It’s a myth that you can easily fry an egg on the sidewalk in hot weather, yet it still feels as if you could do that here in New York today. The temperature is reaching 100 degrees, which is my cue to stay away from the sidewalk, the oven and, really, the kitchen altogether. I’ll pop some bread in the toaster or boil water for rice or pasta, but that’s about it for anything that involves the actual transfer of heat.
If you, too, are looking for no-cook dinner ideas, we’ve put together a recipe collection here, and I’ve picked five recipes for you that I’d call “low-cook,” most requiring a small amount of stove time but not more than that. And if you’re OK to light the grill, here are recipes for you.
Stay cool, eat a Popsicle, blend up a limonada, make a watermelon and feta salad and then call it a day. And as always, reach out to me anytime at [email protected]. I love to hear from you.
I’m also making:
Coconut fish and tomato bake; sheet-pan chicken thighs with spicy corn; lemon blueberry muffins; and classic birthday cake.
1. Smashed Cucumber and Chicken Salad
Crunchy and cool, Sichuan cucumber salad is one of the most refreshing dishes you can eat on a sweltering day. Zainab Shah draws inspiration there, combining shredded rotisserie chicken with salted cucumbers for a satisfying meal.
2. Pasta Salad
People often think of pasta salad as a side dish, but I think we should free ourselves from the side-main dichotomy. This recipe from Melissa Clark could easily be dinner, packed as it is with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, cucumber and salami, which you can leave out to make it vegetarian.
3. No-Cook Chili Bean Salad
This clever summer idea comes from Hetty Lui McKinnon, who combines all the elements of vegetarian chili — the beans, tomatoes, bell peppers and spices — but doesn’t cook them. Just like hot chili, this is begging to be topped with sour cream, cheese and avocado, and then scooped with tortillas or chips.
4. Dumpling Tomato Salad With Chile Crisp Vinaigrette
This is not the last you’ll be seeing of Hetty’s dumpling salad with chile crisp this summer. It’s beloved for a reason.
5. Best Gazpacho
Try Julia Moskin’s recipe and you’ll never make another.
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Emily Weinstein is the editor in chief of New York Times Cooking and Food. She also writes the popular NYT Cooking newsletter Five Weeknight Dishes.
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