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Schaeferyarnlover
Gabber Extraordinaire
479 Posts |
 Posted - 07/11/2005 : 10:00:08 AM
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It's hot! 95 degrees here today. This time of year, I'm always looking for any recipe that allows the kitchen to stay cool. If it starts with "Pre-heat Oven to..." I drop it.
Today I'm making Cheese Ravioli in a marinara sauce with mushrooms, tomatoes, onions,garilc and herbs, guacomole, green salad and also starting potato salad for another day. I cook fish in the microwave, bake pies in the toaster oven and I've been known to make chicken with barbecue sauce in the crock pot.
Does anyone have any non-oven dinner entrees to share? |
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mokey
Permanent Resident
15375 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 10:17:27 AM
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Nothing beats a great sandwich with some salads for sides. I make a fake goulash using TVP in the microwave. Another trick is to cook up a large amount of pasta on a cool evening, portion it into containers, and when it gets hot, just add your fave salad dressing and some veg and protein.
We eat out a lot in the summer and use frozen cooked foods that only need reheating.
"An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Martin Luther King Jr.
www.femiknits.blog-city.com |
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RoseByAny
Permanent Resident
USA
12598 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 10:22:42 AM
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I have a key lime pie recipe that's to die for - very fluffy, and you can freeze it or just refriderate it...
1 Graham cracker crust (you can try any variety)
1 8 oz (I think - whatever the standard size is) of cool whip
1 small can of Eagle Brand condensed milk
Key lime juice to taste (I'm a fan of sour, so I use more than most, but somewhere around 1/4 cup should be what you're shooting for.)
Mix Cool Whip, Milk & Juice together until well blended. Pour into pie crust, refridgerate until set (a few hours) or freeze overnight.
YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY and you can do the No-fat version of all of those and it tastes just as good!
"Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable."
http://RoseByAny.BlogSpot.Com |
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mokey
Permanent Resident
15375 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 10:24:50 AM
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For desseert frozen grapes or frozen watermelon.
"An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Martin Luther King Jr.
www.femiknits.blog-city.com |
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plath
Gabber Extraordinaire
460 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 1:26:09 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by RoseByAny
I have a key lime pie recipe that's to die for - very fluffy, and you can freeze it or just refriderate it...
1 Graham cracker crust (you can try any variety)
1 8 oz (I think - whatever the standard size is) of cool whip
1 small can of Eagle Brand condensed milk
Key lime juice to taste (I'm a fan of sour, so I use more than most, but somewhere around 1/4 cup should be what you're shooting for.)
Mix Cool Whip, Milk & Juice together until well blended. Pour into pie crust, refridgerate until set (a few hours) or freeze overnight.
YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY and you can do the No-fat version of all of those and it tastes just as good!
I do the same thing, but I add 1 can of pink lemonade or any other frozen juice concentrate (those Bacardi drink mixers like pina colada or strawberry dacquiri are especially good) instead of the key lime juice. It's always a hit wherever I serve it.
http://www.plath.blogspot.com |
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Crey
Seriously Hooked
827 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 1:29:08 PM
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Mokey - I'm going home to throw my grapes in the freezer! I also hear you could put watermelon slices on a stick and eat them like popsicles - and - its on my list of good foods that will help me lose those extra pounds! Thanks! - Crey
"Water that is too pure has no fish." -Ts'ai Ken T'an |
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flutebabe
Seriously Hooked
968 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 1:54:09 PM
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Frozen bing (sweet) cherries are faboo.
Oh, take the pits out first.... |
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chellethinques
Permanent Resident
USA
1431 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 1:56:47 PM
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| Grilled fajitas! Marinate a hunk of steak (we're cheap - we use round steak or sirloin if it's on sale) in some lime juice, oil,garlic, and cumin. Grill on both sides, grill some halved bell peppers until they are starting to bubble and blacken. Slice everything up thin and wrap in wheat tortillas with some sour cream, sharp cheddar, salsa, and/or avocado slices. If you don't eat meat, substitute portabella mushrooms for the beef, about one to one and a half per person. |
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roofth
Seriously Hooked
USA
649 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 2:46:38 PM
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here's a fav pasta recipe courtesy of food network's giada de laurentiis... it's a very light pasta... the only thing that you need to do is cook the pasta, and the sauce you don't have to cook over the stove (all you need is a food processor). i've made it and it's oh-so-yummy... esp on those days when it's too hot to cook!!
Spaghetti w/ Checca Sauce:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cooking/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_25587,00.html
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http://ruthknits.blogspot.com |
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yarnlover
Permanent Resident
1729 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 3:57:40 PM
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I love this pasta salad. Cook one box of angel hair, or regular spaghetti, if you prefer. Add diced onions and red, yellow, orange, green bell peppers. I usually cut the peppers more in strips than diced. Use whichever peppers you like, but if you use a small pepper of each color it looks great.
Add italian dressing to taste. I like it a little on the dry side, but if you don't, use the whole small bottle of dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. You can use the low cal dressing too. Great as a side dish, or if you love pasta like I do, it's dinner - well, not the whole thing in one day. |
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Molly C
Seriously Hooked
USA
884 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 5:12:59 PM
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I made shrimp roll-ups for dinner tonight. If you buy precooked shrimp, you can have a completely no-cook meal.
I personally like to steam my own shrimp so that it doesn't turn rubbery, and I also buy the medium size because they have more flavor than the larger sizes. And, even though you do have to heat the water, for steaming the amount is minimal, so you really don't heat the kitchen too much, and the shrimp will cook in less than 10 minutes.
Ingredients:
Shrimp
Old Bay Seasoning
Veggies
Lettuce/Spinach
Feta cheese
Zest and juice of one lemon
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Large pita, tortilla, lavash, etc. for wrap
Steam shrimp till opaque and cooked through, cool, peel, and chop coarsely. Drizzle with olive oil just to lightly coat, sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning. Toss to coat.
Chop up your favorite veggies - we use carrots, celery, onion, peppers, and snap peas.
Place zest and juice of one lemon in a small bowl. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking to make a lemon viniagrette. Season with salt & pepper to taste (and maybe a pinch of sugar if it has too much bite to it - but this should not be a sweet viniagrette).
Layer lettuce, then veggies, then cheese, then finally shrimp. Drizzle with lemon viniagrette. Roll up.
This is a really simple meal, there is just a lot of prep work in cutting up the veggies. The advantage, though, is that you already have salad makings for the next day with all your left-overs.
You can make any substitutions or alterations that you like. For instance, although I love feta, I can't eat it right now since I am pregnant, so I used a couple of slices of colby-jack cheese in mine. not quite as good as the feta, but adequate for my needs right now. Or, add some nuts, raisins, etc. Just anything you would ordinarily put in a salad; just make sure the tastes blend with the lemon viniagrette.
Molly 
Knitting Away in Connecticut.
Have a blog? Join the KR Webring and share your blog with the rest of the group! Click here. |
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Pinky Yarn
Permanent Resident
USA
1045 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 5:56:33 PM
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Ooooooh, frozen watermelon, I should try that one. Thanks. I've been doing frozen grapes because my wisdom teeth are coming in. I usually cook a lot of pasta in the summer and throw cheese and veggies on it. I've been looking for more things to cook that don't use the oven. My mom saw an add for a $10 toaster oven so we might look into that because we do a lot of frozen things.
-Katie
The next generation of knitters |
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Mean Mama
Permanent Resident
USA
1138 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 6:00:20 PM
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a few years ago I was wandering the supermarket for dinner inspiration during a long horrid heat spell . . . and I noticed I was actually in "a herd" of women looking like they were doing the same thing. As we all moved to the poultry case (can I really stand one more meal of marinated boneless chicken breasts? I thought) I accidentally bumped into another shopper. I apologised, telling her I was distracted, waiting for inspiration to strike.
Another shopper piped up with "we are having root beer floats!" and about five of us went "oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh!"
This summer I have been on a kick of making big Greek salads, supplemented with something grilled. ANd a glass of wine . . .
But those root beer floats have their place!
-- Mean Mama |
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Kelly B
Permanent Resident
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2005 : 6:21:18 PM
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There are prepackaged frozen meals for the crockpot now that aren't half bad. Dump and go... I think of that as winter food, but the cooker seems to release less steamy heat than a pot of pasta.
I'm going out to get me some cool whip and lime juice. I'm officially going to get more advil for my poor feverish son (daughter had it -- virus, no biggie) but what he really needs is dessert, right?
my pics |
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Schaeferyarnlover
Gabber Extraordinaire
479 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2005 : 06:22:07 AM
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I love all of these ideas! I forget to mention hubby and I are skipping red meat while our meataholic teenager is at sleepaway camp, but everything is adaptable.
Mokey,what is TVP? |
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azknitter
Honorary Angel
5539 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2005 : 06:46:06 AM
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TVP=textured vegetable protein.
It's dehydrated soy nuggets...and it comes in a zillion different forms. I use the bigger sized "chunks" for a vegetable stew. They are tasteless (practically) on their own. They absorb the flavors of whatever they're cooked in.
They come (most commmonly) in flakes, granules, chunks (of varying sizes) and they're pricey.....available at most health food stores and places like "Whole Foods Market".
Trish |
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MMario
Permanent Resident
2201 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2005 : 07:00:09 AM
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summertime is the time for ripe tomato sandwiches; big mixed salads with or without tuna; Or a cheese and fruit plate.
A nice "take-along" salad I used to do was mix equal quantities of frozen petit pois and frozen whole kernel corn. with a small bit of chopped onion. Moisten with a vinagrette. Since it starts frozen it will keep quite a while even on a hot day and still be cool if it's not in the sun. If it's TOO cold when you want it a few minutes will defrost enough to eat.
MMario - I don't live in the 21st century - but I play a character who does. |
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Schaeferyarnlover
Gabber Extraordinaire
479 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2005 : 1:59:24 PM
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Is TVP like tofu? Is it sold in the US?
Debra |
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mokey
Permanent Resident
15375 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2005 : 3:36:09 PM
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TVP is nothing like tofu. It smells a bit like dog food and is gross if you just bite into it uncooked, but hey, so is meat.
You should have no problem buying it at any well stocked grocer or health food store. In mnay grocers here it is sold in a box and called So Soya. We even have kits for fake Stroganoff and Spicy Szechuan using it.
You can also use something like Yves Veggie cuisine fake meats or Morningstar Farms fake meat.
"An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Martin Luther King Jr.
www.femiknits.blog-city.com |
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chellethinques
Permanent Resident
USA
1431 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2005 : 6:23:14 PM
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Couscous salad is good, too. Mix a cup or so of couscous in a bowl with enough italian dressing to coat all the grains really well. Set the bowl in the fridge for a few hours, and chop up some tomatoes, cukes, red onions, and black olives. Mix it all together and serve. The couscous doesn't need to be cooked; it will absorb all the dressing and soften. (It's practically instant, anyway.)
I made stir-fry the other night by plugging my electric wok into a big orange utility power cord and taking it out to the patio. I'm thinking about doing the same thing tomorrow with the crock pot for BBQ beef sandwiches. (I coat a roast with DH's spicy rib rub, brown it well, crockpot with some onions and a little stock. When it's falling apart, toss with vinegar, Tabasco, red pepper flakes, or BBQ sauce for the kids. Eat on a wheat bun with mayo coleslaw. The coleslaw must be ON the bun with the meat - it's excellent.) |
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Schaeferyarnlover
Gabber Extraordinaire
479 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2005 : 09:40:48 AM
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| I like your couscous recipe. Forgot I have a wok somewhere in the basement. What kind of roast for the BBQ beef sandwiches? My son would love that recipe. I'm definitely making it for him when he returns from camp. |
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