It is hot.... hot..... HOT

Were all guilty of it, dreading the moment you have to come home and cook dinner after a long hot day. You walk into the door and a blast of heat hits your face. You run around the house, either opening all windows, blasting the fans or rushing to turn your AC on so you can get somewhat comfortable after your long day. Next you have to decide what to cook for dinner. 

Below are a few quick easy dinner ideas to make during these hot day and nights....

Black Bean salad  (Previous recipe in my cooking notebook, sorry no pictures)

Ingredients:  

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup diced orange bell pepper

3/4 cup diced fresh tomato

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/3 cup diced persian cucumber

3 green onions, sliced thin

1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

the juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon canola or grape seed oil

2 – 3 dashes cumin

2 – 3 dashes coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the beans, bell pepper, tomato, corn, cucumber, green onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Stir until ingredients are well distributed.

In another bowl, combine the lime juice, oil, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Pour over the bean mixture, tossing to combine. Chill until serving time.

Gazpacho  (Previous recipe, in my cooking notebook, sorry no pictures)

“Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalusia. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal (where it is known as gaspacho) and parts of Latin America. Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its cold temperature and acidic bite.”

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds tomatoes (6 small would be perfect), roughly chopped & core removed

1 red pepper, roughly chopped & seeds removed
1 English cucumber, peeled & roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 cups low-sodium V8 (or you may use tomato juice)
3/4-1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
Red pepper flakes & Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (suggested to use 1/2 tsp each)
2 tbsp chopped fresh Parsley (or other herb)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar, balsamic would also work), to taste

Add tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, garlic clove, lime juice, V8 (or tomato juice), olive oil, and herbs into a blender and blend until smooth. 

Now add the rest of the seasonings (salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, vinegar) slowly and adjust to taste. Chill for 2-4 hours, or overnight. Garnish with chopped peppers, green onion, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil just before serving.

Tip: If your blender is small you might have to cut this batch in half so it won’t overflow. Makes about 6.5 cups.