cooking
Best 10 Cool And Easy Summer Dinners
Let’s be real: The last thing you want to do on a hot summer night is turn on your oven or spend hours cooking.
So we rounded up 10 of our favorite summer recipes that require practically no cooking. From hearty summer salads to fresh spring rolls, these recipes are just the thing to keep you cool.
1. No-Cook Zucchini Noodles With Pesto
Zucchini noodles can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores. If unavailable, just slice your zucchini into thin planks and cut into matchsticks.
2. Gazpacho
Just throw all of the ingredients into a blender, purée until smooth, and garnish with sour cream and chives.
3. Dilled, Crunchy Sweet-Corn Salad With Buttermilk Dressing
Sweet and crunchy raw corn might be the star of this hearty summer salad, but that doesn’t stop a tangy, creamy buttermilk and yogurt dressing from making quite the entrance.
4. Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
Our favorite part about this Vietnamese rice noodle salad—aside from its crunchy peanut topping and tangy homemade dressing—is just how easy it is to riff on: You can add grilled steak or chicken, or make it entirely vegetarian without skipping a beat.
5. Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas
You can find tostada shells near the chips in most grocery stores. If unavailable, simply bake small corn tortillas in the oven until crisp and lightly browned.
6. Chicken Salad Summer Rolls
Proof that rice paper can make anything look fancy — even classic chicken salad.
7. Heirloom Tomato & Cornbread Panzanella
Bread for dinner? We’ll never say no to that. Especially when this Panzanella of day-old cornbread (so easy!) and farmers market heirloom tomatoes is on the table.
8. Spicy Salmon With Israeli Couscous & Chickpeas
This dish might sound fancy-schmancy, but it’s actually oh so simple: fatty, bright pink salmon bakes in the oven for just 15 minutes while you cook up the spiced couscous and chickpeas.
9. Drunken Clams With Sausage
According to recipe author, community member QueenSashy, the key to this ethereal, brothy dish is to clean the clams properly—otherwise, you might end up with gritty bits in the end result.
10. Mediterranean Tomato Salad With Herbs and Feta
Because tomatoes + red onion + feta is always a winning combination.
Canned Tuna Ideas to Transform Your Summer Cooking
It’s the beginning of August in New York City. That means my ideal dinner is one that’s cold, light, and requires minimal cooking. I wouldn’t dare turn on my gas burners right now. In other words, I need canned tuna ideas. Stat.
We’re halfway through this sweltering season, and I’ve turned to cold tuna sandwiches for dinner more nights than I can count—and that’s not a complaint. I love jarred and canned tuna. It’s actually something I tend to crave during the height of summer. Why did you ask? Because it’s already cooked, delightfully salty, and flexible enough to tailor to my own taste.
HOW DO YOU MAKE TUNA SALAD HEALTHY?
To make tuna salad healthy (but still delicious) cut back on the mayo, or use plain yogurt in place of mayo. Then load up on fresh crunchy veggies and chopped herbs. Don’t skimp on the lemon juice, either!
WHAT ARE SOME TUNA SALAD IDEAS?
What goes in Tuna Salad, anyways? The short answer is almost anything you want. The longer answer is, well, there’s no wrong way to make tuna salad. High or low, this is a food that pleases almost anyone with the right tweaks.
- Tuna Salad with relish: Like me, a lot of people like a little sweetness and crunch with their tuna; sweet pickle relish most certainly pushes both of those buttons. Diced cornichons work, too!
- Tuna Salad with apples: A small amount of diced crunchy apple (I’m looking at you, Granny Smith!) is wonderful in tuna salad.
- Tuna Salad with celery: A classic tuna salad ingredient. The more celery you add, the more crunch you get.
- Tuna salad with pasta noodles: Adding some cooked pasta, like fregola, orzo, or farfalle to the tuna salad adds delightful texture and even extends the salad somewhat to serve more hungry people.
- Tuna Salad with peas: Fresh or frozen peas add color and texture to tuna salad, so go ahead and add a handful.
- Tuna Salad with egg: I love chopped hard-boiled egg added to tuna salad for a little extra protein on busy days.
- Tuna salad with capers: Salty, briny capers add another delicious dimension to tuna salad. Try a little spoonful mixed into the bowl and get ready for compliments.
- Tuna Salad without mayo: If you’re looking for a mayo-free tuna salad recipe, try making the dressing with plain yogurt or whipped silken tofu instead. I also make a super simple vinaigrette with a squeeze of lemon, a glug of olive oil, and a dollop of dijon mustard and it tastes great. Some chopped herbs (dill, parsley, from the garden seal the deal.
- Ahi Tuna Salad: Is the Ahi tuna looking fabulous at the fish market, or have you got an extra bit of tuna steak from last night’s dinner? Splurge and make tuna salad with it. Cook it through then flake it up in this recipe.
Are you guilty of putting parmesan on anything and everything? There are certainly worse crimes to commit, so we’ll provide the ammunition with our top 10 parmesan must-haves here HQ.
1. All hail, Caesar
Arguably one of the most popular salads ever, the Caesar combines bacon, cheese, bread and mayo – and this lighter rendition hits all the high notes of the classic, without compromising on flavor (there’s also maple bacon thrown into this mix). And don’t worry, parmesan still cuts…
2. You had me at béchamel
It’s comfort food 101 and this moussaka recipe will go down a treat. Cauliflower and cheese make excellent pals in this superb béchamel – talk about nailing the brief!
3. Rising to the occasion
The soufflé always makes a grand entrance and why not – it’s a high flyer. Light but incredibly flavorsome, this three-cheese recipe calls on cheddar, Gruyère, and Parmesan, along with the Dijon mustard and hint of cayenne.
4. No-fear “wet rice”
Turn that risotto fear into a weekly staple, with this rich and super-easy mushroom version. It’s ready in 30 minutes? Now we’re talking!
5. Can’t go past a schnitty
The parmesan adds a wonderfully savory edge to the coleslaw and the walnut crumb coating. Track down good -quality meat for schnitzel and you’ll be in juicy heaven in no time.
6. Super-bowl
7. Creamy egg-challenge
8. Hash brown goes big
9. Haloumi gets a smokin
10. Pesto corn on the cob
Summer may well be the easiest time of year to be vegan – the UK is blessed with fantastic access to a huge variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, much of which is grown on our doorstep. The fresh greens that appear come June and July are incredible – asparagus season may be over, but in its place are fresh peas, broad beans, courgettes and fennel, leafy greens like chard and estuary greens like samphire. Not only that, the bounty of British summer fruit is astonishing – strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, the list goes on. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or something else, summer is the best time of year to ditch the protein and dairy and appreciate Britain’s wonderful fruit and veg. Here are ten vegan summer recipes that we always turn to when the sun is out.
1) Amazing Vegan Mac and Cheese
“I made this at my daughter’s request and have to admit I was skeptical as we are neither vegan or vegetarian. It was awesome, all three of my children and my wife raved about it, we will be making this again.” – Patrick
2) Kale, Black Bean, and Avocado Burrito Bowl
“I just wanted to thank you for posting this recipe. It’s hard to think of a recipe that is not only this delicious but where every single ingredient is a great nutrition boost! After eating this, I legit felt like Popeye right after he gulps down a can (ew) of spinach. Also, I’ve always been weird about raw kale (even though I’m addicted to the roasted stuff), but this marinated kale was fantastic! So thanks again! This has been added to the top of my list in the recipe rotation.” – Erica
3) Harissa Hasselback courgettes with butter bean and tahini dip and dukkah
Equally delicious and brilliant on its own or as part of a mezze feast, this Hasselback courgette ticks all the boxes. The courgette itself is laced with the fiery heat of harissa but mellowed by a creamy butter bean and tahini sauce underneath, whilst a sprinkling of dukkah adds a bit of crunch to proceedings. We’d recommend dialing up the heat and going for particularly spicy harissa – the contrast between that and the cooling dip underneath is what makes this dish to the next level.
4) Padron peppers with a smoked paprika crumb and grape Ajo Blanco
Blackened Padron peppers and good sea salt are a perfectly good meal in themselves, and some might say not to mess with a classic, but we think this version with roasted grapes and grape Ajo Blanco is something special. It might not be to everyone’s tastes, but the mellow sweetness of the grape and the creamy sauce – made with soaked bread, garlic, almonds, and sherry vinegar – is certainly an intriguing combination and once we find ourselves returning to often when the sun comes out.
5) Roasted broccoli with hazelnut, tomato sauce, and tahini
On the hunt for a new quick and easy weeknight meal? Look no further – this roasted broccoli number is dead simple to put together, and only takes an hour or so from start to finish (less if you make a big batch of the tomato sauce and keep it in the freezer!) Tomato, hazelnut and tahini is a tried and tested combination in the Middle East – just throw a pile of crispy roasted broccoli on top and you have a hearty meal in mere minutes.
6) Charred green beans with sauté potatoes, chermoula, and fried almonds
7) Saffron malloreddus with peas, fennel, and cherry tomatoes
8) Teriyaki tofu with pickled cucumber and sesame
There’s no doubt that curd still divides opinion, even amongst vegans. We’ve all been left a touch cold by a bland lump of curd within the past, however it does not ought to be this manner – by pressing and drying your curd properly, you’ll get an amazing crisp texture on the skin that transforms your dishes. simply mix with a straightforward dish marinade, a cucumber pickle to chop through the richness and a few recent garnishes and you have got a meal that’s as delicious because it is nutritive.
9) Roasted carrots and chickpeas with semi-dried tomatoes, pickled red onion, parsley, and sumac dressing
10) Salted watermelon salad with mint, almond, cucumber, and chili
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