Five no-cook dinners and lunches to make when it’s too warm to use the cooker

Here are five tasty options for when you just can’t bring yourself to turn up the heat in the kitchen 

The toaster is the only heat-giving appliance included in the making of these tasty treats

The temperatures are climbing this week and while we might not have blue skies and sunshine, it’s time to break out the summer recipes for lunch and dinner.

Superfood salad

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

Gut health is all about finding balance with fibre and probiotics and this superfood salad is stuffed with fruit, nuts and herb flavour

Servings

1

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• small bowl of cooked quinoa

• 1 tbsp toasted nuts (pine nuts, cashews or flaked almonds)

• portion of fruit (blueberries)

• handful of leaves or raw vegetables (baby spinach)

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• handful of fresh herbs (basil or mint)

• 2 tbsp mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower)

• pinch of salt

• 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt to garnish

Method

1. Place all of the ingredients in a serving bowl, except for the Greek yoghurt and mix well.

2. Garnish with the Greek yoghurt and serve.

 

Rebooted Caesar salad

recipe by:Gareth Naughton

I love taking dishes that are almost tragically ‘unhip’ and with some quality ingredients and newer techniques, making a dish smart and fun again. Especially something like a Caesar salad which everybody loves!

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• For the Caesar:

• A head of large romaine lettuce or 2 heads of baby gem

• Aged Parmesan, grated, for garnish

• 2 anchovy fillets (Boquerones are best)

• 50g Lough Neagh smoked eel

• For the dressing:

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1¼ tsp white wine vinegar

• 1 black garlic clove

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 10g Parmesan, grated

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 dash Tabasco

• A pinch of black pepper

• 120ml vegetable oil

• For the Pangrattato:

• 250g stale sourdough, roughly blended

• 100g guanciale or high-quality smoked bacon, diced as finely as possible

• A splash of extra virgin olive oil

• Zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. To make the dressing, it is essentially the same process as making a mayonnaise. Place the egg yolk, vinegar, black garlic, eel and anchovy into a food processor and blend until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the oil until the dressing reaches a thick consistency and add the final ingredients until the dressing reaches the taste you like.

2. To make the Pangrattato, add the guanciale (or high-quality smoked bacon, if using) to a cold pan and allow it to crisp up slowly and the fat render well from the meat. As soon as it crisp, remove it with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. Add the chopped sourdough to the pan of rendered fat and allow to crisp, just like croutons, and add the lemon zest and leave to one side until ready to finish the dish.

3. To finish the dish, take the lettuce and break into individual leaves, wash and dry the leaves.

4. Generously dress each leaf with a handsome amount of the Caesar dressing, a handful of the Pangrattato and a large grating of aged parmesan. Rebuild the leaves on a plate, each one back on top of the other and finish the top layer with the still crisp guanciale, a few Boquerones anchovies, 5-6 pieces of smoked eel, and cover this final layer with the remaining croutons and a final grating of Parmesan.

 

Curried Chicken Pitta

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This pitta ticks all the boxes — healthy, tasty and quick. I love to use yoghurt as a healthy swap for mayonnaise. This is really mild so it's suitable for

Servings

1

Preparation Time

 7 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 12 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 1 cooked free-range chicken fillet

• 2 tbsp chopped nuts

• 2 tbsp natural yoghurt

• 1 tsp curry powder

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 wholemeal pitta

• 1 small carrot, grated

• handful of salad leaves

Method

1. Pop the pitta in the toaster.

2. While it is toasting, mix the almonds, yoghurt, and spices in a small bowl. Add the cooked chicken and stir well.

3. Once the pitta is toasted, using a knife split it open and stuff it with the chicken mixture, carrot, and salad leaves.

4. Enjoy with a cup of tea!

 

Kohlrabi and parsnip with dates, honey and yoghurt

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Reading the list of ingredients, you might be scratching your head wondering how on earth these ingredients go together in the same dish, but trust them — and us. This dish is distinctly savoury in flavour but with a rich, sweet warmth from the parsnip, d

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 5 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 parsnip, peeled and grated

• 1 kohlrabi, peeled and finely sliced

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Sea salt

• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

• 1 tbsp runny honey

• 300g Greek yoghurt

• 50g pitted mejool dates, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil

• 1 clove of garlic, crushed

• 4 spring onions, sliced thinly

• 2 tsp sumac

Method

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the kohlrabi, and half the lemon juice along with a good pinch of sea salt. In another bowl mix the yoghurt, remaining lemon juice, smaller pinch of sea salt, garlic, olive oil and honey.

2. Stir in the chopped dates and scoop out into two serving bowls. Place the kohlrabi and parsnip on top and scatter over the spring onions, sesame seeds and lastly a sprinkling of sumac.

 

Ultimate grilled cheese sandwich

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Try chilli flakes, jalapeños and relish for a spicy twist to your cheese toastie

Servings

1

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 15 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices of good sourdough bread 

• lots of butter 

• pinch of chilli flakes 

• few dashes of Worcestershire sauce 

• 2 slices of leftover hard cheese (Cheddar, Gruyère or Comté)

• relish of your choice 

• thin slices of jalapeños 

Method

1. Toast the bread lightly in a toaster and then butter both sides of each slice. On the bottom slice layer the cheese, sprinkle with chilli flakes and a dash or three of Worcestershire sauce. Some relish would do nicely if you like.

2. Put the top slice on and press down lightly and place a few thin slices on top of the top slice. If using a toastie maker then do that, otherwise heat a frying pan up to medium-high and place the sandwich on pressing it down with a spatula and flipping it over halfway through until golden brown on the outside with the jalapeños well embedded in the bread and the cheese nice and melty. 

3. Cut in half and devour.