I need cheap/easy summertime recipes

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Anyone?

I've given up on cooking since it's like 104 here for the last week and will stay this way for a while.

All of my recipes are geared toward warming my hubby up after working in snow all day so they're not working now.

 

[liamsaunt]

Do you have a grill? One thing I do is grill a bunch of chicken breast--marinate it in olive oil and lemon juice, plus whatever herbs you like. Grill enough for a couple of meals, and you can store it in the fridge and slice it and serve it on salads. Last night I made a greek salad--greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, mint, and feta cheese topped with grilled chicken. It was healthy and tasty, and didn't require turning on the stove. I also do a ceasar salad or even just mixed greens topped with the grilled chicken. Grilled shrimp is nice too but chicken is a lot cheaper.

Easy no-cook pasta sauce recipe: chop up a bunch of tomatoes, or blend them in a food processor, with a handful of basil, a glug of olive oil, and salt and pepper. Toss with pasta and serve at room temperature. You can put in some mozzarella cheese if you want too.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

We do have a grill and that's a GOOD idea. I think I'll be doing that one tomorrow. My kids love salad!

The pasta salad sounds yummy too. Thank you! All that stuff is added to my list

 

[m&n's mom]

Another suggestion is using the Crock Pot. There is a great website called "A Year of Slow Cooking" - it has great recipes, our family favourite is the chicken lasagna (it uses Buffalo Sauce - from chicken wings). I just made it last week when it was hot here - mid 80's lol!

I use the Crock Pot lots, year round, albeit is doesn't usually get that hot here but it is humid. It doesn't make the kitchen hot and with a little prep you have a meal already when you return.

Try browning your ground beef (I buy in bulk amount) and then freezing the cooked portions. In the morning throw in the frozen meat with some jarred spaghetti/pausta sauce - at meal time you only have to boil your pasta noodles. Or add the ground beef with Sloppy Joe sauce, when done all you need are rolls/buns - add a salad or veggies and you are good to go.

I hope this helps and I did this okay - haven't been on the boards/replied in quite a while. OOps I tried to send the link to the website but the message states that I am not allowed until after 10 posts....

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

SO funny you mentioned that! My sister in law JUST sent me the link to that site!

Thank you so much for the recommendation. I'll be looking for the chicken lasagna right away!

For others reading it's http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

 

[mjkacmom]

Tuna noodle salad (pasta, tuna, celery, mayo, served on lettuce) and BLT's are always good. I also love gazpacho - now I need to make some! Or a fresh mozzarella, tomato, procuitto sandwich on a roll with some balsamic vinegar and basil.

 

[AshleyW]

We make a pasta salad a few times every summer.. we use the spiral pasta that is yellow, green and orange (no particular reason, we just like the colors, haha ) and cook it. Then add a bottle of fat-free italian dressing and mix it all up, then add some black olives, cut up pepperoni, and small cubes of cheddar cheese. Then let it chill in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight to soak up some of the dressing. It's probably not the healthiest thing for dinner, but it's nice and cold for summertime!

 

[C.Ann]

We make a pasta salad a few times every summer.. we use the spiral pasta that is yellow, green and orange (no particular reason, we just like the colors, haha ) and cook it. Then add a bottle of fat-free italian dressing and mix it all up, then add some black olives, cut up pepperoni, and small cubes of cheddar cheese. Then let it chill in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight to soak up some of the dressing. It's probably not the healthiest thing for dinner, but it's nice and cold for summertime!

This is a huge favorite up here to the lake..

To the OP: As a side dish, how about the prepared cottage cheese with fruit in it - or get creative with a large container of cottage cheese and make your own..

 

[golfgal]

I keep this in the fridge a lot in the summer-it is a great snack or meal:

1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black eye peas
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
3 stalks of celery
1 can white corn
jalapeno peppers to taste
1 sm jar pimento

equal parts of salad oil, vinegar, sugar (I use 1/4 cup of each)

Mix the dressing in a small bowl, then combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and refrigerate. Serve with tortilla chips or on soft taco shells or in pita bread.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

Zucchini and Eggs

Saute zucchini (sliced and cut in bite sized pieces) and sliced onion in olive oil. Salt and pepper when tender.

In deep bowl scramble eggs with a little water.

Put eggs into pan with zucchini and onion. Cook like making scrambled eggs. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crusty bread. Eat as is or in a sandwich.


You can also make Potatoes and Eggs by frying 1/2 inch cubed potatoes till desired tenderness (I let them brown), add salt/pepper. Then add eggs and scramble. Serve with crusty bread (DS makes a sandwich and likes ketchup on it).

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

You guys are FANTASTIC.

Thank you!!!

 

[Just Jan]

Southwest Bean Salad
Make at least 4 hours before serving.

Toast cumin (2 tbsp ?) & 1 small container of sesame seeds & set aside

1 16 oz. can black beans, drain & rinse
1 16 oz. can chick peas, drain & rinse
2 carrots, chopped
3 ears corn, scrape kernels off of the cob
1 red pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
Chopped tomatos (seeds removed)
½ cup each, basil & parsley
½ cup olive oil,
Juice of 4 limes
Salt & pepper

Mix: basil, parsley, olive oil, lime juice, salt & pepper
Add to the bean & veggies.
Add toasted sesame seeds.

 

[Ohiodislover]

Another suggestion is using the Crock Pot. There is a great website called "A Year of Slow Cooking" - it has great recipes, our family favourite is the chicken lasagna (it uses Buffalo Sauce - from chicken wings). I just made it last week when it was hot here - mid 80's lol!

I use the Crock Pot lots, year round, albeit is doesn't usually get that hot here but it is humid. It doesn't make the kitchen hot and with a little prep you have a meal already when you return.

Try browning your ground beef (I buy in bulk amount) and then freezing the cooked portions. In the morning throw in the frozen meat with some jarred spaghetti/pausta sauce - at meal time you only have to boil your pasta noodles. Or add the ground beef with Sloppy Joe sauce, when done all you need are rolls/buns - add a salad or veggies and you are good to go.

I hope this helps and I did this okay - haven't been on the boards/replied in quite a while. OOps I tried to send the link to the website but the message states that I am not allowed until after 10 posts....

I love the year of crockpotting
I also fry, and freeze the hamburger. Everyone makes fun of me, but it helps so so much.

 

[clh2]

We also like tuna salad - and as a matter of fact - that was dinner last night and tonight! We use slightly different ingredients.

We put tuna, noodles, onion, celery, peas (i.e. a small bag of peas, cooked enough in the microwave to get them "unfrozen") and diced cheddar cheese.

YUM!!!

We've also been grilling nachos this summer. We each take a pie pan, and we each "build-our-own" with all the fixin's. We just pop them on the grill until the cheese melts.

Another thing when we "desperate" for meal ideas, we will sometimes do scrambled eggs, which are not only fast and easy, they don't heat the house up too much.

 

[Praying Colonel]

We like to do a salad that's based on a salad we get at a restaurant here locally.

Chopped romaine
Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil*
Kalamata olives
Goat cheese slices
Roasted peppers*
Roasted pecans

Just combine in whatever quantities you like, then have with a bowl of whatever soup you like (we dig a low-sodium tomato and red pepper soup we can get in the health section of our local Kroger).


*--You can find these in the Italian or deli section of your supermarket, or your local deli.

 

[clh2]

We also like tuna salad - and as a matter of fact - that was dinner last night and tonight! We use slightly different ingredients.

We put tuna, noodles, onion, celery, peas (i.e. a small bag of peas, cooked enough in the microwave to get them "unfrozen") and diced cheddar cheese.

YUM!!!

We've also been grilling nachos this summer. We each take a pie pan, and we each "build-our-own" with all the fixin's. We just pop them on the grill until the cheese melts.

Another thing when we "desparate" for meal ideas, we will sometimes do scrambled eggs, which are not only fast and easy, they don't heat the house up too much.