The summer of 2020 left us quarantined in our homes, as the onslaught of Coronavirus gripped the nation and almost brought it to a standstill. However, even during this troubled time, we pushed our boundaries to hone new skills, trying our hands at cooking new delicacies. Considering we have all been making newer items now and then, it’s time to take a back seat from regular cooking and learning a few delicious, healthy, and refreshing items, which are easy to cook.

So, let us wait no further and dive into some of her handpicked recipes for you!
 

Mango Smoothie

A refreshing and tasty drink; makes for a super start to a day.

Ingredients
Half cup chopped mango
Half cup low fat yoghurt
Half cup low fat milk
3 ice cubes

Method
Blend all the ingredients together in a mixer.
Serve chilled.

Green Pea and Celery Soup 

Simple to cook and delicious to taste

Ingredients
2 cups boiled green peas
2 cups water
Half tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp spring onions
4 tbsp chopped celery
1 tsp oregano
Salt to taste

To serve:
Grated cheese and bread croutons

Method
For the broth:
In a food processor, blend the green peas and water.
Sieve the mixture.
How to proceed:
In a non-stick vessel, heat the olive oil, add the spring onions, celery and oregano and saute for half a minute.
Add the broth, salt to taste and cook for 2 minutes.

How to serve:
Serve hot with grated cheese or bread croutons.

Cocktail Mushroom Salad

Mushroom, sundried tomatoes and ice berg lettuce make a tasty and healthy combination. You can serve it in small glasses as an appetiser before the main course.

Ingredients
2 cups boiled and chopped mushrooms 
3 cups chopped iceberg lettuce 
3 tbsp sundried tomatoes

For the dressing: 
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white vinegar 
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and chilli flakes to taste

Method 
For the dressing : 
Mix the salad dressing together in a small bowl

For the sundries tomatoes:
Soak the sundried tomatoes in 1 cup of water for half an hour till they become soft.
Discard the water and cut each sundried tomato into half.

How to proceed:
Dipped the chopped iceberg lettuce in ice water for 1 minute.
Refrigerate all the salad ingredients.

To serve:
In a serving bowl, mix the mushrooms, lettuce and sundried tomatoes together. Add the dressing to the salad and mix thoroughly.
Serve chilled

Sweet Peach Ice Cream

Light and fruity, it can be frozen and eaten whenever you want. You will get approximately 15 scoops from half litre of milk.

Ingredients
Half litre full fat milk
4 sweet peaches 
6 tbsp powdered sugar
300 grams whipping cream (unwhipped)

For the milk:
Boil the milk for 5 minutes and then allow it to cool
Refrigerate for 1 hour 
Remove the cream (malai) from the milk

For the peaches:
Peel the peaches and slice into small pieces.
Add 1 tbsp of milk.
Blend in a mixer and make pulp. 

How to proceed:
Place the peach pulp, milk, powdered sugar and cream in a bowl. Mix well.
Blend in a mixer till well mixed.
Keep the ice-cream machine mixture in a deep freezer for 8 hours.
Blend in a mixer again.
Place the ice cream mixture in an ice cream machine and churn for half an hour till the ice cream is well formed. If you do not have an ice cream machine put the ice cream in a container and keep in the deep freezer for 8 hours.

To serve:
Place the ice cream in an airtight container and keep in the deep freezer.
Remove from the deep freezer and use when needed.

Renu Dalal is a cook book author, and the daughter of the late chef Tarla Dalal.