Who can imagine summer without summer food? Steaming
corn-on-the-cob, steak and sosaties on the braai. Ice cream
sundaes, fresh fruit trifles and frozen yoghurt. Homemade
chicken sandwiches and paw-paw salad.
There is however a down side to summer meals. Food budgets
take strain when you constantly substitute quick-cook
steaks and chicken breasts for economical stove-top
casseroles. Ravenous children seems to be constantly in the
refrigerator to find something to eat. Mealtimes, eaten on
the run, substitute convenience for nutritional value.
What's a summer cook to do?
With creative meal planning strategies, summer doesn't have
to bust the food budget, toss nutrition to the winds, or
reduce the family chef to a crazy lunatic. Try these
suggestions for simpler, saner, cooler and more nutritious
summer meals:
Use everything but the oven... In summer take out all those
wedding-gift appliances that are stored away. A rice
steamer makes perfect rice, every time, with no excess heat
to fog your kitchen. Spicy chili in the crockery
slow-cooker is a super ending to a day at the park.
A pressure cooker can prepare family favorites in a
fraction of the time—or kitchen
temperature—needed by an oven. Hot bread from an
automatic bread machine makes a light summer meal more
substantial. Finally, there is the old time favourite of
putting some chops on the braai outside in the garden!
A cold dessert is the way to go... No matter how much you
want to make dessert, just thinking about turning on the
oven can induce perspiration. Thankfully, there's an easy
solution: refrigerator desserts, which come in a variety of
styles, from fresh fruit trifles to no-bake cheesecakes to
ice cream terrines. Instead of using the oven, desserts are
finished in the refrigerator or freezer and rely on key
ingredients such as whipped cream and gelatin. Sure, a few
varieties do require that the oven be turned on, but only
for a few minutes to bake the cookie crust, which is so
yummy it's well worth the momentary heat.
Make your own fast foods! Is it any surprise that fast food
restaurants are the busiest in the summer? Everyone is busy
and on the go! You can make your own breakfast sandwiches,
chicken nuggets, taco filling, and pizzas. Load them into
the freezer and watch the time and money you'll save.
Think drinks.. Does your freezer contain some of those
marvelous, plastic-gel coolers? It should. A jug of iced
decaffeinated tea or fruit juice, snuggled up against a gel
cooler will go a long way in quenching your thirst without
the calories and caffeine—not to mention
expense—of fast-food sodas.
Consider, too, outfitting each family member with
personalized plastic water bottles. Stored in the
refrigerator, they'll help keep water consumption up, and
they're easy to grab on the way out the door.
Most of all, summer is a great time to spend time with your
family and enjoy the ordinary things in life. Say "yes" to
your children, whether it's fresh fruit trifle for dinner
or can we have a lemonade stand? Summer is a time for
making memories. With a little inspiration and new ideas
you can create golden days that will be remembered forever.
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