Phew, I have never realized how much of a New Englander I am until the last couple GRUELING hot days. Secretly I'm daydreaming of Maine snowstorms and woodstoves (it's totally sick, I know). Anyway, with the temperatures so high the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven. So yesterday I cooked up some sesame noodles for my husband and made myself a tomato salad. I thought I'd post the recipes since it's hard to come up with good, healthy things to make on a hot day.
Sesame Noodles (loosely based off of this recipe)
2 bundles of lo mein noodles (you can use any kind of thin noodle, this is just what I had in my cabinet)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tblsp. brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1/2 a medium onion, diced
thumb size piece of ginger, diced
1 tblsp. red pepper flakes (adjust to taste, we like it spicy 'round these parts)
2 tblsp. rice vinegar
2 tblsp. sesame oil
2 tblsp. vegetable or canola oil
sesame seeds, for garnish
Cook your noodles according to package directions, drain and run under cold water. Then mix up all your other ingredients and combine with noodles. Enjoy immediately or chill for an hour or so to let the sauce get soaked into the noodles and for the seasoning to meld. Don't forget to sprinkle on some sesame seeds right before diving in!
Tomato Salad
2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
one huge ol' handful of basil, torn
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (If you haven't had this stuff before, you haven't truly lived. Do yourself and invest in a bottle of the good stuff. You will NOT be disappointed!)
1/2 cup of mozzarella, shredded (use the pre-shredded kind, shred the block stuff, shred the fresh stuff, totally up to you)
salt and pepper to taste
Combine everything in a bowl. Enjoy immediately! If you want to let it chill in the fridge for a while, that's fine too but don't add the cheese until just before eating. It can get a little slimy or break down...you get the idea.
I definitely liked the sesame noodles but I am not a big fan of sesame oil so I gobbled up all the tomato salad and left the noodles for my husband to enjoy on duty. What about you guys? What's your favorite thing to whip up on a sweltering summer day?
Until next time (and stay cool!),
xoxo Stacie
These both sound like great "hot weather meals". When it is hot I like to load up the slow cooker and then put it out on the patio to cook.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what you guys can get at your farmers market (although from the sounds of it, butternut squash... this makes me a tiny bit jealous!) but I've become addicted to sauteed kale, summer squash and zucchini in a little bit of butter and garlic. Its kind of bitter so we add a splash of sugar too! We get it pretty cheap at the farmer's market- $1.50 for a bunch of kale (we usually get two if that's all we're eating) and a couple bucks for the other stuff! Goes really well with fish, which in a port city is pretty cheap to come by too!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm on the lookout for tomatoes and mozzarella cheese tomorrow! Also I can't seem to find you on my Facebook and I have a package here with your name on it! At least I will by the end of the weekend... But I need your address! Email me? ElaineAWilliams@gmail.com :)
Oooh that sounds good!
ReplyDelete