meal ideas for summer

[leebee]

In the summer, I buy large bags of frozen, boneless chicken breast (from Sam's). In the morning I will put however many I need in a ziplock bag with some marinade (Drew's salad dressings are good, and Ken's low-fat italian is a favorite) and leave them in the fridge to thaw/marinate. They are ready to grill when I get home. While the chicken is grilling, I slice some tomatoes and some fresh mozzarella cheese (from a log) and arrange them on a plate in alternating slices, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with diced fresh basil and ground black pepper. If you need something more you can throw on a pot of rice first thing. Dinner is ready in 30 mins or less. Another "filler" for this would be corn on the cob and a green salad instead of tomato salad. Buying chicken breast this way and varying the marinade gives you many options for dinner... italian, thai, mexican, indian, etc., depending on the marinade flavor and side dishes. You could also use the grilled breast to make sandwiches.

 

[girli565]

This is one of my fave recipes and it's vegetarian to boot! We usually use this during Lent on meatless Fridays. But it's perfect for the summer too.
http://annies-eats.com/2011/01/25/spicy-bean-burritos/

 

[Praying Colonel]

Keep using your slow cooker. It doesn't get the kitchen nearly as hot as regular cooking.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

I buy my hamburger in the approx. 6 lb package at Sam's (fresh). I take it home and cook it up in two pans. I add onions to one and leave the other plain, both get s&p.

I then freeze in 1 lb. packages. It is great to make taco salads, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, etc., you can even throw in soups.

It is very easy to thaw in the microwave if you forget to pull out in the a.m.

I know it doesn't take long to brown a lb. of hamburger, but it seems much easier to think of dinner if I know this is in the freezer ready to go.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

Our new favorite easy meal is Fish Tacos.

Low Carb tortillas
Shredded cole slaw mix
Chipotle Ranch dresssing
Frozen fish (we use tortilla crusted tilapia from costco)
Optional--cotija or mexican cheese

I just pop the fish in the oven. Then everyone can layer their tacos together with whatever they like. Super easy, quick, and quite tasty.

 

[jgreco]

I thought this was interesting, although I've never used it.
A website where you can get a menu plan to create 5 dinners in one hour.
http://5dinners1hour.blogspot.com/

Here's a description - The Make 5 monthly menu plan can help you make all 5 dinners for the week in just ONE hour. All the menu plans have family friendly meals that feed 4-6 people and no, they are not all casseroles.
The meals are fresh, not frozen. They keep in your refrigerator until ready to heat and eat. All menus include a grocery list, detailed assembly/cooking instructions, kitchen tools list and low fat options.