In the summer, we really like to eat simply most evenings. When it's 110, you don't exactly feel like slaving over a hot stove for hours. So, what are some of your go-to simple meals? Bonus if they're kid-friendly. Thanks!
Southwest Cobb salad. Just chop up whatever you like and lay it out in rows. People can take whatever they want for their salad. I made a dressing of ranch and salsa mixed together--it sounds gross, but it was actually good.
Grill a flank steak, sliced peppers and onions, and make fajitas.
Grilled pizza and wings
London broil or steaks Burgers or veggie burgers
Gyros with grilled chicken or beef Salad with chicken, shrimp, or salmon Grilled chicken Cesar salad wraps White fish wrapped in a foil packet with butter and lemon
TJ fried rice with an egg on top I like to marinate a bunch of different meat and then portion it up in the freezer so I only have to take a bag out in the morning and grill when I get home. We have a grill pan for veggies too and usually do them pretty simply with evoo and s&p on them) - the girls' favorites are carrots, cauliflower, asparagus, and brussels sprouts (which I think are kind of hard on the grill).
When none of us are really feeling like a big dinner, we do "picky plates."
This involves me putting out plates of veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, ring bologna or pepperoni, fruit, or whatever else is easy and on-hand. Then we all just pick at them for dinner.
The kids love picky plate night. Sometimes we will put a picnic blanket in the living room and eat our snacks while watching a movie.
Mom of the year!
eta-- we also have a lot of BLTs and sweet corn in July and August.
- Happy herbivore black bean burgers with a side salad or fries - Any kind of pasta - in summer, you can make ahead and eat a chilled pasta salad - Substantial salads, sometimes with garlic bread on the side, like caesar salad with shrimp - Any kind of bowls - I like rice and black bean, topped with salsa, sour cream, cheese, green onion, avocado. Whatever. I buy the frozen brown rice at Trader Joes, which takes 3 minutes in the microwave, or you can make and freeze your own in small containers.
Post by dr.girlfriend on May 26, 2015 11:35:32 GMT -5
(As probably 99% of this board already knows...)My absolute favorite summer meal is this peach-basil-mozzarella salad. I use the little Celigene (sp)? mozzarella cheese chunks from Trader Joe's. Fresh mozzarella is essential, but otherwise it's so easy and tasty.
Ingredients (serves 4)
3 ripe peaches (peeled, if desired)
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
1.Cut each peach into 6 to 8 wedges, then cut each wedge in half crosswise.
2.In a large bowl, combine the peaches, basil, and mozzarella. Drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and toss. (You can cover and refrigerate the salad for up to several hours.) Serve cold or at room temperature.
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches: 2 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken Breasts 1/4 cup bbq sauce 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional) 4 Hamburger Buns Combine Chicken, BBQ Sauce and Chili powder in sauce pan and heat to serving temperature. Spoon into Hamburger Buns.
Another who does cold plates of fruit and cheese and a bunch of salads. Strawberries, spinach, toasted pecans in a poppy seed dressing Arugula, romaine, cherries, peaches, chopped walnuts in a walnut vinaigrette tomato-basil-mozzerella with a balsamic vinaigrette strawberries-mint-cucumber salad in a champagne vinaigrette melon salad: cantaloupe, watermelon, honey dew tossed with ginger ale. Watermelon arugula: www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/watermelon-feta-and-arugula-salad-with-balsamic-glaze-353890 When I need dinner in a hurry, it ends up being gussied up grilled cheese. Grilled cheddar with sliced tomatoes, Grilled smoked gouda with caramelized onions and grilled brie with sliced strawberries (red grapes work in the fall too).
Ingredients: 2 slices sprouted whole-grain bread 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 oz roasted red bell pepper strips 1 slice medium tomato ¼ cup fresh arugula ¼ cup shredded smoked gouda cheese (1 oz) ½ tsp. olive oil
Preparation: 1. Spread mustard on one slice of bread. 2. Top with pepper strips, tomato, arugula, cheese, and second slice of bread. Set aside. 3. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. 4. Add sandwich; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip, then cook for 3 to 4 more minutes or until cheese has melted.
I eat a lot of salads, both traditional vegetable salads and cold grain or pasta salads. Anything that needs to be cooked, I limit to things that can be grilled or in my rice cooker, LOL.
Some of my favorites "real" meals are:
-shrimp, bell peppers, onions and garlic gloves marinated in a light dressing of soy sauce, honey, and crushed red pepper flakes tossed in a grill basket; grilled asparagus; serve both over brown rice from the rice cooker
-grilled pizzas (make or buy premade dough, oil the grill grates, cook dough on one side, flip and add favorite toppings, grill for another 5-6 minutes or so)
Post by doctorsbaby on May 26, 2015 13:13:29 GMT -5
We don't do a lot on the grill in the summer because it is just too hot to be outside and use it unless we wait until the sun goes down. I do large quantity meats in the crockpot, chicken, beef or pork and add either salsa or rotel tomatoes for mexican style or bbq sauce. Then I will portion them out into dinner portions and freeze. All I have to do is pull it out of the freezer in the morning, toss in a frying pan to warm at dinner at add tortillas or buns. I also try to do double portions of meals like chili that freeze well so that I don't have to cook every night.
Post by Balki.Bartokomous on May 26, 2015 14:04:28 GMT -5
We do simple things on the grill: salmon, chicken, veggies (including grilled romaine - yum).
Also, I typically keep our Turkish breakfast stuff in a tray in the fridge & we can easily pull it out for dinner: cheese, bread, olives, cold cuts, veggies, dolma.
I haaate scrubbing pans so both of these really help cut down on cleanup time.
Burrata, tomatoes, and crunchy baguette with olive oil
where do you get burrata?
Either the specialty cheese store or Whole Foods for us. You can just use fresh mozzarella if you can't find burrata. We live in a food mecca so if we can't find it, it's not available anywhere.
Either the specialty cheese store or Whole Foods for us. You can just use fresh mozzarella if you can't find burrata. We live in a food mecca so if we can't find it, it's not available anywhere.
I'm fairly certain Trader Joes has it too. I also live near a Wegmans, and they have it.
Post by dr.girlfriend on May 26, 2015 15:14:42 GMT -5
Oh, on that note -- this is my new favorite (and very bad for me) quick-and-easy dinner.
Ricotta cheese, warmed in the microwave, with a little ground salt and this on top:
It's this amazing, smoky, bacon-y (but no meat in it) flavoring that comes in a grinder from Trader Joe's. Then cut up a piece of nan bread (also from Trader Joe's), pan-fry it in a little butter, and dip it in the ricotta. It's soooooooo good. You could do the bread in the oven or even just skip that step, but I think you definitely want the bread and cheese warmed.
There's a wine bar near me that does a ricotta appetizer that's SO good and addictive. I was like, "I'm going to try to recreate that at home." Bad idea. I ate it every night for a week, gained three pounds, and now I'm banned.
chicken salad on croissants (all bought at grocery store on the way home) Grilled cheese foil packets on the grill (meat, veggies) Cereal Pasta salad with cold chicken
Oh, on that note -- this is my new favorite (and very bad for me) quick-and-easy dinner.
Ricotta cheese, warmed in the microwave, with a little ground salt and this on top:
It's this amazing, smoky, bacon-y (but no meat in it) flavoring that comes in a grinder from Trader Joe's. Then cut up a piece of nan bread (also from Trader Joe's), pan-fry it in a little butter, and dip it in the ricotta. It's soooooooo good. You could do the bread in the oven or even just skip that step, but I think you definitely want the bread and cheese warmed.
There's a wine bar near me that does a ricotta appetizer that's SO good and addictive. I was like, "I'm going to try to recreate that at home." Bad idea. I ate it every night for a week, gained three pounds, and now I'm banned.
I just had sheep's milk ricotta with oil and balsamic at a restaurant last night, served with this delicious grilled bread. So good! I've been daydreaming about making something like it.
We love TJ's just cooked chicken and frozen turkey meatballs. And their individual quiches. Quesadillas, sandwiches, snack platters.
I also love to make Bisquik impossible pies. Green chile and cheese, veggie, ground beef, Feta and tomato.... Tasty and good cold or at room temp. Add salad and done.
You all make some pretty impressive "simple" dinners. lol
I eat a lot of cottage cheese and garden tomatoes on the side of every meal in the summer, chop salads, raw vegetables and dip, avocado and egg burritos, roasted vegetables with some good cheese in a panini. Nom.