The Perfect Meals For When You’re Too Hot (And Tired) To Cook*

Summer is peeking over the horizon. For many of us, that means that it’s perfect outdoor dining weather. But it also means that cooking can be so much more of a hassle. When the day’s particularly hot and you’ve already had a day of working, watching some kids, or taking care of the home, it’s easy to not have the energy to cook. However, rather than reaching for that takeout menu, there are instead a few easy options you can look to.

Do it Mediterranean style

If you want to cook in an easy, breezy way that matches the heat, then what better cuisine to emulate than the Spanish. One quick and easy meal idea is to through together a basic Spanish tortilla, as good cold as it is hot, which requires no more than a small bag of potatoes, eggs, and an onion, with some pre-cooked meat of your choice if you’re feeling up to it. However, Spanish tortillas make for a great meatless high-protein meal, too.

Stick it on a stick

What feels more summery and exciting than a delicious skewer kebab? The good thing is that a delicious honey garlic chicken skewer isn’t too difficult to make. You just need to spend a little time preparing the seasoning and a glaze for the meat, then you just throw a bunch of cooked chicken, peppers, and some other veg into a frying pan or on the wok. Once everything is nice and ready, you just apply the seasoning and throw it on a stick. Just be mindful that you don’t offer super sharp skewers to kids who are too young.

Don’t forget a refreshing dessert

Dinner is one thing, but if you like to have the occasional dessert with your family, you might also want a couple of options to help you prepare something cool, refreshing, and tasty without having to spend the whole day baking. This guide on how to make delicious fruit salad could help you out big time. Learning to throw a few fruit ingredients together with the right choice of syrup to flavor it all together could be just what you need.

Make it super-smooth

If you really want to beat the heat, then you might not even be in the mood for eating solid fruits. Just sit back, put a straw to your lips, and drink it up, instead. That’s all you need to do with these refreshing smoothie recipes. If you have a blender or a food processor, then making smoothies is incredibly easy and you can vary it up each time you do by switching up your main ingredients. However, if you stock up on berries, you can make a low sugar, high-antioxidant smoothie that’s really great for your health, too.

It might feel way too hot and stifling to cook but, with the recipes above, you don’t have to spend very long slaving over a hot stove at all. These easy-prep meals will ensure you and your family eat well even when you’re not ready to spend an hour in a hot kitchen.