What meals to you have in hot weather?

[ifonly4]

I hate thought of spending too much time in the kitchen during hot weather, met office reckon it'll get to 38c this week here😕. Just wondering what everyone else who feels like this, will eat this week (half looking for inspiration).

All I ever seem to serve are cheese and tomato quiche (will make this afternoon as I'm cooking anyway), cold salmon, cold chicken, eggs, canned tuna, mixed salad, coucous, quinoa salad, potato salad or crusty bread, occasionally pizza and salad.

BBQ. My kitchen is like a furnace, standing by the BBQ is actually cooler.

Tonight is BBQ, then we have spaghetti and meatballs, roast chicken, salad and new potatoes, bavette steak done on the bbq, sweet potato fries and coleslaw, and fajitas on Thursday.

Barbeque. Mackerel fillets, lamb/vegetable skewers, burgers - all with assorted green/pulses/potato salads.

Greek salad. Salad niçoise. White bean, tuna, red onion and radish salad with crusty bread. Mezze with tzatziki, baba ganoush, grilled halloumi, falafel.

That sounds gorgeous - can we come to yours?! Our options are somewhat circumscribed by the dietary prejudices and limitations of offspring currently in residence at the moment!

Of course you can, bring something cold to drink.

We tend to eat like kings in the heat. Lots of vegetables from the garden, and eating outside makes everything nicer

Another nice one is puy lentils with lots of parsley and mint, crumbled feta and pomegranate seeds.

Or puy lentils with wilted spinach mixed through topped with a salmon fillet, and greek yogurt on the side. (The spinach is bolting in the heat so needs using up)

Tbh I eat the same meals whatever the weather. But I only cook for myself not a family so that makes a difference. Off for a Sunday roast in a bit for Father’s Day.

Ive got a ham joint in the slow cooker and will do new potatoes in garlic herb butter and a salad, so not too much cooking. Then plan to have more of the ham tomorrow in a pasta salad.

We will often just have a sandwich if it's ridiculously hot.

Today it’s a roast 😭😭😭😭

I’m a soup lover for 9 months of the year but in summer it’s a variation on:
griddled or sheet pan veg (aubergines, peppers, courgettes, tomatoes), leftovers of which I purée with passata and basil into a pasta sauce.
bagged salads (lazy, I know) with fresh additions
some sort of grain or pulses
minimal fuss protein, so cold cuts, cheese, salmon or chicken.
And then we go crazy with double fresh fruit. Melons are already here, so are peaches and apricots. Cherries have come down in price, I might make a clafoutis with vanilla ice cream.
Lemon with everything.
Next week I’m making Nancy Birtwhistle’s lemon curd for a Lemon Bakewell Tart. There’ll be a practice one for us and a real one to take to a Barbecue party.

Last night we had chicken caesar salad.

Tonight and tomorrow we’re having pulled pork, mac and cheese, bbq baked beans and garlicky greens because it’s Father’s Day. Not a particularly hot weather meal. 😂

Tuesday is Spanish tapas like things, salad and chips.

Wednesday and possibly Thursday is minestrone soup and sourdough. Also not particularly hot weather appropriate but at least I don’t have to turn on the oven. I have a lot of dry beans to use up.

I saw a reel about Scandinavian summer soup which looks lovely.
It's not crazy hot here yet, but i made hummus, the rest of the tin went into a sweet potato chickpea and onion fried mix with middle eastern spices, halloumi and crudites last night.
Buggered if I know rest of week.

I’ll be utilising my slow cooker this week

Currently there is a chicken in it with garlic, lemon and baby potatoes.

Others meals will be Mexican pulled pork with tortilla wraps
Slow cooked gammon
and giant meatballs

All accompanied by lots of salad, wraps, crusty bread etc.

I’m thinking salad, salad and more variations of
pasta and pesto
potatoe
crustless quiches
cold meat and new potatoes
easy hot weather stuff nothing too “cooked” as it were x

I’ve just roasted a chicken so various options for that, there’s quiche, salad, tomatoes etc in the fridge as well as potato salad and various dressings. I have sourdough, flat breads, wraps etc. We’ll be fine I’m sure!