Hot Weather Meal Ideas

[RabbitsRock]

Salads spring to mind but I’m not very imaginative. What do you guys have when it’s hot?

Grilled chicken with a salad made with cucumber, chopped watermelon, red onions, goat’s cheese and a mint & basil (and dill if you like it) vinaigrette.

Last night I had a chicken and peach salad.

tonight I'm making Nigella's watermelon and feta salad.

We've had BBQ for the last week, my kitchen is just too hot to have the onion / be standing at the hob as the sun streams in in the evening and it's like a greenhouse!

We have had

Roast chicken, asparagus and new potatoes
Grilled chicken and greek salad
Steak with potato kebabs and greek salad
Chicken satay
Grilled Pork Bahn Mi
Hot dogs and you guessed it, greek salad. My kids will eat tons of the stuff.

It's cooled down here now but we are having grilled halloumi, pitta, hummous and yep, greek salad, tonight.

Quiche
Chicken and chorizo
Hot dogs

All with salad.

Lots of different salads - waldorf, beetroot & goats cheese, watermelon & feta, tricolore, chickpea & chopped veg, etc

Gazpacho

BBQ (in the evenings)

Falafel wraps

Pasta with quick sauces

Couscous with veg mixed through (we fry a pan full of aubergine, red pepper, tomato & garlic) plus halloumi or chorizo

Fish

Sushi as a treat

I might cook the main food but we serve most things with salads when it's super hot. We do a nice green/mixed salad or a kale salad or a tomato salad or a couscous salad etc. Means that I'm just frying the steak or grilling the fish or whatever which is quick and easy and not too much standing over a hot stove.

We also usually eat quite a lot of roast chicken - either bought cooked from a rotisserie at a supermarket or I cook it during the day - served cold with new potatoes and salad.

Ive also got a new gas BBQ so doing some experimentation with that too. But it's SO hot that I do get hot and sweaty, but it's quick. Might try doing some grilled veggies on there this week and turning it into a nice meal with flat breads and some hummous/tzatiki etc. .

One option is to cook something in the evening when it’s cooler that will also give leftovers for lunch when it’s boiling

pasta
pizza
sushi
kebabs and wraps
basically anything that doesn’t take ages to cook

Tonight we will have a green salad, some red onions and a pasta with aubergine, sun dried tomatos and feta

Normally this time of year I will make a big batch of potato salad and roast a chicken and have that over a few days with salad, pittas etc

Sometimes also do a big batch of roast veg and keep them in the fridge for a few days to go with fish etc

I just try to cook in bulk so I only have to suffer the heat of the hob/oven once instead of every evening

Salade Niçoise and chicken Caesar salad are popular here. I'm also a big fan of chilled soups like vichyssoise, gazpacho and pea and mint.

I like to have a variety of salads to swap between, mixed bean, fruity couscous, pasta & pesto, ratatouille are favourites ATM. I have them with cold meats or smoked or pickled fish.

For a quick lunch, I have things like large tomato stuffed with prawns & mayonnaise, Parma ham with figs or melon, or avocado vinaigrette.

Now I really crave Greek salad!

Yesterday was chicken schnitzel, carrot and potato fries and roast broccoli with Middle Eastern spices over the veg.

Tonight is scandi style salmon with hasselback potatoes, cucumber and beetroot

Your menu should delicious.

I just adore a huge uncut loaf and a simple leaf salad with a load of cheeses and pate's. Nothing like ripping off a chunk of bread and cheese with some grapes too. I know by this simple dinner I am in my happy place!