A little preparation today means more time to enjoy tomorrow.
Are you feeling the heat? Summer is here, and most of the nation is sitting under a heat bubble! We still need to eat, but eating out every night isn't good for the budget, and cooking indoors can make an already hot house even warmer.
Who wants to be stuck in a sweltering kitchen during this season of sunshine, fresh air, and fun? Thankfully, summer also brings nature’s bounty in full bloom. Whether you shop weekly at fruit and veggie sales, visit local farmers’ markets, or grow your own garden, summer produce is plentiful and packed with nutrition, hydration, and fiber.
These gifts from the garden fortify our bodies for the active months ahead and help keep our digestion running smoothly. Why not embrace the season by preparing fresh, delicious meals that are lighter, nourishing, and perfect for warm days?
Discover 6 ways to keep your Summer Kitchen cool, organized, and family friendly.
1. TOOLS TO MAKE SUMMER COOKING EASIER:
Keeping things cool and efficient starts with having the right tools on hand. Here are some of my favorites:
- Long Bread Knife - Essential for artisan bread, slicing lettuce, and filleting meats.
Why I Love My Long Bread Knife
It’s not just for bread!
- Slice artisan loaves with ease.
- Fillet thick boneless chicken breasts or boneless pork chops into thinner cuts for faster grilling.
To fillet meat: Place a saucer over the meat to hold it steady and slice horizontally. You'll get more servings and faster, more even grilling.
- Chop romaine or cabbage cleanly for salads and slaws.
- IKEA Salad Spinner– A must for crisp greens and rinsing fruits!
Why I Love My Salad Spinner
Besides the obvious for spinning salad greens, why the spinner!
- Prepare, rinse and spin all kinds of vegetables.
- Rinse and spin herbs before drying.
- Rinse and spin grapes and berries before refrigerating.
- Glass Storage Containers - Quick & easy food storage for the fridge.
- Upcycled glass food jars from the grocery store are the least expensive alternative.
- Glass canning/freezer jars – A non-toxic, reusable alternative to plastic. I suggest wide-mouth quart jars, as well as, pint and half-pint wide-mouth freezer/canning jars. I had these from canning. If you don't already have these, it will be cheaper to buy the lidded stackable containers in sets on sale.
- Stackable glass containers with lids – Brands like Pyrex, Anchor Hocking, or IKEA are excellent and have snap-on lids. I have graduated a Pyrex set when I could get them on sale at Costco. I still use the jars, too!
Hint: Snap ware glass and their BPA-free plastic containers have interchangeable lids!
Why I Love Glass Storage Containers
They're economical, reusable, easier to clean, allow you to see what's inside, stack nicely, avoids plastics, less waste, and make your fridge look and smell better.
What are all the canning jars and glass containers for?
- Prepared Romaine.
- Prepared salad.
- Prepared veggies.
- Prepared chilled fruit.
- Home grated cheeses and other toppings.
- Grilled meats that are prepared to be frozen and used for other meals.
- Prepared individual meals.
- Leftovers.
As you can see, I am not much for plastic and disposable bags. The jars and lids used this way can be used and reused in the refrigerator. You can use clean lids that were used from canning and use them in the refrigerator (or freezer, short term) if you do not bend up the lids, but they cannot be reused for canning.
2. FRESH PREP
Salad Prep Like a Pro
Chop, rinse, spin, and store romaine for the week with this simple system:
- Score each romaine heart lengthwise twice (into quarters), then slice crosswise every 1–2 inches.
- Rinse 2–3 times, drain well, and spin dry.
- Pack tightly into wide-mouth quart jars and store in the vegetable drawer.
Packing removes air, keeping lettuce crisp for days. A 4-pack of romaine hearts from Costco fills 2-3 quart jars; this is perfect for lunch and dinner salads all week.
Smoothies
Consider having smoothies for breakfast some mornings. I like to make one with baby greens such as kale, spinach, and Swiss chard. Then add a banana, some almonds soaked overnight (slip the skins off after soaking and then rinse), blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. I also like to tip my smoothies a bit on the tart side by adding half of the organic lemon, skin, seeds, and all. Blend it all up. If you like it sweet, do not add the lemon. Experiment until you discover your family's favorites.
Meal Prep in the Cool of the Day
Prep for lunch and dinner early in the day, before you get busy and before it gets hot! Or make prep time an after dinner routine when the evenings cool down. Bring up any frozen foods to be used in the next day's meal preparations and place them in the fridge the night before.
Veggie Prep & Lazy Susan Salad Bar
Prep and store salad toppers in wide-mouth half-pint jars:
- Cucumbers (store cut ends wrapped in paper towel).
- Colored peppers, diced or sliced (store cut ends wrapped in paper towel).
- Tomatoes (only cut what you'll use in 1–2 meals & store cut ends facing up in a jar).
- Green onions, snipped (store in a jar).
At meal time, place jars on a Lazy Susan for an easy, custom salad bar! Add:
- Croutons
- Fresh-grated cheese
- Pickled beets
- Trail Mix (with nuts and Craisins)
- Real Bacon bits
- Homemade dressing
- Include other salad toppings your family enjoys!
Everyone builds their own perfect salad!
Fruit Prep for Cool Snacks
- Melons: Cube watermelon, cantaloupe, or Santa Claus melon into lidded containers.
Hint: watermelons help restore electrolytes!
- Grapes & cherries: Rinse, dry, and chill for grab-and-go snacks.
- Berries & stone fruits: Chill and rinse just before serving. Sweet, refreshing, and hydrating!
3. COOK AHEAD
A little cooking today saves a lot of cooking tomorrow.
Hard-Cooked Eggs Made Easy - Quick Protein
Steam, don’t boil!
At high altitudes (I'm at 4774 feet), I steam eggs for 15.5 minutes, then plunge into ice water. Hard cooked eggs are a quick protein boost.
Once your refrigerator is stocked with fresh ingredients, it's time to think about your proteins.
Grilling Once, Eat Twice
Whenever you're grilling, throw on a few extra chicken breasts, steaks, or pork chops. Slice the cooked meat into strips, marinate if desired, and freeze in meal-sized portions. Later, add it to green salads, pasta salads, sandwiches, wraps, quesadillas, grain bowls, stir fry, or even a charcuterie board. One afternoon of grilling can provide several quick meals during the week.
Tasty Marinated Grilled Chicken
Grill chicken ahead, marinate it well, and freeze in pint-sized jars. It’s ready when you are—for salads, wraps, quesadillas, sandwiches, and stir-fry.
Tip: Always marinate for 24 hours before freezing to help the flavors absorb.
Favorite marinades:
- Homemade or bottled teriyaki
- Sun-dried tomato vinaigrette
- Zesty Italian Dressing (from packet)
- Preserves
Donna’s Island-Style Teriyaki Marinade
From my childhood in Hawaii. Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger, or freshly grated ginger
1 crushed clove of garlic
Directions:
Mix all ingredients. For storage, heat just to dissolve the sugar (don’t boil), cool, and refrigerate in a sealed jar or bottle.
This marinade is delicious on chicken, beef, pork, turkey, seafood, and even vegetables or rice! Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is even better.
With grilled meats already prepared, half the work is done. Now let's turn them into quick meals your family will love.
Pasta Prep for Quick Meals
Cook pasta al dente, then:
- Cool in an ice-water bath.
- Drain well.
- Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil. The olive oil prevents sticking and sogginess.
- Store in a quart-size canning jar or freezer bag.
To serve later: Bring a pot of water to a boil and finish the pasta with a quick 2-minute reheat. Dinner comes together in just minutes on hot summer evenings!
4. ASSEMBLE & ENJOY
Donna's Pasta Salad Magic
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups pre-cooked chilled pasta (any kind)
2 cups cooked meat (shrimp, crab, ham, bacon, turkey, ground beef, or chicken)
2 cups vegetables (raw, cooked, or thawed)
4–8 oz salad dressing (choose one: Italian, French, balsamic vinaigrette, mayo with herbs, white sauce, etc.)
Optional: Shredded, flaked, crumbled, or cubed cheese
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Chicken Tortellini Salad
Ingredients:
1 package Buitoni Chicken & Herb Tortellini (boiled, cooled in ice water, and drained)
1 cup chopped baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes
8 mozzarella cheese sticks (cut into 1/2 inch chunks, then cut in half).
3 slices of red onion (diced)
1 bottle Filippo Berio Tomato Pesto
Directions
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill for one hour before serving, or enjoy immediately if needed!
5. Cold Treats
Frozen Bananas
To freeze bananas:
- Peel and skewer whole bananas, then freeze in a gallon Ziplock bag.
- Or, slice bananas into rounds, freeze on a cookie sheet, then store in jars or freezer bags.
Use frozen bananas in:
- Smoothies
- Chocolate-dipped banana pops
- One-ingredient ice cream
- Banana bread, cake, cookies, or muffins.
One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream Alternative
Directions:
- Freeze sliced bananas overnight.
- Blend in a food processor until smooth, scraping sides as needed.
That's it! Naturally sweet, dairy-free, gluten-free, and no added sugar.
Two-Ingredient Flavored Banana Ice Cream
Follow the same steps as above, but add frozen or fresh berries while blending. Adjust flavor and color with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or cherries.
Fruit Pops
Puree fruit and freeze in ice cube trays with popsicle sticks, Or pour in popsicle molds.
Cabbage or Head Lettuce Wedge Salad
Slice a head of cabbage into wedges or thin strips. Rinse and spin dry. Serve with your favorite dressing, or just sprinkle with sea salt for a refreshing, crunchy side.
More Cool Summer Recipes
Homemade Double Chocolate Almond Ice Cream (and other flavors)
http://donnasrecipebox.blogspot.com/2007/08/double-chocolate-almond-ice-cream-and.html
Thirteen Salad Recipes
http://donnasrecipebox.blogspot.com/search/label/Salads
Ten Homemade Salad Dressings
http://donnasrecipebox.blogspot.com/search/label/Salad%20Dressings
6. TRY SOMETHING NEW WITH YOUR FAMILY
Summer doesn't have to mean more work in the kitchen. With a little planning, fresh ingredients, and a few simple routines, you can spend less time cooking and more time enjoying the people around your table.
Invite your children into the kitchen. They'll learn valuable life skills, enjoy spending time with you, and create memories that last long after summer is over.
Here's to a cooler kitchen and a wonderful summer filled with good food and sweet family memories.
Whatever You Do… Enjoy the Journey!
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