Heat Wave Cuisine

Don't believe anyone who says he or she loves to cook during a heat wave. It's just not possible, even if there's outdoor grilling involved. There is a way to eat through these hot and sticky days - heat wave cuisine. It's just coming up with cool, oven free ideas that make for filling lunches and dinners.

One of the easiest hot weather dishes to make is salads - and not necessarily the lettuce and tomato kind (More on those a little later)Egg, tuna and chicken salads are simple to whip up .Egg salad does require a tad more work  because the eggs have to be hard boiled. As for the chicken take the leftovers from an already roasted one and chop coarsely You could also grill chicken breasts , let them cool and then cut them up .If this is too strenuous then buy canned chicken and use that. Try a dash of tarragon to liven up the salads and serve on onion rolls. Tuna salad can have the extra oomph of  chopped celery, picked fresh from the backyard or bought from the farmer's market. It's good on white bread, but even better on French  which brings to mind a pain bagnat - a Provencale treat. This  has the fish along with anchovies, tomatoes and hard boiled eggs in an olive oil soaked sandwich. This is made an hour or two before eating so that the oil soaks through everything.It's a wonderful Saturday night or Sunday lunch , especially served with a chilled wine.

As for those salads, think big , hearty ones. Try a chef's salad for a midweek dinner. You can get the necessary meats at your supermarket's deli counter. Usually they're roast beef, chicken and/or turkey and ham, but you can vary the meats with the addition of some pancetta or Genoa salami. Add some hard boiled eggs too for more protein along with some cherry tomatoes and peppers for color. A simple vinaigrette will suffice as a dressing however you can try a ranch if you want or a blue cheese one for the cheese lovers.Spinach salad is another  easy meal to make during a heat wave. This is just spinach with hard boiled eggs and bacon. The bacon can be made quickly in the microwave or you can buy the precooked slices from Hormel. Because the flavors are so intense, use a mild dressing, such as oil and vinegar. For a lighter one, nix the eggs and bacon and add walnuts and strawberries and a fruit based dressing instead. Salad Nicoise is a great summer salad, especially if you simplify it .  start off with a good head of Boston lettuce. Add some canned green beans and potatoes along with tuna and anchovy filets,then mix with sliced cherry tomatoes and chopped onion. Once done garnish with black olives and a simple Dijon based dressing. Have a slice crusty baguette on the side to sop up the dressing.

No one should cook during a heat wave. Try an easy salad or hearty salad to make  for a lunch or dinner. They're both filling but without the fuss.