favorite summer foods?

[snugglekitty]

So - I think it's time for us to all share some ideas of foods that do not require the use of the stove or oven. They can use a toaster oven, microwave, or crockpot, but that is it!

My current favorites:

- gyro sandwiches with taziki sauce
- pita and tabouli
- chips with homemade guacamole and salsa
- curry pizza (you get naan bread, put curry, cheese, and veggies on it, and toast it)
- yogurt and fresh fruit
- biig salad with bread or crackers on the side

What are your favorites?

Comments

[purplepants.livejournal.com]

gazpacho!!

[cutieperson]

- stuffed grape leaves. it's about $1 for eight of them at the Shaw's salad bar.
- smoothies.

there are now three George Foreman grills at my house, so i've also discovered the joy of that. you can quickly cook chicken breasts (or other meat) for tossing on cold salads without heating up the house!

[coraline]

i asked this in a previous entry, but.... do you have a receipe for taziki you like? i've tried making it but i'm interested in trying other recipes...

[bearsir.livejournal.com]

I have begun a course of advanced study in the discipline known as Cold Things Which Can Be Spread On Bread. There are lots of them, many of them are sold relatively cheaply at Trader Joe's, and they are cold foods. Yum.

Also, the divine Ms. N has begin making a cold dish of corn, tomatoes, black beans, canned shredded chicken, olives, an onion, and a bit of chopped garlic. It is eaten with tortilla chips, and it is Very Good. Though it wants to sit overnight before being eaten, so a little bit of planning ahead is required.

I never saw your other message...

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

What I did the other day was to mix lemon juice, thyme salt, rosemary, fresh garlic, and chopped cucumber with about three cups of whole plain yogurt. Yum yum!

[samidha.livejournal.com]

Where do you get naan?

I am craving indian food so bad, and way, way too poor for such a craving...

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

A bunch of convenience stores have it, actually. It's usually refrigerated or even in the freezer section.

I usually buy stuff in bulk at Shalimar Food and Spices in Central Square.

[samidha.livejournal.com]

Ooo.

[srl.livejournal.com]

lately, all my food except dinner requires no heat. :)

- trail mix
- nut butter and jelly sandwiches
- snackyfoods of all kinds

not what you wanted, i suspect. but if i had refrigeration, it would be:

- fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, and a drizzle of olive oil, refrigerated until cold. :)

[sothe.livejournal.com]

I second the gazpacho! Also, seaweed salad.
Potato salad is right up there as well.

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

Err.
How do you make potato salad without using the stove?

[sothe.livejournal.com]

Microwave! If I remember correct, microwaves were not on the verbotten lost of kitchen gear.

The Aztecs and other tropical-zone Indians had the right idea: Use chili peppers in the food. The capsaicin in peppers causes the body to perspire in an effort to cool itself.

Spicy foods are cool, and it's easy to turn up the heat in potato salad using pepper sauce and chili powder. Keep your kitchen cool by microwaving the potatoes.

Cut the potatoes into chunks with or without peeling them, and put them into a microwavable bowl. Very little liquid is required for microwaving, saving vitamins that are tossed out with the water when potatoes are boiled.

Stir once during microwaving to even the cooking. Then drain any liquid remaining and make the salad. For a fun variation, try sweet potatoes, golden potatoes or purple potatoes. But don't forget to add the hot stuff to be a cool character.

Summer Potato Salad

2cups green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 6 ounces)

1pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks

1cup water

2tablespoons each: olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard

2teaspoons grated fresh lemon zest (thinnest colored part of peel only)

1teaspoon hot red pepper sauce

¼teaspoon each: salt and pepper (or to taste)

½cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

2green onions, chopped

Place beans in a 2-quart glass measure or casserole. Add potatoes and water. Cover with vented plastic wrap or lid. Stirring midway through cooking, microwave on high 12 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Drain any liquid from vegetables. In a bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, mustard, zest, pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Toss dressing with vegetables. Gently stir in cheese and onions. Serve salad warm within 2 hours, or refrigerate and serve chilled.

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

What an awesome suggestion. Thanks so much. :)

I was all set to make it, and then the weather dropped drastically... it's on my list for the next heat spell. Probably with sugar-snap peas instead of beans, those are my favorite.

Yum!