Need Summer Meal Ideas

Dear J.:
Here are some summer cooking ideas I have collected over the years.
Small appliances generate much less heat into the room than even one burner of the stove. So use your electric skillet, crock pot & microwave.
You can prepare a whole meal on a grill.
Cook beef or chicken in the crock pot. Cool. Discard skin and all trace of fat. Shred meat or cut in large chunks. Freeze meat in zip locks.

SUMMER STIR FRY
4 chicken breasts skinned and cut into thin strips
20 oz can of pineapple chunks
4 carrots sliced thin 1 onion cut in eigths
6 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp garlic
In a measuring cup combine reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, and cornstarch—add water to bring measure to 2 cups, set aside.
(If time allows, chicken strips could be marinated). In small amount of hot oil, stir-fry the chicken strips until cooked through. Add to the skillet the veggies. Stir fry 3-4 minutes. Add sauce and pineapple chunks, reduce heat and simmer covered for 5-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are of desired tenderness. Serve over rice.

BUILD YOUR OWN CHICKEN HAYSTACKS
4 cups chicken broth ¼ cup cornstarch
2 cups cubed chicken 4 cup cooked rice
chopped tomato peas
1 cup finely diced celery 1 chop green peppers
green onions 8 oz pineapple tidbits
½ cup slivered almonds ½ cup coconut
½ cup sunflower seeds ½ cup water chestnuts
Chinese noodles Grated cheddar
Combine chicken broth with cornstarch. Cook until thick and clear. Add chicken. Place your choice of six or more of the “topping” ingredients in individual bowls. Family can build their own “stack” in the following order: rice, chicken gravy, tomato, peas, celery, green pepper, onions, pineapple, almonds, coconut, waterchestnuts, noodles and cheese.

TACO SALAD
a head of lettuce; Green onion, avocado, cheddar cheese, tomato, cooked taco-seasoned ground beef; Kidney beans; bag of Fritos.; Catalina salad dressing

EGG SALAD
Made with your choice of vegetables and served on whole wheat bread or toast.

PASTA SALAD
Remember to cook your pasta early in the day. Tuna or any meat and lots of veggies can be used with any variety of pasta.

CHICKEN SALAD
STARTER chicken salad uses shredded chicken, chopped celery, Miracle Whip and sometimes chopped onion.
Look at what you have on hand and compile the remainder of the salad. In every salad include some “crunch.”
· My all-time favorite chicken salad adds halved grapes and slivered almonds toasted in a skillet with a little butter.
· CHINESE: Add mandarin oranges and bean sprouts and the Miracle Whip is seasoned with soy sauce. Add Chow Mein noodles or water chestnuts for the crunch.
· SOUTHWESTERN: uses chili powder in the Miracle Whip and chopped bell pepper
· HAWAIIAN: Pinapple and papaya
· CALIFORNIA: Add avocado and tomatoes.

TETRAZZINI
· Spaghetti in a
· sauce (usually a cheese sauce, but not necessary)
· a meat (chicken, ham, whatever is left over)
· any variety of veggies
Cook the spaghetti early in the day. Make a medium thick white sauce and stir in a grated cheese. Then I add celery, onion, mushrooms…anything I have on hand. I stir the chicken into the white sauce/veggie mix and put into either the CrockPot or microwave to heat.

CABBAGE CRUNCH (family favorite)
4 Tbsp Sesame seeds
1 cup slivered or sliced almonds
2 Tbsp butter shredded 1 cabbage
4 green onions
2 s Ramon noodles chicken flavor—break up noodles
1 lb chicken cooked and cut up (2-3 cups?)
Saute seeds and almonds in butter; cool.
DRESSING:
4 Tbsp sugar or 3 packets of sweetner
6 Tbsp vinegar 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper
¾ cup oil
flavor packets from Ramon noodles
Mix and pour over salad.
put the broken up noodles in a side dish

CHEESY TUNA TWIST
In skillet with little butter cook frozen peas and carrots
Add cream of celery soup and stir
Gradually add 1 ½ cup milk and
8 oz shredded mozzarella until cheese melts.
Add 1 can tuna and pepper Stir constantly. Mix with noodles.

SHISH KABABS (cooked on grill)
Rump roast; onion; cherry tomatoes; pinapple chunks; mushrooms; canned potatoes
Served with rice and brown gravy

Mexican Chicken Salad
1 lb boneless chicken breast
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tsps olive oil
1/2 cup can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
8 cups (about 5 ounces) mixed greens
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado 2 TBSPs fresh lime juice
1 small tomato, coarsely chopped
Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 TBSPs fresh lime juice
1 tsp grated lime peel
1 clove garlic, pushed through a press
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
For Salad: Let chicken cool to room temperature, then thinly slice on the diagonal. In a large bowl toss black beans, onion, greens, cilantro until evenly mixed.
For dressing: Whisk olive oil, lime juice, grated lime peel, garlic, chili powder, cumin and salt.
To assemble salad: Toss greens mixture with dressing until evenly coated. Cut avocado into thin slices and toss with lime juice. For each portion, place one-quarter of the greens mixture on each of four plates. Top with one-quarter of the chicken slices, one-quarter of the chopped tomato and one-quarter of the avocado slices. Servings: 4

THREE LAYER SALAD
1 head lettuce, onion, green peas, 4 slices bacon, 1 cup mayonnaise, parmesan cheese. Refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Grilled Chicken & Vegetables with Basil
3 Tbsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless ch breast about 2 lbs
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1 medium yellow squash, quartered lengthwise
1 medium leek, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
Marinate everything except the basil in a zip lock bag for 1-3 hours in the refrigerator.
Grill vegetables 7-9 minutes. Grill chicken 12-14 minutes turning once.
Sprinkle with basil and serve immediately.

Fajita Seasoning Mix
(We love Fajitas but after I read an article about how bad MSG is and noticed the effect in myself and my children I stopped buying the store mix and made my own)
3 Tbsp. Cornstarch 2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. Salt 1 Tbsp. paprika
2-1/2 tsp. crushed chicken bouillon cube
1 Tbsp. Sugar 1-1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. cumin
Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Pour into small glass or plastic container, seal tightly and store in a cool, dry place. Makes the equivalent of 3 packets of commercial or purchased Fajita Seasoning Mix.

Chicken Fajitas
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. Oil 3 Tbsp. Fajita Seasoning Mix
1/3 cup water 1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup salsa 1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated Cheddar 6 flour tortillas
Cut chicken into thin strips. Heat oil in large skillet and add chicken. Cook and stir over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Then add three Tbsp of the Fajita Seasoning Mix, water, onion. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir over medium heat until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

BROCCOLI Salad (family favorite)
1 broccoli chopped; 1 cup raisins; 8 slices bacon chopped; 1 med red onion.
Dressing: 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 Tbsp vinegar; ½ cup sugar or 6 pkgs sweetener

PICO DE GALLO
8-10 Roma tomatoes (seeded)
1 red onion 1 jalapeno pepper
2 med cloves garlic juice of one lime
1 TBSP olive oil 4 TBSPs chop cilantro
1 tsp coarse salt 1/2 tsp pepper
Seed and dice tomatoes. Chop onion, jalapeno and garlic to a fine consistency. Mix well.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Best if served the next day.

We have a Rotisserie and during the summer I plug it in outside.

Hope this helps! Sincerely, D.

2 moms found this helpful

I also grill out almost everything. Roasted corn shucks and all just put on gas grill and keep turning until dark brown all over shuck and sprinkle with cajun seasoning the kids love it. We grill salmon, chicken, sausage, quesedillas, shiskabobs ( you can use any kind of meat and veggies) i serve cut up fruit for sides and pasta salads. Lets see (if you dont have a grill outside you can do all this on your george forman) bake potatoes in the microwave, or on grill. tuna melts, my kids love cucumbers sliced on the side instead of pasta sometimes. Dont forget BLT sandwiches using microwave bacon and for a side have strawberries and bannans. the last thing i can think of is bean and cheese tacos.

2 moms found this helpful

Hello J.,

how about some sort of chinese/asian rice

white rice (in the rice cooker --I got a 3 cup size)
scrambled eggs
mixed veggies (cook in the microwave?)
some cashews or peanuts
some leftover chicken cut in small pieces
mix it all in a pot
dinner is ready!

I have the same problem. I've gotten several tower fans from walgreens and they help a lot when it comes to keeping the house cooler. I also put some solar screens in the kitchen area windows.

It's almost impossible not to cook (well, besides going out for dinner) how about grilling outside?, using a rice cooker, cooking twice as much meat/or/chicken and saving some for the next day. Also, how about using a pressure cooker? potatoes are done in 9 minutes, veggies in 5-8minutes, etc.
for example, one day make spagetti w/ ground beef. next day tacos?

Good luck!
~C.~

1 mom found this helpful

I use my crock pot a lot too. I have two delicious recipes we use a lot, so PM if you'd like them. One is for meatballs and the other for beef tips in gravy. They require the stove top to prepare, but I can do that late at night or early in the morning before it gets hot. With the spaghetti, I do have to heat noodles, and I prefer garlic bread in the oven, but bread in a bread maker would work too. Or you could do meatball subs and no noodles are required. Just put together a salad! For the beef tips, I nuke some veggies in the microwave and use the rick cooker for rice, so the oven and stove aren't even used. PM if you like the recipes!

1 mom found this helpful

I'm with you and we don't have a grill so here are some of the things I have come up with....

Fish tacos
pasta salad
Chili (crockpot)
Chicken wraps
mini (english muffin) pizzas

Hope this helps! :)

1 mom found this helpful

We use the grill a LOT in the summer. I put my cast iron pots and pans on it and cook that way.

I very rarely use my oven in the summer. I do utilize the toaster oven often.

My husband is in sales so he often has a big lunch OR is on the road 2-3 nights a week. Therefore, my weekly cooking is very little.

We like a lot of pasta w/italian sausages, steaks, burgers, pork loin, salmon, and chicken.

Good luck! I understand avoiding heating up the house!

1 mom found this helpful

Sam's Club and Costco have beef and chicken fajita strips in about a 3 lb. bag for $8 and $9. You can do lots of things with those like wraps, rice bowls (veggies, meat and cheese on top of rice), fajitas, salads (green or pasta), etc.

1 mom found this helpful

Suddenly salad box pasta is great with a latge can of chicken in it. We take it on the boat all the time b/c it is great cold. Also, i use the frozen meatballs, hot dog buns, marinara sauce and mozzerella cheese and make quick meatball subs. You can use the microwave for everything if you want.

1 mom found this helpful

i use my crockpot & my electric skillet a lot!! we would use a grill but we dont have one right now...there are lots of recipes for the crockpot (that aren't chilis or winter meals) you can do a lot of healthy soups (to go with salads)...not only do these appliances not heat up my kitchen but they use A LOT LESS energy which is something that I am always looking to save on in the summer with my AC running so much!

1 mom found this helpful

I feel your pain. My kitchen is on the West side of my house so when it's time to cook the sun beams down making it unbearable in there!

I use my crockpot a lot! Also, if I do cook something on the stove top, and rarely in the oven, I make sure I have enough to freeze and warm up in a week or two. For great crockpot and freezable recipies try www.allrecipies.com. They have a great crockpot selection.

We also cook a brisket every 6 weeks or so on the grill and with our family of 4 it goes a long way in the freezer and there is so much you can do with it. I just watch and buy them when they are super cheap on sale because they stay good in the freezer for a long time.

I don't know if this would be an option for you, but you could cook in the mornings when it's not so hot and just reheat in the microwave for dinner time.

Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi J.,

I use my crock-pot about every other day. The recipes are very easy, about 3-6 ingredients and taste great. Plus, the slow-cooker does not heat up the kitchen. I use the Homemade Gourmet seasonings and recipes. They take about 5 minutes to put in the crock-pot and then I don't have to worry about dinner time till right before we eat. It is great! Plus, it makes my whole house smell so good! If you would like to learn more about this you can write at ____@____.com or check out my website at www.homemadegourmet.com/gfitch.

1 mom found this helpful

Try the crock pot on the front porch. Practically anything can be converted to crockpot. I put up a little table so it will be off the ground. If it by the front door, then be careful about people coming and going, so no-one will get burned. Leanne Ely, the dinner diva, on www.savingdinner.com might be a good place to start for some crock-pot meals. She is the best and she tries to make everything low-fat, low-sugar and healthy. She even uses her crock-pot to make oatmeal. I like most of her recipes I have tried. I use her cook-book, Saving Dinner. There are alot of soup recipes, but we like them. If there is something we don't like, like artichokes, I just improvise. Using the crockpot might get you out of the chicken breast rut. If you gave it enough time, you could probably even do ground beef for taco's. We use the crispy tostada shells already crisped, the ones in a tall stack. I heat up beans, cut up lettuce, and grate the cheese. Presto. The only thing heated was the beans, and could have been done in the microwave. We also like pesto. It is a pasta salad with a basil-olive oil base. You put the pesto sauce on the corkscrew pasta and chill. We serve with salad and garlic bread sticks--and parmesan or romano cheese on top. Yum!!!
Good luck with the cooking,
L.

1 mom found this helpful

Hey J.,So this summer I decided to go with pasta salads and so far so great!I tried a shrimp and veggie/pasta first and it made alot and we had it for 2 nites and 1 lunch.Then I decided I needed another bag of shrimp added to it becos I really like the shrimp.So I used bell peppers[About 1/4 pepper]some chopped carrots [about 2 big ones] red onion [about 1/4 small one] green onions [2 sliced] I added some lite salad dressing and a squirt of honey-dijon salad dressing.Dumped it all together and it was great!! The 2nd salad I made -I took a skillet and a little oil added 2 cloves of chopped garlic and 2 shallots chopped and just barely warmed these together with 2lbs sliced asperagus and 2 pkgs of cherry tomatoes -salt and pepper 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1 cup fresh peas I used a penne pasta poured everything together and at the end I chop alittle basil and scatter on top witha little parmasean cheese.If you want you can add shrimp or some grilled chicken to it. Use a bowl or container with a lid and after mixing it together shake it and put it in the fridge.Make it early in the day when it's cooler [that's when it's cooler at my house] then by dinner time it has a chance to marinate and it's great! My husband likes it and everything is so fresh now. Hope you enjoy it if you try it. We eat these with club crackers.Hope you try these and enjoy! S.

1 mom found this helpful

If you have an outside grill, we use ours constantly in the summer. When we grill I try to have my husband grill several items to eat during the week. One thing we love for sandwiches is pork loin. It is very lean and is so versatile.
For instance if he grills one we'll have veggies with it the first night. We might make sandwiches off it the next day and then later in the week I might make nachos topped with it or quesadillas. It's also yummie on salads. Like I said though, I have him grill a pork loin, chicken breasts, hamburgers (because he LOVES hamburgers for lunch). That way a lot of meat is done for the week and it's no big deal to heat it up in the microwave or skillet.

You might also go online and google easy summer salads and see where it leads you.

Blessings!
L.

1 mom found this helpful

My daughter loves this quick and easy recipe:
8 oz package of spaghetti cooked (or rice pilaf, Far East Brand)
1 med. zucchini diced
1 med. yellow squash diced
1 med. sweet onion, chopped in large chunks
1 bell pepper diced.
1 cup of chopped fresh tomatoes
Mrs. Dash garlic/herb seasoning

Sautee in hot pan coated with olive oil until veggies are just tender. Add chopped tomatoes to heat. Season as you like. Toss with spaghetti or rice to complete the meal. The zucchini adds a touch of sweetness, the others just great flavor. It takes me about 20 minutes to cook. We love it with fresh french bread and fresh fruit for dessert. You can also mix your veggies with Mrs. Dash (or sometimes we use Iron-Chef's ginger sauce) and a little olive oil and put in aluminum foil to cook on grill for about 10 minutes or until it is done to your liking.

Food Network is a great place to get ideas!

1 mom found this helpful

I have a great recipe for pulled pork in the crock pot. We can usually eat 2-3 meals from a 3lb shoulder roast!

My family is Lebanese, so we make tabbouleh quite a bit. If you're family is adventurous, let me know, and I'll post the recipe.

Generally, if I do need to heat up the house, I try to do it all at once: roast chicken or veggies I can use for several dishes, enough pasta for a dinner and a salad, cookies and then dinner, etc.

1 mom found this helpful

My mom just gave me this website. Check it out! http://www.quick-and-easy-dinner.com/

1 mom found this helpful