What’s the worst part about summer meals? It can feel too hot to cook. Thankfully, there are plenty of delicious dishes that you can make on those humid days and nights that don’t require the use of an oven or stove. Plus, they take advantage of one of the best parts about summer meals… fresh fruits and vegetables. You can use all the freshest ingredients from the farmer’s market for a satisfying, flavorful summer dish.

 

Cowboy Rice Salad – Recipe Tin Eats

This “salad” is diverse enough with ingredients and flavors that it can serve as a main dish for four or six people, or as a side dish for up to 10. The combination of sweet and savory, chopped vegetables, and added protein from the black beans makes this dish an explosion of flavor that will be sure to satisfy on any hot afternoon.  Serve immediately or make it a day ahead.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups brown or white rice, uncooked
  • 2 3/4 cups water

DRESSING:

  • 1/3 cup lime juice, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle powder (sub with smoked paprika + cayenne pepper)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove, minced)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • Black pepper

SALAD:

  • 1 red capsicum/bell pepper , diced
  • 1 green capsicum/bell pepper , diced
  • 1 small red onion , chopped
  • 1 x 400g (14oz) corn kernels , drained
  • 1 x 400g (14oz) black beans , drained and rinsed
  • 3 tomatoes , watery seeds removed then diced
  • 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped

 

How to Make It

  1. Place rice and water into a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Place lid on. When water starts simmering, turn down to low and simmer for 15 minutes until water has evaporated and rice is firm / tender cooked. Remove saucepan (lid on) from stove, stand for 10 minutes, fluff with fork. Cool to room temperature (transfer to large bowl and refrigerate to speed up process).
  2. Place Dressing ingredients in a jar, shake. Taste test, adjust to your taste.
  3. Place Salad ingredients and rice in a bowl. Drizzle with dressing. Toss, then serve.

 

Stone Fruit and Burrrata Salad: What’s Gaby Cooking

We’ll be honest, we never knew how popular burrata salads were until we started to look around for summer recipes. Apparently, they are a big deal. Burrata is a type of cheese. Mix that with fresh fruit and tomatoes and a tangy, sweet, homemade vinaigrette and you’ve got a winner. The ingredients for this recipe a little less mainstream, but you can plan ahead. Plus, it’s easy to make and doesn’t require any cooking. A loaf of crusty bread and a bottle of champagne will round out the meal.  

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 1 large ball of Burrata
  • 2 Nectarines cut into wedges
  • 2 Plums cut into wedges
  • 2 Peaches cut into wedges
  • 1 Heirloom tomatoes cut into wedges
  • 1 cup Heirloom cherry tomatoes
  • Sea Salt + Freshly cracked black pepper
  • Fresh Mint

For the Champagne Vinaigrette

  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

How to Make It

For the Salad

  1. On a large plate, arrange the nectarines, plums, peaches, and heirloom tomato wedges. Carefully rip the ball of burrata into pieces and scatter on top of the fruit along with the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a few baby leaves of fresh mint.
  2. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the champagne vinaigrette and serve immediately. Serve with extra vinaigrette if needed.

For the Champagne Vinaigrette

  1. Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a medium bowl and whisk together. Once combined, stream in the olive oil and continue to whisk until the vinaigrette comes together. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. This dressing can be stored and refrigerated for one week.

 

Vegi Italian Hoagies – Bon Appetit

Meat lovers might cringe at the thought of a vegetarian Italian hoagie (okay, you can slap on a few cuts of salami if you really want to), but you can’t beat the freshness and seasoning. It’s a cinch to make so it makes a perfect sandwich for when you’re tight on time or just walked in from being gone all day.  

Ingredients

  • 1 cup drained jarred giardiniera, finely chopped, plus some brine from the jar
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 4 8-inch soft Italian sub rolls, split
  • 4 large meaty tomatoes, sliced ½ inch thick
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 head of iceberg lettuce, thinly shredded
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive oil (for drizzling)

How To Make It

  1. Mix giardiniera into mayonnaise in a small bowl.
  2. Thickly spread some giardiniera mixture over the bottom half of each roll.
  3. Top each with tomato slices; season with salt.
  4. Layer on a thick tuft of shredded lettuce; season lettuce with salt, pepper, and a splash of reserved giardiniera brine (about 1 Tbsp. per sandwich).
  5. Drizzle with oil.

 

Chicken and Guacamole Tostadas – My Recipes.com

All of these ingredients can be picked up at the farmer’s market or grocery store, even the pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, for an easy dinner assembly. Make it a complete fiesta with margaritas (check out this recipe) and black corn tortilla chips.

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe peeled avocado
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato, divided
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh onion, divided
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño pepper
  • 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 8 (6-inch) corn tostada shells

How to Make It

  1. Place avocado in a small bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato, 1 tablespoon onion, 1 tablespoon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and garlic.
  2. Combine remaining 1 cup tomato, 2 tablespoons onion, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and jalapeño; toss well.
  3. Combine chicken, remaining 1 tablespoon juice, and paprika; toss well to combine. Spread about 1 tablespoon guacamole over each tostada shell; top each with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and about 2 tablespoons salsa.

 

Lemon Layered Pie – Taste of Home

Is there anything more refreshing than lemon on a hot summer day? Lemonade, lemon sorbet, lemon and water. This easy-to-make lemon layered pie only needs to be refrigerated for 15 minutes before serving. The perfect light dessert for the end of a summer meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 can (15-3/4 ounces) lemon pie filling, divided
  • 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)

How to Make It

  1. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
  2. Beat in half of the pie filling.
  3. Fold in the whipped topping. Spoon into crust.
  4. Spread remaining pie filling over cream cheese layer.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.