Too Hot to Cook

When the weather and your schedule both heat up, the last thing you want to do is march into the kitchen at the end of a long, hot day and crank up the oven to cook dinner.

These three entrées are easy, speedy, and delicious, and the leftovers make for an easy work lunch the next day. They’re filled with colorful veggies and vegetarian sources of protein, making them as healthy as they are cooling.

All recipes by Miriam Wolf

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Corn doesn’t have to be cooked to be delicious.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 15-ounce can of black beans
• 2 ears corn
• 2 heirloom tomatoes
• 1 small onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon cumin
• Cilantro to taste (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Drain and rinse black beans. Cut kernels from each ear of corn. Dice tomatoes. Mince onion and jalapeño. Mix everything together.
2. Mix lime juice, olive oil, and cumin and pour dressing over salad.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle salad with cilantro if desired.

Serves 4. Prep time, 15 minutes.

Summer Rolls with Tofu and Peanut Sauce

Refreshing, interactive, and fun for a group

INGREDIENTS

Summer Rolls

• 4 ounces rice stick noodles
• 1 avocado
• 1 English cucumber
• 2 carrots
• 1 block extra-firm tofu
• Mint
• Cilantro
• 16–20 rice paper wrappers

Peanut Sauce

• ½ cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• Grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons water

Optional Ingredients

• Jalapeño
• Pickled veggies
• Red bell pepper

PREPARATION

1. Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and set them aside.
2. Cut all veggies and tofu into matchsticks. To do this, first cut them into long, thin slices (about ⅛-inch thick). Then stack the slices and cut the layers into matchsticks.
3. Lay veggies and tofu out on a platter. Intersperse with sprigs of cilantro and mint.
4. Make peanut sauce: Whisk together peanut butter, 2 tablespoons water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, grated ginger, and water until smooth. Divide among small bowls or ramekins so that each guest has their own container of sauce for dipping.
5. To serve at a party, fill a skillet or a large, shallow dish with hot water. Pass around rice paper wrappers. Each guest can dip their rice paper wrappers in the hot water for 15 seconds, then fill their rolls with rice noodles, veggies of their choice, cilantro, and mint.

Serves 6. Prep time, 30 minutes; cook time, 5 minutes.

Indian-Spiced Chopped Salad with Chickpeas and Raita Dressing

This chopped salad with cooling yogurt dressing tastes like a samosa—without the deep frying.

INGREDIENTS

Raita Dressing

• ½ cup yogurt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ cucumber, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon cumin

Salad

• 1 basket cherry tomatoes
• ½ cucumber
• 2 carrots
• 2 medium yellow potatoes, boiled and cooled (optional)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon ginger powder

PREPARATION

1. Make the raita: Stir together the yogurt, milk, chopped cucumber, chopped cilantro, green onions, and cumin. The consistency should be creamy but pourable—add more milk if necessary. Salt to taste and put aside.
2. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Roughly chop the remaining half of the cucumber, carrots, red pepper, and potatoes (if using). The pieces should be roughly the same size, about a ½-inch square.
3. Roughly chop the romaine. In a bowl, toss the vegetables together with the chickpeas and sprinkle with the olive oil, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and ginger.
4. Pour the raita dressing over the salad just before serving.

Serves 8. Prep time, 20 minutes.