hot recipes to help you stay cool.
Spicy Spring Roll Salad
Based on a recipe from styleblueprint.com
Ingredients
2 cups chopped cabbage, red and green
½ orange bell pepper, chopped
½ yellow bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
½ English cucumber (or seeded regular cucumber) sliced in half, then chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (If you prefer spicier things, use serrano peppers.)
Handful of pea shoots
20 leaves of mint, chopped
10 large leaves of basil, chopped
1 cup edamame, shelled, steamed and cooled
1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped roughly
Avocado (to garnish)
Green onions (to garnish)
Bibb lettuce, chopped
1 pound flaked surimi or flaked steamed fresh salmon
8 oz (approximately) thin rice noodles (found in the Asian section of the grocery store)
Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons vegan fish sauce
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
Juice of two limes squeezed
2 garlic cloves, minced (or ¼ tsp garlic powder)
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon ginger powder)
¼ cup diced shallots
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Soak rice noodles in a bowl of warm water.
Step 2
Make the dressing by combining all ingredients, stir and set aside.
Step 3
When the rice noodles are soft they are done. Rinse them with cold water.
Step 4
Season the noodles with salt and black pepper to taste. Cut noodles into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Step 5
Chop all vegetables, and place in a large bowl.
Step 6
Toss with the rice noodles and the dressing.
Step 7
Garnish with green onions, avocado and sliced lime as well as any leftover herbs.
