:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Prep-square-0713-03eb4cca5e764324a0e292bd7e4ba727.gif "No-Cook Produce-Packed Dinners for Hot Summer Nights (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!)")
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Hi! I’m Megan Ginsberg, senior editor for EatingWell, and I’ll be stepping in while Maria is out on maternity leave through November. I can’t believe it’s mid-July already. I’ve definitely been enjoying the longer summer days and all the peak-season vegetables, but one thing I am not loving is the summer heat and humidity. In Boston, where I live, temperatures have been creeping into the 90s! When it’s that hot out, it’s hard to think about making any sort of meal that requires turning on the stove or oven or firing up the grill. That’s why I’ve rounded up a collection of no-cook recipes for the coming week. That’s right, this collection of recipes doesn’t require any cooking; plus, it’s packed with the season’s best produce. These easy dinners are convenient, creative and, best of all, cool.
Sunday: Chopped Power Salad with Chicken
Monday: Loaded Cucumber & Avocado Sandwich
Tuesday: Arugula & Cucumber Salad with Tuna
Wednesday: Veggie Wrap with Cilantro Hummus
Thursday: Raw Vegan Zoodles with Romesco
Friday: Chicken & Kale Taco Salad with Jalapeño-Avocado Ranch
Start the week off strong with this produce- and protein-packed power salad. The baby spinach, cucumbers and tomatoes in the salad will help keep you hydrated, a must on a hot night. Plus, they contribute lots of nutrients and vitamins our bodies need to thrive. And the chicken and feta add plenty of satisfying protein. A quick homemade lemon-garlic dressing ties it all together.
A cucumber sandwich might conjure images of dainty finger food served with tea, but I promise you that this loaded version is plenty filling for dinner. What makes it so filling is a rich and creamy ricotta-based spread with Cheddar cheese, chives and lemon juice along with plenty of veggies. It makes for a cool, crunchy, satisfying dinner ready in just 10 minutes, which is exactly what I look for on a Monday night.
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
You’ll notice a good number of salads in this week’s lineup. That’s because salads are typically pretty easy to throw together and they’re one of the best ways to showcase produce. This one is no exception. A very green mix of arugula, celery, cucumbers and Castelvetrano olives makes a bed for flaked tuna, a convenient and nourishing pantry ingredient. This recipe calls for tuna fillets (you’ll see the jars next to the canned tuna) for a more elegant presentation, but any water-packed tuna will work. The basil vinaigrette adds brightness and a fresh note to the mix. I’ll serve it with some crusty whole-grain bread.
These healthy wraps call for plenty of veggies and a homemade cilantro hummus. The spread easily comes together in the food processor, but I’d suggest preparing it ahead of time so throwing together dinner on a Wednesday night will be even quicker. To celebrate all the fresh berries of the season, I’ll serve it with this simple Strawberry Fruit Salad.
If you have a garden and you’re growing zucchini, you might be at that point in the season when you don’t know what to do with all of it. Let me help: make zoodles! I love how versatile and customizable they are. For this recipe, we toss seasoned zucchini noodles with romesco, an easy, no-cook sauce made by pulsing almonds in the food processor with red bell pepper, olive oil, garlic and spices. I’ll serve them with some Herb-Marinated Beans to round out the meal.
If you’ve made it to Friday and your love of produce is still going strong (I hope it is), you can close out the week with this chicken and kale taco salad. The mix of shredded kale, cooked chicken, crunchy tortilla chips, black beans, chopped mango and Cheddar is both hearty and fun. Not to mention, it’s packed with vitamins A and C, magnesium and potassium, the latter of which plays a major role in hydration. Pulsing ranch dressing with avocado, pickled jalapeños and a splash of white-wine vinegar makes the dressing extra flavorful.
I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review.
