Summer foods

[Tessa]

The hottest months of the year are upon us, and where I live, grilled foods and cold foods are a must. What are some of your favorite summer dishes? I always like to make summer meals with a salad, but it's nice to mix things up.

 

[Kateri]

I know exactly what you mean. It gets too hot to make things inside in the oven or on the stove, so cooking outdoors is a must. I usually make a steak salad that uses baby red potatoes and lettuce and even a shrimp salad with homemade dressing. Their light meals and don't take long to prepare which is perfect for the summer months.

 

[rayne]

I cook everything possible on the grill and pair it with a nice salad. If baked potatoes are on the menu, they are done in the microwave and of course the salad is done early in the morning and is in the fridge.

 

[Tessa]

I could really go for things like cucumber and potato salad. I love chicken salad, but I've yet to find a way to make it healthy enough to eat all the time. Maybe it's all in portion control. I think having cold fruit on the side might be a good addition too.

 

[DipsyDo]

A good cold watermelon on a hot day is just wonderful. We eat lots of salads and sandwiches during the summer. When we do grill out, we usually eat on the patio right off the grill.

 

[Thyme2]

We love salads in the summer with garden fresh vegetables and whatever meat we grill. If it is too hot to even cook we will make sandwiches too. My favorite summer salad is cucumber, tomato and mozzarella cheese with a light oil and vinegar dressing.

 

[Sandstarlover]

I see that the last posts were last year, so I hope that no one minds if I contribute for the first time this year!
I live in Florida. Winter is done here, and Spring is upon us. While there are still some days under 80 degrees, right now we are experiencing Summer-like temperatures! I have been craving cool summer meals. Here are a few that I have prepared in the last week:

Greek Salad with Simple Greek Grilled Chicken
Fahitas on Pitas with Avocados and Mexican Rice
Humus, Left-over Pitas on the Grill with Taboulah

As you can see, I've been on a Greek kick, but the Greeks really know how to keep cool in the hot sun!
I make my own Greek salad, with Greek and black olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion slivers, feta, and a standard pre-packaged salad including romaine, carrots, and red cabbage. I use a salad dressing like Ken's, but the secret to great tasting Greek dressing is: get ready - add a little of the water from the jar of Greek Olives! Really, it makes all the difference.

My fahitas are simple. I learned from the guy at my local Hispanic food store. Marinade a skirt steak with nothing but grated fresh garlic, oregano, salt, and olive oil. Slap them on a hot grill until medium-rare. While grilling, steam the onions and green peppers in the microwave for a few minutes, and then turn them on the grill as well. If you like sauce with your fahitas, I recommend buying one made by either Ortega or McCormick, mixing it up, and when you have just sliced your steak, put it all together in a pan with the green peppers and onions. Give it a quick heating, but do not allow it to sit as your meat will get tough. Pop it all in a pita and enjoy! (The pita soaks up more sauce, and doesn't drip like a tortilla!)

I love humus, but I rarely make it myself. Tribe makes a great variety of humus suitable for anyone's taste-buds. I also whip up my taboulah using the Near East brand mix. It's simple, and only requires a lemon and a tomato, although a cucumber in it is fantastic. It does take up to an hour to bulk up after you add water to the mix, so start a little early and just pop it in the fridge. The salad is so cool and refreshing, I've eaten it on its own as a main course.

 

[oportosanto]

No question that in the summer the best thing are cold foods, so nothing like a fresh salad to go along a bbq.