I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do on a hot night is cook.
My apartment in Seattle has big, gorgeous windows that let in tons of light. The windows also happen to face west; by dinnertime in the summer, it feels like a sauna in my kitchen…even before I put a pot on the stove.
If you’ve made less-than-healthy dinner choices because you just don’t feel like cooking in the heat (cereal for dinner, anyone? ;), read on for some no-cook summer meal ideas to keep you cool…AND well fed.
- Make cold soups. They’re a great – and usually quick – way to go in the summer. Try this Chilled Cherry & Heirloom Tomato Soup; or this Pineapple + Avocado Gazpacho (with a kick of jalapeno pepper…yum!). Super easy to make with any blender, but I especially love my Blendtec Blender.
- Substitute hearty salads for heavier, cooked foods on the hottest of nights. My favorites right now are this Mango Avocado Salad; and a simple arugula salad (buy a bag of pre-washed arugula to keep things simple) with sliced organic strawberries, chopped pecans, feta cheese, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Or slice up some tomatoes, stack a slice of fresh mozzarella on each slice, add a leaf or two of fresh basil, drizzle with olive oil + balsamic vinegar + a touch of sea salt, and you’ve got a homemade caprese salad.
- Use canned beans to whip up a satisfying bean salad when you need something a bit more filling. This Zesty Adzuki Bean Salad is a fun way to use an overlooked – and yummy! – bean. (Recipe Note: Add a little more spice than the recipe calls for – I find it a little bland as written.) Or dump a can of garbanzo beans in a bowl with some herbs, cheese, and veggies. Serve over a bed of pre-washed greens. Here’s a yummy garbanzo bean salad idea from Bon Appétit.
- Pick up a rotisserie chicken at Whole Foods or a pound of peel-and-eat shrimp. Yes, it’s cooked food; but YOU didn’t have to heat up YOUR kitchen to get it! 😉 Some nights, it’s just worth the extra expense to let someone else cook. Pair the chicken or shrimp with one of the cold soups or salads, and you’ve got a summer feast.
- Have a “snack dinner”. This is my term for meals that I throw together from things like a few slices of cheese + my favorite gluten-free crackers + some fresh fruit and cut veggies + some nuts. Some nights, it’s too hot to eat much else. Snack dinner. 🙂
- Smoothies aren’t just for breakfast! Have one for dinner on a steamy night. Check out my “how to make the perfect smoothie” post for ideas.
- For a crowd-pleasing, no-cook summer dessert, buy some mini vanilla cakes (I found some at Whole Foods recently), pile on the fresh summer berries, and add a dollop of homemade whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream is so simple to make and tastes 100x better than the canned stuff, without all the mystery ingredients. Here’s my recipe:
Lara’s Homemade Whipped Cream
Because I use raw sugar and vanilla, my whipped cream looks a little “rustic,” not pristine white. I like it better this way, but you can use white sugar and skip the vanilla if you like.
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 tablespoons finely ground raw sugar (Raw sugar usually comes in large crystals. Pulse it a few times in a food processor if necessary. I learned the hard way that large sugar crystals make whipped cream a little chunky. D’uh. 😉
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour the chilled cream into a metal or glass mixing bowl. Using a whisk or electric hand mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks begin to form. At this point, fold in the sugar and vanilla. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form (i.e., when you lift your mixer or whisk out of the cream, it stays up). It seriously takes only a few minutes to get this done, less with an electric hand mixer. Why ever buy the nasty canned stuff again?!
What about you? Any favorite no-cook summer meals? Share your ideas in the comments!
xo,
