After the beginning of summer, the weather gradually becomes hot, even until scorching summer. The hot weather not only affects people's clothing choices but also their appetite. Generally, in the hot summer, people don't like to eat greasy food and prefer light and refreshing dishes like cold noodles and salads. In this season where cold dishes are highly sought after, I will share a few recipes for light and refreshing cold dishes. Let's learn together!
【Cold Potato Salad】
Potatoes are not only rich in potassium but also contain essential minerals such as calcium and zinc, as well as nutrients like vitamin C. Sweating a lot in summer means eating potatoes can help replenish nutrients. In addition, potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, which can promote gastrointestinal motility and accelerate cholesterol metabolism in the intestines, thus aiding digestion and reducing cholesterol levels. Compared to stir-frying, blanching potatoes and then making a cold salad with vinegar dressing will result in a crispy and delicious dish, like vinegar-dressed shredded potatoes.
【Cold Cucumber Salad】
Cucumbers are the best food for hydrating the body in summer, as they have the highest water content among all foods. Cucumbers also contain bitter substances, which have certain anti-cancer effects. In addition, cucumbers have a cooling nature and can help clear heat, promote diuresis, and detoxify the body. Cucumbers are perfect for making cold salads, such as cucumber with wood ear mushrooms or garlic-dressed cucumbers.
【Cold Bitter Gourd Salad】
Bitter gourd contains compounds like bitter gourd glycosides and substances similar to insulin, which have good blood sugar-lowering effects and make it an ideal food for diabetics. Bitter gourd glycosides and bitter substances also stimulate the appetite, promote digestion, and have therapeutic effects such as improving vision, aiding digestion, cooling the body, detoxifying, and diuresis. Making a plate of cold bitter gourd salad is a good choice in the hot summer.
【Cold Lotus Root Slices】
In the book "Compendium of Materia Medica", lotus root is called the "spiritual root". Eating crispy and sweet lotus root slices in hot weather not only stimulates the appetite but also has the effect of clearing heat and moisturizing the body. After blanching, the nature of lotus root changes from cooling to warming, and it has the effect of nourishing the stomach and invigorating the spleen. Ginger juice lotus root slices is a good choice.
