Makes about 14 wraps

Serves 4 as a meal, or can be made as an appetizer for 8

In this recipe, a mixture of protein-rich quinoa, mint and vegetables is bound together with a nutty tahini sauce and then spooned into tender but sturdy leaves of butterhead lettuce. If you don’t like fiddling with folding lettuce leaves, you can serve them as cups, just like in the photographs. These lettuce wraps make for a satisfying, nutritious lunch or an attractive appetizer. Tahini is a ground sesame seed spread used in Middle Eastern cuisines. Look for tahini in the international section or the nut butter section of most large grocery stores.

 Ingredients

 For Lettuce Wraps

•  1 cup quinoa, cooked according to the package’s directions
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 8 oz. shiitake mushrooms caps, sliced into strips
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 red chile, seeds removed, chopped
• 6 breakfast radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. chopped mint
• 2 avocados
• juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 2 heads butterhead lettuce
• salt

 For Tahini Sauce

•  1 lime
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and toss in the shiitake mushroom slices. Cook for 5 minutes, until tender. Season the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and a little freshly ground black pepper. In a large bowl, toss the cooked mushrooms, the fresh scallions, chile, radishes and mint with the cooked quinoa. Zest 1 lime over the quinoa. Season the mixture to taste with a couple of pinches of salt.

Make the tahini sauce by whisking together the juice of 1 lime, tahini, soy sauce and honey. If necessary, add up to 1/4 cup water (a little at a time) to thin the sauce out until it just drips from the whisk, similar to the texture of ketchup. Stir the tahini sauce into the quinoa mixture to loosely bind it.

Make the lettuce wraps. Cut avocados in half and slice them into long strips. Brush the avocado slices with lime or lemon juice to prevent browning. To compose the lettuce wraps, place two slices of avocado in each piece of lettuce and top with a couple spoonful’s of the quinoa mixture. Serve the lettuce wraps open, as a little lettuce cup, or fold and pin them as a wrap with a toothpick. This dish tastes best at room temperature.

 Note

It’s best to compose the wraps just before serving. The quinoa-tahini mixture can be made ahead of time, but it will thicken in the fridge. Thin it out with a splash of soy sauce and then compose the lettuce wraps.

In the heat of the summer, rely on cool and refreshing foods to keep your diet balanced. Cooking outside on the BBQ can be a great way to spend a bit of time in fresh air, and keep your home cooler without a hot oven. And who doesn’t love a fruit salad when the weather is scorching?

Ingredients:

• 1 pink grapefruit, peeled
• 2 large tangerines
• 3 navel oranges
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Greek yogurt
• Minced crystallized ginger, to taste

Preparation:

Cut citrus sections into thirds, after peeling fruit. Place grapefruit, tan- gerines and juice in a large bowl. Add honey and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Mix yogurt and ginger in a different bowl then add fruit. (Add brown sugar, or another sweetener if you don’t care for the tart taste of Greek yogurt!)

In the heat of the summer, rely on cool and refreshing foods to keep your diet balanced. Cooking outside on the bbQ can be a great way to spend a bit of time in fresh air, and keep your home cooler without a hot oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for brushing
• 3/4 cup sliced shallots
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt plus additional for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 4 7-ounce salmon steaks or fillets with skin (each about 3/4 inch

Two hours before serving:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until softened. Add garlic, coarse salt and, thyme. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add blue- berries, 1/4 cup water, and vinegar. Stir to blend. Mash berries with potato masher or back of fork and cook until sauce thickens, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat. Let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Reheat before using.

Brush grill rack with oil. Prepare barbecue on a medium-high heat. brush salmon on both sides with oil; sprinkle with coarse salt, thyme and black pepper.

Grill salmon until just opaque in center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Drizzle sauce over salmon. Serve immediately.

A light and delicious snack perfect for our grilled fruit kebobs in our archives

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

Directions:

In a medium saucepan with the heat off, whisk together cornstarch, cocoa powder and sugar. Gradually whisk in water and jam. Turn on medium heat. Bring sauce to a simmer, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving.