Perhaps you’ve heard that old saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Well, let’s challenge that right now.
Perhaps you’ve heard that old saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Well, let’s challenge that right now.
It may be true that when the kitchen’s ambient temperature matches your heat tolerance, even the most zealous home chef may decide it’s just too hot to cook. But your grocery dollars will be quickly gobbled up if you eat out. Instead, try one of these almost-no-cooking, one-dish dinners that require little more than chopping a few ingredients or — at the most — boiling some water.
Tuscan tuna
and white bean salad
First, here’s a classic last-minute, no-cook, hearty main-dish salad supper that needs just a crusty hunk of bread to satiate your appetite. Makes 4 to 5 servings.
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
13-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1⁄3 cup chopped parsley
12-ounce can solid white tuna in water, drained and flaked
In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and rosemary. Add beans, tomatoes and parsley; toss gently. Stir in tuna and serve.
Fresh herb
tomato sauce
Next, this easy raw tomato sauce can be served over pasta, toasted bread slices or salad greens. (Use the best flavored tomatoes you can find; local and organic are usually the best choice.) Feel free to add chopped cured black olives, grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese. Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated magazine; makes 2 cups.
2 medium tomatoes, cut into medium dice
3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, cilantro, mint and oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1⁄4 cup virgin olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl, including salt and pepper to taste. Set aside at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Do not refrigerate because it will lose flavor.
Pasta with salmon and green beans
If you are willing to boil a pot of water and cut up some veggies, here’s a healthful combination of creamy, omega-rich and crispy ingredients that offer great mouth appeal and few calories; makes 4 to 5 servings.
1 can (6 ounce) red salmon, drained and separated into chunks
8 ounces small pasta shells
3⁄4 cup fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
2⁄3 cup finely chopped carrots (optional)
1⁄2 cup nonfat cottage cheese
3 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
1 1⁄2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons grated onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Place salmon in bowl; set aside. Boil pasta according to package directions. Add green beans during last 3 minutes of boiling. Drain pasta and green beans; rinse under cold water until cool. Add pasta, beans and carrots to salmon in bowl; combine. Put remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat evenly. Serve.
Thai shrimp
and papaya salad
If you like the marriage of sweet and spicy, this refreshing salad will please you. The version in “The Healthy Kitchen” by Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley calls for broiling raw shrimp; I’ve substituted precooked shrimp to save the oven heat. Makes 6 servings.
Prepare shrimp:
12 large, cooked, peeled shrimp
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1⁄4 teaspoon prepared chili paste
Put shrimp in a medium bowl and toss with sesame oil and chili paste; set aside.
Prepare papaya salsa:
1⁄2 cup or 1 bunch cilantro
1 cup cubed papaya
1⁄4 cup cubed red bell pepper
1⁄4 cup diced red onion
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
Pinch leaves off cilantro stems; discard stems. Put cilantro leaves in a small bowl with remaining salsa ingredients; mix thoroughly with a spoon. Toss shrimp into the salsa and stir until coated.
Prepare salad:
6 cups washed and dried baby mixed field greens
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1⁄4 cup olive oil
Toss greens with salt, lemon juice and olive oil until all leaves are thoroughly coated.
Assembly:
Place greens on a platter; lay shrimp/salsa mixture on top and serve.