Summertime cooking (or lack thereof)

[Chickadee]

Getting hotter by the day here, and I hear Qld is already steaming. Time to dig out favorite easy recipes and meal ideas that get us out of a hot kitchen and take advantage of all the great summer veg & fruit coming into season.

My summer meals all seem to be slightly mediterranian (agggh. tried 3 times to spell that and give up!). Lots of souvlaki and skewered veg on the bbq, greek salad, potato salad (no mayonaisse :)) Pasta tossed simply with lemon, olive oil, cheese and maybe fresh basil. Yum. And of course, 101 ways to use a supermarket roast chook - my favorite being chicken caesar salad.

In place of a pizza oven a friend of mine used to make pizza on her bbq, in a cast iron skillet and with the hood down.

What are all your favorites?

[MariaO]

I am pretty useless at summer cooking generally being more used to cold weather cuisine. The one salad I do make that is really nice is a pumpkin and chick pea salad with a lovely garlicky sundried tomato dressing with loads of coriander.

[Imogensmum]

We live on salads here in summer- i can make a mean greek salad, and also a pasta and blue cheese salad!! (which i missed last summer as was preggers!!!)

I love the lazy foods of summer!!!

Oh and watermelon and onion salad!!!! Really yummy!!!

[draught]

Chicken and mango salad is always a favourite in this house - and when there is no mango around, roast pumpkin cubes. I put in baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, toasted pinenuts, mango cubes and chicken breast then make a dressing of honey, mustard and lemon juice - mmm mmm mmm......

and the barbie gets a work out at our place too - lots of asian dressings, coriander and chilli.

[Chickadee]

Oh and watermelon and onion salad!!!! Really yummy!!!
!!!!! :eek: My mother would love that I bet. Are they regular brown cooking onions or sweet (purple) ones? What do you dress it with?

[Imogensmum]

Just watermelon, redonions, little bit of lemon juice!

A friend of mine used this while having treatment for cancer- somesort of antioxident thingy????

So now each year on her anniversery we make it- so many people wrinkle their noses at it but it is surprisingly good!!!

Enjoy!!!

[wattle]

OMG draught...... please come to my place immediately and make that......I'm drooling badly.

[draught]

Wattle - anytime honey.......it is just a little bit far to pop down for the evening though. And what are you doing thinking of food at that hour of the morning? Bad night?

[wattle]

aaaagh, ds was sleeping peacefully but I was awake with a scratchy throat. Grrrrrrrr.

And feeling hungry. :D

[the_queen]

potato salad (no mayonaisse :))

MarthaM, what do you dress the potato salad with? I make one with red wine vinegar and wholeseed mustard and it is YUMMY...

[Chickadee]

The Queen - it's probably very similar to your dressing. I'd have to dig out the recipe, I haven't made it for awhile, but I think it's cider vinegar, dijon mustard and tarragon. I might be forgetting something :confused: It's from a Canadian book and I can't seem to get cider vinegar here so I end up substituting whatever mild vinegar I happen to have to hand. You dress the potatoes while they're still warm to soak up all the flavour. DH won't eat mayonnaise and it took me years of hunting to find that recipe!

[Peaceangels]

Yes, the menu definately changes with the weather in our house!!
A few of our summertime favourites are:

* Wraps (make your own style) - filled with diced chicken, homemade guacomale (sp?) dip, cheese, lettuce, tomatoe.

* Wombok (chinese cabbage) and Crunchy noodle salad (see back of Changs Noodle pack for recipe - the dressing is what makes it - yummo!!) with either lamb or chicken cooked on the BBQ and added.

* Baby spinach & haloumi cheese salad - grill or bbq the haloumi and dice into salad along with chopped red onion, avocado, cherry tomatoes all covered in a dressing of lemon and olive oil. Nice on its own or as an accompaniment to any bbq'd meat or fish (especially atlantic salmon!!)

[Peaceangels]

**** C'mon everyone - we need some more suggestions !! ****

[bubbles28]

Hi MarthaM, my mouth was watering reading your post.
I can't go past a BBQ or a lamb roast for that matter. It is the only two ways in which I will enjoy meat!
I must admit that I'm not a great cook, so I don't have any great ideas. My DH is a way better cook than myself, which to me is surprising as he comes from a traditional Italian family where his mother did everything for him. I by no means complaining though!
I'm more into baking the yummy stuff! I make the most mouth watering Yo Yo's!

[Chickadee]

Tina, I have to ask. What are yo-yos? Your edible version I mean, not the toy, before some Miss SmartyPants has a laugh at me :)

[bubbles28]

MarthaM, another name for them are "melting moments". As the name suggests, they melt in your mouth!

[Chickadee]

Aaaah. Thank you. I've seen them in cafe's but never tried them.