I need ideas for summer cooking

Sometimes when it is too hot to cook in the house, we have what we call sandwich night. We just get some rolls or bread and several kinds of sandwich meat. Add some chips and you can have a picnic right at your house. It sure beats cooking. And for desert, how about a fruit salad. I make mine with cans of fruit cocktail and cool whip. Just mix them together. You can use whatever fruit you like.

You could always cook outside to help cut down on the heat inside. As far as easy foods for summer, things like salads and pastas always work.

I don't cook. You know when I sadly it's something simple and I do like/enjoy cooking I just don't get much time to do much of this at all. (no help here) :( ~Joey

When it's too hot and I don't feel like eating (or cooking for that matter) a hot meal, my sister and I have done the following. Fancy sandwich night - we each pick a few of our favorite cold cuts, cheese, and nice crusty bread. We eat that with some other cold side dish that we will just grab at the supermarket. Cold soup night - Gazpacho requires no heat to make it and can be really refreshing with a little sour cream. I also make a cold zucchini and white bean soup, but that one needs some cooking. There are about a million great cold soup recipes online though. Dip night - throw some beans, olive oil, garlic, and spices into a food processor and made an interesting dip. Eat it with cut up veggies and toast. The dip can also be used to make a great sandwich. Food network has an entire section devoted to "no-cook recipes" as well. Perhaps this will give you a few ideas: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/et_sl_no_cook_menus/0,1972,FOOD_9873,00.html

When its too hot for hot meal I like to make pasta salad. I use cooked pasta,onions,peppers,mozzerella cheese and salami or ham them I use Italian dressing on it. I add some salad supreme seasoning and it is yummy meal. I usually serve strawberry shortcake for dessert. Or we might have sandwiches and chips. Or my husband might cook on the grill.

In the summer months when it is so hot I will usually take one day a week to cook most of our meals. I would rather be hot for one day so I fix a weeks worth the meals all at once. Then I either freeze or refrigerate them till I am ready to use it. We also eat sandwhiches made with pita bread or salads.