When the temperatures are soaring, such has been the case this summer here in southwestern Ontario, nourishment that requires little fuss or cooking is usually on the menu. And although this light green salad would be a fine accompaniment to a meal anytime of the year, plenty of fresh herbs makes this an especially refreshing one in the summer.

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A "wot" — or "wat" — is a traditional Ethiopian stew made with meat or vegetables and seasoned oil and served with injera, a spongy fermented flatbread made from the small Ethiopian grain called teff that has a nutty and somewhat sour taste. In this wot, ideally suited to vegetarians, the meat is replaced with cooked lentils, and the usually pre-prepared seasoned oil is replaced with olive oil in which onion and various spices are cooked briefly before adding the remaining ingredients for a quick version of the "ye’qimem zeyet" seasoned oil that is a staple of Ethiopian cooking.

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Mangoes are one of the most refreshing fruits and so well suited to hot summer days. As much as I enjoy eating slices of fresh mango in warm weather, the fruit also goes well dressed up in sweet, salty and spicy summer salads too. In this refreshing salad, the natural sweetness of mangoes is complemented by fresh lime juice with some heat from fresh hot chilies. It's one of the easiest salads I make, and it is best made ahead of time so the salad can sit in the refrigerate to allow the mango to marinate. Depending on how sweet your mangoes are, use more or less sugar as desired. I served the salad over mixed greens, though it could easily be served just as is, almost like a condiment.

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Served all the way from the Middle East through India to central Asia, there are as many versions of koftas as there are tastes and preferences. Although originally made from ground meat, there are countless vegetarian versions of these little "meatballs", or sometimes rounded patties, to be found too, many made with cooked beans, potatoes or paneer cheese instead of meat, but always with herbs and spices. Often they are served in a creamy sauce.

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