Cool Meals

Would love some quick ideas for simple meals for these hot summer days. I have no ambition to cook. Something easy and tasty.

I microwave a filet of salmon. I refrigerate it and make a quick dill sauce.

Gazpacho, pasta with pesto, tuna nicoise to name a few

Salads are good.  No cooking required.

Panzanella. Nothing better for this season's bumper crop of local/heirloom tomatoes. The variations are endless but it's basically just stale bread & the ripest, juiciest tomatoes you can find. http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-panzanella-italian-bread-salad-recipe-206824

joan_crystal said:

Salads are good.  No cooking required.

This. Diced tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions. Throw in a can of chick peas. Dress with oil and lemon juice, salt, pepper. Top with crumbled feta. 

if you like Asian cuisine, try mung bean noodles. Just soak them in hot water for a few minutes and drain. (You can buy them at the Asian marker but Costco was selling them recently.) I then use whatever fresh veggies I have—grated carrots, julienned peppers, string beans or peas, greens. Toss with some oil so it doesn't stick (olive, coconut or toasted sesame). Add fresh ginger or garlic if you like. Then a little soy sauce or Tamari, some chili paste or hot pepper, maybe a squeeze of fresh lime or dash of rice vinegar. Mung bean has protein but if you want more, you can add cooked egg, diced tofu, shredded chicken, shrimp, whatever you have on hand. If you like, top with sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, cilantro or basil. 

if you've got a lot of cucumber or tomato,  throw it in a blender to make gazpacho or cucumber soup. There are many recipes for both but I like to wing it based on what's fresh. Tomatoes,  assorted  peppers, cucumber, onion or scallion. I start by process ing tomato into soup, then add the other veggies so it's not totally smooth.  You can top with diced avocado and or serve with bread. (You can add garlic too but a little goes a long way.) maybe add a splash of balsamic and a drizzle of olive oil, s &p to taste. Cucumber soup, basically a savory cucumber smoothie. I like to add some cayenne pepper, avocado for creaminess, a little salt, and acid (lemon, lime or rice vinegar.) 

Big fan of Tabbouleh on hot nights, the only source of heat is the boiled water that you soak the bulgur with.  All the other ingredients are uncooked and it tastes even better if you chill it in the fridge for a few hours before you serve it.

pasta can actually be microwaved

Thank you for all these delicious ideas. I'm heading to the Farmer's Market tomorrow.

I tried this exact combo today at the salad spot near work because I saw this post right before lunch. Very good! Thanks for the recipe. 

spontaneous said:

joan_crystal said:

Salads are good.  No cooking required.

This. Diced tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions. Throw in a can of chick peas. Dress with oil and lemon juice, salt, pepper. Top with crumbled feta. 

similar to above, minus the feta. Added kalamata olives, capers, pepperoncini and a can of stuffed grape leaves, plus some fresh oregano and thyme. (All from my CSA, besides the pantry items)

I pan sear a couple of chicken breasts--my choice is organic--then I cut it into chunks and throw in a little shallot (onion would work too), a couple of stalks of celery, a diced apple or two depending on how much chicken there is, a handful of pecan pieces and another of dried cranberries. Mix with a couple of capfuls of cider vinegar, salt, pepper, celery seed to taste and mayo to your desired consistency. I use Just Mayo, which is vegan but that's because I don't eat soy and I dislike eggs. Doesn't overwhelm the salad either, but I digress. Serve it over greens of your choice or as a sandwich. Yum!