Summer meal ideas... Please list yours.

[LovesTimone]

Some of you folks know that I live in Florida, in Winter Garden. Which for you folks that don't know that's right behind WDW, we can see and hear the fireworks most nights.

Right now it is so humid, and hot. That the last thing I want to do is cook, or eat really heavy meals.
So I am in search of something new to try for summer, we do grill out all the time like 4 or 5 nights a week. DH calls grilling his therapy at the end of the day...

So bring on those family summer favorites

I will share one of my family's favorites cold salad. I love it because you can change it up so many ways, from the type of pasta to the ingredients that you throw in.

Orzo and Tomato salad.

1 whole box of Orzo - cooked al dente...
2 containers of cherry or grapes tomatoes sliced in half and de-seeded, if you live in a area were you can easily get red, yellow and even purple tomatoes, chopped and de-seeded - when I go this route I will leave them in bigger pieces for a more rustic looks and make them the star of the show...
2 or 3 ribs of celery hearts, including the tops, sliced thin
2 or 3 green onions sliced thin
1 very small cucumber de-seeded or half of a seedless cucumber - peeled and sliced thinly. either zesty Italian or a cucumber ranch salad dressing... add in to consistency that your family likes.
Salt and pepper to taste...

I have added in Shrimp, Salmon, crab meat, and use a champagne dressing or a lighter dressing, homemade lemon dressing.
or
Throw in, pepperoni, salami, even left over ham - cube up, along with some feta or mozzarella, and olives( green and black or kalamata) and some fresh minced garlic( go easy on this) and using a Greek or Italian dressing.
or
You can add in other veggies, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, radishes, broccolini ( when I used the broccolini it did not stand up that well, when I used a Italian dressing it was fine for the day, but I did notice it getting really soft later in the day... so this might need to be left till right before serving to add in)
Or
Grilled chicken breast chopped up is another way to add in some protein.

I have used this for pot luck or parties, and just double the recipe.

 

[monorailsilver]

Broccoli and cavatelli:

Cooked broccoli, semi shredded
Cavatelli cooked but lately I have been using penne just because I usually have that.

In a pan I heat up EVOO and some garlic, I add some salt and some red pepper flakes, not too much unless you like it on the hotter side.

Then mix the oil/garlic mixture with the pasta and broccoli. I don't add too much oil but enough to coat it. I will add more salt as needed to taste. Add parmesian or romano sprinkle cheese when you serve it. We eat it cold and hot. My oldest who is not a broccoli fan love it.

It is trial and error on the amount you need to add. I will do 2 heads of broccoli with 2 boxes of pasta.

Chicken, basil, tomato, cheese:

Don't know if it has a name or not but I roll up thinly sliced chicken breast with a piece of basil and a slice of tomato in the center and tooth pick it rolled/closed and then grill it (or bake in oven). Once nearly cooked, I top it off with a slice of mozzarella or smoked mozz or gouda (or any cheese of your choice). My dh doesn't want the cheese so he slathers his in BBQ sauce.

 

[Narnia_girl]

I joke that celery with peanut butter is my idea of "cooking" in the summer.


One of our favorite light dishes is Southwestern Quinoa Salad. It's great alone, scooped up with tortilla chips or with grilled chicken.

NGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa cooked according to package directions (you can cook quinoa in either water or chicken stock to add a little more flavor)
• 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 14 ounce can corn, drained
• 1/2 of a large red bell pepper
• 4 green onions, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Juice from 2 limes
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook 1 cup quinoa according to package directions. I like to cook my quinoa in either vegetable stock or chicken stock to add a little flavor. I also like to rinse it before I cook it. To do this, just place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under water for a few minutes.
2. When the quinoa is done cooking, fluff it with a fork, transfer it to a large bowl, and allow it to cool completely (about 15 minutes).
3. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, black pepper and salt.
4. When the quinoa has cooled, add in black beans, corn, red bell pepper, chopped green onions, and cilantro.
5. Stir in dressing and toss to coat.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Leftovers the next day are even better!
7. Enjoy!

 

[leebee]

Get some nice garden tomatoes, some mozzarella, and some fresh basil. Slice the tomatoes and the mozzarella and lay them out on a plate, overlapping, alternating slices of tomato with slices of cheese. Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle it over. Drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or balsamic glaze) and hit it with a few grinds of fresh pepper and salt. Slice up a baguette to serve with (to dunk in that yummy olive oil) or toast the baguette slices. This makes a great "side" dish with grilled chicken, pork, or fish. I love summer cooking!

 

[arminnie]

My DH refuses to grill in the summer because it is too hot. We of course do not grill when there is snow on the ground - but prefer to be outside during the moderate times of the year. But we can't grill in New Orleans anyway because of condo rules. Except during Mardi Gras when the streetcars are stopped we grill out on the neutral ground on St. Charles.

Except for no grilling in the heat I pretty much cook the same stuff in the summer. But we have a/c.

 

[EscalatorKid]

It doesn't *usually* get as hot/humid/gross in Western NY as it does in Florida, but sometimes, it does.

I have an Instant Pot, so that doesn't heat the house up while cooking like the oven does. I can throw in chicken breasts, salsa, broth, and seasonings and in 25 minutes, I open it, shred the chicken, stir it all back together, and serve on tortillas. Or toss in macaroni and broth, cook for 4 minutes, and then stir in some milk and shredded cheese and I've got macaroni and cheese.

I like doing cherry chicken salad: chunked grilled/baked chicken (or shredded rotisserie chicken works well, too) mixed with your mayo of choice, chopped pecans or walnuts, and chopped dried cherries or cranberries. I put a plop of that in the center of the plate, and then surround it with various fruits. I usually do grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe, watermelon, and strawberries. If I can get good blueberries or raspberries, I'll add them in place of cantaloupe since it's not my favorite melon. It's a nice refreshing summer dinner. Sometimes, I'll serve it with baguette chunks, rolls, or crackers.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

We of course do not grill when there is snow on the ground

Our favorite time to grill is when there is snow on the ground!!!

 

[barkley]

we grill allot in the summer as well. in addition to the traditional stuff we enjoy lamb kabobs which i make up using leg of lamb (prepurchased from costco and freezer batched in single meal size portions) which we apply olive oil and traditional lamb seasoning to. i use jarred korma or tiki marsala as dipping sauce.

we do lots of grilled veggies-again costco is my go to place where i get the big containers of crimini mushrooms and baby bells. oil and skewer them. we do some pineapple slices on occasion as well.

i like cold salads so we always have makings for caprice, and i also like a simple watermelon/mint/feta or waldorf. near east makes a good tabbouleh mix so i keep that on hand as well.

I like doing cherry chicken salad: chunked grilled/baked chicken (or shredded rotisserie chicken works well, too) mixed with your mayo of choice, chopped pecans or walnuts, and chopped dried cherries or cranberries

i like the same as well-if dh is doing up beer can or rotisserie chicken on the bbq one night i have him do a second separate chicken for just this purpose (and i keep an eye out for sales on whole body chickens to have a few in the freezer at any given time).

 

[tasha99]

I joke that celery with peanut butter is my idea of "cooking" in the summer.


One of our favorite light dishes is Southwestern Quinoa Salad. It's great alone, scooped up with tortilla chips or with grilled chicken.

NGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa cooked according to package directions (you can cook quinoa in either water or chicken stock to add a little more flavor)
• 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 14 ounce can corn, drained
• 1/2 of a large red bell pepper
• 4 green onions, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Juice from 2 limes
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook 1 cup quinoa according to package directions. I like to cook my quinoa in either vegetable stock or chicken stock to add a little flavor. I also like to rinse it before I cook it. To do this, just place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under water for a few minutes.
2. When the quinoa is done cooking, fluff it with a fork, transfer it to a large bowl, and allow it to cool completely (about 15 minutes).
3. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, black pepper and salt.
4. When the quinoa has cooled, add in black beans, corn, red bell pepper, chopped green onions, and cilantro.
5. Stir in dressing and toss to coat.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Leftovers the next day are even better!
7. Enjoy!

Thanks! I saved this to make sometime this summer--sounds excellent.

Get some nice garden tomatoes, some mozzarella, and some fresh basil. Slice the tomatoes and the mozzarella and lay them out on a plate, overlapping, alternating slices of tomato with slices of cheese. Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle it over. Drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or balsamic glaze) and hit it with a few grinds of fresh pepper and salt. Slice up a baguette to serve with (to dunk in that yummy olive oil) or toast the baguette slices. This makes a great "side" dish with grilled chicken, pork, or fish. I love summer cooking!

Hah--that's what our plan was for tonight.


We grill a lot in the summer.

Beef-- Korean style bbq beef (bulgogi), kalbi, steaks, carne asada (then put on tacos etc), burgers, kababs

Chicken-- One of my favorite recipes is very simple: mix one part brown sugar to one part salt. Rub this onto bone-in skin on chicken thighs and grill using
indirect heat. The key is to remember this is half salt--just rub a bit onto each thigh, don't go overboard. Very simple, but delicious rub. Charcoal>gas for smoky flavor, but both are good.

Pork-- Korean bbq pork (either of these recipes done on the grill) (https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dwaejibulgogi, https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dwaejigogi-bokkeum, Mongolian pork chops--we don't make the yellow mustard sauce, only the marinade (http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/mongolian-pork-chops-mustards-grill-378924#activity-feed)

Shrimp-- Skewers of various sorts. Made this for the first time a few days ago, and we liked it:
Indian green shrimp:
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/4-1/2 cup packed mint leaves
2 fresh green chilis (I used serranos)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt (to taste after blending--or fish sauce/salt if you feel like it)

Whir this up in the cup of an immersion blender with as much water as needed to make a paste, add salt to taste, then split in half. Marinate large shrimp in one of the marinade halves for 1 hour to overnight. Then, put on skewers (soaked in water if wood) and grill. Serve with remaining marinade. *The sauce is pretty hot, but we like it that way. You could use less chili or remove the seeds for it to be milder. I wrote to do it in an immersion blender cup because for me, there wasn't enough stuff for my regular blender (I had to move it all into the cup to get it to work).

 

[Dakota731]

I grill a ton of chicken breasts on a Monday then use them for three days meals: Caesar salad wraps, quesadillas , soup etc

 

[HeatherC]

We like salads....

Chefs Salad....romaine or iceberg with turkey or chicken, sliced hard boiled eggs, ham, chunks of cheese

Strawberry and Blueberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing. I also add some rotisserie chicken or Purdue Shortcuts for some protein.

Panzanella Salad...Chunks of Italian bread with tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, red onion, corn, olives, etc drizzled with olive oil and some balsamic vinegar or even Italian dressing.

 

[duketennisgal]

We grill a lot in the summer as well. Yes, it's hot outside but I would rather stand in the blazing heat and grill than stand in the kitchen and cook and then deal with all of the clean up after!

I grill most of my veggies, super easy just olive oil, salt and pepper and throw it on the grill!

One dish I love is grilled corn salad.

6 large or 7 medium ears of corn

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Feta, crumbled
• chopped fresh mint, cilantro or parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Set the grill to medium-high. Husk the corn. Grill 10 to 12 minutes, turning often, until charred in spots. Transfer to a cutting board and set aside to cool.

1. Cut the kernels off the cobb.
2. Put the corn, red onion and cheese in a medium salad bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss.
3. Add the fresh herbs and toss again. Taste and add salt and pepper. Serve.

 

[LovesTimone]

OP here,

I was talking to my mom about the great recipes everyone has shared, and she thought that I should have offered up, my roasted veggies and herb dip. My family likes the hot dish but almost prefers them cold almost like a salad and use's the herb dip or dressing for dipping them in. The thing is that its not really a recipe its more of a concoction that just happened. I normally do some type of roasted veggies for holidays. About 5 or 6 years ago, we were having a BBQ, so I thought that I would do a few make ahead dishes so that all I had to do was warm them up. Plus I had some veggies and herbs that I wanted to use up.

I had a couple of regular baking potatoes ( chunks), and a some small red skin potatoes ( sliced in half) or sweet potatoes( depending on the size into chunks) or use of all of them, baby carrots, mushrooms ( whole), onions ( red onions or frozen pearl onions ( thawed) work well to), brussel sprouts( sliced in half), squash (all kinds/ for the harder squash you can chunk them up), Broccoli and cauliflower - I have even thrown in some green beans or cut up extra ears of corn ( I have only used already cooked corn) and added to the pan. I normally roast in the oven, but I do enlisted DH to work his magic on the grill.

I use bottled - Honey Balsamic dressing, I have made my own a few time, but really the bottle dressing holds up better in my opinion. ( if you are making for a crowd 2 or 3 bottles)

Timing is important, and keeping everything the same size helps with the cooking time and doneness level. I will say that I have done 2 pans before one with the potatoes and hard squash, and one with the more delicate veggies.

400 degree oven - ( except for the last 5 to 10 minutes 450) I like to roast at a lower temp, to control the cooking time and the doneness factor. I want them done but not overdone so that they will hold up if you are warming them up, or eating cold to hold together.

Cooking time depends on if you are roasting a lot or just a small amount. Any where from 30 min's to a hour... cooking time does vary on the grill... Watch them closely...

Wash everything really good, and make sure everything is dry.

I normally start the potatoes first, then add in the other veggies, turning and basting with the Honey Balsamic dressing as you go. I wait to salt and pepper once I pull out the whole pan... while everything is hot...and I don't want to over salt the dish.

Cool completely and store for the next day. Then warm in a 325 degree oven or on the grill. Where eating them cold started was I was going to put them in the oven, and I had more guest arriving and once back in the kitchen I noticed that my daughter was like "these are so good like this", and had a plate with the herb dip on it, dipping them into it... so I poured them in a bowl, called in a cold salad, and sat the bowl of herb dip next to it and kept going.

As for the Herb Dip - again another concoction - I had a about 3/4 of a large container of sour cream, and a half package of dry hidden valley ranch mix, and about a 1/4 of a bottle of cucumber ranch dressing( small size), so I threw all of that into a bowl, and about half the juice of half a lemon( put in a little at a time, mix and taste, and repeat until you find the taste your looking for) Then I added in some fresh dill ( a little goes along way), chives or green onion tops sliced thin, basil, parsley, finely chopped, mix and taste, refrigerate over night...

Hopefully this all makes sense...

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I do alot of kabobs and sandwiches in the summer.

For kabobs I toss chicken, steak, corn cob slices, tomato, zucchini, squash in a bowl with olive oil and Montreal steak seasoning. Skewer them and grill.

For sandwiches I buy the thinner fillet chicken breasts and we grill them. I change up the toppings so we don't feel like we are having the same thing 3x a week. Some nights I do pesto, provolone, bacon on top. Another night maybe do it like a club with bacon, tomato, lettuce. Another night like a cordon bleu. Another night I use the air fryer for knock off chickfila. Another night shred the chicken and add ranch and cheddar then put on buns or in wraps. Do the shred trick with bbq sauce. Options are endless.
Serve your sandwich with some sliced cucumber and carrots. Dinner is served.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

We do a lot of sandwiches in the summer.

And we do grill year round. Always have, even living in PA, with snow on the ground. In fact, our tradition is baby back ribs on the grill for new years day.

But with all of the fresh fruits and veggies out, we do tend to have more grilled meat, corn on the cob and salads for dinner. Then for lunch the next day, we take the leftover meat and put it on the salad.

And fruit for breakfast.

 

[mmbrad02]

We grill some in the summer, but this thread got me to thinking and honestly I kind of feel like I actually just make summer meals a lot more simpler. Often we will eat cold deli meat sandwiches with chips and things like that (don't judge but my daughter chose cereal last night for dinner since we were doing a yoyo night), whereas in the winter we eat more comfort type food that bakes in the oven for an hour. My daughter is in softball and that, combined with the longer days we just stay busier and outside more, and in general just don't want heavy meals.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I'll admit that hot dogs become a summer meal of choice here. As a PP mentioned, there are so many awesome fruits and veg in the summer, and hot dogs are the perfect foil to surround with them. Today, we'll have strawberries/blueberries, a watermelon smoothie, and some coleslaw with our hot dogs. Other days, it's corn on the cob and sliced peaches and plums. Other days, it will be with a caprese salad and fresh watermelon. Other days, it will be with homemade potato salad and blackberries. The possibilities are endless!

I don't know what it is about an all-beef hot dog (yes, this is a requirement), but a single dog on a bun with relish, brown mustard, and some fresh red onion surrounded by fruits and veg is about the most perfect summer meal for me...

PS - And I boil the hot dogs, b/c that's the way I like (reminds of the ball park)...bonus points that the rest of the meal can be pre-prepped, and we head to the pool and get home in time to have a quick and delicious dinner on time...

 

[Hikergirl]

I joke that celery with peanut butter is my idea of "cooking" in the summer.


One of our favorite light dishes is Southwestern Quinoa Salad. It's great alone, scooped up with tortilla chips or with grilled chicken.

NGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa cooked according to package directions (you can cook quinoa in either water or chicken stock to add a little more flavor)
• 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 14 ounce can corn, drained
• 1/2 of a large red bell pepper
• 4 green onions, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Juice from 2 limes
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook 1 cup quinoa according to package directions. I like to cook my quinoa in either vegetable stock or chicken stock to add a little flavor. I also like to rinse it before I cook it. To do this, just place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under water for a few minutes.
2. When the quinoa is done cooking, fluff it with a fork, transfer it to a large bowl, and allow it to cool completely (about 15 minutes).
3. In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, black pepper and salt.
4. When the quinoa has cooled, add in black beans, corn, red bell pepper, chopped green onions, and cilantro.
5. Stir in dressing and toss to coat.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Leftovers the next day are even better!
7. Enjoy!

Thanks for posting this recipe, it is perfect to make ahead and bring camping with us this coming weekend.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I'll admit that hot dogs become a summer meal of choice here. As a PP mentioned, there are so many awesome fruits and veg in the summer, and hot dogs are the perfect foil to surround with them. Today, we'll have strawberries/blueberries, a watermelon smoothie, and some coleslaw with our hot dogs. Other days, it's corn on the cob and sliced peaches and plums. Other days, it will be with a caprese salad and fresh watermelon. Other days, it will be with homemade potato salad and blackberries. The possibilities are endless!

I don't know what it is about an all-beef hot dog (yes, this is a requirement), but a single dog on a bun with relish, brown mustard, and some fresh red onion surrounded by fruits and veg is about the most perfect summer meal for me...

PS - And I boil the hot dogs, b/c that's the way I like (reminds of the ball park)...bonus points that the rest of the meal can be pre-prepped, and we head to the pool and get home in time to have a quick and delicious dinner on time...

Hot dogs are definitely a staple here. And just like you, we boil them. If we are out, we will pick up chili from a local deli and chili cheese dogs.

 

[Dakota731]

Subs are fun and easy too. I get good rolls and a bunch of different meats and cheeses and everyone can make their own. With local tomatoes and lettuce they are cool and fresh!