4 Cheap No-Heat Summer Recipes to Keep Your Kitchen Cool
It has been really hot outside, which means that we have to get creative to keep the stove and oven from heating up the entire house. Today I want to share four great summer no-heat recipes that my family has really enjoyed. All of these are very affordable and easy to do. Let’s beat the heat with these no-heat summer recipes.
Table of contents
Bread
My family eats a lot of bread, so I always make sure to have plenty in the house. For two loaves of bread, you will need one cup of rolled oats, ½ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of coconut oil, three teaspoons of salt, two cups of really warm water, a tablespoon of yeast, and five to six cups of all-purpose flour.
1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir them with a spoon until they are blended well.
2. Pour it onto the counter and knead for 5-10 minutes, until it is shiny and smooth.
3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and leave it for a couple hours to allow it to rise. It should double in size by that time.
4. Pour out onto the counter and divide into two equal parts. Then, form each into a loaf shape and place in a loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise for 2 hours.
5. Bake in the oven at 350 F for 30-35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the loaf pans after 10 minutes and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before placing in a storage bag or container.
This is my everyday loaf bread recipe, which is great for sandwiches and does not get dry even after a couple of days.
Chick-fil-A Market Fresh Salad
The Market Fresh Salad from Chick-fil-A is one of my favorite salads ever, but it costs almost $10, which is so expensive. This is why I decided to make a copycat recipe at home. This no-cook summer recipe will feed six people for about $13, which ends up being about $2.15 per serving.
For this salad, you will need one pound of chicken, olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning, two heads of romaine lettuce, 6 hard-boiled eggs, a bag of fresh spinach, a pound of strawberries, a pint of blueberries, and ½ a cup of walnuts. You could also add a package of blue cheese, which is completely optional, but it does add a nice tangy taste.
1. Did you know you could cook hard-boiled eggs in the air fryer? Using an air fryer, cook eggs at 250 F for 15 minutes. Place them in ice water to cool and peel in water to aid in shell removal.
2. Chop up the chicken, dice it up into strips, season with some salt and Italian seasoning and sauté them in the skillet with two tablespoons of olive oil. One pound of chicken is not a lot, but since there are also eggs and walnuts in this salad, it is going to be filling anyway.
3. Wash the strawberries, remove tops and cut them in quarters. Also wash the blueberries and chop up the lettuce.
4. Combine all ingredients in a very large bowl and blend well. Serve with toast, if desired.
This salad is refreshing and perfect for a hot summer evening, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.
Chicken tacos with Mexican rice
This is a more budget-friendly version of the classic recipe, and it could not have been simpler. Here are all the ingredients: ½-2 pounds of chicken, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, a can of diced tomatoes, 12 flour tortillas, ½ cup of shredded cheese and ½ cup of sour cream. If you are making rice, add a cup of rice to the list.
1. Dice up an onion and a bell pepper.
2. Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Top with onion and pepper, season with one tablespoon each of chili powder, paprika, cumin, and salt. Add a can of diced tomatoes, including the juice. Finally, add a quarter cup of water to make sure that there is plenty of liquid in the crock pot as it is cooking.
3. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. The chicken should be tender as you take it out.
4. Shred the chicken and remove the liquid, saving two cups for the Mexican rice.
5. Place chicken and veggies on a tortilla. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream.
6. For Mexican rice that goes well with the tacos, combine two cups of reserved liquid and a cup of rice and simmer in a pot for 15-20 minutes until the moisture is absorbed and the rice is tender. This is a perfect way to get well seasoned Mexican rice without having to use any premade packages.
This was a really simple and affordable recipe. This recipe in total ended up costing just a little over $6 and it made about six servings, costing just a little over $1 per serving.
Toasty chicken melt
This chicken recipe is very versatile, you can do so much with this base of chicken. I served it with a side of green beans and the total cost of this meal was less than $6 for six servings.
For this recipe, you will need ½-2 pounds of chicken, ¼ cup of dry milk powder, salt, Italian seasoning, a block of cream cheese, water, 6 thick pieces of toasted bread, 6 pieces of Havarti cheese, and 6 ounces of bacon.
1. Cut the chicken into thin slices so it can cook all the way. Place it on the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with a teaspoon of salt, dry milk powder, and a tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Spread cream cheese on top of chicken. Add a quarter cup of water.
2. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
3. Shred the chicken and toast the bread.
4. Cook and chop up the bacon.
5. Place a slice of cheese on warm toast, then add a quarter cup of the chicken mixture and top with several pieces of bacon.
This turned out really delicious and I hope that you will give this recipe a try too.
No-heat summer meals
These are the four easy no-heat summer meals that I wanted to share with you today. Which one did you like best? What kind of meals do you like to prepare when it is so hot outside? Share in the comments!
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