As part of my blogging break, I’ve asked some of my friends to guest post. This post is from my new blend, Halley, who writes over at Blunder Construction. Today she’s sharing some of her favorite summertime recipes. Enjoy!
Summertime and the livin’s easy… as long as I have the fans and A/C on full blast and I don’t move. Have you ever noticed on sticky, hot days that your appetite disappears?
The thought of cooking and eating a full meal is exhausting, but it is important to replenish our sapped energy stores in this heat. I avoid the oven at all costs, keep recipes simple, and fresh produce like it’s going out of season. Here are some of my favorite Dog Days Dishes that will keep us cool and feeling refreshed.
Cucumber Tomato Salad
This salad is especially good for a day when you are dehydrated. The cucumber and tomatoes will take your heat index down a notch. Simply chop cucumber, tomato and red bell pepper unto small pieces.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped cucumber
- 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup diced tomato
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1/2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs agave nectar
- salt and pepper, to taste
Dress salad with light vinaigrette, and chill before serving. The agave nectar brings out the natural sweetness in the rest of the ingredients. This salad would go great spooned inside a wrap too!
Three Bean Couscous
Besides boiling water for the couscous to cook in, this side dish is heat-free. Open a couple cans of beans from the pantry, throw in fresh green beans, tomato, and basil, and dress for success.
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 can black beans
- 2 c fresh green beans, chopped
- 1 c diced tomato
- 3/4 c couscous
- 2 tbs fresh basil
- dressing (agave-lime, honey mustard, olive oil + vinegar, anything!)
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before enjoying. We had this with a quesadilla, another quick, low-heat dinner idea.
St. Alphonsus Salad
Don’t mind the name of this salad, it has almost nothing to do with the ingredients or flavor. It’s just the name of the street I lived on when I fell in love with tomato-basil. I love this salad because it is light and flavorful, and you can eat it with your hands!
Ingredients
- 20-30 baby spinach leaves
- 5-6 (or 30) cherry tomatoes
- 1 oz fresh mozzarella or other* sliceable cheese
- 1 tbs shredded parmesan
- 2 tbs basil purée (Dorot cubes) or 1 handful fresh basil
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
The preparation of this salad is pretty obvious, isn’t it? I took a few spinach leaves and paired them together, topped with a slice of cheese, a cherry tomato half, and a taste of basil oil. I love popping each bite into my mouth, no utensils required.
There you have it, my favorite summer time meals that keep the heat out of the kitchen. If it’s too hot to even open the fridge, try this no-heat no-prep go-to summer meal when all else fails.
Ice cream. Stay cool!
