I have three go-to recipes when it gets too hot to cook. Because when it is too hot to cook all I want to do is eat ice cream and get fast food.
Although some ice cream has probiotics, it is not considered a healthy food choice, and ordering take out from fast-food restaurants can get costly and I tend to not make healthy food choices. So around this time of year, I start looking on Pinterest for summer cooking recipes. Because let’s face it – hot temps have only just begun in Southern California!
My first favorite summertime dinner recipe is a “Cool Veggie Pizza.”
It does require the use of an oven, but for a very short amount of time. If you have a larger toaster oven that can accommodate a 12” pizza even better.
I wanted to add this recipe can be modified AND there are many variations of this recipe. I learned this recipe over 15 years ago and I have even brought it to potluck summer parties, and people loved it.
Ingredients:
- 2 cans (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup small fresh broccoli florets
- 1/3 cup quartered cucumber slices
- 1 plum (Roma) tomato, seeded, chopped
- 1/4 cup shredded carrot
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Unroll both cans of dough; If you have a round baking stone unroll the triangles to make a circle, if you are using a rectangle bake pan/sheet, unroll the squares to make a big rectangle
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, dill and garlic powder until smooth. Spread over crust. Top with uncooked vegetables.
- 5 Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving.
- 6 Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows or if you made a circle out of the crescent roll dough, cut into triangles.
The next go-to recipe when it’s too hot to cook is Watermelon & Feta “Salad.”
There are a lot of versions of this salad, and the great thing is you can modify it for picky eaters or allergies.
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of Salad mix of your choice
- 1 package of Crumbled Feta (sometimes I get plain and sometimes I get herb-ed)
- ½ Watermelon sliced
- Salt & pepper to your taste
- 1-2 Cucumbers
- Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 small or ½ large Purple Onion (sliced or chopped)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, let rest for about 5 minutes for all the flavors to mingle together and enjoy!
And lastly, my other favorite salad when it’s too hot to cook is Cheeseburger Salad.
This recipe I learned about 12 years ago. Honestly, I love it so much, and sometimes I omit the bread because I’m usually too full to notice it is missing.
Ingredients:
- 2 “tops” of hamburger buns, split and cut into 3/4 inch strips
- ½ small red onion, chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup finely chopped dill pickle
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- ½ small red onion, sliced
- 8 cups chopped lettuce
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 425°F degrees
- Put the strips in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the strips are lightly toasted. Set them aside.
- Cook the ground beef into a skillet over medium heat, for about 10 to 12 minutes, break up and cook until it is no longer pink inside
- Stir the chopped onion, ketchup, dill pickle, and mustard into the beef mixture and mix well.
- Lay the lettuce in a large bowl, and spoon the beef mixture over the lettuce.
- Top the salad with the sliced onion, plum tomatoes, and shredded cheese.
- Serve with the toasted hamburger buns.
What is your favorite summer recipe for dinner without using your stove or oven?
