Too hot to cook! Need ideas

[pantherlj]

It's too hot for the oven, too hot to grill out, nobody is really in the mood for hot food.

Any suggestions?

 

[jennyopenny]

Fruit salad, veggies w/ranch dip.

Boil water in the microwave to make pasta...mix pasta w/some sort of dressing...(again, we use ranch)...add chopped olives...shredded cheese, and meat of your choice. I have used leftover chicken, can tuna, or chopped ham. Be sure to give yourself enough to really chill in the fridge. It tastes batter that way!

 

[ajk912]

I do lots of stovetop and microwave meals in the summer...pasta dishes, grilled cheese and veggies, tacos, etc.

 

[blanq]

I have several no-cook options for when it's too hot to cook. One I really like is Club Sandwiches: slice of toast w/mayo, deli turkey and lettuce, another slice of toast with more mayo, sliced tomatoes and bacon slices, topped with a final slice of toast. I buy the presliced, cooked bacon, wrap it in paper towels and stick in the microwave for a few minutes. You can serve with fresh fruit and chips.

 

[summerrluvv]

BLT's! Cook the bacon in the microwave

 

[twinglesmome]

I like to prepare cool salads with precooked chicken breast strips or rotissere chicken. Some of my family's favorites include Chicken Caesar Salad, Chicken with spring mix, mandarin oranges, thin rice noodles, almonds with Asain/sesame dressing, and Chicken with spring mix, cranberries, nuts and blue cheese with a berry/balsamic vinagrette.

 

[beccasmom]

It's been pretty beastly here in southeast PA for quite a while now. We've been eating lots of salad, sandwiches (BLT, egg salad, cold cuts, PB&J(!), etc.) We use the grill for burgers, steaks and chicken when it is not obnoxiously hot. I will not use the oven (gas) when the central a/c is on; does not make sense to me to do that. I use the microwave, stovetop, grill or toaster oven as needed.

 

[rszdtrvl]

Not super hot here, but warm nonetheless.

Last night we had BLT's.

Tonight we will have french toast, eggs, bacon. I got out the bread machine to make cinnamon bread for tonight.

 

[dsilva51]

Chicken wraps made from perdue short cuts, lettuce, tomato and cheese. A family favorite and healthy!

Grilled Pizza! Buy a boboli add favorite sauce & fresh mozz with some fresh basil and pop on the grill for a few minutes. I usually get the grill nice and hot and then lower it so my bottom of my pizza doesn't burn. It comes out super crisp.

Use your crock pot and make pulled pork! Super easy and super yummy.


Make a pot of sauce and meatballs and have spagetti one night and meatball parms the next!

 

[Praying Colonel]

There are lots of good salad ideas out there. One of our favorites was from a local restaurant--they do a salad with pecans, strips of roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese on a bed of romaine. Warm up some soup for minimal use of the stove, or make some gazpacho which requires no use of the stove at all. One of the great things about gazpacho this time of year is the ingredients are all in season so it's super fresh and tasty.

Also, omelettes are a great dinner suggestion and again the stove won't be on for much longer than 10 minutes at medium heat. The great thing about omelettes is all the things you can put in them. One of our favorites for dinner is shredded cheese, feta cheese or goat cheese with black olive tampanade. You can also add spinach. A side salad and you're eatin'.

 

[dsilva51]

There are lots of good salad ideas out there. One of our favorites was from a local restaurant--they do a salad with pecans, strips of roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese on a bed of romaine. Warm up some soup for minimal use of the stove, or make some gazpacho which requires no use of the stove at all. One of the great things about gazpacho this time of year is the ingredients are all in season so it's super fresh and tasty.

Also, omelettes are a great dinner suggestion and again the stove won't be on for much longer than 10 minutes at medium heat. The great thing about omelettes is all the things you can put in them. One of our favorites for dinner is shredded cheese, feta cheese or goat cheese with black olive tampanade. You can also add spinach. A side salad and you're eatin'.

I want to eat at your house!

 

[Pastamom]

We do lots of salads here - If it's a pasta salad or I have to cook anything for it, I try to do it in the morning...this way it's cold and ready to go by the end of the day. I add shrimp or chicken to a lot of side salads I make to make them a meal.

We also do a lot of grilling - if you think of it and need meat for the next day grill it that night - I try to keep some chicken breast ready to eat.

Here's one we had last week - just something a little different than a regular Ceasar Salad

Barbeque Chicken Ceasar Wraps
Grill 2-3 boneless chicken breast - coat in BBQ sauce
Make a Ceasar salad (make sure you include the croutons
Put salad in tortilla and top with chicken

Also take advantage of you crock pot - there's a great thread on this board with some yummy recipes.

 

[badblackpug]

chicken salad. Use one of the pre-made rotisserie chickens from the grocery.

 

[kaywoody]

Mmmm.... Catalina Salad.

Lettuce, Ranch Style beans, onions, cheese, tomatoes, add Fritos and Catalina dressing just before serving.

There's a local restaurant that serves this and adds ground beef. I don't, but that's pretty tasty too. I wish I had the ingredients right now, but it's too hot to go out to the grocery store right now.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Main dish salads are good - add nuts, chick peas, fruit, lots of cut up veggies and you have a great meal with lots of nutrition.

You can do a lot in the microwave, too. One of my family favourites is sweet potatoes, cooked in the microwave, then you cut them in half, mash in some hummus, and spoon salsa over the top. Delicious!

A slow-cooker works well too and doesn't heat up the kitchen much at all.

Teresa

 

[katied]

We buy the rotissirie chicken from Costco. Have it with a salad and sliced Italian bread 1st night. Make chicken salad out of the rest and have the next day. The chicken is $5 and we get about 3 meals out of it.

We also eat a lot of fruit and veggies in the summer. We'll have some meals of fruit, cut up veggies, some toasted Pita bread, and sliced cheeses.

You can do "baked" pototo bar meals too - I'll cook the potatoes in the microware, and then have steamed brocolli, cheese, bacon and other options to put on top. A quick and easy meal.

 

[aprilvaca04]

Fruit salad, veggies w/ranch dip.

Boil water in the microwave to make pasta...mix pasta w/some sort of dressing...(again, we use ranch)...add chopped olives...shredded cheese, and meat of your choice. I have used leftover chicken, can tuna, or chopped ham. Be sure to give yourself enough to really chill in the fridge. It tastes batter that way!

So you use Ranch dressing to make a pasta salad? Sounds yummy if that's what you mean

 

[jacksmom]

These are great ideas! We are almost to hot to eat! I think I am going to plan a week of salads!