Summer squash—zucchini and yellow squash—are available year-round, but are never more affordable than now.

In addition to your other favorite summer squash recipes*, make lots of squash chips for low-calorie nibbling. They’re also great to serve with beer, cocktails and wine, and as garnishes.

But start with a small batch. Try the chips plain and with different seasonings (cayenne? curry? garlic?). If you’re using a dehydrator or microwave, just divide the batch.

Make your first batch at 1/8″ thick. The thinner the chips, the crisper they are.
 
USE A DEHYDRATOR, MICROWAVE OR ACTIFRY

If you have a dehydrator, you know what to do.

You can also bake chips in the oven.

We have no space for a dehydrator, but for the past five years we’ve been devoted to Mastrad’s microwave chip maker. Chips are ready in just 3-5 minutes.

Here’s more about microwave chips, and where to get the Mastrad chip trays. We say trays, rather than tray, because they’re sold in a set of two, and we bought a second set. They’re made to stack.

Thanks to Willow Moon of CreateMindfully.com for the recipe.
 
RECIPE: SALT & VINEGAR ZUCCHINI CHIPS

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. SLICE the squash to 1/8-thick, preferably with a mandoline slicer. Toss them with the olive oil, vinegar and salt, to coat thoroughly.
 
OVEN VARIATION

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F/190°C). Place the coated zucchini slices on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
 
DEHYDRATOR VARIATION

1. PLACE the coated squash slices on Teflon sheets on the dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 110° for 12 hours or until crisp.

[1] Yellow squash chips (photo courtesy CreateMindfully.com. [2] Just slice and season (photo of zebra squash courtesy Burpee.com). [3] The Mastrad microwave chip maker.

1. PLACE the olive oil and sliced parsnips in the ActiFry and cook for 35 minutes, or until brown and crisp.

Here’s more about the Actifry, which comes in basic and deluxe models.
 
IN ADDITION TO SQUASH CHIPS, TRY THESE VEGETABLE CHIPS

 
These recipes may specify a particular technique, but you can slice any root vegetable and use any of the techniques above. You can also use a broad spectrum of veggies (fruits, too). Our colleague Laura makes jalapeño chips (tip: look for very large jalapeños).
 
CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SQUASH
 
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*Our favorite is fried zucchini, but our favorite low-calorie zucchini dish is Steamed Microwave Zucchini Parmesan. Cut slices to desired thickness and team the zucchini (or yellow squash, or mixed) to al dente; you can salt them or not. Top with pasta sauce, mozzarella and a sprinkle of oregano. To save even more calories, hold the mozzarella and sprinkle with a smaller amount of grated Parmesan cheese before serving.

[1] You can make Piña Colada shots with rum, or with add more pineapple juice for a cocktail (photo courtesy BreadBoozeBacon.com). [2] The inspiration: a Piña Colada (photo courtesy Tommy Bahama).

July 10th is National Piña Colada Day, which reminded us that we’d saved a recipe for Piña Colada Jell-O Shots.

So today’s tip is: Return to youthful fun with Jell-O Shots. You can find recipes online for everything from Margarita to Whiskey Sour Jell-O Shots.

We first tried another recipe but preferred this one from by Julie Kotzbach of BreadBoozeBacon.com. We also like that she made them in a pan and sliced them, instead of using paper or plastic cups.

Note #1: Look at the pans or baking dishes you have. Julie used a 6×9″ pan. We used the 8″ square Pyrex baking dish we have.

Note #2: While most shot recipes use Jell-O (hence the term Jell-O shots), there is none in this recipe. Unflavored gelatin is used instead.
 
 
RECIPE: PIÑA COLADA JELL-O SHOTS

Ingredients For 15 Shots

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE the maraschino cherries: Pat dry, first rinsing as needed. Set aside on a paper towel.

2. SPRINKLE the gelatin over the cold water in a small mixing bowl. Let the powder to soak in for 2 minutes.

3. POUR the boiling water into the bowl and whisk constantly until the gelatin is dissolved. Then add the sugar, and whisk until dissolved.

4. ADD the pineapple juice, cream of coconut and rum. Whisk to combine. Pour into a small baking pan (you can also use paper or plastic cups or mini jello molds).

5. REFRIGERATE for 1 hour until the gelatin has thickened. Place the cherries evenly in 3 lines across the top. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 more hours or overnight.

 
 
WHO INVENTED THE JELL-O SHOT?

The American singer-songwriter Tom Lehrer wrote about Jell-O shots in the 1950s, making them as a way to consume alcohol undetected on the Army base where he was stationed (no alcohol allowed).

Jell-O shots seem like a modern concept, but Jell-O itself (flavored, sweetened gelatin) was invented in 1897. Beginning in the 1400s, gelatin (protein produced from collagen extracted from boiled animal bones and connective tissues) had been used to make desserts—a laborious undertaking.

In 1862, the first modern cocktail recipe book was published in the U.S.: Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide.

Jerry Thomas advised: “The strength of the punch is so artfully concealed by its admixture with the gelatine, that many persons, particularly of the softer sex, have been tempted to partake so plentifully of it as to render them somewhat unfit for waltzing or quadrilling after supper.” That sounds so much more charming than “falling-down drunk.”
 
 
DON’T WANT TO MAKE JELL-O SHOTS?

How about a Piña Colada dessert pizza?
 
  

July is National Ice Cream Month, a time for celebration among ice cream lovers. But not for every one of us.

According to research studies, 30 to 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. Some have been that way since childhood; some lose the ability to digest lactose as adults.

Says HealthDay.com, “The condition is so common—and so natural—that some doctors don’t even like to call lactose intolerance a disorder.

But that’s no comfort to anyone who can no longer have cheese, ice cream, milk, yogurt and even butter, including butter-rich foods such as buttercream frosting and caramels.

Lactose intplerance cuts across ancestral lines, creating gastrointestinal problems in:

 
…people of Arab, Greek, Hispanic, Italian and Jewish ancestry have a much higher incidence than other groups.
 
LACTOSE-FREE ICE CREAM FROM LACTAID

Ice cream lovers: Eat all of the frozen delight you want, without incurring the distressing symptoms of lactose intolerance.

(Second thought, eating too much could give you an ice cream headache or make your inner and outer mouth feel like Alaska in the winter.)

Lactaid Ice Cream, made by Hood, is a delicious line. And what a choice:

The Basics

 
The Mix-Ins

 
The New & Glorious

[1] Lactaid has delicious specialty flavors, like Berry Crumble and Salted Caramel Chip (photo courtesy NotQuiteSusie.com). [2] Chocolate and vanilla Lactaid (photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE).

The magic is simply that the brand adds lactase, a natural enzyme that is no longer produced by the stomach of lactose-intolerant people. It’s the same ingredient as in Lactose supplement pills. It helps break down the lactose so that dairy products are easily digested.

Lactase has no impact on taste or texture. Unless they saw the carton, no one would know the products are lactose-free.
 
Now…

Have an ice cream cone, a shake or a sundae!

Make ice cream sandwiches and ice cream cake!

Eat ice cream straight from the carton!

But there’s more!

[1] (photo courtesy FoodForMyFamily.com). [2] Photo courtesy MyLilikoiKitchen.com).

MORE LACTOSE-FREE DAIRY FOODS

From Lactaid

Lactaid also makes lactose-free milk (0%, 1%, 2%, whole and chocolate), low fat cottage cheese, and holiday nog.
 
From Green Valley Organics

Green Valley Organics adds still more lactose-free dairy options:

 
Use the store locator on the home page to find a retailer near you.

Might we add: No one would know all these products are lactose free.
 
BOTH LACTAID & GREEN VALLEY PRODUCTS ARE DEE-LICIOUS.
 
LIKE CHEESE?

If you’re just mildly lactose intolerant, you may find that buffalo’s, goats’, and sheep’ milk cheeses are easier to digest than cow’s milk.

If you’re substantially lactose intolerant, even cheeses with only 2% lactose can upset your stomach. The only 100% lactose-free cheese is Cheddar.

Fortunately, it’s the most popular cheese in the U.S.

In the heat* of the summer, not every cocktail fan wants alcohol; and not everyone drinks alcohol, preferring a cocktail.

So mixologists created the most tempting mocktails we’ve seen: just like a creative cocktails served at hot spots.

By layering complex flavors, you’ll never know the alcohol is missing. We’ve included two recipes below, created by Richard Woos for SushiSamba New York. You may utter words like “Where am I supposed to get these ingredients?”

But use them as a guideline. Mixologists have many more ingredients to play with than we do. You can substitute, or be inspired to create something entirely different with coconut water, fruit juices, sweet herbs, etc. Think of the flavors you like and mix away!

For those who want a bit of kick, add a shot of sochu (shochu), half the proof of vodka.

These cocktails were created by Richard Woods for SUSHISAMBA NYC, so they have an Asian twist.
 
RECIPE #1: SUU IZURU COCKRAIL

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the ingredients and swizzle through crushed ice. Then swizzle in the rose petals.

2. GARNISH and serve.

[1] Aloe, lychee and yuzu are a glorious combination. [2] Yuzu and elderflower liqueur with a shiso garnish.

This drink is a combination of two of our favorite flavors, yuzu and lychee, with a shiso garnish (thus the name, yu + shi). The elderflower liquer tastes very much like lychee liqueur (but better).

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. SHAKE the first three ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Add the soda water and roll the shaker to blend.

2. DOUBLE strain, garnish and serve.
 
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*Drinking alcohol makes you feel warmer as your blood alcohol level rises, but it does not actually raise your body temperature.

**Aloe water is a great base for cocktails and cocktails—or for drinking straight. It’s also available in flavors, from the three major melons to strawberry and pineapple. NOTE: If you don’t like orange juice with pulp, you won’t like aloe water: It has pieces of aloe pulp.

†Heres’s how to make simple syrup. You can infuse whatever you like in it. You can also purchase simple syrup. Sonoma Syrup Co. makes a multitude of flavors, from from ginger to lavender.

††A bar spoon is equivalent to a teaspoon, but has a much longer handle so it can mix ingredients in tall glasses. It’s typically stainless steel and the handle is twisted in a decorative way. Here’s a bar spoon photo.

[1] Saké, shochu and lychee liqueur combine with fruit to create Saké Sangria from Kabuki restaurants (photo Kabuki | © Flavor & The Menu).

[2] Organic saké from SakéOne, brewed in Portland, Oregon (photo © SakéOne).

[3] Haamonii shochu, a premium brand Here’s more about it (photo by Katharine Pollak | © The Nibble).

On weekends, we try the cocktail recipes we publish. It’s tough work, but someone has to do it.

Last weekend’s cocktail was an amped up version of a saké-based sangria from Kabuki restaurant. Saké, Japanese rice wine, is substituted for the red or white wine in a Spanish-style sangria (here’s the history of sangria).

But that’s not all: This recipe adds sochu (also spelled shochu), a distilled spirit like vodka, but with a much lower proof.

We’ve never been to a Kabuki restaurant. They’re located in Southern California, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.

But after we perused the innovative sushi on their Facebook Page, we put it on our “must go” [when in the area] list.

Until then, we adapted a sangria recipe from Kabuki’s Master Saké Sommelier, Yuji Matsumoto.

Matsumoto’s Saké Sangria is a long-time favorite at the restaurant. It started as a limited-time-only drink, but was such a hit that it became a mainstay on the menu.

The recipe is below, but first:
 
 
WHAT IS SAKÉ SANGRIA?

Made with seasonal fruits, saké, shochu, and lychee liqueur, the drink is light and refreshing—just right for summer.

If you don’t want to buy sochu, use the vodka you have—especially a fruit-flavored or vanilla vodka.

Kabuki Signature Saké Sangria (fresh fruits, sake, shochu, grapefruit & cranberry juice)
 
 
RECIPE: KABUKI-STYLE SAKÉ SANGRIA

This recipe is an approximation: We didn’t get the recipe from Kabuki.

However, sangria recipes are very versatile: You can use different ingredients in different proportions.

Want pineapple or cantaloupe? Toss it in!

Want more juiciness? Add cranberry, grapefruit, pomegranate, or whatever juice you favor.

No lychee liqueur or elderflower liqueur like Saint-Germain (which tastes much more lychee-like than the SOHO Lychee Liqueur we tried)? Use Grand Marnier.

Other additions/substitutions: plum wine, hibiscus syrup, starfruit, fresh lychees in season, and so on.

Since it’s summer, we used summer fruits. In the fall and winter, we’ll switch to apples, pears, and blood oranges.

Prep time is 5 minutes, the infusion is 8 hours or longer. Kabuki infuses the fruits for 72 hours!

Ingredients For 5 Cocktails

 
Preparation

1. ADD the fruit to a pitcher and top it with the liqueur, saké, and shochu. Gently stir, cover, and allow the fruit to marinate for 8 hours or longer. (At Kabuki the sangria is infused for 72 hours!)

2. TASTE and adjust the shochu and liqueur as desired.

3. GARNISH as desired and serve in a red wine glass.

Sochu, also spelled shochu, is a neutral grain spirit like vodka. But at half the proof of vodka, it’s a great solution to keep a crowd sober, longer.

Shochu has a 24% alcohol content (double the alcohol content to get the proof), compared to vodka at 40% and saké at 15%.

If you use vodka often, we highly recommend trying it. Here’s more about sochu.

 
WHAT IS KABUKI?

Kabuki is a form of traditional Japanese theater that originated during the 17th century, during Japan’s Edo Period.

Theater troupes dressed in extravagant costumes and supernatural makeup, and acted stories of love, moral conflicts, and historical events.
 
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*Thanks to Kabuki and Flavor & The Menu for the inspiration.