Gammon - good for the hot weather

[Sandra Piddock]

It's so hot at the moment, and we're in a static caravan in Devon, so it's like roasting in a tin box. I'm trying to cut down on the cooking, while ensuring we eat well, and yesterday, I cooked a fair sized gammon joint. We had it with new potatoes, fresh peas and parsley sauce. Today, we'll have it with salad - including home made coleslaw. Tomorrow, I'll use some of it in a pasta sauce, and I'll use the rest on Friday in a frittata. Oh, and I'll make a soup with the cooking stock, and freeze it down for future meals.

That's five different meals, all with minimal cooking. Do you find ways to cut down on the cooking when the heat is on? Care to share?

 

[Arch]

A few times this summer, I've had my batch of pasta topping cold in a salad rather than heated. It's usually a chunky mix of tomato, pepper, courgette and something like tuna, so works quite well as a salad. Today I had it with cous cous mixed with avocado and tomato, and some mixed salad from a supermarket.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

yep - I am cooking every few days only. Made up some hummus on Monday which goes with flat breads, flat hard breads, raw breads and also as a dip with salads. cooked several beetroot also on Monday which are being eaten slowly but surely. Tomorrow I will probably have to make up another pate/hummus to see me through the weekend, but I could opt for a cashew nut cheese which would mean no cooking - just the dehydrator on low overnight downstairs in the kitchen where I can leave a window open. Oh and today, whilst waiting for a delivery driver to turn up, I cooked up a batch of jam (breakfast is bread & jam at the moment and I find shop bought jams are both too expensive and have way too much sugar in them for my liking).

I find I cook what I need for the hummus/pates first thing in the morning whilst eating breakfast, that way life has not warmed up enough to worry about the extra heat and the cooler air from outside also deals with the cooking.

 

[Sandra Piddock]

I've been cooking late at night. I can't be doing with the breakfast time cooking, as I need at least three mugs of tea to get me going. I'm really not a morning person!