Easy Hot Weather Meals

Summer has finally come to British Columbia! Suddenly, the kitchen is sweltering and the idea of cooking is very unappealing. Besides ordering pizza, here are some ideas for eating cool:

Gazpacho: Cold soup is easy to make and refreshing. There are a lot of recipes online, but for a quick meal, we like just combining Happy Planet Tuscan Tomato Soup with diced green onions, cucumber, fresh herbs, and a splash of vinegar. Add some chile powder or Tabasco for a bit of a bite.

Quinoa Salad: The disadvantage to potato or pasta salads is the boiling water required to cook the carb. Quinoa, however, can be made in a rice maker, making it easy to make without even having to stir a boiling pot once in a while. Quinoa is high in protein, making for a very satisfying salad, and it is fairly neutral in flavour, making it versatile. Try it in your favourite pasta salad recipe or instead of bulgur wheat in tabouli.

Bean Salad: Another one with a lot of recipes online, and super-simple to make without heat if you start with canned beans. For the easiest meal, just open a can of mixed beans, rinse and drain really well, add your favourite salad dressing and diced veggies and fresh herbs. Or take a can of rinsed and drained black beans and combine with salsa , cubed avocado and mango, and maybe a bit of fresh cilantro or parsley.

Bar-b-que Pizza: Think outside of the oven and put your homemade pizza (maybe using a par-baked pizza crust) on the bar-b-que instead. And think about what else you can do on the bar-b-que: there are stir-fry woks, dutch ovens, and many other accessories to cook your whole meal on the open grill. My friends swear by bar-b-qued nachos!