High-water, low-cook recipes to keep you hydrated on hot days

We’re in for a healthy dose of sunshine this week, which is perfect for anyone looking to host a garden party. These nutritionist-approved, hydrating recipes from Green Chef will help keep your guests cool, while still tasting delicious.

Each recipe stars ingredients with high-water content and minimal cooking time, for the foodies that want to serve up something a bit different from the classic salad or smoothie.

Did you know cooked cauliflower, like cabbage, contains more water than eating it raw? Simply throw the cauliflower in the oven after seasoning, whip up the fresh coleslaw, serve up these vibrant, colourful and full of flavour tacos in no time.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower

64g vegan mayonnaise

50g panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp Central American style spice

1 lime

120g coleslaw mix

75g soured cream

1 baby gem lettuce

6 plain taco tortilla

15g sriracha

Method:

Preheat your oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower and cut into small florets. Put the florets into a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the mayonnaise, making sure the florets are well coated. In another small bowl, mix the panko breadcrumbs with the Central American style spice mix. Season the crumbs with salt and stir in a glug of oil.

Tip the crumbs onto the florets and toss to coat evenly. Carefully transfer the florets and any leftover crumbs to a lined baking tray and roast on the top shelf of your oven until golden and crispy, 20-25 mins. Wash up the bowl.

Meanwhile, juice the lime. Add the coleslaw to a medium bowl. Squeeze in the soured cream and the lime juice. Stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Trim the baby gem, then halve lengthways and thinly slice. Transfer to the clean bowl, toss in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

A few mins before the cauliflower is ready, put the tortillas onto a baking tray and into the oven to warm through, 1-2 mins.

Share the tacos between your plates (3 per person), then top with the baby gem, slaw, crispy cauliflower and remaining crispy crumbs. Drizzle siracha over the top to finish.

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A vegetarian main inspired by the flavours of the Middle East, the courgettes are show-stopping centrepiece, stuffed them a luxurious and moreish honey, harissa and nut mixture. Served on a bed of freekeh tabbouleh, our take on the famous parsley salad, we toss the ancient grain with feta and lemon juice to balance out the richness of the nuts.

Serves: 2

Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

2 courgettes

40g walnuts

25g cashew nuts

50g harissa paste

20g honey

100g freekeh

1 medium tomato

2 spring onions

1 bunch flat leaf parsley

1 lemon

100g feta

Method:

Preheat your oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7. Boil a half-full kettle. Slice the courgettes in half lengthways then, using a dessert spoon, scoop out the soft core and seeds and put them into a sieve. Keep scooping until the courgettes are hollowed out but still thick enough to retain their shape, with about 1cm left on all sides. Using a spoon, press all the scooped courgette flesh against the bottom of a sieve to drain as much liquid as possible, then set aside in a small bowl.

Place the hollowed courgettes on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with oil and, if you’d like to, season with salt and pepper. Roast on the middle shelf of your oven, 10 mins. Roughly chop the walnuts and cashews. Put the courgette flesh in a small bowl and add the nuts, harissa paste and honey. If you’d like to, season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Pour the boiled water into a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the freekeh and simmer until tender, 15-18 mins.

Remove the courgettes from the oven. Fill them with equal amounts of the honey harissa mixture, then return them to the oven and roast until golden, 10 mins.

Meanwhile, cut the tomato into 1cm pieces. Trim the spring onion, then slice thinly on an angle. Roughly chop the parsley (stalks and all). Juice half of the lemon, and cut the remaining half into wedges. Cut the feta into 1cm cubes. When the freekeh has finished cooking, drain into a sieve. In a large bowl, toss the freekah with the tomato, spring onion, parsley, feta and lemon juice. If you’d like to, season with salt and pepper.

Serve the stuffed courgettes with the freekeh tabbouleh and garnish with a lemon wedge.

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Vietnamese cuisine is known for its fresh, light salads, which feature bountiful amounts of fresh herbs and aromatics. Packed full of hydrating staples like cabbage, cucumber and carrots, this salad forgoes the traditional fish sauce, to feature fresh keystone ingredients like lemongrass, lime, mint and coriander.

Serves: 2

Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs

1 bunch lemongrass

3 garlic cloves

1 bunch mint

1 bunch coriander

1 echalion shallot

1 red chilli

1 lime

30ml cider vinegar

1 carrot

½ cucumber

100g radishes

100g shredded savoy cabbage

40g salted peanuts

Method:

Fill a large saucepan with water and heat on high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the water. You want the water to cover the chicken by 1 inch. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands after handling raw meat. Using the back of a knife, bash the lemongrass and crush one garlic clove per two people. Cut the stalks off the mint and coriander. Add the lemongrass, garlic and herb stalks to the water and season well with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 15-20 mins. IMPORTANT: The chicken is cooked when it is no longer pink in the middle.

Halve, peel and thinly slice the shallot. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat with enough oil to cover the bottom. Check the oil is hot enough by adding one piece of shallot, it if starts to sizzle it is hot enough. Add the shallot and fry until golden and crispy, 2-4 mins. Turn once or twice. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. If you wish, season with salt and pepper.

Peel and grate the remaining garlic (or use a garlic press). Halve the chilli lengthways, deseed and slice thinly. Zest and juice the lime. Add the garlic, chilli, lime zest and juice, cider vinegar and sugar (see ingredients for amount) to a small bowl. If you would like, season with salt. Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar.

Trim the carrot and cucumber. Using the peeler, peel long ribbons from the carrot and cucumber Trim and thinly slice the radishes into circles. Roughly chop the mint and coriander leaves. Toss the carrot, cucumber, radish slices, herbs and cabbage together in a medium bowl. Pour in half the dressing and stir to combine. Season to taste. Roughly chop the peanuts and set aside.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan, drain and place in a large bowl. Using two forks, shred the chicken. If you would like, season with salt and pepper. Pour in the remaining dressing and mix.

Mix half the peanuts into the salad. Divide the salad between the bowls. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and nestle in the chicken. Top with the remaining peanuts and crispy shallots.