Dog Days of Summer

I am starting to get a little tired of the heat. The summer that couldn't get here fast enough has started to wear out his welcome.  On the most humid days, the thought of turning on the oven or even the stove top makes me cringe. Grilling is not really an option, either,when it's still 100 degrees at 6:00 pm.  I have been relying on no-cook meals for lunch and dinner.  I thought I'd share a few simple ideas to get you through the dog days of summer.

• Tomato sandwiches with a little basil, garlic, and black pepper spiked mayo.

• Greek Salad - lettuce, tomatoes, olives, onions, feta cheese, and cucumbers. Make a simple Greek vinaigrette: 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and 2/3 cup red wine vinegar. Place in a jar and shake well.

• Gazpacho

• Hummus salad - Place a scoop of hummus in the middle of lettuce. Top with grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, cucumbers, and chopped rotisserie chicken. Finish with a few shakes of red wine vinegar.

• Chicken Salad - (prepare the chicken early in the morning before the kitchen gets too hot) 

• Egg Salad

• Pimento Cheese Sandwiches 

• Caprese Salad

• Cold Pasta Salad

• Homemade Subs - It's so much fun to make sub bar and let the kids assemble theirs like their favorite sub shop does. Put out a variety of deli meats and cheeses, your favorite veggies, and condiments and have at it!

What are your favorite no-cook dinners?