When temperatures are hovering in the 90s, it can be tempting to skip homemade meals and opt for takeout.
After all, it's HOT, and no one wants to stand in a heated kitchen. Besides - you can always rationalize - heating the stove or oven any length of time can jack up the temperature of the house, resulting in higher energy bills.
Since appetites tend to diminish in hot summer months, no-cook recipes are a healthy answer to this dilemma. With the aisles of groceries and farmer's markets brimming in fresh produce and fruits, take advantage of it.
COOL MEALS
* A Big Salad: Remember the "Seinfeld" episode in which Elaine asked George to buy her "a big salad" from Monk's and George asks "What's in it?" Jerry answers: "Big lettuce, big carrots and tomatoes like volleyballs!" Well, farmer's markets may not have tomatoes the size of volleyballs, but Beefsteak varieties carry some heft.
Start with your favorite greens, slice in garden veggies and top with a protein such as chicken, sliced boiled eggs, beans or cheese. Chef salad, chicken Caesar salad, Cobb salad, spinach salad - you can easily come up with a week's variety.
* Picnic-style dinners: Options include cold pasta salads, sandwiches, tomato-onion-cucumber salads, slices of juicy cantaloupe or watermelon, cut-up veggies served with ranch dressing for dipping.
* Crudité trays: A light meal filled with fresh, crunchy veggies, these deli-style trays might include slices of your favorite meats, olives, veggies, cheeses, crackers/bread and possibly a dip.
* Cold soups: Gazpacho and cucumber soups can be whipped up in a flash in a blender, then served with your favorite crusty bread.
* Fast French dip: Bread, deli roast beef and a gravy packet combine for an easy French Dip sandwich if you need something a little heartier. Heat the gravy in the microwave, assemble the sandwiches and serve with sliced vegetables.
ON-HAND BASICS
It's easier to think of a quick, no-bake meal if you can rely on some basics being on hand. If you're short on time, take advantage of your grocery's convenience products such as pre-cut produce and prepared meats.
Keep the fridge stocked with rotisserie chicken or one you've stewed for use on sandwiches or salads, suggests Easy Home Cooking magazine. Also stock up on melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, hard-boiled eggs, mozzarella cheese, which can be paired with sliced tomatoes for a quick caprese salad, and a lighter pasta such as angel hair, vermicelli or rotini.
"When summer arrives and I want to have good food on hand without baking, I try to have on hand (the ingredients for) chicken salad and pink lemonade pie," says Ooltewah resident Betty Park. Those recipes, and more, follow.
A grilled watermelon salad from 212 Market is a good no-bake choice for summer. Grilled watermelon tops a salad comprised of Feta cheese, arugula, olives, pickled red onions and lemon peppercorn vinaigrette.Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
One 8-pound seedless watermelon, scooped into balls with a melon baller or cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (10 cups), chilled
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
1 1/4 cups pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 small sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves
In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt, Tabasco and pepper. Add the watermelon, feta, olives and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the mint and serve.
- Food and Wine
Gazpacho
1 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
Tomato juice
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, cut into long, thin strips
Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.
Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute. Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.
Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill for 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve with basil.
- Alton Brown, Food Network
Chicken Salad
2 large cans of chunk chicken
2 tablespoons of dill relish
2 tablespoons of sweet relish
1/2 cup broken pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup of dried cranberries
Mix the above ingredients; then sprinkle generously with Greek Seasoning and mix throughout. Add mayonnaise to the consistency you prefer for chicken salad.
Can be served on a sandwich, on a lettuce leaf or in a tomato.
- Betty Parks
Pink Lemonade Pie
1 graham cracker crust
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1 can, 6 ounces, frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 3/4 cups Cool Whip, thawed
1 packet of pink lemonade mix
2 small envelopes Stevia
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in Eagle Brand until smooth. Stir in lemonade concentrate and pink lemonade mix, along with Stevia.
Fold in Cool Whip. Pour into prepared pie shell. Chill at least 4 hours or until firmly set.
- Betty Parks
Tomato, Onion and Cucumber Salad
5 medium plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 splashes red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and black pepper
Dress the tomatoes, onions and cucumber with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
Let stand about 20 minutes. Re-toss and serve with crusty bread for mopping up juices and oil.
- Rachael Ray
Cool as a Cucumber Soup
1 pound cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fat-free plain yogurt
1 green onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill
Additional chopped green onion and fresh dill for garnish
In a colander set over a bowl, toss cucumbers with salt. Let stand 30 minutes, then squeeze and pat dry.
Place cucumbers, yogurt, onion and garlic in a food processor. Cover and process until smooth. Stir in dill. Serve immediately in chilled bowls. Garnish with additional onion and dill, if desired. Makes
- Taste of Home magazine
Bacon Caprese Salad
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Place slices of cheese, tomatoes and spinach across a large serving platter. Top with bacon, basil and green onions. Just before serving, drizzle with vinaigrette then spring with salt and pepper. Yields 8 servings.
- Taste of Home magazine