Welcome to the dog days of summer. It’s so hot that the idea of turning on your oven or standing near the grill is making you cringe a little. Yet, ordering out for dinner (and making someone else stand over a grill or turn on an oven) isn’t a solution. For one thing, it starts to make a big dent in the budget. More importantly, however, it can be hard to find healthy, safe things to eat when you’re juggling multiple food allergies.
Of course, making meals at home doesn’t mean you need to add more heat to the kitchen with the oven. There are easy, filling, and delicious allergy-friendly meals that can be made without it (and without the grill).
Quinoa Salad
Some recipes require a little bit of cook time but if you plan, those components can be made ahead of time when the temps are still lower – even the night before! Bon Appetit’s recipe for Corn, Plum and Farro Salad is a great example. If you’re allergic to wheat, the farro in this dish can easily be swapped out for quinoa. If a fish allergy is a concern, coconut aminos, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce can all be optional subs based on your specific allergy needs.
Of course, adapting this recipe is just one option. Quinoa can be a filling and delicious base for any number of combinations from summer garden veggies to bits of leftover grilled chicken or other components you can pull from the fridge. Experiment and enjoy the quick, healthy, and oven-free dish!
Chilled Soup (aka Gazpacho)
“Soup to avoid heating up the kitchen? Soup to avoid heating up me? Are you sure?” Yes. If that soup is a good gazpacho. In fact, a gazpacho is a popular summer dish in Spain and Portugal simply because it’s cool and refreshing.
You can start with a traditional tomato-based recipe like this one from Gimme Some Oven, just skip the croutons or find a wheat-free sub if your allergies require it. You can also jazz your meal up a little with a twist like Tyler Florence’s Watermelon Gazpacho recipe featured on Food Network’s website. If you’re avoiding dairy, skip the feta in this one. It’s just a garnish or you can find a dairy-free feta sub to use instead.
Naan Wrap
Sandwiches loaded with veggies or meat or, well, whatever you want, can be a great go-to on a hot summer day. What if you’re avoiding wheat, though? My Heart Beets has a great recipe for coconut flour naan. The best part of this recipe is that you can make up a bunch of it and freeze the finished flatbreads to use whenever you need a fast meal without heating up the house.
Your stash of naan can be used to make everything from pizzas to sandwiches to bruschetta. Of course, it can also be used to scoop up delectable bits of curry and other traditional dishes.
Poke (Sans Fish)
Poke is a traditional Hawaiian recipe that has made its way into hearts (and stomachs) beyond the island in recent years. It typically includes some sort of raw fish with rice and vegetables. As with many bowl-style meals, you can customize the recipe to accommodate specific dietary needs and tastes.
Recipes like the Vegetarian Poke Bowl from 101 Cookbooks leave out the fish and can be a great option for the seafood allergic household (or anyone else that isn’t excited about raw fish). The topping options for this recipe can also be adapted to meet your specific needs – soy sauce and sesame, as an example, could be left off or substituted based on your family’s allergies.
Chickpea Salad
Chickpeas are a great source of protein and can be a stellar base of a filling meal that doesn’t require heating up the kitchen. Spend with Pennies’ recipe for Chickpea Salad is a great example of the way they can be used to create a full meal on a hot summer day. Author Holly even includes some suggestions for variations to shake things up a bit.
Alternatively, you can toss together this simple Chickpea & Tomato Salad from Café Delites, defrost some of your coconut-flour naan stash, and enjoy a delightful, unique, and filling summer dish.
