On nights when the mercury hovers around the 30-degree mark, the thought of turning on your oven is less than appealing.
Fortunately it’s not all that difficult to turn out a great meal without using your stove.
The menu below requires only a brief blitz on the barbecue for the salmon and nothing else requires cooking. So put on your shorts and tank top, pour yourself a long, tall, cool one and relax in the knowledge that dinner’s in the bag without you or your house suffering a meltdown.
Black Bean & Corn Scoops
1 bag scoop-shaped tortilla chips
1 cup chunky salsa
1 can corn niblets, drained
½ cup canned black beans, thoroughly rinsed
2 green onions, finely chopped
½ avocado, diced
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Juice of half a lime
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the tortilla chips, stirring to combine well.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavours to combine. Spoon mixture into chips using a slotted spoon to leave juices behind (or alternatively just serve chips alongside the bowl and let everyone scoop their own). Makes about eight appetizer servings.
Grilled Salmon Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Dressing:
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup water
1 Tbsp dried cranberries
8 dried apricots, cut into thin slices
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salad:
4 salmon fillets, each weighing 4 to 6 ounces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups baby spinach leaves or mesclun (designer greens), or a combination of the two
2 cups thinly sliced raw zucchini
2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper
3 Tbsp toasted chopped pecans
In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar, water, cranberries and apricots. Set pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for five minutes.
Strain liquid into a bowl; reserve fruit. Whisk the mustard, honey and oil into the liquid. Heat barbecue to medium high; season salmon fillets with salt and pepper and grill until cooked through, about eight to 10 minutes (depending on thickness of fish).
Meanwhile, place two cups of spinach on each of four plates. Top each plate with one-half cup of zucchini and one-half cup of red pepper. Drizzle each serving with some of the dressing, reserving about one-quarter cup.
Place a salmon fillet on top of each plate and sprinkle with one-quarter of the pecans. Spoon some of the reserved dressing over each piece of salmon and top with one tablespoon of the reserved cranberries and apricots. Makes four servings.
No-Bake Cheesecakes with Fresh Berries
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp sugar
2⁄3 cup graham cracker crumbs
One 250-gram package cream cheese (regular or light, not fat-free), softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to firm peaks
½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 firm-ripe banana, sliced
½ cup each fresh raspberries, blueberries and sliced strawberries
Additional whipped cream (optional)
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, teaspoon of sugar and graham crumbs until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press an equal amount of crumbs into the bottoms of four eight-ounce dessert glasses or ramekins, using the back of a spoon to press.
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the lemon zest and the vanilla. Gently fold in the whipped cream; spoon an equal amount of the cheesecake mixture into each of the dishes.
Refrigerate for at least three hours. To serve, top each dessert with the mixed berries and a dollop of whipped cream. Makes four servings.
Angela Shellard is a self-described foodie. She has done informal catering for various functions. Contact: [email protected].
