By Lily Donofrio

Summer is in full swing and may I say, it is scorching. Living in Florida, I wake up to 80 degree heat, with it reaching high 90’s by lunch time. I love the heat and am ready to enjoy the rest of this summer. Although I’m all for vegan chili and hot cocoa any time of year, it’s good to pair the season with awesome, appropriate foods. Here are a couple heat-friendly recipes, all good for trips to the beach, lake, camp, or wherever this summer takes you:

Cool Cucumber Salad

6 cucumbers
5 Tomatoes
1 onion
Vegan Italian dressing

Wash all of the veggies. Skin cucumber, if preferred. Cut cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion into chunks. Put all of the veggies into a bowl, and mix around with spoon. Drizzle veggies with vegan Italian dressing. Serve cold.

Watermelon Gazpacho

5 cups of cubed watermelon
1½ cups of peeled and chopped cucumber
1/3 cup diced red onion
½ cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon grated jalapeño
Juice of one lime
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Purée watermelon in blender. Pour into serving bowl. Mix in other ingredients with a spoon. Serve chilled.

Spinach and Artichoke Flatbread

Flatbread:
1 cup flour
½ cup full fat coconut milk

Topping:
¼ cup olive oil
3 diced artichoke hearts
1 cup spinach
Garlic
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, Mix flatbread ingredients thoroughly. Pour about ½ cup of batter into a greased or non-stick frying pan and cook until the batter is fluffy. Mix topping ingredients, and sprinkle onto your flatbread. Bake flatbread for 5-10 minutes, until your flatbread is golden brown. Cut and serve.

Fruity Coconut Water

Can be any frozen fruit of your choice. Frozen fruit works better, because it produces more juice. I prefer a few:

Strawberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
11-ounce carton coconut water

Cut strawberries. Pour coconut water into a pitcher and mix in fruit. Serve iced.

Mexican Bean Burgers

1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
½ cup salsa
1 cup vegan bread crumbs
½ onion, chopped
¼ cup vegetable oil or preferred frying oil.

Optional toppings: avocado, ketchup, vegan mayonnaise, mustard, vegan cheese

Mash beans in a bowl, mix in salsa and bread crumbs. Add onion to mixture. Form batter into patties. Fry patties in vegetable oil over medium heat. Serve on a vegan bun with preferred toppings.

Fruit Kabobs

Carton of strawberries
Cantaloupe
Kiwi
Honeydew
Bananas
Watermelon
Wooden skewers

Cut as much fruit as wanted into disks measuring 1/3-inch in height. Place in preferred pattern on wooden skewers. Serve cold.

Apple Bake

Filling:
6 large, honey crisp apples
¼ cup water
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1½ teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Topping:
2 cups oats
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
¼ cup melted vegan margarine
¼ cup sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel apples, if preferred, and chop into chunks. Mix water, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and 2 Tablespoons maple syrup in with the chopped apples. Place in an 8×8 baking pan. Mix together topping ingredients; sprinkle evenly over filling. Bake for 20 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.