Summertime is fast approaching here in East Amherst, NY, and that means summer foods too — the lighter fare of salads, sandwiches, wraps, fruits, and food cooked on the grill. While we have lovely kitchens with their granite countertops and stainless steel appliances in our Autumn Creek Apartments, it is nice to be able to put a meal on the table without spending too much time in the kitchen. So, we’ve come up with some summer supper menus that will get a meal on the table quickly.
Take a summer favorite, the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, and turn it into BLT Chopped Salad. With the addition of avocado, this flavorful entree is sure to please. Add dinner rolls and some kind of fruit, and you have a meal.
Soup is usually associated with warming up in the wintertime, but this Gazpacho Soup, served cold, will help you cool down on a warm summer day. Served with tortilla chips, it is deceptively filling—and good for you, too!
Take it outside to the grills with this delicious Lemon Grilled Trout entree. Ready in just thirty minutes, you’ll be eating in no time. Serve with a green salad or a pasta salad to complete the meal.
Salads are a summertime favorite. Serve several different ones and call it dinner. Or add one to a one-dish entree to finish the meal. We like the variety of salads found on the Cutestuff Cooks blog.
Chips and salsa are often served as an appetizer, but they can also be part of an at-home meal. Add fajitas or quesadillas and dinner is served. We like this salsa-turned-salad recipe that could be served instead of salsa and chips:
Tomato/Avocado/Cucumber Salad.
1 avocado cut into small chunks
1 cucumber peeled and cut into chunks
1 basket cherry tomatoes
1 bunch of green onions minced
Mix together and let chill. Just before serving, add a garnish of chopped cilantro and 4-8 oz of a hard cheese, cubed.
What is your favorite summertime meal? Do you have tips for keeping cool in the summertime? We’d love to hear your ideas. Please leave a comment below!