Baby, it’s hot in here, and the last thing we want to do is turn on the oven, whether we’re trying to save energy with the AC, or sweating it out without one.
But you still gotta eat! What to do? Sure, you could get takeout, again, but what if you’re trying to save money (not to mention all that wasteful packaging) by cooking at home. Even if you aren’t on a budget, it beats eating sad, soggy takeout fries that have been steaming in their bag for half an hour on their way to you.
Here’s some inspiration and summer meal ideas for ways to get dinner on the table without turning up the heat in your house!
Bowl Me Over: Grain Bowl Ideas for any Meal
There’s a reason that grain bowls are everywhere right now… it’s a great way to meal prep healthy food without eating the exact same thing every day.
Start by bulk cooking one or two grains & legumes, either with neutral seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic, and stock or a flavor base of your choice- we like chicken or beef, but vegetable base is good too if you are feeding vegetarians…).
Rice (brown rice, jasmine, basmati, masoori, sushi/sticky rice, black rice, red rice, yellow rice… mix it up!)
quinoa
farro
kasha
whole oat groats
wheat berries
bulghur
lentils
black beans
chickpeas…
The only limit is your imagination (and what’s available near you). Use these grains and legumes as a base to build your bowls. By varying the toppings, you can have different meals using the same base ingredients. Here are some of our favorites!
Burrito Bowls
Spanish rice or quinoa (add a can of rotel and chili powder or achiote seasoning to taste to the rice cooker, and reduce the liquid by one cup to account for the liquid in the rotel)
Black, pinto, or mayacoba beans, whole or mashed/refried
Shredded, finely chopped or thinly sliced veggies (we like cabbage, carrots, romaine, green onion, radishes, jicama, or peppers)… fresh or crispy refrigerator pickles are good too, especially pickled jalapenos and carrots!
Shredded or crumbled cheese- try grated chihuahua, panela, pepper-jack, shredded mexi-blend, cheddar, or other melting cheese, or crumbled queso fresco
Top with a dollop of plain yogurt, sour cream, or crema
Add chopped meats on top if you have them- rotisserie or shredded cooked chicken, thinly sliced grilled or pan-seared steak, chorizo, canned meats like chicken, chipotle beef or venison, or even fish are fantastic ways to boost the protein.
Don’t forget the hot sauce! Mild or spicy, this adds a tangy zip and acidic tang.
You can use fresh lime wedges for acidity (especially if you can’t take the heat from hot sauce).
Curry Bowls
Basmati rice, either plain or cooked with coconut milk, turmeric, green peas, or curry leaf
Lentils, dal, chickpeas, or other pulses (use your instant pot or canned beans, or heat-and-eat curry packets)
Shredded fresh or pickled veggies (cabbage, carrots, romaine, green onion, radishes, hot peppers)
There are tons of delicious cold noodle salad recipes, but these sesame soba noodles with shiitake mushrooms are one of our favorites for easy summer meal prep. You can also use rice, udon, mung bean, or “miracle” noodles for cold salads.
Other ideas for things to add to your cold noodle salads:
sesame oil, soy sauce, and mirin dressing
tahini or peanut butter
fresh or pickled veggies
pickled ginger
pickled, poached, steamed or soft boiled egg
add diced rotisserie chicken, tofu (crispy, grilled, or marinated fresh tofu for variety), or shelled edamame for a protein boost
Jazzed-up Ramen
Start with fresh or instant ramen, and add toppings, seasonings, and protein to make it a complete meal!
add fresh or frozen veggies, or dried mushrooms
frozen, canned, or rotisserie chicken, shrimp, pork belly (uncured bacon) or soft or crispy fried tofu
add sriracha, chili oil or chili crisp, toasted sesame oil, or black garlic oil
poached (cook in the broth right after adding the noodles) or soft-boiled egg
add a slice of cheese to the hot cooked noodles, then pour over the broth to make cheese ramen- sounds weird, I know, but it’s delicious!
garnish with dried seaweed or chopped greens
Stir Fry Bowls with Noodles or Rice
Precooked or Quick-cooking Meat, Fish, or Tofu
Veggies (fresh or frozen)
Oyster sauce, garlic soy sauce, or your favorite stir-fry sauce
Serve over sticky rice or rice noodles
Or, use leftover rice to make a quick wok-fried rice with meat, veggies, scrambled egg… whatever you have in the fridge. It’s a great way to use up leftovers!
Dim Sum for Dinner
Whether frozen or homemade, an assortment of steamed or pan-fried little filled things are one of our favorite summer dinner ideas when we don’t want to turn on the oven. Serve with a side of rice or a salad and homemade or packaged dipping sauces for an easy weeknight meal or festive feast.
Feel free to mix and match dishes from different cultures. Can you serve Tibetan momo with Japanese gyoza and Korean BBQ-filled pork buns? Sure, the food police aren’t coming to stop you.
I’ll tag recipes for versions of some of my favorites as I get them posted but you can’t go wrong with the recipes in Andrea Nguyen’s book, Asian Dumplings.
pork, vegetable, or fish dumplings or momo- microwave frozen ones or heat frozen or homemade ones in a steamer basket
pot stickers- quick to cook in one pan on the stovetop- brown, add water, cover, and steam
steamed buns or bao- you can microwave frozen ones or heat frozen or homemade ones in a steamer basket (or pick them up from your favorite local bao place if you’re lucky enough to have one)
vegetable, pork, or shrimp egg rolls (pan-fried, air-fryer, or toaster oven… you can microwave them in a pinch, but they’ll be soggy)
jammy steamed eggs with flavored salt
tea eggs (hard boiled eggs marinated in soy sauce, tea, rice wine, and ginger)
Crock-pot or instant pot congee (garnish with diced rotisserie chicken or tofu, sliced scallions, and veggies)
pan-seared shishito peppers with sesame oil, sesame seeds, and soy
Breakfast for Dinner
The classic resort of tired parents is always a hit with kids, but great for grown-ups too. If you’re totally beat, you can just have a bowl of cereal (chefs do it all the time, especially after a long, sweaty shift on the line)! But if you’ve got a bit more energy or want something more substantial, try these…
Pancakes, Waffles, or French Toast
Make these from scratch if you can, but a quality mix is also good… or Eggo can save you if you have zero spoons (only knives).
Scrambled eggs and toast… add veggies or crumbled breakfast sausage and cheese for a more substantial meal
Spanish fritatta, with sliced or diced potatoes and chorizo, finished covered on low heat on the stove-top to cook through and set egg (this may need a minute or two under the broiler, especially if you want to finish it with bubbling cheese on top)
Whether you make a nice sauce from scratch, pick up a jar of your favorite commercial sauce, or pull from your stash of home-canned ragu, boiling up a pot of pasta is a pretty solid way to get dinner on the table fast. This isn’t the time to make an all-day Bolognese ragu.
Toss your noodles with a fresh pesto, chopped garden-fresh heirloom tomatoes, sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, and other chopped fresh veggies, a light and fresh tomato sauce, or a light white wine and cream sauce.
Ok, so you do have to stand in front of the stove for awhile for this one, but you can be sipping a chilled glass of white wine while you stir, and when you’re done, you get to eat risotto, so how bad can it be?
This substantial saffron-tinted rice-based dish can be as light or as substantial as you like… Seafood, meat, and chorizo are traditional, along with veggies, and it cooks on your stove top or even on an open fire or grill.
You need a big, heavy skillet and a lid or baking sheet to cover it… it doesn’t have to be a paella pan, but if you have one, certainly now is the time to use it!
Homemade rice-a-roni, a perfect one-pot homemade meal or hearty side dish… it’s pretty easy to make your own vermicelli rice, either plain, or with added veggies, beans, lentils, or meat to make it a meal.
If you have a griddle or other large pan (preferably cast iron) you can make all manner of flatbread, baked on your stove top or even in a toaster oven. Fresh flatbreads are a staple in almost every culture for a reason- they’re cheap and quick to make, and can be prepared with minimal equipment and fuss.
They’re the foundation of many cuisines and will elevate just about anything you serve with them. Instant pot butter chicken, dal, or saag paneer? Great. But with fresh hot buttermilk na’an, brushed with garlic butter? Fan-freakin’-tastic!
Taco Tuesday? Yes, please, give them to me. But build those tacos on homemade, still warm tortillas? You are winning at the game of life, my friends.
Tortillas are a perfect shortcut to an easy summer meal, and can enclose and enfold almost any filling you can imagine. You can make or buy these made with corn masa, wheat flour, whole grains, or a combination of these.
They’re especially delicious as a wrapper for grilled meats but you can sear your meat and veggies on the stovetop too if you don’t have tacos from rotisserie chicken, canned or leftover meats, or just make simple quesadillas with melted cheese, veggies, and beans or eat for added protein.
Instant Pot “Baked” Potatoes or Squash
Steam-bake veggies like baked potatoes or squash in your instant pot, using the trivet and an inch or so of water in the bottom of the pot.
Serve as a side dish for grilled or pan-seared meat or fish, or top them to make a hearty main dish summer meal.
Loaded “Baked” Russet or Sweet Potatoes
Chili, shredded cheese, chopped red or green onions, sour cream, and hot sauce
Bacon (or veggie “bacon” bits), butter, green onions or chives, sour cream or plain yogurt, fresh ground black pepper
Steamed broccoli, cheddar or Parmesan cheese, and butter
Stuffed Acorn or Delicata Squash
Par-“bake” or steam in an instant pot or stove-top steamer
Fill with cooked quinoa, couscous, feta or gruyere, or just brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.
Salad Days
On the very hottest days, even using the stove top may seem like too much. These are days where entree salads shine.
Sometimes you need to do a little meal prep when it’s cooler (before the heat-wave hits, or in the early morning or cool evening before the mercury climbs too high)… steam or boil some eggs, poach some chicken breasts, or cook pasta for pasta salads. Or skip even that and pick up a rotisserie chicken or two along with your heads of lettuce or bags of baby greens.
Bulk up the salad with roasted nuts, canned tuna, smoked trout or salmon, canned marinated vegetables or fridge pickles, grated or crumbled cheese, marinated tofu, or whatever you fancy.
Chef’s Tip: How to Get the Most Utility Out of your Rotisserie Chickens
Meal prep tip, if you’re buying rotisserie chickens to save yourself from turning on that oven! While your rotisserie chickens are still warm, as soon as you bring them home, portion them out. I know, it’s the last thing you want to do after hauling in all the groceries, putting them away, and wrangling the kids or pets or whatever else you had to do. But trust me! It will never be easier to do than while they’re still warm, and if you work quickly, it’s better from a food safety perspective too.
Slice the legs, wings, and thighs off and both breasts. They’ll cool faster that way (which is safer, and will make them last longer without spoiling). It’s easier to separate them and pick the remaining meat off the carcass for maximum yield, so it will save you money too!
Wear nitrile gloves if your chicken is still hot or let them cool just enough to handle. Cool the breasts a bit before dicing and they’ll slice more neatly and stay together (this is only a concern if the chicken is very hot and you had a short commute home, otherwise, get it portioned and in the fridge asap).
After you separate out the light and dark meat, throw the bones and wing-tips in a gallon ziploc bag in the freezer so that you can make stock on a cooler day.
Save your veggie trimmings as well- bits of onion, carrot and celery trimmings – not the peels, which can make your stock bitter, but the odd bits that aren’t nicely diced or are going to go off in the fridge before you use them otherwise, mushroom peels and stems, and parsley or other neutral herb stems… use these when you make stock or veggie broth, and then use this to cook your grains and rice, as well as in homemade soups and sauces.
