No-cook meal ideas that don’t require the stove

As much as we love a home-cooked dinner, there are days when nothing satisfies like no-cook solutions that come together in a flash. The logical season to enjoy such meals is summer, when the dog days of heat and humidity feel relentless and the obvious go-tos are salads – but there’s no need to limit yourself to a bowl of greens. We caught up with a cookbook author who is an expert in “cooking” without cooking and picked up some fresh, stove-free inspiration.

When to serve meals without food

The summer weather is an important motivation for putting together a meal without cooking – and so is the summer’s abundance of earthly delights. “When I think about why I use no-cook recipes, it’s to make the most of the season’s fresh tender vegetables like squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, sweet vegetables and tomatoes – all of which just need to be chopped and put together. with cold cuts , cheeses and fish or legumes that don’t need to be cooked for protein,” says Susie Theodorou, food stylist and author of No-Cook Cookbook: Fresh and Healthy Meals to Assemble, Eat and Enjoy. (Legumes, as you may know, refers to the edible seed in legumes and includes chickpeas, lentils, and beans.)

Apartments without cooking

Summer aside, there are plenty of other times when the last thing you want to do is bring the heat with you. Dishes without preparation fill the bill in these circumstances (and many more):

• When time is of the essence: “I don’t cook when I’m busy or super hungry,” says Theodorou.
• Improvised togetherness: No-cook cooking is also the perfect solution when friends drop by unexpectedly. “It’s very easy to pull together a mezze when I haven’t planned to cook,” says Theodorou.

No-Cook concepts

When conjuring up ideas without cooking, Theodorou keeps it simple yet delicious. “Many of my recipes are also composite plates of three to four ingredients that complement each other,” she says. For example, her recipe for a Korean grain bowl puts marinated tofu, rice (from a bag), kimchi, raw vegetables and eggs over greens with sesame dressing on top.

Some other favorites include:

• Burrata or mozzarella with slices of salami and crackers.
• Fresh fish crudo with good crusty bread or crusty bread.
• Charcuterie such as prosciutto impaled on a stick with peaches and arugula.

Fresh ingredients to have on hand

Theodorou’s no-cook meals make ample use of fresh ingredients, from produce to cheese. She has these staples on hand:

• Tomatoes: “The tomatoes of the season have more flavor impact, but as we know, cherry tomatoes are pretty good all year round,” she says.
• Lettuce leaves: Great green choices include kale, romaine and iceberg lettuce.
• Avocados: For breakfast, lunch or dinner, avocados bring richness in flavor and nutrients, she says.
• Melons in season: Watermelon, honeydew, charantais (French cantaloupe) and Galia (a cantaloupe-honeydew hybrid) all have double duty. “They add a crisp sweetness to salads mixed with cheese, salami and smoked fish,” she says.
• East: “I think of cheese as fresh!” she says “Halloumi cheese is always in my fridge,” says Theodorou, grated over salads, its saltiness a boost.

Pantry Booklet

Pantry staples provide unlimited possibilities. She recommends keeping these ingredients ready:

• In the closet: Preserved fish and shellfish, beans and legumes in cans and jars; cooked grains in quick microwavable bags.
• In the fridge: Cheese, cold cuts and smoked fish all have a long shelf life, she says, and are good sources of protein for salads or cereals.
• Condiments: Asian, Latino, Italian, French, Spanish and Greek spices provide immediate flavor impact, says Theodorou. And don’t overlook international pickles.
• Salad dressings: A variety of salad dressings can also refresh meals. Theodorou keeps two or three kinds in the fridge.

Rotisserie chicken is an essential

In addition, Theodorou suggests putting rotisserie chicken in heavy rotation. Her book illustrates the best way to carve a store-bought bird, including tips for slicing or shredding the white meat. “Rotisserie chicken is very much a non-cold food I turn to and can easily adapt it to a family meal,” she says. “Sometimes it can be made into several dishes at the same meal – everyone has their favorite way to eat it.” The pieces and parts can be used in countless ways:

Interesting distinction

While no-cook cooking can stand alone for complete meals, there are times when Theodorou reserves this approach for one or two dishes. “I also like to serve no-cook appetizers with a cooked meal,” she says. “My entree will be a dip or cheese plate; dessert is a creation of build your own sundaes.” And she tops store-bought cookies with extras like mascarpone and fruit.

Looks count

When putting together these summer-perfect meals, it can be tempting to pile it all on the plate, but that defeats the beauty of cooking without cooking. As a food stylist, Theodorou obviously has a leg up, and she believes that her readers can easily get hold of it. “The final taste and appearance of the recipe has equal billing,” she says. “I want the food to taste as good as it looks and vice versa.”