# Thoughts for cool food now that the heat is on us?



## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Started living on peanut butter and jam on toast, garbanzo bean salads and rotisserie chickens from the grocery store. This can't go on! I'm afraid I'll be hitting salami and cheese on crackers next. :yuck:

What are you guys eating that doesn't heat up the kitchen?


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## mothernature (Aug 22, 2010)

I love sandwiches and salads, I mean loaded sandwiches and all kinds of salads! I'm big on breakfast, but go for cold cereal when it's really hot!


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

One skillet type of meals. Stir fry. Also do a lot of grilling. Grill a steak or chicken breast and slice it over salad greens. Take a whole loaf of nice bread like french, split in half and make a sandwich out of the whole thing, then slice it into portions.


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## bajiay (Apr 8, 2008)

We have been grilling out ALOT and eating ALOT of salads. We put the grilled meats on our salads as well a fruits. (Berries of any kind mainly) Using the crockpot also.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I am boiling pasta right now on the Coleman stove in the yard.
We use the grill and that little 2 burner stove for most everything.
DH turned off the gas to the kitchen stove a couple days ago. LOL

Noodle salad for supper here tonight. With fresh herbs, tomatoes, cheese,and a vinagrete dressing.


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## galfriend (Nov 19, 2004)

My kitchen is closed till winter! (well I wished it was any ways) 

This is mostly sandwich, salads and fruit meal times as I don't wann'a cook in my already too hot kitchen. Crank the grill up for more meaty meals.


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## mustangsally17 (Nov 3, 2007)

chicken salad made with grapes, walnuts celery and bow tie macaroni using leftover chicken from the grill
egg salad
tuna salad
veggie pizza using uncooked veggies, broccoli ect, shredded cheese, pizza crust covered with a mix of hidden valley pak dressing, cream cheese sour cream


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## SilverFlame819 (Aug 24, 2010)

Cold pasta salads. They heat up the kitchen while the noodles are cooking, but you can make a LOT at once, and it lasts a while in the fridge (or cook the noodles, then freeze in smaller packets... When you want to make some pasta, you simply set a bag in cool water in the sink and they thaw quickly.

Sandwiches with all the cold toppings you can imagine. 

Lots of melon, chopped up into cubes and put in the fridge for easy, cold snack access.

Nuts, string cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, cold applesauce, hard-boiled eggs (or chop up for egg salad sandwiches). 

Salads made into meals... All kinds of crazy things on top. To make "cold" taco salads that don't heat up your house, you can get the tortilla strip chips, or use a pizza cutter to slice up some of your own tortillas, and brown them in a frying pan for just a few minutes, then sprinkle over your salad.

Pita pockets. Some kind of crazy mix between a sandwich and a salad works well in these - even tastier with hummus instead of mayo, or cold avocado.

Quesadillas. You just put everything you want inside the tortilla and nuke it for a minute or two for the no-cooking variation. Burritos also work well like this, but make sure you hold out any cold ingredients that lose their yum factor when they get hot (like lettuce and sour cream), and put those ingredients on top after you pull it out of the microwave, and eat it with a fork. 

I also pre-cook a lot of veggies, then when I want them in a meal that calls for cooked veggies, I pull them out of the freezer and nuke them for a few seconds to thaw them, and add them to whatever meal I want. 

Smoothies. Super loud when you toss the ice cubes in the blender, but super tasty and refreshing on a hot summer day! Add whatever you want and be creative... Fruits, yogurt, milk, flavorings, whatever! Chocolate banana smoothie, anyone?  Dreamsicle smoothie is a tasty option too!


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

RedDirt Cowgirl said:


> Started living on peanut butter and jam on toast, garbanzo bean salads and rotisserie chickens from the grocery store. This can't go on! I'm afraid I'll be hitting salami and cheese on crackers next. :yuck:
> 
> What are you guys eating that doesn't heat up the kitchen?


cole slaw, tater salad, layered salads, garden salads and meats of our choice grilled outside. Cooking indoors in summer just isnt part of the equation around here.


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

potato salad, pasta salads, macaroni salads with some sort of meat grilled. corn on the cob, cold corn salad etc. I make a huge batch of the salads and eat it for days then cook a little more. Hope that helps.


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## stamphappy (Jul 29, 2010)

Hey, don't knock salami & crackers!

One of our favorite summer time meals is 'cheese & cracker' night. We make up a tray of goodies we don't normally have, take it in the family room and pick a movie to watch. It's kinda like an indoor picnic.

We'll use deli ham, smoked salmon, salami, pepperoni, leftover rotisarrie chicken (  ); grapes, apples, pears; different kinds of crackers, baguettes, pita chips; cheeses---oh the lovely cheeses---brie, cheddar, homemade boursin, whatever we have in the house. I usually make homemade hummus and there are some olives and other tidbits; again, whatever's in the house. 

The boys have water and we have white wine. It's a simple, easy, delicous 'fancy' meal for us and quite the treat!

We also do a ton of grilling in the summer, as well as salads (cobb, seafood louis, chef, taco, chinese chicken, etc...) and sandwiches.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

I use my gas grill on the deck year 'round, but in the summertime it really gets a workout. I grill a bunch of chicken at once, then use it cold in salads, sandwiches etc. the rest of the week.

I'm partial to BLT's this time of year, along with potato salad, pasta salad & cuke with onions.

If I'm really hot and want something fast, out comes a can of Kipper snacks & buttered saltine crackers!


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## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

If you have a gas grill, learn to use your grill. I do pizza, quesatillas, tacos all types of meats, grilled sandwiches, grill vegetables, bake potatoes etc. Get Webers Big Book of Grilling - you can even make a cake or brownies if you follow the directions. 

Today we are doing a rotisserie chicken that will be stuffed with rosemarry, thyme, garlic and whole oranges. All from my garden! I will serve it with corn and baked potatoes all on the BBQ.


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## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

Anything that requires heat is done very early in the morning or late in the evening. I just baked cornbread early this morning for cornbread salad and I'm getting ready to make pasta salad. Those will be served for dinner this evening, I'll be canning this afternoon so I want something cold and easy for dinner tonight!


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

The other night I made au gratin potato cassarole on the grill.
I put my pyrex pan on top of the cast iron griddle, over the flame of the grill and shut the lid.

Worked beautifully.


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## campfiregirl (Mar 1, 2011)

Sometimes we grill everything! The other day DH grilled steak, asparagus (with olive oil, Garlic Mrs Dash, sea salt), 1/4" slabs of zucchini & yellow squash, and bell peppers. Yum!

We typically grill some sort of meat and steam veggies if we aren't eating them raw; I have an electric steamer and we use it outside. When he grills the meat, he makes a little extra so the next day we can slice it up to put on salad for lunch at work.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I just did a coleslaw. Cabbage, onion, and dressing, then added dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and raw carrot diced up in small dices. Toss in a few whole flax seeds and it is a healthy meal and it's crisp and cool. No cooking is a plus.


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## dragonfly65 (Sep 29, 2002)

I got a laugh out of ya'll that use your grill a lot in the summer. It would be more miserable to be outside with the grill than to use the stove in the kitchen. One step out onto my deck will make you think that YOU are the one being grilled! 

We did chicken meat (from a store chicken) shedded over lettuce with sliced cucumbers, boiled eggs, tomato and cheese. Added our favorite dressing and gobbled it up. Had cold, ripe melon for dessert that my daughter scored from the produce manager in the grocery store she works at. 

I cooked up a turkey from the freezer in the big roaster in the laundry room so I wouldn't have to heat up the kitchen - lots of meals from that.


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## campfiregirl (Mar 1, 2011)

dragonfly65 said:


> I cooked up a turkey from the freezer in the big roaster in the laundry room so I wouldn't have to heat up the kitchen - lots of meals from that.


What a great idea! I just got one of those roasters from a garage sale for $5 :bouncy:. I could set it out on the back patio! We set our steamer outside when it is hot, and now that you mentioned the roaster, I'm cooking all kinds of things in my mind!


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

oregon woodsmok said:


> I just did a coleslaw. Cabbage, onion, and dressing, then added dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and raw carrot diced up in small dices. Toss in a few whole flax seeds and it is a healthy meal and it's crisp and cool. No cooking is a plus.


That sounds really good.

One good thing about the weather we've been having is that it's easy to use the solar oven. We've also been making grilled pizza which is both good and fun.


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## DWH Farm (Sep 1, 2010)

We have been having BLT's and pasta salad alot lately.


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## snoozy (May 10, 2002)

Black Rice Salad

1c Black or Red Rice (not the glutinous "sticky" type!)
2 1/4c water
1/2 t salt
2 ears fresh corn, cut of the cob (or 2 c frozen)
1 1/2c diced red bell pepper
1 firm, ripe mango, diced
1/3c chopped cilantro
3 scallions, sliced
1/2 - 1 jalapeno finely chopped 
1 t ground coriander
juice of 2 limes
salt

Rinse rice until water runs clear. Cook in water with salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered for about 40 minutes. When done, fluff with a fork, and stir in corn. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until cool. Dump into a serving bowl and mix in remaining ingredients. Season with additional salt as desired. Serve warm or cold. 

You could also make this using brown rice or barley or quinoa. Notice that it's vegan, gluten and oil free, for those of you who have to think about such things. 

But most of all, it's delish!


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## Raven12 (Mar 5, 2011)

I've been grilling like crazy. It's quick and no hot kitchen!


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## ajaxlucy (Jul 18, 2004)

We had this tonight:

http://www.foodjimoto.com/2011/05/somen-japanese-cold-noodles.html

It's one of my favorite hot weather meals. You can make everything ahead of time and chill it.


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## stamphappy (Jul 29, 2010)

Yum! Ajaxlucy that reminds me of a cold thai chicken noodle dish I used to order at a restaurant. It had a peanut thai sauce and lemon flavored flat noodles. It was so delicious and now I think I need to try to recreate it. Thanks for the reminder!!


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Mixed fresh garden salad with fresh raspberry dressing, topped with home canned tuna, salmon or.... smoked salmon, stealhead, cutthroat trout or sturgeon. Whip up a smoothie, shake or sherbet cone. All cool and no hot kitchen....James


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## my3boys (Jan 18, 2011)

bajiay said:


> We have been grilling out ALOT and eating ALOT of salads. We put the grilled meats on our salads as well a fruits. (Berries of any kind mainly) Using the crockpot also.


Same here.

Carol


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

Jello with fruit in it has been a constant for me with this heat!


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