Hello hello and happy Sunday, friends!
Summer dinners have been… all over the place. Does anyone else feel this way? It is just so hot to cook and we are turning to takeout more than I’d like but you know, anything to make it easy and keep everyone fed. Plus, it’s fun to go out, of course! However, this week I am going to make it a goal to have dinners at home everyday because let’s face it, it just saves so much. It is not cheap for a family of four to go out to dinner.
But part of the solution is also to plan meals that are cool and don’t have me at the stove or near a hot oven for very long. So I browsed some old recipes on here and pulled some of my favorite summertime dinners. I hope that this helps if you are having a hard time finding summer-friendly meals, too.
Monday ~ Cold sesame noodles with broccoli and tofu (or shelled edamame!) Sesame noodles are so easy to pull together. All you have to do is prepare a noodle of your choice according to package (we like rice but sometimes I even use spaghetti if that is all I have). Toss with sesame oil, soy sauce, and a bit of salt to taste. Add in broccoli florets, scallions, and baked tofu.
Tuesday ~ Loaded nacho night. Yes, you need to use the stove for 20 mins to bake them but most of the prep is a bunch of opening cans/bags and layering everything up. Here’s my favorite loaded nacho recipe.
Wednesday ~ Summer rolls. My kids love fresh rolls for lunch or dinner and if you’ve been here a while, you know how I am obsessed with them. They take a bit of prep in terms of cutting veg but no stove required and I appreciate that so much. Also, if you have a fresh garden, this is a great way to enjoy your bounty!
You can add honestly whatever veggies you like or some tofu or rice noodles, avocado… you name it. But my favorite combination ever is: cucumbers, carrots, mango, avocado, lettuce, rice noodles. UGHHHH so good!!
Thursday ~ Macaroni salad with sides! This week I am thinking a large salad with our lettuce/cukes from the garden and more corn on the cob (we can’t get enough). If you are GF, I find Jovial pasta to be the best for cold mac salads.
Friday ~ Impossible burgers on the grill with a side of corn on the cob, watermelon, bean salad, and chips/salsa. This is always a win in many ways because my husband is doing the grilling while I only make a few fast sides. We eat outside, so no mess inside to clean up, and everyone loves this meal so full bellies all around.
