No Cook Dinners for Summer: Quick and Easy Tips
The beautiful weather and heat of summer make getting out of the kitchen a tempting proposition. Try these healthy, no cook dinners for summer to avoid a hot kitchen while enjoying some of the great food summer brings.
Many people prefer to eat light in the summer heat, so menus heavy on lighter fare such as sandwiches, soups and salads can really ‘hit the spot’ with their lightness, as well as the coolness and refreshment they bring to the meal.
Pre-Cooked and Ready to Eat
One way to avoid a hot kitchen in the summer is to stock up on pre-cooked, ready-to-eat foods from the store or local deli.
There are a wide variety of foods available in the various aisles of grocery stores and in the deli section that are pre-made and can easily be combined into healthy, satisfying summer meals.
To increase the healthiness of the meal choices, opt for fresh, low-fat and non-fried foods as much as possible. Be sure to scour the health food, freezer and produce sections of the store for healthy varieties of traditionally ‘unhealthy’ foods. Many vegetarian substitutions are delicious and healthy options. Some delis offer healthier versions and vegetarian substitutions, as well.
Main Course:
- Chicken (fried, rotisserie, tenders)
- Corn Dogs/Hot Dogs
- Ham steaks
- Mexican Fare (enchiladas, burritos)
- Chinese Food (egg rolls, chow mein, teriyaki sticks)
- Pizza/slices/calzones
- Smoked salmon fillets, shrimp, sushi-grade ahi tuna
Side Dishes:
- Green salads, Slaw
- Gelatin/gelatin salads
- Fruit salads
- Pasta salads
- Potato salads
- Beans (baked, pork’n’beans)
- Breads/rolls
- Mixed vegetables
- Hummus
Desserts:
- Cookies
- Donuts
- Parfaits
- Fruit/Fruit salad
- Cake/Single slices/cupcakes
- Pie
- Candy
- Ice-cream
Vegetarian Fare
Vegetarians have a bit of an advantage when it comes to no-cook meals. There are many creative ways to use the fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains and nuts of summer that do not require cooking. Vegetable and fruit salads are, of course, easy picks, as are sandwiches. But, there are other great vegetarian meals that can be enjoyed in summer that do not require cooking.
Since there are different types of vegetarians (pescatarian, flexitarian, Lacto-ovo vegetarian, vegan, raw foodist, etc), the recipes linked to here won’t meet all of the preferences of any one type, but should have something for each type of vegetarian lifestyle.
Whole Living has a slide show (with recipes) in its Green Home Guide for 28 Delicious and Easy No Cook Recipes.
No-Cook Surprises
There are a number of great dishes that do not require cooking, but as just as satisfying as their cooked counterparts. One such example is Gazpacho. Gazpacho is a Spanish tomato-based vegetable soup, served cold. Those making this soup can serve it with other foods, such as pre-cooked shrimp to round out the meal.
Food Network features a 5-star recipe for gazpacho that is simple and requires the use of a blender for preparation.
There are other ‘gazpacho’ recipes around that are not tomato-based, but are cold soups that combine ingredients in a tasty way. They may have a fruit such as watermelon as the base. Some may be found in the No-Cook Month recipe collection noted below.
Food Network has a No-Cook Month page that gives “31 Days of No-Cook Recipes” to interested readers. The expected salads and sandwiches are there, but there are also other fun recipes such as Marinated Shrimp with Parsley (Day 5). Find the link in the References section below.
Delish.com posted a contest-winning recipe for Strawberry soup that offers refreshment as well as good use of in-season fruit.
No cook dinners for summer can be made from any of the recipes mentioned above or any other family favorites. Have your own no-cook recipe for summer you want to share? Be sure to mention it or link to it in the comment section below.
References
Gazpacho Recipes. Sp Recipes. https://www.spain-recipes.com/gazpacho-recipes.html
Food Network 31 Days of No-Cook Recipes. https://www.foodnetwork.com/no-cook-month/package/index.html