Ali in OR Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Just trying to think ahead to Saturday when we might hit 100°. I don't want to grill. I don't want to heat up the house too much. I don't really want to work too hard. What are some of your go-to heat wave meals? Ideas so far: breakfast for dinner (but this is usually our Tuesday plan) paninis on the George Forman grill cereal or ice cream (I don't think I can really get away with this for dh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 I'd precook some bacon and then have BLT's when it's too hot to cook. Or gyros, or other sandwiches/subs. Huge salad with cold chicken. Tacos (again can precook the meat when it's cooler). Make something in the instapot (full meal or just use it heat up some frozen meatballs and make meatball sandwiches). 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 A big salad or pasta salad. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Avocado toast is a go-to hot day dinner here if I have good bread in the house. Otherwise something simple and light like scrambled eggs and salsa. Or spaghetti and veggie meatballs, which we rarely have otherwise. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 May reach 100? That sounds cool since we are looking at 105-107. We do a cheese, salami, fruit and veggie platter when it gets so hot. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted August 13, 2020 Author Share Posted August 13, 2020 Just now, Bootsie said: May reach 100? That sounds cool since we are looking at 105-107. We do a cheese, salami, fruit and veggie platter when it gets so hot. Yeah, but we're total heat wimps here since we're not used to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Sandwiches or hummus and pita - or take-out pizza! NO WAY am I cooking in triple digits. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Cold-cut subs with a side such as chips, cole slaw, potato salad. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 I might cook some pasta on the side burner of my grill for cold pasta salad. Or heat the water quickly in my electric kettle and use the absorption method. https://lifehacker.com/you-don-t-need-to-boil-your-pasta-just-the-water-1750491260 Otherwise the cheese, sausage, fruit and veggie platter...which we fondly call "Opa's lunch" around here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 When we have a string of hot days coming up, I'll make 6-8 salad-ish things that we will eat for lunches and dinners in whatever combo each prefers. There are endless possibilities but some are listed below. I try to make 2 of them higher protein and/or will beef up the green salad with hard boiled eggs, cheese, nuts, avocado, etc..... Most will keep for several days in the fridge so we can graze as needed without ANY cooking. Tomato-basil-mozz salad Green salad Potato Salad Baba Ganoush Deviled eggs Stuffed grape leaves Cucumber salad Hummus Black bean caviar Tabouli Pasta salad Quinoa salad Gaspacho Fruit salad Guacamole 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 I find having something like taco meat in my crock pot doesn't seem as "hot" in the kitchen as something on the stove or in the oven. I also find people just don't want to eat as much hot and heavy food. We eat a lot of fruit when it gets really hot. One of my kids' favorites is a dip made with peanut butter and and yogurt with apples slices for dippers. We also eat a lot of cold chicken salad (DH eats tuna salad). We also often have cold fried chicken with potato salad, cole slaw, or fruit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carriede Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Chicken, potatoes, and carrots in a slow cooker, but put the slow cooker IN THE GARAGE (or on a porch) to keep the heat out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Your favorite salad(s) and watermelon slices. Ice cream (shakes, floats, sundaes, etc) for dessert. Or, ya know, skip the middle man and have the ice cream for supper. 100* sounds downright cool. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 (edited) 1) Pesto pasta salad with rotisserie chicken, peas, and tomatoes 2) Chipotle slaw - 1 bag (or more) of red cabbage slaw, shredded rotisserie chicken, and 1/4 c Parmesan cheese tossed with chipotle vinaigrette (1 canned chipotle pepper, 2 tbsp balsamic vinager, 1/4-1/2c olive oil, salt to taste) served with chips and sliced avocado (or toss the avocado in if your people are not like my picky people). 2) The Silver Palate recipe with tomatoes, garlic, basil, and Brie. All make good leftovers. Eat cold or room temperature, except the last one. Edited August 13, 2020 by medawyn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 A couple of salads we like ~ Chopped broccoli with kidney beans and sunflower seeds. Spinach with cranberries and pecans. Add the dressing of your choice. Seconding the gyro suggestion above. Regards, Kareni 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebcoola Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Do you have an air fryer? Ours doesn't seem to heat up the house. I've been doing a lot of sausage and veggies in there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 4 minutes ago, rebcoola said: Do you have an air fryer? Ours doesn't seem to heat up the house. I've been doing a lot of sausage and veggies in there. Oh yeah, we use our air fryer a lot when it’s hot. It makes the perfect corn on the cob. 🙂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted August 13, 2020 Author Share Posted August 13, 2020 These salads sound wonderful, with some kind of sandwiches because I do have picky eaters too. Please @skimomma, make me some baba ganoush (I looked at a recipe once and found it intimidating), and @medawyn the chipotle slaw sounds wonderful, so if you two could just drop those by my house in Oregon, that would be great! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 2 minutes ago, Ali in OR said: These salads sound wonderful, with some kind of sandwiches because I do have picky eaters too. Please @skimomma, make me some baba ganoush (I looked at a recipe once and found it intimidating), and @medawyn the chipotle slaw sounds wonderful, so if you two could just drop those by my house in Oregon, that would be great! Ha ha! It really isn't as hard to make as it looks. I use this simple recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/simple-baba-ganoush/ I do char my eggplant over a BBQ. But I char HUGE batches all at one time and freeze because I end up with a million eggplants and this is the only way my family will eat it. I for sure do not recommend turning on a broiler in hot weather! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted August 13, 2020 Author Share Posted August 13, 2020 6 minutes ago, skimomma said: I do char my eggplant over a BBQ. But I char HUGE batches all at one time and freeze because I end up with a million eggplants and this is the only way my family will eat it. I for sure do not recommend turning on a broiler in hot weather! Do you use the skinny eggplant or the fat ones? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 4 minutes ago, Ali in OR said: Do you use the skinny eggplant or the fat ones? Both! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 I use my crock pot a lot. It's easy and it doesn't heat up the kitchen. Plus I don't necessarily differentiate between cold/hot weather food (we probably grill most often in colder months). We're having salsa verde chicken today, served shredded in burrito bowls. Rice will be the only thing I really have to cook later. I did make a Mexican street corn-inspired salad; it's already in the fridge, ready to go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 9 minutes ago, alisoncooks said: I use my crock pot a lot. It's easy and it doesn't heat up the kitchen. Plus I don't necessarily differentiate between cold/hot weather food (we probably grill most often in colder months). We're having salsa verde chicken today, served shredded in burrito bowls. Rice will be the only thing I really have to cook later. I did make a Mexican street corn-inspired salad; it's already in the fridge, ready to go. Sometimes I plug my crockpot or roaster out on my deck. No heat in the house! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 We’re pre-cooking some chicken—-for gyros and for a berry salad. The gyros will be one meal and the berry salad will be paired with bread. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Snooty cheese platter our ploughman's lunch? However you brand it you won't heat up the kitchen. We like to do a baguette, or crackers a few cheeses, some pickled veggies, some good mustard, some sort of meat (roast beef or ham or salami or pepperoni), and occasionally a smoked seafood (oysters or salmon). I like to have seasonal fruit with it and maybe some hard boiled eggs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Corn in the instant pot. Quinoa salad (also instant pot, then thrown together, recipe from Kraft) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, carriede said: Chicken, potatoes, and carrots in a slow cooker, but put the slow cooker IN THE GARAGE (or on a porch) to keep the heat out. My dh sets up a little metal table on the deck and we plug the crockpot up out there. I am embarrassed it took me too many years to think of it. I have also cooked on our electric griddle outside on the little table. We also have "salad bar" if it's too hot. I put all of the separate ingredients out with different dressing choices and everyone builds their own salad. I am so uncreative that one time I took a picture of a salad bar so that I would remember what types of things to put out! haha tortilla rollups/subs- put out choices of lunch meat, cheeses, veg and condiments, and everyone builds their own. Several of us are "sensitive" to heat (me mostly) so by making everything build your own, those of us who don't like to eat heavy/much food can have what we like while those whose appetites aren't bothered by the heat can load up. Edited August 13, 2020 by saraha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 When I was growing up, my mom would sometimes make a fruit salad for supper. She would cut up several different fruits -- berries, pineapple, bananas, grapes -- but instead of mixing them together, she would arrange them around the edge of a dinner plate and then put a scoop of sherbet in the middle. It was fun to see how each type of fruit tasted with the sherbet. This all-carb meal won't work for me anymore, so I haven't had it in a long time, but it was yum. Another idea from my childhood -- cut a tomato into wedges but not all the way through, so that the tomato stays together, but you can splay out the wedges, so that it looks like a flower. Then fill the inside with tuna salad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mbelle Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Brats, cooked on the grill, in buns with saurkraut with side salad. Water melon for dessert. Cold beer if like. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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