Warm Weather Cookery: Main Dishes and Sides

When I researched how my Granny and Grandmother might have cooked in summers in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s without air conditioning in the household, I was surprised to discover that most of their meals would have been hearty affairs, at least according to the vintage magazines I own and my own memory of what they ate in the 1960s and 70's.  

Summertimes were distinguished by a plethora of fresh seasonal vegetables.  But pot roasts, fried chicken, meatloaf and such still carried their menus.  Heat in the kitchen apparently was not quite the onus I recalled it being in my own homes without AC in the 1980's, and 90's.  

Even with the leisure of having whole house air conditioning, and oh so grateful for it, I do find that in the summer when the AC is struggling to cope with 98F outdoors, turning on the oven for long periods is to be avoided as much as possible.  I love the idea of sheet pan dinners and big casseroles in the oven as a one-dish meal.  Truly though, they do not contribute to a comfortable house.

A few years ago, I determined I'd rely on appliances that put off less heat but accomplished the task equally well.   I use my slow cooker far more in the hot months of the year than in the coldest months.  I have a toaster oven that will accommodate a 9-inch baking dish.  In the future, I plan to buy a slightly larger oven when this one is no longer working.  So far, it's standing the test of time and it gets used almost daily for something all year.  I use the bread machine to bake bread even though we do not prefer the square loaf it produces.  That too is on the list to be replaced with something more suitable when this appliance breaks down, but it is a sturdy machine and I'll keep it for a long while.  Over a year ago we added a gas grill to our summer cookery appliances.  I am sold on the gas grill with its even cooking, ease of use and clean-up.

Having all these appliances to ease my way does not mean I like to eat the same heavy meals we'd eat in fall and winter.  I'm less likely to put soup on the menu unless there's illness in the house, nor stew or pot roast unless John requests it.  

Main Dishes

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I purchase what is generally on sale in both meats and vegetables.   More often than not steaks and chicken breasts, or pork ribs and kinds of seafood are well priced at some point, but those non-seasonal cuts of meat are usually the least expensive simply because they are less popular for the hot months.  If I find chuck roast on sale, we'll eat chuck roast but we will eat it as a Mongolian Beef dish and I'll serve it in flour tortillas with radishes, green onions, and a bit of pickled carrots.  The roast is a hearty meat but eliminating the heavy sides we'd typically associate with a roast dinner and pairing the meat with fresh raw vegetables makes a much lighter meal of it.  You can serve a rice or vegetable salad as a side.

Whole Roasted Chicken is often very low-priced.  I love a lovely roast chicken, but those oven hours are not loved in the summer.  I place a small metal rack in my slow cooker (you can also use balls of foil) to rest the chicken upon, season it as you like to season roast whole chicken, and then place it on the rack.  This holds it up out of the broth and prevents stewing and softening as it tends to do on the bottom of the slow cooker.  I cook the chicken until it's just about 10 degrees from being done (use your thermometer), then I remove the whole bird, place it in a pan, and cook in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.  That's usually enough to crisp the skin and finish the cooking time. 

The leftover chicken can be used in so many ways. Casseroles, sandwiches, salads.  I like a cold slice of chicken with potato salad, fresh sliced tomatoes, and hot bread.  

I also look for rotisserie chickens on sale and buy them to use in summer.  You cannot beat the savings in time and effort when you can get a rotisserie chicken for less than a whole uncooked chicken in the meat department!  

In summer, I use the slow cooker for shorter cooking times than I would in the colder months.  It takes less than 3 hours to cook most boneless skinless cuts of chicken or pork.  Remember that a ham will cook up nicely in a slow cooker if you choose one that will fit.  I often buy the semi-boneless halves of ham (butt portion not shank) and then will cut those into sizeable boneless pieces.   Ham takes only about 20 minutes per pound in the slow cooker on medium heat.

 You can easily translate cooked chicken into a sauce to serve over pasta, and the pasta can be cooked right in the slow cooker.  I have three recipes I really enjoy.  One is a Golden Chicken Pasta.  This recipe is perfect if you have a bigger crowd for dinner.  I reduce amounts and make a smaller portion of the sauce, but the sauce does freeze well. Tuscan Chicken Pasta is another nice spin on the Chicken and pasta slow cooker meal.  You can also add chopped fresh spinach to this one for a change.  

Two other chicken dishes I like to make in summer are simple.  I can't find the recipes on my Blue House Journal blog at the moment, though I saw both of them earlier.  Sweet Chili Garlic Chicken has Red Bell Peppers, Chicken breast cubes, a small can of drained pineapple chunks and a bottle of Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce.  This is so good over rice!  Catalina Chicken is an odd assembly of ingredients: bottled Catalina Style dressing, a dry onion soup packet, and a can of cranberry sauce over chicken pieces.  This tastes like a barbecue sauce.  I would use half portions of the sauce ingredients because this recipe makes a LOT of sauce.  But it is very good.

Frozen ravioli makes a mock lasagna in the slow cooker. I  like to adapt this recipe from BH&G, Beefy Pasta Bake to the slow cooker,.  It works best if you use the frozen Tortellini or Ravioli.  

Anytime you're cooking pasta in the slow cooker, be careful not to let it cook too long.  I prefer whole wheat or whole grain pasta rather than a regular one (in all but the filled tortellini or ravioli) because they have a sturdiness white flour pasta doesn't have and they don't get soft too quickly.  

I use the toaster oven to bake smaller casseroles and meatloaf (I have a shallower loaf pan that fits nicely in this oven).  The oven will get hot and I have to rotate the pan if anything needs to bake for longer than 20 minutes.   But it works well for most all the usual things.  I am limited by the size of the oven.  I've also found that cooking a casserole from a solidly frozen state does not work terribly well in this oven either.  It takes ages for it to thaw to the point of cooking and then takes a long time to heat through, but for the average casserole meal it works just fine.  Last summer I made a small Lasagna in a 9 x 9 pan in the toaster oven.

Of course, you can grill, but to keep it budget-friendly, I like to buy a sirloin tip roast, which is underused in the summer months so sometimes sold at a lower price. I love  Shish Kebabs layered with vegetables on a skewer. I recently watched another cook who suggested you skewer the vegetables separately from the meat since they so often have such a variance in cooking times from the meat.   

I cut the beef into cubes.  You can also do this with boneless chicken thighs or breasts, and boneless pork chops.  Shish kebabs can be so much fun.  You can marinate the meat however you'd like and then pair it with whatever vegetables are plentiful.  You can make Hawaiian kebabs (pork or chicken, pineapple, bell peppers, and onions with Barbecue or teriyaki sauce).  You can make a Souvlaki chicken skewer with zucchini, onions, and cherry tomatoes.  You can use Italian dressing to marinate chicken or beef and skewer mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and yellow summer squash.  

And it doesn't have to be cubes of meat.   Meatballs work on the skewers too.  You do want a firmer texture, nothing really loose, but you can make a variety of flavor profiles. The possibilities with Shish Kebab definitely offer room for creative cooking. 

Admittedly my recipes for the grill are still fairly limited but Hobo Packets are a great all-in-one meal to be made using a grill.  You do not have to use just a burger patty.  You can do a smoked sausage packet or chicken legs in the packet of vegetables.  

If I use the stove in the summer, it's generally the stovetop.  Stir-fry or one-pot meals that do not require long cooking periods are my choice.  

For most stir-fry meals I follow a formula rather than a recipe. I choose meat, use whatever vegetables I have, and then create a sauce. The main thing with a stir-fried dish is it takes a longer time to prepare.  Rather than try to do it all at mealtime, I'll prep vegetables in the morning or the day before and refrigerate them.  I might assemble sauce ingredients in a jar and refrigerate.  

Julia Pacheco's Ground Beef Stroganoff is one of my favorite stovetop meals. I skip putting it in the oven in the summer. One Pot Taco Pasta is similar to a dish I've made in the past.  

Sides:

There are so many options where fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables are concerned this time of year.  It's really a matter of trying to limit myself to what I can actually eat before it begins to spoil.  There are a few sides I use frequently in the summer.

3 bean salad:  No recipe, but a recommendation.  Alid's canned 3-Bean Salad is excellent.  When I find it in stock, I  buy six cans at a time and keep one in the fridge so we always have one chilled and ready to eat. 

Green Bean and Tomatoes:  You can do this two different ways.  You can cook the beans and tomatoes with a bit of onion.  You want about 1/2 cup of chopped diced tomato to 2 cups of green beans.  Season to taste.  The other way is more of a salad: Cooked green beans with a fresh tomato diced on top and all tossed with a vinaigrette dressing.  This is especially good.  The green beans can be at room temperature or chilled.  I prefer it at room temperature.

Squash casserole.  I have my favorite recipe.  Others have their favorites.  But it's not summer without squash casserole now and then.  

I also love yellow squash cooked with onions.  Sprinkle the cooked squash and onions with a bit of chopped fresh basil to take the freshness rating over the top.

Fried Green Tomatoes

I won't carry this particular thread any further because the choices are limitless and what you will choose is strictly up to you.

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