Summer Meals

I must admit that since hot temperatures arrived in Albuquerque, the last thing I want to do is cook. (though I still do!) I know I can make salads and sandwiches, fruit salad, but was not being very creative for thinking of meals that wouldn't heat up the kitchen or that sounded very appetizing after a long day in the sun. I did the next best thing. I turned to Google and this is what I found:

• 25 Easy Summer Dinner Ideas from AZcentral.com - One recipe from this article is nachos. I didn't follow their recipe, but made my own nachos with bison*, black beans, corn, avocado, spinach, Greek yogurt, salsa and blue corn chips. Delicious. I didn't think this meal would seem "cooler" but it did. For one because I didn't have to heat taco shells in the oven, and we weren't holding hot food in our hands.
• 5 Keep-Cool Summer Meal Ideas from One Green Planet
  Raw Soups – Raw soups make a great appetizer or light summer meal, and are an excellent way to use a variety of seasonal produce. From avocados to mushrooms to zucchini, there’s something for every palate in this lineup of fresh, tasty raw soups: Raw Green Pea Soup; Raw Marinated Mushroom Soup; Raw Asparagus Soup; Raw Carrot Avocado Soup; Raw Cream of Broccoli Mushroom Soup; Raw Harvest Soup.
• Quick Summer Dinners  from Eating Well - I tried this recipe and we all enjoyed it. Ron said the leftovers were great cold the following day.
  Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Vegetables Toss a garlicky, Middle Eastern-inspired yogurt sauce with pasta, shrimp, asparagus, peas and red bell pepper for a fresh, satisfying summer meal. Serve with: Slices of cucumber and tomato tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.
• 27 Unexpected Foods to Grill This Summer
  Quesadilla. Skip the pan and take the tortillas outside! Prepare the filing, then light up the grill. Brush the tortilla with olive oil and place on the heat, oiled side down. Top with cheese and fillings (chicken, beans, etc). Once the cheese starts melting and the bottom is browning, fold one side over with a spatula to seal it up. Remove from the heat and enjoy (with guacamole, of course).
•   20 No-Cook Vegetarian Meals for Hot Summer Days
  Tonight I think I'll try Smashed Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich from www.twopeasandtheirpod.com.

 

*100% grass fed bison. We are not vegetarians, but in the last couple of years I was probably making vegetarian meals 90% of the time for health and environmental reasons. After a while, Ron asked me to include meat 1-2 times per week. He has weighed the pros and cons, same as me, but this is his decision and what feels right for him. So I try to make very informed decisions when purchasing meat. For a while, our son wouldn't eat any meat. He would choose a veggie burger over buffalo meat. Well, he ate buffalo meat the other night (seasoned for the tacos) and you would not believe how many times he told me "this is heaven." He cracks me up! He goes back and forth depending on the day and the meal, but one day he'll sort out what feels right to him.

 

Action Item: Is it hot where you live? Pick one of these recipes to try tonight! There are enough here that you should have the ingredients to try one of them.

For Further Reading: There's enough here to keep you reading for a while. But just in case, here's some information I mentioned previously in my Eat Local post.  Eat Wild (let's you search your state for local, grass-fed meat, eggs and dairy) or try Local Harvest, another site to help you find local meat, produce and other local items. Great ways to support your local farmers, and you'll know where your food comes from!