Broccoli salad - A Summer Delight!

Broccoli salad and fresh tender coconut water

I dread this time of the year. It gives me a feeler of how scorching Summer will be. My usual walk from Marine Drive to CST which used to be a pleasant time to observe birds and people has now become the worst time of the day. I use a cap to protect my recently 'smoothed' hair but the heat gets to me all the time.

Since Summer depletes the body of water and salts, it is necessary to keep replenishing the body stock. I drink coconut water twice a day and literally live on salads and fruits (for starters - I would say as lunch and dinner still have some carbs!), especially watermelon. Sometime back I had wondered whether salads deserve a post and now I know they do because I keep scouting for more and more varieties!

Today I made a quick and simple broccoli salad to beat two things - the clock that told me it was getting late to work and the heat as well! Broccoli being rich in fiber as well as trace nutrients is ideal for weight loss dieters too. I find it good also because it is green and somehow green seems the right feast for the eye anytime of the year.

There isn't much of a recipe. Sometimes less is more. Not in case of broccoli though. It shrinks once steamed. One head of broccoli weighing 500g, once cooked serves only three persons.

Ingredients:
Broccoli - Washed and cut into small florets and stalks trimmed - 4 cups
Roasted and quartered cashewnuts - 10
Salt to taste
Black peppercorns - 10
Olive oil - 1 tsp.
Soft Cottage cheese (For the children) - 1/2 cup cubed

Broccoli tossed with some cottage cheese

Method:
I use the stalks of broccoli as well. Trim the sides and retain the softer inner portion.
Steam the florets and stalks with a dash of salt in the microwave for 2 minutes, mixing once in between.
Cool.
Crush the peppercorns coarsely.
Add the rest of the ingredients and the crushed pepper and toss well.

Stay cool. It is Summer:). I guess I am going to show more salads and juices than anything else for these two months in this space!

What do you do to beat the heat? A swim, picnics, juices or icecreams? I am looking for some tips too.

Birds and animals are the worst affected lot. They do not ask much from us. Please keep bowls of water on your grills so that our feathered friends can find water easily. Do not be disheartened if your bowl doesn't go empty at the end of the day. The birds will soon come down once they know it will be a daily ritual.