What is your favorite cool summer meal?

[Mom21]

We live in Florida so it seems always hot. I've never really differentiated between summer and winter when I cooked. Today my dd and hubby went to take a golf lesson. I thought I was doing something nice and cooked Spicy Chicken and Rice. They got home and they were so hot they couldn't eat even though they were hungry. DD ended up just having her salad, eating crackers and cheese. Hubby waited a few hours to eat after he cooled down. The summer is full of golf lessons, tennis lessons, horse back riding camp and bike riding, all outdoor activites. So short of serving a salad (which they think of as an appetizer---they are eaters) what can I serve that is appetizing after a long hot workout. Also we all are needing to lose a few pounds so even better if the recipes are healthy.

 

[fanofdisney]

I love to cook out on the grill! Healthier choices are chicken, turkey dogs, veggie burgers, salmon, or kabobs with chicken, veggies, and pineapple!

 

[N.Bailey]

We eat lots of fruit and some nights, that's all we'll have.

 

[Servants of Evan]

When it's really hot and sticky, a really nice fruit salad is tops. Otherwise, a light tuna salad on a croissant. Nothing weighty, or high in fats. The main thing is to make certain you stay hydrated all day and avoid the soda pops or beer which some feel go hand-in-hand with a round of golf.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

We do a cold taco salad during the summer a lot. 1 lb ground meat (beef, turkey, etc), 1 head lettuce, 1 can ranch style beans, tomatoes and grated cheddar cheese to suit you, Thousand Island dressing, and tortilla chips. Salsa, guacamole and sour cream optional if you like.

Brown the meat (add taco seasonings if you like). Let it cool off to room temp. Chop the lettuce and tomatoes, and add them the beans and the cheese to the meat. Combine with Thousand Island dressing (I never measure; I just use "enough"). Cover and refrigerate as is. Just before serving, add crushed up chips. Serve and eat. Filling and refreshing.

 

[camreesmom]

We do a cold taco salad during the summer a lot. 1 lb ground meat (beef, turkey, etc), 1 head lettuce, 1 can ranch style beans, tomatoes and grated cheddar cheese to suit you, Thousand Island dressing, and tortilla chips. Salsa, guacamole and sour cream optional if you like.

Brown the meat (add taco seasonings if you like). Let it cool off to room temp. Chop the lettuce and tomatoes, and add them the beans and the cheese to the meat. Combine with Thousand Island dressing (I never measure; I just use "enough"). Cover and refrigerate as is. Just before serving, add crushed up chips. Serve and eat. Filling and refreshing.

We make the same salad but we use Catalina salad dressing and Fritos. It is a good cold salad and perfect for those hot summer days that we are already having here in Texas.

 

[fanofdisney]

I tried to make that taco salad one time, and it got all wet and soggy. What did it??

 

[pumba]

I like a chicken ceasar salad.......but you can have salad and cottage cheese and crackers too for a nice cool off meal. We live in the north and we sometimes cook in the winter .(below zero or two feet of snow) outdoors on the grill. Cook up as many hamburgers and hotdogs and put them in the freezer in baggies and when we want to have one we take it out and pop in microwave and add our favorite toppings and voila ....hamburgers and hotdogs any time of the year any time of the day....

 

[clh2]

I tried to make that taco salad one time, and it got all wet and soggy. What did it??

We always assemble our taco salads individually~I make mine, and DH makes his~and then we eat them right away.

Back to the OP's question~one of my fav. summertime meals is good old Tuna Salad. (Has macaroni, tuna, small cheese cubes, mayo, onions, celery and frozen peas.)

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We are watching our waistlines too and here in Texas we also can't heavy in the summer.

Deli sandwiches or just lunchmeat & cheese
Veggie Trays
Fresh fruit is very refreshing when you are HOT. Now it has taken us awhile to change the way we eat but we are doing it.

Now my take on salads is adding cold grilled chicken and taco chips crushed, with a salsa-ranch dressing. You can add whatever to it, black beans, pico de gallo, corn salsa, etc.. It can be very filling.

 

[Sherri]

Nothing beats pasta salad and corn on the cob.

 

[SillyMe]

Mmm, pasta salad, macaroni salad, and potato salad. There are alot of good ideas on here!

 

[Evil Queen]

We do fruit plates many nights.

 

[lesroi]

I usually make a nice tuna salad with crunchy celery, sweet onions, a bit of mayo, salt and pepper and serve it with some sliced tomatoes and cornbread... And of course your favorite cold beverage.

Yummy!

Tracy

 

[OK!]

I like a bowl of fruit (especially fresh pineapple and strawberries) or a salad; recently, I've been eating a ton of raw broccoli and tomatoes with a little bit of shredded Parmesan and Italian dressing on it. I like it a lot better than "normal" lettuce salads.

 

[Tamarap]

Our favorite summer meal is a cold pasta salad. I use the tri-color pasta, cubed ham, sliced olives and any kind of Italian dressing. It is cool, refreshing and the kids love it!

 

[megan4777]

It was hot here today (around mid 70ish, I think), considering 2 days ago it was in the 40's-50's!!

Anyway, we had a picnic and I made wraps. I made myself a buffalo chicken one with southwestern mustard and Dh a buffalo chicken with blue cheese and cheddar cheese. They were nice and cool and not too heavy.

 

[raammartin]

Today we had turkey sandwiches on 9 grain bread with tomatoes and lettuce on 'em. For supper I was craving cold veggies so I had a tomato, cucumber, and purple onion "salad" with Italian dressing. It was SO good. I think I'll have it again tomorrow and add some shredded parm. cheese. YUM.

 

[Snow Brite]

We are having a hard time adjusting to the heat here too. I make the taco salad for dinner, but I make my own dressing with equal parts sour cream, mayo, and a sprinkle of taco seasoning.

I make Waldorf salad with cubed chicken in it that was a hit. That is cubed chicken, cubed green apples (tossed lightly in lemon juice), red grapes, and walnuts or pecans. Dressing is equal parts cool whip and mayo.

I made a yummy salad the other night. It had grilled flank steak that I had marinated in orange juice, oil and honey. I grilled it pretty good, let it cool and the sliced it over a green salad with red onions and avocado and added orange slices.

We have sandwiches sometimes, like BLT's, Club Sandwiches, etc.

I will grill chicken in the afternoon and then serve it cold for dinner.

And when it is just TOO hot we have my favorite summer breakfast for dinner. That is Rice Chex cereal with sliced fresh strawberries or peaches and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The ice cream melts and becomes the milk for the cereal and it is sooooooooo yummy. Not very nutritious, but it as my kids like to remind me it is Summer VACATION!

 

[kbmoo]

any kind of salad..fresh fruit,pasta or lettuce salad(with lots of yummy stuff on it. I love deviled eggs too!