Too hot to cook!

I use my crock pot or my electric skillet on days that are just too hot. Sometimes, I cook early in the morning before the heat sets in. Then, all I have to do is warm it up in the microwave. We eat a lot of salad plates too. I cut up vegetables, fruit and cheeses, and we just eat raw food while we sit in front of the television (and under the fan). We like cold fried chicken - so cooking it early and letting it either set out, or putting it in the refrigerator works too. Cold chicken and cold potato salad, sitting in the floor, picnic style. Spaghetti and Meat Sauce too........not necessarily cold, but cooking it early,,,it always tastes better the longer it sits, so cooking early and eating it later makes it taste better. Just nuke it.

I do what we call summer fare- Luscious green salad a baked potato and deviled eggs- sometimes we replace the potato with cantaloupe or watermelon if it is really hot!

yes it is TOO HOT TO COOK. hehe Last night we made lasagna and we had all of the fans in the kitchen because we had it was just too hot. The only suggestion I can come up with is to cook quick things on top of the stove. The stove doesn't get the kitchen nearly as hot as the oven does. Although it doesn't help the kitchen cooling down but at least it's not as bad as using the oven. I look forward to reading more responses to this discussions because I would like to know some more recipes to cook in this heat. I found this site just a minute ago... hope it helps: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/dining/18mini.html

Hmm... what about using a crockpot or microwave. My aunt swears by her microwave and sometimes its not so bad and its actually less time for her food, she makes all kinds of things, like beef stroganoff to chicken cordon blue. Just some suggestions

You could make tuna melts, you can just do them in the microwave instead of using the oven. You could cook any thin meat or shrimp in a frying pan on top of the stove in a matter of minutes. Use Soy sauce for seasoning.

I know what you mean. It's hard to cook especially in the summer. It makes the house even warmer and even longer to cool off. Sometimes I just like to make sandwiches or maybe even salads. Or even cook something quick on top of the stove so it does not wind up heating up the whole house. It really can get hotter when you have the oven on especially for over an hour. Sometimes it is not even worth it.

This weekend my mom had a garage sale. It was so hot. I suggested that we eat *cold* foods. We had tuna salad, egg salad, and watermelon. It was delicious. I am so tired of the *same old* foods. This was a welcome change. A nice taco salad would be good also. Have you thought about maybe salmon (or tuna) patties? They are easy to make and do not *heat* up the kitchen.

Goodness I don't have my oven on from about May until end of September. Like you it just gets too darn hot in my apt to have the oven on. I will often cook on top of the stove..quick things. But one thing I'll do often is cook up potatoes for potato salad, macaroni for macaroni salad...I have enough for a few days worth...then I add lettuce, and maybe a hard boiled egg (sometimes make it as a deviled egg) and tuna salad...In other words I eat a lot of salads in the summer..LOL

I like to use my crock pot when it is hot because it doesn't heat up the kitchen. I also like that I can cook simple, one dish meals that will be easy to make and clean up. Things like a pot roast with some veggies, chicken with salsa, just let it cook all day and break up the chicken as it cooks. I also like to have sandwiches once in a while for dinner- cold cuts on a hoagie roll, with maybe a garden salad or just some fresh veggies with dressing.

Hi Tess, Here in UK it never seems too hot to cook but there are the usual salads that can be done with cold meat and new potatos, but for a change I will boil up some pasta, not too much heat 15 mins on top of stove and then chop up salad onions, cherry tomatoes, cold chicken and mix with a honey and wholegrain mustard dressing. Can't think of anything else really other than standard sanwiches which can be pretty substantial depending what you put in them or use the microwave to do soup and then have with fresh bread and butter. Ellie :D

I hear you Tess. I was saying the same thing to my bf last night. I'm running out of "cool" meals to make. We've already done the tuna, regular salad, sandwiches, 1 pan meals on the stove (even that's too much in this heat). I don't know what to do anymore. Yesterday I was up really early and I had defrosted a London Broil the night before. My BF suggested I cook it in the morning and we could micro it for dinner. That worked out ok. Now tonight it's leftovers. Now I have to wait for a cool day to cook again. I hope you get some good tips because I could use them too!