One thing our team has in common is a love for cooking and baking! It’s not only immensely satisfying to make yourself a delicious meal, it’s also a form of self-care. Cooking is a great way to relax, let go of the day, and take care of your body! Here are a few summer recipe suggestions from the ZIM team.
Did you love the Gazpacho recipe above? Try another tasty version!
INGREDIENTS
About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks
1 Italian frying (cubanelle) pepper or another long, light green pepper, such as Anaheim, cored, seeded, and roughly cut into chunks
1 cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
1 small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, more to taste
Salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling
PREPARATION
Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. If necessary, work in batches. Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.
Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.
Peach Blueberry Glace Pie
INGREDIENTS
1 baked 9-inch pie shell or graham cracker crust
1-quart chopped peaches and blueberries, well drained and dried
3/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese or Neufchatel, softened
PREPARATION
In a saucepan over medium heat, simmer 1 cup of the fruit in the water for 3-4 minutes.
Combine the sugar and cornstarch and add to the cooking fruit, stirring until the syrup is thick and ruby clear. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of the orange juice.
Mix the other 1 tablespoon orange juice into the softened cream cheese. Spread this mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the pie shell to form a barrier between the crust and the fruit. If using a graham cracker crust, make sure the cream cheese is soft enough not to tear the crust too much.
Pour the uncooked fruit into the prepared pie shell. Then pour the cooked fruit mixture over the top, slowly, to give the syrup time to sink in.
Chill the pie in the refrigerator to set and serve plain or with whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream.
To make it vegan, simply swap out the regular cream cheese for vegan cream cheese and gussy it up with your favorite non-dairy whipped/ice cream.
S’mores Pie
INGREDIENTS
10 Graham crackers finely crushed (about 1 1/3 cups crumbs)
7 tablespoons of butter
Filling
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli)
6 ounces milk chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into pieces
2/3 cups of heavy cream
Topping
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
PREPARATION
Combine the crushed graham crackers and butter and press into the bottom of a pie plate.
Bake until golden and then set aside to cool completely.
To make the chocolate filling, add the two types of chocolate and the butter to a large bowl.
Pour hot cream over top and let sit until the chocolate is melted, then stir everything together.
Pour chocolate filling into pie crust and refrigerate to set.
Meanwhile, make the homemade marshmallow topping by first combining the egg whites and sugar in a bowl.
Heat sugar and egg whites over a pot of boiling water until the mixture reaches the right temperature.
Whip the egg white mixture with the vanilla and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
Spread the marshmallow topping over the chocolate filling, then brown with a kitchen torch.
Enjoy!