Dan Threlkeld Blog: If you can't stand the heat...

TULSA - Since there is little we can do about the outside heat, we need to focus more on things we can do to keep the inside of our homes from being hot.

The main culprit is the oven and stove. So if you can't stand the heat....it's time to cool down the kitchen.

I'll be the first to admit, I know very little about cooking. I'm learning and have a great teacher....my wife. I asked her to give some ideas on things she prepares and cooks to help lower the temperature.

This is from my wife, Jo Ann -

I tend to prepare more main dish salads in the summertime. I prepare my own homemade salad dressings, which makes the salad much better in my opinion. Our favorite homemade salad dressing is simple vinaigrette. I make enough for a week and store it in the refrigerator.

That vinaigrette can also be used to marinade meat to be cooked outside on the grill. It is especially good on chicken. When I grill or pan sauté chicken, I make a lot of it and slice it thinly for sandwiches and salads. It is much better than store bought deli meats, since I can control the fat and salt content of the meat. I freeze the meat in single serving portions and thaw it as needed. It thaws very quickly if frozen in single portions.

We also eat more sandwiches in the summertime. I do not make homemade bread in the summertime, because I don’t want to heat the kitchen up with the long, high temperature needed for bread. We buy great bread at an organic bakery here in Tulsa, and that makes the sandwiches more special. We also add other things to a sandwich meal to make it more interesting, which may include hummus, salsa, or guacamole. We do not have to turn the oven or stove on to make these at home. We also play around with mayonnaise to make the sandwiches more interesting, adding a bit of pesto or chipotle pepper to the mayonnaise. Sandwiches definitely do not have to be boring.

When I do turn on the oven or stove top, I cook enough for multiple meals. After initially serving the meal, I then freeze the rest in portions which can be heated in the microwave. By not serving the leftovers day after day, we don’t get tired of them.

For snacks, my wife freezes grapes for a cold and low calorie treat.

We also enjoy smoothies, watermelons, and home-made ice cream to help us make it through these hot summertime temps.

The cooler temperatures will be here very soon. Hang in there. In a few months, we will all be seeking recipes for nice spicy mug of hot cider.