Beat the Heat with These Cool and Quick Meals

August 23, 2010, By Peter Chianca 0 comments

Here are some ideas for more sophisticated dishes that are best served cold – although you may have to boil a little water.

Appetizers and Finger Food

Cheese and crackers isn’t the only cold appetizer that doesn’t require time in the oven or on the grill. Plenty of seafood dips and spreads require only a little gelatin to hold the ingredients together. And the classic cold taco salad is fantastic, with softening the cream cheese being the heaviest lifting needed.

A cold cut platter is also tempting, but you can spice it up by rolling the meats and cheeses together into cylinders and securing with a toothpick – perfect for guests watching their carbs.

And what’s better cold than a stiff drink? (After the kids have gone to bed, of course.) Try these tomato bites, which pack an extra punch.

Bloody Mary Bites - Peel the tomatoes the day before you plan to serve by dipping in boiling water for 10 seconds, then plunging into ice water. The skins will easily slip off. Place peeled tomatoes in a plastic container with a snap-on lid. Cover with vodka and refrigerate overnight. Serve with a dish of coarse, kosher salt for dipping. 

Main Dishes

A cold main course may not sound like the most satisfying prospect – but tell that to folks in the Middle East, who enjoy no shortage of room-temperature (or colder) entrees.

That would explain why so many cold entrees feature Middle Eastern staples like chickpeas, couscous and feta. Toss them together with tomatoes, olives or even cold chicken or seafood – it may be cold, but it feels like a meal.

Not that you’re limited to one area of the world – equally simple are a Mediterranean orzo salad (also fine with cold shrimp), a Mexican black bean salad with jalapenos, or – if you’re daring – ceviche, a citrus-marinated seafood. Just ask your local grocer for help if you’re intimidated by the ingredients.

Soba Noodle Salad - Cook Japanese soba noodles, then shock them in ice water. Add soy sauce, mirin, a dash of rice wine vinegar (or yuzu), scallions, a little roasted pepper, ground pepper and a few slivers of an omelet (if you’ve got one lying around).

No matter what, be creative – any of these ideas will help you keep your cool, and at least you know you won’t burn dinner.

Peter Chianca is a contributor to Six Apart Media.