Filling Family Meals in the heat that aren't salads!

[MonkeyTennis34]

I would happily eat salads every night but the teens wouldn't!
DS217, particularly, likes something more substantial.

Any ideas?

Risotto
Frittata
Stir fries with noodles and rice and lots of veg and chopped chilli with the protein and maybe a handful of dry roasted peanuts or cashews.

I stay away from the hob and go for one pan in the oven dinners - chicken / new potatoes / peppers / paprika / herbs / olive oil is a fave.

I would cook orzo pasta and mix in a bacon or chicken salad

or couscous
or baby new potatoes or chips

He cooks his own?!

pasta?

Tuna nicoise - has the added extras of egg, tuna and potatoes.

Chicken caesar - could have as much chicken as required

Fajitas/tacos etc with microwave flavoured rice or nachos and salads.
Burgers/hot dogs
Fake Nandos type thing.
I have a friend who puts her slow cooker in the garden to do loads of things like pulled meats, Currys, chilli etc and if I had a garden I'd definitely be doing that.

Kebabs/koftas and salad..could serve the kebabs with chips,rice,pittas that way more substantial for teen but you get a salad too!
It's a regular meal in our house.
Tacos/salad
Any pasta dish with garlic bread
Pizza/salad

Brioche prawn rolls https://www.cookingwithdanie.com.au/recipes/brioche-prawns-rolls

Banh mi chicken baguettes https://www.hellofresh.co.uk/recipes/market/banh-mi-style-chicken-baguette-65cb8c0508f1b9082fbcc6a2

I live in a hot country and we regularly do 'summer roasts'. Spachcocked BBQ chook, baby new pots smashed with garlic butter and lightly roasted, two fresh veg salads eg Jamie Oliver green bean salad (warm) edamame salad. Even a wee cauli cheese.
Gorgeous in the sun.

If that says 17 years old, then on the days they don't want a salad they could cook for the family?

If your son is 217 how old are you ?
sorry I couldn't resist.

Koftas in folded flatbread with tabouleh and mediterrean style roasted veg is a winner in this house too.

If it's cooked on the hob it has to be quick (pasta, stir fry), otherwise maybe something in the slow cooker that can just do its thing all day?

BoredOfLunch (https://boredoflunch.com/) has some good recipes for slow cooker and air fryer.

To be honest, we tend to eat the same as we do throughout the year, but I will often swap potatoes for rice. I like a salad for lunch, but not for dinner.

I'll still cook a roast, even if it's 30 degrees!

Barbeque if you have a garden. It doesn't need to be big or fancy. Just grill some meat to have with your salads.

Chicken thighs roasted in the oven with garlic, paprika & lemon, couscous/microwave rice, roasted Mediterranean veggies with garlic and herbs.

Veggie & cheese fritatta served with wraps and potato salad.

Noodle stir fry with veggies and chicken/pork/tofu/prawns.

Oven baked salmon with pak choi, soy, honey, chilli and garlic.

Is it that they want hot food? Or carbs?

Pasta salad and rice salad happen here.

Indian breads and chickpea confit from Otto lenghi.

Anything cooked in the pressure cooker, as it retains the heat so doesn't overheat the kitchen.

Pressure cooker chilli or curry with microwave rice does T heat up the kitchen for example.

Can have it with tortilla, nachos, salad.

Fritatta
Pasta with pesto and mushrooms
Potato, pasta or rice salads
Burgers in rolls
Gnocchi with parmesan and garlic butter
Sausages in hot dog buns
Grilled chicken drumsticks and thighs basted in bbq sauce, served with new potatoes

Puff pastry sheet, smear sun dried tomato paste/bechemel/pesto over it and top with tomatoes/ asparagus/tenderstem broccoli and mozzarella/brie/gorgonzola

And season.

Meatballs in a tomato based sauce, serve with microwave rice or fresh tagliatelle or gnocchi which only take moments to cook.

Falafel served with puy lentils, use tinned lentils for convenience and add things like diced peppers, finely chopped celery or radishes, chopped tomatoes or olives for interest.

Frankfurters, bratwurst etc served with haricot beans, use the jars of ready cooked beans for convenience. Add onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers etc to the beans if liked.

We go greek. Flatbreads loaded with marinade chicken, kofta, gyros etc

BBQ. I cook pretty much anything on the bbq.

I eat a lot of couscous and bulgur in the summer. goes well with grilled seafood, chicken or steak.

I toss the couscous with loads of fresh herbs, lemon zest/ lemon juice, sumac, veggies etc
summery pasta with summer veggies. my current fav is to melt some anchovies in the oil they come in, fry off chilli flakes and garlic. add asparagus or brocoli or any other green veggies. I then put in some pasta water and cooked spaghetti. finish off with lemon juice and zest. gorgeous

also platters with flat bread, hummus, baba ganoush etc

Jamie Olivers quick flatbreads (flour and yoghurt) with pates, cold meat, cheese, etc. Or used instead of rice with a curry or chili I do in the instant pot.

😂 I'm 253!!