• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Smart In The Kitchen

Dinner is done!

  • Smart Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Gift Cards
  • About
  • Cooking Classes
  • Kitchen School

Weekly Meal Plan // Too Hot To Cook

August 1, 2022 By msmart Leave a Comment

What to Cook When It’s Too Hot to Cook

How’s summer? I’m back in Houston after a fun-filled summer. My youngest starts pre-season sports tomorrow and I’m currently a broken record stuck on “have you done your summer reading” and “unpack your suitcase.” We’re slowly transitioning to a routine, one baby step at a time.

For now, all I know is that it’s too hot to turn on the oven. Here’s what we have on tap this week at the Smart household.

SUNDAY

Family Meal Spaghetti. Read all about its inspiration in this previous post. I made a couple tweaks to this and will post them on Instagram. Simmer the halved onion with the tomatoes, no need to dirty a third pot. The olive oil, garlic and basil seep on the stove make your whole house smell delicious.

MONDAY

We’re having a cold version of these udon noodles for dinner since I made them Sunday for lunch! Leftovers are a gift. To simplify things, use a bag of shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix instead of slicing your own Napa cabbage. I added half a bag of shredded carrots and thinly sliced broccolini. Use rice noodles if you’re gluten-free and if your family can’t do sesame, just leave it out.

TUESDAY

My basil is in need of serious pruning. It’s time for any greens pesto Caprese sandos. Purchase ciabatta rolls or a loaf of crusty bread to make the sandwiches. Layer the pesto with slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella, good summer tomatoes with a pinch of flaky salt. Add a salad, or don’t.

WEDNESDAY

Green bean and turkey stir fry. Healthy, fast, no oven involved!

Serves: 4

  • 1 ½ pounds green beans, trimmed and cut in thirds
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey (or ground chicken, pork or lamb)
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons sriracha or chili paste
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
  • For serving: cauliflower rice, steamed rice or steamed spinach
  1. Preheat the broiler. Toss the green beans, 1 tablespoon avocado oil and salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, stirring once, until the beans are tender and charred, about 6 minutes.
  2. In a large skillet or wok over high heat, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, it will take about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sriracha and cook until the garlic is slightly golden, about 3 minutes.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and arrowroot powder. Add the green beans to the skillet with the turkey mixture and stir to combine. Add the sauce mixture and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2-3 minutes.

THURSDAY

Instant Pot recipes won’t heat up your house. Keema is comfort food. I discovered keema in high school when a close friend’s mom made it for us. And it was also one of my favorite post-baby meals delivered by a fellow food writer in San Francisco. This Instant Pot keema is by from friend Izzah and it’s easy and fairly hands-off. Serve with steamed rice. You can cheat and microwave pre-cooked frozen rice.

FRIDAY

I’m meeting up with friends, but if you have leftover keema, make a version of naan pizzas. Use store-bought naan (I use Stonefire for these) and layer it with shredded cheese–mozzarella or jack cheese–and keema. Top with cilantro before serving.

Filed Under: Weekly Meal Plans Tagged With: dinner, easy dinner, easy family meals, family dinner, family meals, meal plan, no-oven meals, quick and easy meals, too hot to cook, weekly meal plan, weeknight dinner

Previous Post: « Recipes From The Bear
Next Post: Weekly Meal Plan / August 2022 / Instant Pot Recipes and Simple Meals »

Reader Interactions

By Category

By Date

Search

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Primary Sidebar

Marcia Smart
Marcia Smart is a cooking instructor, recipe developer and food writer who wants to help you make good, simple meals for your family and friends. She craves food that's seasonal and delicious and wants to share it with you. A California girl living in a Houston world with her husband and three children.

FIND ME HERE

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

FOLLOW ME ON YOUTUBE

Recent Posts

  • Grilled Chile-Rubbed Flank Steak
  • Weekly Meal Plan // August 14-19 // Back to School
  • Weekly Meal Plan / August 2022 / Instant Pot Recipes and Simple Meals
  • Weekly Meal Plan // Too Hot To Cook
  • Recipes From The Bear

GET SMART IN THE KITCHEN RECIPES AND NEWS

Categories

  • All Recipes
  • Appetizers and Snacks
  • Basics
  • Breakfast and Brunch
  • Casseroles
  • Cocktails
  • Condiments
  • Dairy-Free
  • Dessert
  • Dinner
  • Entertaining
  • Fall
  • Freezer Friendly
  • Friday Love List
  • Gift + Product Guides
  • Gluten-free/Gluten-free adaptable
  • Grain-free
  • Grilling
  • Holidays
  • Instant Pot
  • Kitchen
  • Mains
  • Meat
  • Meatless Mains
  • Mediterranean
  • One-Pot Meals
  • Pasta
  • Poultry
  • Retreats
  • Salad Dressings
  • Salads
  • Sauces and Salsas
  • Seafood
  • Sheet Pan Suppers
  • Slow Cooker
  • Smoothie
  • Soups
  • Spice Mix
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Thanksgiving
  • Travel
  • Uncategorised
  • Vegetable Side Dish
  • Weekly Meal Plans
  • Wellness
  • Whole 30
  • Wine
  • Winter

Archives

  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • June 2015
  • April 2015

Copyright © 2022 · Smart In The Kitchen