Too Hot To Cook?

It's July in Texas which means it's too hot to cook. It's bad enough to be in front of the stove canning, so I really don't want to cook on top of that.

Many times, we prefer to have a slightly bigger lunch and skip the big meal in the evening.

Other times, we have to eat something if we missed lunch because we were busy working outside. So what are two hot Texans to do?

I have an arsenal of meal ideas when it's too hot to cook. Here are our favorites.

Sandwiches

Boring, right? Not always. Some of our favorite hot weather sandwiches are:

• Chicken salad


• Pastrami, Ham, or Roast Beef


• Grilled cheese


• Tuna fish salad


• Avocado sandwich

The trick to turn a blah sandwich to an ahh sandwich are the extras. Go for the good bread. Greg loves rye. I love croissants. Splurge on the good cheese. Unless you like plain old American cheese, try edam, Swiss, or provolone.

Go the extra mile with fresh lettuce, sweet onions, and crisp pickles. Greg also likes to add hearty potato chips.

Salads

Greg gives me the evil eye when I mention salad. For his benefit, I try to add some chopped ham, or steak slices if he forces me to stay in front of the stove. For me, I'm happy with very simple fare. It's not just lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers either. Try:

• Pasta salad. These are so incredibly easy. The only thing is that you have to boil the pasta ahead of time so you can chill it. Add cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, green onions, feta cheese, and chopped parsley, then toss with your favorite vinaigrette dressing.


• Quinoa Tabbouleh. You can use other grains, like bulgur or couscous, but I'm partial to quinoa. It comes together much like the pasta salad above, but instead of vinaigrette dressing, you use 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and a 1/4 cup olive oil mixed with 4 cloves of minced garlic. That's it! The lemony dressing is so refreshing on a hot day.


• Cold Nacho Plate: A little more labor intensive, but cool and refreshing. Here's my recipe.

Mexican

Mexican meals can be super quick. Think tacos, quesadillas, or tostadas

• Tacos. When I'm in a rush and don't want to stand in front of the stove. I take out a little hamburger, crumble and brown it with taco seasoning, then put it in a bowl. On another plate, I have heaping portions of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and pickled (or roasted) jalapenos, along with slices of lime. The last covered dish is a stack of lightly fried corn tortillas. Anyone who's been to my house knows to make their own. All the accoutrements are there.


• Quesadillas. Super simple. Take large flour tortillas, warm on one side, flip them, then add a big helping of good quality cheese. We like edam, but shredded cheddar is good too. If you're a little hungrier than that, fry a few strips of steak, onions and peppers and stuff your quesadilla.


• Tostadas. Greg doesn't like these as much as I do unless I do them in beef. I prefer refried beans. Put canned refried beans in a microwavable bowl, heat until hot. Spread on a crisp corn tortilla, and top with shredded cheese.

The Grill

My favorite because Greg does the cooking here. If you know it's going to be a hot and busy week, use the weekend to grill up a big array of food. Chicken, ribs, sausages, brisket, whatever your favorite. After you've chowed down for the day, finish the rest during the week. Only one day of cooking and that's outside. Don't forget the beer or sangria. :)

What do you like to eat when it's too hot to cook?

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