Summer Snap Cooking

Summer is not the time for elaborate meals or long hours in the kitchen.It's too hot to stand in front of a stove or prepare a many step recipe. It's time for snap cooking - easy stuff made in no time. There's no fuss or bother -perfect for days when it's even too hot to move.

A hot breakfast to start a hot summer day? No way. Fresh fruit is the simple and tasty yet it's not filling. Layer it in a bowl with rice or wheat puffs and Greek yogurt. Add coconut flakes, dried craisins and raisins for more flavor. Dust with flax seeds for more nutrition and protein. You can also do the same with packets of unflavored oatmeal too. Add pitted cherries and blueberries along with sliced strawberries for a filling and fast low calorie meal. If you need breakfast on the go, then think of bagels with fruity cream cheese. Using a mini chopper, pulse cut strawberries or blueberries and then add to softened cream cheese. (think the one in the container as opposed to the brick). Mix well with a fork and spread on any kind of bagel. This can also be used for a sweet lunch or you could create a savory spread using scallions  You can also add ham for a more substantial filling. A savory cream cheese filling can also go well inside a pita. Pitas are a low calorie and tasty alternative to white bread. Think of hummus filled pita as a quick to make , satisfying lunch. If you're at home, make pita chips in your toaster oven. Cut the pita  into triangles, brush  both sides with oil and toast for five minutes at 350 degrees Farenheit.

Dinner can be another snap recipe. It's very tempting to get take out in this weather. You don't have to. One of the easiest and most delicious recipes to make is gazpacho. Spanish home chefs and professional ones create this cool, refreshing soup to combat the Iberian peninsula's steamy summer weather.  I have a phenomenal one thanks to Susan Lewis-Solomont the former Ambassador to Spain's wife. I've varied it and included more tomatoes (namely four vine ripe tomatoes) one large green pepper, a garlic clove and a large cucumber. The recipe also calls for a chopped onion but I  feel that a good dash of onion powder does the trick. A half cup of olive oil gives the blend a smooth satiny finish. Use an immersion blender and then blend everything into a creamy pale orange liquid. I love a bowl of it with sliced Italian bread drizzled with oil. Another tasty snap recipe is pasta crudo made with already cooked spaghetti or linguine. Stop & Shop offers the cooked pasta under their label. The salsa crudo is an easy blend of  quartered vine ripe tomatoes, a cup of pulsed fresh basil , crushed garlic and a quarter cup of olive oil. Make a half hour before serving. Leave it out. Microwave the pasta and then pour over the salsa. Mix and serve.

A hot summer day spent cooking? No! A hot summer day making snap recipes? Yes, please! It's a cool and easy way to eat delicious and filling meals.