It’s Too Hot to Cook

     This blog post is dedicated to my mom who was the inspiration for me writing this tonight. As I sit on my couch in my un-air-conditioned house I come to a realization, it’s too hot to cook. My 3-year-old kiddo is running around the house with his 7 month old lab puppy, both seemingly unaffected by the ambient temperature that is currently creeping up to triple digits.  The air is positively stagnant and the thought of turning on the stove, oven, or standing in front of the BBQ makes me want to physically melt into a puddle right here on the couch. Then a little voice pipes up mid dash through the living room…”mama I’m hungry!” Crap I guess I have to feed him something. 

            Now I may not be mother of the year, but I pride myself in actually feeding my child every day regardless of the sweltering heat. So what is a gal to do? Well I suggest that you make "cook-less" dinner.  My mom always makes a cold salad, like a Chinese chicken salad using leftover grilled or poached chicken and crispy won ton noodles. Having grown up with this delight, I can promise you it is a quick and easy crowd pleaser any day of the week.

Some people suggest making a cold soup like a gazpacho, but that just never feels like a dinner to me. I am one of those people who need to use a utensil for my main course, not just drink it lol.http://healthfulmama.com/2013/07/20summermeals/

     My other secret is to employ the ever-amazing talents of a crock-pot. You can prep it the night before when the weather finally cools down or in the morning before the temperatures start to rise.   I make mean Jack Daniel’s pulled pork sliders with shredded cabbage, and it doesn’t take more that 10 minutes of prep time before breakfast. There are practically a bazillion delicious crock-pot recipes, and using one doesn’t make the house feel like you are preheating to the eternal temperature of the sun. I’m including a link at the bottom to the “Top Thirty Slow Cooker Recipes” as awarded by AboutFood.com specialists. http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotrecipes/a/top_crockpot.htm.

     Another favorite of mine is “tapas for dinner night”. I put out a huge spread of small dishes and antipasti including salami, cheeses, olives, crackers, fresh fruits, and salads. This is just so much fun! You can have your own impromptu indoor picnic, as long as you don’t forget the wine.  The key to this route is to balance the heavy meats and cheeses with the lighter fruits and salads so you don’t blow you r health and fitness goals. If wine isn’t your thing, there just isn’t anything quite as refreshing as a good ol’ fashioned Arnold Palmer (half lemonade and half iced tea).

Or this fantastic idea I found coupons.com!

No-Bake Steak Pizza

Grab just five items from the deli or salad bar section of your favorite grocery store, pile ‘em high on a piece of flatbread, and you’ve got a delicious dinner done in minutes. No oven, stove or skillets required.

Ingredients:

• Serves 4
• 4 pieces flatbread
• 4 cups arugula
• ½ pound thick-sliced deli Roast Beef, cut into strips
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup feta cheese
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

Place flatbread on four serving plates. (Grill or microwave if warm flatbread is desired). Top with arugula, roast beef, tomatoes and a sprinkling of cheese. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Salt and pepper, if desired. Serve and enjoy! Check it out:  http://www.coupons.com/thegoodstuff/what-to-cook-when-its-too-hot-to-cook/

     Just incase curiosity got the best of you and you have to know, since it was just the two of us tonight, I served a 3-year-old’s version of “tapas” tonight. Baby carrots, radishes, humus, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, apples (fruit all arranged in the shape of a star of course), salami, string cheese, cheddar slices, and an arugula salad from my garden. It was minimal effort and I didn’t even break a fresh sweat! I hope I have given you some great examples of what to eat when you are way too hot too cook. As always I love feed back and would be delighted with any suggestions you could give me to add to my next bog post.

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