“Too hot to cook” recipes
When the temperature rises, I for one don’t want to be getting hot and sweaty in the kitchen so I turn to no/low cook recipes. I hope you love these as much as I do so that you too can stay cool and rested this summer!
1. Freekeh & chickpea tabbouleh
During hot spells, I like to have big tubs of pre-cooked grains on hand so that I can assemble satisfying salads instantly without the need to put the hob on. This tabbouleh can be made in advance up to step 2 and kept in the fridge where the flavour will develop. Add the feta, almonds, lemon zest & extra olive oil when you’re ready to serve.
Get the recipe
2. Chopped chicken, lettuce, avocado and sesame salad
The combination of crisp lettuce, creamy avocado and a sesame dressing that you’ll want to put on absolutely everything makes this my perfect summer salad. For a veg version, swap out the chicken for 2 handfuls of finely shredded carrots or red cabbage for some extra crunch and go bigger on the avocado and cashews.
Get the recipe
3. Frozen chocolate banana lollies
A delicious frozen treat to cool down! Which toppings are you going for?! Here with freeze dried raspberries, also great w chopped pistachios, roasted peanuts, hazelnuts, coconut... the lolly list goes on.
Get the recipe
4. Greek-style new potato salad
Having pre-cooked new potatoes on standby in the fridge is a great way to make salads more hearty without having to crank the oven up or turn on the hob. The potatoes soak up the dressing and tomato juices which I love!
Get the recipe
5. Smoked mackerel páté
A speedy lunch or a crowd-pleasing party bite. Serve with toast or crackers, a big platter of crudités like fennel or carrots, or simply spread on rounds of cucumber.
6. “Pizza” salad
Throw in any additional pizza-inspired ingredients you like: salami, deli-style artichokes, anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes, whatever takes your fancy! Get creative!
Get the recipe
7. Fennel and orange harissa-chickpea salad
This gorgeous salad brings back incredible memories of a week in New York. One of my favourite magazines Cherry Bombe was holding its annual food lovers festival about 6 years ago and we made hundreds of portions of this easy, gorgeous salad to take to the festival. It takes minutes and is packed with flavour.
8. Panzanella
When I have a big haul of juicy tomatoes, I love to make panzanella. It’s also a great way to use up any stale bread you have lying around.
9. Pesto trapanese
This fast and fresh pesto takes only a matter of minutes to make in a food processor. All that’s left to do is cook your favourite pasta, which even I can manage on hot days!
Get the recipe
10. Kachumber
The key to a fantastic, refreshing kachumber is getting your hands on the best possible tomatoes and fresh, crunchy cucumbers, Once you have those, it’s simply a case of chopping and mixing.
11. Frozen chocolate banana bites
Perfect to have on hand in the freezer for an on-demand cooling bite! Swap nut butter for tahini plus honey if you’d like a nut free version.
For more recipes,, have a look at my website www.melissahemsley.com or follow me on instagram for daily recipes @melissa.hemsley