Summer Recipes

[Pyper]

Summer has just arrived with a vengeance, and having grown up in a much cooler climate I have no idea what to make for lunches and dinners that doesnt require much cooking (no aircon). Its currently around 33-35 C (95-ish F for the Americans) and will probably get hotter.

So what can I make? Meals/snacks/desserts/treats/drinks?

[arkani]

I get lazy and make salad with some cold chook on the side - or some form of cold meats and salady thing.
are you near the beach? a dip in the water then fish and chips..

[blackmageheart]

I get lazy and make salad with some cold chook on the side - or some form of cold meats and salady thing.
are you near the beach? a dip in the water then fish and chips..

It doesn't get as hot here in the UK in summer but I'm not happy with any temp above about 15C! But I would have suggested the same things - you can't go wrong with salad and it goes with most things. Cooled pasta with chopped salad mixed in is nice too. Cold meats are great and you're still getting all your protein! I'm a fan of protein.

And fish & chips are just awesome by the sea

EDIT: Oh and I just remembered, whenever it was hot here we used to put ice cream in a tall glass and pour lemonade in. Just amazing for cooling and thirst quenching

[Ally]

Just goes to prove what a fascinating country Australia is! Here in WA we're having freak storms and it's bloody cold! A few weeks ago we were having some summery weather and the seafood, namely the salmon, was awesome so we were having lots of that. Sometimes it was a fillet with a cheesy/lemony/creamy sauce (epic stuff, really!) and salmon sausage rolls (made with flaked salmon fillets, mixed with philly cheese, lemon zest, fresh dill, and chives wrapped in pastry) served with salad. Failing that, a fat bowl of watermelon is always something I look forward to at summertime!

[Yurtle]

What about barbeque? We bbq a lot during the summer so we don't have to cook inside. Chicken, burgers, sausages. Then salad with it or cook some potatoes on the bbq as well.

Lemonade is a good call! What about pasta salad? You'd have to have the stove on for a little bit to cook the pasta but after that, it's all cold and will last a couple days.

I'm so not the cook in the family so my suggestions are very limited!

It is completely crazy that summer is just starting for you! We're on snow watch here.

[Pyper]

Pre-cooking things sounds a good idea. It should be cool enough by about 10pm. I am slightly hampered by a very tight budget (student on welfare - income is below poverty line) and a lack of BBQ. I might try for pasta salads a lot

Its always a gamble with Aussie weather as to hot sun or freezing cold, even in summer.

Keep the ideas coming

[stitchingmama]

Boiled eggs. I boil 6 & eat 2 each day in the summer when I'm bored of sandwiches. I think they're good in the fridge for a week but I don't enjoy them more than 3 days post boiling.

[blackmageheart]

a lack of BBQ

Dunno if you can get them down under but here we can buy disposable bbqs! They're basically a foil tin with stuff in, charcoal or something, I don't know. Anyway, you light it and you have instant bbq. Fabulous things. My mum and stepdad take them to the beach in summer, or sometimes we have them in my garden.

income is below poverty line

I hear ya. Sometimes I don't eat so my daughter and siblings have enough food/can pay the bills. I think it's always good to stock up on long life foods (stuff in tins/cans) and dried foods like pasta.

Actually, I just thought of something else I make in summer - quiche. You can put anything you like in really and there's likely millions of recipes online. Popular in my house are bacon or prawns. They usually are quite cheap to make, but require a bit of prep. I don't even bother making the dough for the crust, I buy dough mixture (you add water to the mixture to make the dough). Once they are baking you can walk away until done, and they are great hot or cold!

[Pyper]

I have never seen a disposable BBQ before, but then again most people who have BBQs, have a real BBQ to BBQ on.

I hear ya. Sometimes I don't eat so my daughter and siblings have enough food/can pay the bills

I'm lucky, I can stretch centrelink a long way. My boyfriend and I are in a share house near a good bus network, neither of us drive or are carrying anything more than weekly rent and occasional bills. As long as I budget its enough to live on.

Quiche is an excellent idea I completely forgot about it, but it is definately good cold with salad. I'm a night owl so I can stay up late to bake it

[m4pl3g1rl]

I love sliced cucumbers with a sprinkling of lemon juice or vinegar. Slice a cucumber up, place it in one layer on a plate, sprinkle your chosen acidic liquid on it, refrigerate to allow the cucumber to cool and in a couple of hours you have a nice little treat.

Goes great with crackers, and if you have peeled it first then a little bit of cream cheese and some bread and you've got a lovely little sandwich.

Also on fun sandwiches if you like your veggies, try alfalfa sprouts, sliced tomatoes and avocado on wheat bread. You can throw in cold ham or chicken slices if you like for meat, or ranch dressing or flavored cream cheese.

My husband and I are on a tight budget so I get where you're coming from.

I miss Western Australia.