With these delicious recipes, there’s no need to turn on the oven
Photo by Sie Douglas-Fish.
I have a confession: I’ve never been a huge fan of summer. Maybe I set myself up by living in the mildest climate in Canada, where in-home air conditioning is either unheard of or chokingly expensive.
Maybe you’re like me, dreading and cursing your oven every time it has to be turned on to make dinner once the sun finally lowers enough to be tolerable, bringing back that awful sticky sweat ick. You end up frustrated beyond caring that you’ve had to settle for cold milk and cereal for dinner, but it doesn’t have to be this way! Throughout my degree I’ve fought hard to crack the code of dinners and craft some meals that are satisfying, cheap, and don’t cook you in the process.
Cold Spicy Udon and Veggies
Requiring only boiling water for ~3 minutes and stir frying for 5–10, stir fried veggies and udon is an easy and filling meal with lots of room for sauce and topping variation. If you’re in a hurry you can even skip the sauce-making and grab some bottled soy sauce or teriyaki sauce instead!
Ingredients
- 2 blocks frozen udon
- 6 mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup frozen broccoli
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- Oil for frying
Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp chili flakes, or to taste
- ½ tsp chili oil
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1–2 tbsp sugar
Mix sauce in a bowl and set aside. Fill a pot with water and begin to boil it, then, in a lightly-oiled pan or wok, fry veggies for a few minutes until broccoli is brightened and soft. Add ~⅓ cup water so they don’t burn and cover, checking and mixing every few minutes. Once tender to your liking, add sauce and continue to simmer. Meanwhile, add udon to boiling water for 3 minutes. Once tender, strain and run under cold water for a few minutes to drop the temperature and stop cooking. Serve udon and top with veggies. Serves two. For extra protein, try adding tofu or chicken!
Photo by Sie Douglas-Fish.
Asian Cucumber Salad
Great as an appetizer, snack, or to space out and eat all of it, cucumber salad is a reliable refresh.
Ingredients
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- Salt to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp Korean (or regular) chili powder
- 1 tsp chili oil
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 green onion, chopped
- Sesame seeds
Simply wash cucumber and chop into disks, sprinkle with salt, and leave for 5 minutes to draw out moisture. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry before adding to a bowl. Add all other ingredients to a second bowl and mix thoroughly before adding to the cucumber. Mix again and enjoy. Serves two or three.
California Roll Bowls
A classic dish, minus the fear of disappointing your date with lackluster sushi-rolling prowess. This recipe is versatile and can be adapted to different diets/tastes; try replacing crab with tofu or flash-frozen tuna if you’re feeling nasty. Just… maybe hold off on the spicy mayo until Sriracha stops going for 70 bucks.
Ingredients
- 2 cups short-grain sushi rice, cooked
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- ~200 g imitation crab, thinly sliced
- 1 pack sliced seaweed strips (I use the lunchbox sized ones)
- ⅓ cucumber, thinly sliced
- Sesame seeds optional
- Spicy mayo (6 tbsp Kewpie mayo (or regular if necessary) + 3 tbsp Sriracha)
Divide rice into two bowls. Top with crab, cucumber, seaweed, and avocado, then sesame seeds if desired. Drizzle on spicy mayo or mayo and sriracha separately, to your liking. Serves two. Tip: I like adding furikake to my rice before serving.
