duckabell Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 So we have no A/C and are roasting away while it's in the high '90s this week. I think I'm good with my meal plans for this week, but in case this insane heat continues I would like to hear any other suggestions for meals that are no-cook or very light cooking like cooking pasta in the morning or perhaps couscous. Also, we don't have a grill and so that's out. I have some meat that's already cooked and frozen I can pull out but veggie suggestions are welcome as well. Did I mention that I'm pregnant, moving in four weeks, and work from home part-time? :tongue_smilie: So here's what I have so far. Breakfast: Cereal Fruit with yogurt or cottage cheese Toast with nut butter Smoothies Lunch/dinner PB&J Meat sandwiches Leafy salad with protein (meat, chickpeas, cheese, etc) Hummus with tortillas and vegetables Gazpacho Cilantro Couscous salad Greek pasta salad Tacos/taco salad Smoothies and popcorn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 if you're going to cook, do it early in the morning. Get a few rotisserie chickens and use them in salads, or wraps or panini. Already cooked rotisserie chicken is your friend. For real. And it's as inexpensive as buying a raw bird. mix it with some mayo, grapes and walnuts for sandwiches. shred it, wrap it in lettuce with your favorite dressing. hardboil some eggs and make egg salad sandwiches do a cheese and fruit platter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Pre-cooked ham and potato salad, though I'm not a huge fan of all the preservatives in ham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 So we have no A/C and are roasting away while it's in the high '90s this week. I think I'm good with my meal plans for this week, but in case this insane heat continues I would like to hear any other suggestions for meals that are no-cook or very light cooking like cooking pasta in the morning or perhaps couscous. Also, we don't have a grill and so that's out. I have some meat that's already cooked and frozen I can pull out but veggie suggestions are welcome as well. Did I mention that I'm pregnant, moving in four weeks, and work from home part-time? :tongue_smilie: So here's what I have so far. Breakfast: Cereal Fruit with yogurt or cottage cheese Toast with nut butter Smoothies Lunch/dinner PB&J Meat sandwiches Leafy salad with protein (meat, chickpeas, cheese, etc) Hummus with tortillas and vegetables Gazpacho Cilantro Couscous salad Greek pasta salad Tacos/taco salad Smoothies and popcorn Do you have a crockpot? I've been using my instead of my stove & oven this week. Bread machines are cheap at Goodwill ($3-$7) and they work just fine. Hillbilly Housewife has a few breadmachine recipes that are fantastic. I call it my bread bank. :D PB&Js.....have kept my kids in lunch this heat wave. I plug these in outside on the porch to keep even that heat out of the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I like doing spring rolls when the heat is out of control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoriK Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 When it gets super hot, I crave cobb salad. I make the bacon for it in the microwave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 My family's favorite summer meal is caprese salad (sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella sprinkled with chopped basil and drizzled with olive oil), fresh corn, and hard boiled eggs. Sometimes I also serve rolls or -- if it's not too hot to bake -- zucchini bread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 These aren't all non cook but I love and reference this list a lot in the summer: Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 mins or Less by NYT's Mark Bittman: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18mini.html?pagewanted=all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carriede Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Not only do I use my crock pot a lot, but I put it out on the porch. It can still put out a lot of heat! Also, when you do use the oven, double up. You can simply make two meals and reheat potions in the microwave later. It his past week I made rice and hard eggs in the oven for the first time. Eliminates stove work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Do you have a crockpot? I've been using my instead of my stove & oven this week. Bread machines are cheap at Goodwill ($3-$7) and they work just fine. Hillbilly Housewife has a few breadmachine recipes that are fantastic. I call it my bread bank. :D PB&Js.....have kept my kids in lunch this heat wave. I plug these in outside on the porch to keep even that heat out of the house. I use my crock pot outside on the porch all the time, of course I had to protect it when we had a dog. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any dinner for us and lots for pooch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckabell Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 if you're going to cook, do it early in the morning. Get a few rotisserie chickens and use them in salads, or wraps or panini. Already cooked rotisserie chicken is your friend. For real. And it's as inexpensive as buying a raw bird. mix it with some mayo, grapes and walnuts for sandwiches. shred it, wrap it in lettuce with your favorite dressing. hardboil some eggs and make egg salad sandwiches do a cheese and fruit platter Thanks for idea about the rotisserie chicken. I hadn't even thought about that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckabell Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 Do you have a crockpot? I've been using my instead of my stove & oven this week. Bread machines are cheap at Goodwill ($3-$7) and they work just fine. Hillbilly Housewife has a few breadmachine recipes that are fantastic. I call it my bread bank. :D PB&Js.....have kept my kids in lunch this heat wave. I plug these in outside on the porch to keep even that heat out of the house. I like the idea of the crockpot outside, although I have to expand my crockpot repices as I only cook chicken in the crockpot right now. I also need to make sure I know where an outlet is outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckabell Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 These aren't all non cook but I love and reference this list a lot in the summer:Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 mins or Less by NYT's Mark Bittman: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18mini.html?pagewanted=all This looks like it has a lot of great recipes. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeDeeMarie Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 f you only have cucs, tomatoes, black olives, the vinegars, salt and cheese (any kind), it will taste great! It's great with or without pasta (orzo is good with it). I add more vinegar (equal amounts of both). Recipe below has been modified from the original :) Tomato-Cucumber Mozzarella Salad Recipe Tomato-Cucumber Mozzarella Salad Recipe photo by Taste of Home Tomato-Cucumber Mozzarella Salad Recipe Tomato-Cucumber Mozzarella Salad Recipe Prep: 20 min. + chilling Yield: 8 Servings Ingredients 3 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 English cucumber, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices 1/4 cup thinly sliced onions 1 can black olives, chopped 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil 1/3 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon pepper 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed Directions In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onions, olives, parsley and basil. For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegars, sugar, salt, oregano and pepper. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Just before serving, stir in cheese. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 8 servings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 if you're going to cook, do it early in the morning. Get a few rotisserie chickens and use them in salads, or wraps or panini. Already cooked rotisserie chicken is your friend. For real. And it's as inexpensive as buying a raw bird. mix it with some mayo, grapes and walnuts for sandwiches. shred it, wrap it in lettuce with your favorite dressing. hardboil some eggs and make egg salad sandwiches do a cheese and fruit platter I used to rely heavily on rotisserie chickens until one day I looked at the sodium content and :eek: I decided the convenience at the same price wasn't worth it and went back to buying frozen breasts,cooking them, and putting them in the freezer in "strips" that are easy to defrost and use on salads, etc. Just sharing in case high sodium content is an issue for anyone else who wouldn't have thought of meat as being laden with it! But I guess it's like restaurant food. (And I learned to look at sodium in frozen chicken, too. It really varies.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 I use my crock pot outside on the porch all the time, of course I had to protect it when we had a dog. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any dinner for us and lots for pooch! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 I can't stand cooking in the heat. We do a lot of sandwiches for dinner. Big hits around here are tuna salad and seafood salad sandwiches on those days I absolutely can not handle more heat. Another hit is cut up kielbasi with cheese cubes and crackers, or cold ham. Of course there are always salads and lots of cold veggies and frozen fruits too. I know it isn't always the healthiest but I don't care right now. If we do get a cooler evening I will make some chicken breast and some pasta to have on hand, and then I can do chicken salad sandwiches, or a cold pasta salad with chicken or ham. Some days we do light the grill but I'd rather not even do that if I don't have to. We have no AC, but at least we are in Pennsylvania. Our heat here is the humid kind so that isn't great, but we do get some cooler evenings even in July and August and with these summer storms coming through I've been willing to use the crockpot a few times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photo Ninja Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 I buy a roasted chicken every week and use the meat. It really is a great option on hot days. Quesadillas (use an electric skillet or a frying pan). You can also add diced ham or chicken to them if you so desire. Pasta Salad - I make it early and make enough for a few days. Cook pasta (I like curly noodles, but penne works well, too), lightly steam (you can use the microwave or can toss the veggies into the hot water with the pasta) whatever veggies you like. I usually use broccoli and carrots, but you can add bell peppers or zucchini or whatever. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta, veggies, sliced olives, cut up artichoke hearts or quarters. For the dressing, I mix marinade from the marinated artichoke hearts with some mayo, then add some curry powder until I like how it tastes. You can use Italian salad dressing, or even Caesar salad dressing. Go with whatever you like best. This is great for a side dish, but I often add some cooked chicken, or even canned chicken, to make it a meal. It is easy to make enough to last for a few days. Taco salad Sandwiches and green salad Cold Platter - cheese cubes, cold veggies and dip, salami type meat, tomatoes with mozzarella and basil, rolls or bread Chicken salad sandwiches or salad: cut up cooked chicken, dice some tart apples. Mix the chicken and apples with some mayonnaise and a bit of curry for flavor. Just before serving, mix in some toasted cashews. This is yummy as a sandwich, in a wrap, or add a scoop on top of salad greens. Caesar Pasta Salad - Mix cooked pasta, romaine lettuce torn into bite sized pieces, and some cooked chicken if you want that, grape tomatoes, then toss with Caesar salad dressing and top with shredded or grated parmesian cheese. This is also good with olives or other veggies. Fruit mixed with yogurt, hard boiled eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Simple no cook vegetable recipe. 1. Buy Frozen peas 2. Eat Frozen peas 3. Repeat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Simple no cook vegetable recipe. 1. Buy Frozen peas 2. Eat Frozen peas 3. Repeat :D Any frozen veggie is great like that when it gets hot! Dessert: Frozen fruit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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