Refreshing Meals to Eat During the Heat
It was quite hot for the western US, and some states are literally on fire ( watch out there ). If you’re trying to make the heat more bearable, try whipping one of these dishes, which will cool you down and require little or no cooking (hot stove = hot house, and no one needs it right now).
Ready in 10 minutes or less
Sometimes it gets so hot that all you need to do is lie on the couch in front of the fan, so a refreshing meal that’s ready in just a few minutes might be all you can do.
Cold ramen : It was over 100 degrees in San Francisco last weekend, so I cooked up a variation of this dish using glass noodles instead of ramen. The main thing is to chill the noodles in an ice bath before eating. Reduce cooking time by using as many raw or prepared ingredients as possible. Instead of broth, this dish uses a chilled sauce to add flavor without adding heat.
Corn Tomato Barley Salad : Use instant barley like this 10 Minute from Trader Joe’s. For barley, you can add another grain. Couscous and quinoa are good options. You can use raw corn or leftover popcorn to cut down on cooking time. Bright vinaigrette and fresh herbs make the dish refreshing.
Hummus, Pita & Olives : Grab your favorite hummus, fluffy pita and olives for a light lunch. For an even easier meal, use olive tapenade instead of whole olives.
Caprese Sandwich : A classic combination that doesn’t require cooking (if you don’t like toasted bread) and can go from the fridge and into your mouth in five minutes. Since there are very few ingredients, try to buy fresh, high-quality cheese, tomatoes and bread to make your meal especially tasty.
Smoothies : Easy to mix with any fruits, vegetables, and juices available in the fridge and freezer. A quick trick is to collect ingredients of the same color. For instance,
- Mango, orange juice and pineapple
- Strawberries, blueberries and fuji apples
- Spinach, cabbage and green apples
Ready in 10-20 minutes
Vegetarian Sushi : Eating vegetables means you don’t have to chop up raw fish, and you stay cool with water-infused vegetables like cucumber and lettuce. You will want to eat them fresh as sushi rice doesn’t cool very well.
Spring rolls : This dish takes a little more preparation and cooking than some of the others on this list, but you can really enjoy the combination of chewy rice noodles and fresh herbs. Be sure to pair with the excellent peanut sauce to bring out the flavor of the filling.
Ready in a few hours
With a little planning, you can eat a few cold meals, which you can get straight from the fridge or freezer as a cold treat.
Ceviche : If you don’t want to deal with raw fish in hot weather or want to marinate for a couple of hours less, try this vegetable ceviche .
Icebox cake : cookies, whipped cream and a couple of hours in the freezer, what’s not to love about this sweet treat?
Popsicles : As with cocktails, there are tons of options. You can prepare them on a fruit or cream base, give preference to alcoholic drinks or classic juices. Just make sure you have enough time for them to freeze.
Share your favorite hot weather relief in the discussion below.