Now it's hot. The kind of hot that forces you to sit still, preferably under a ceiling fan, sipping a cold drink. You can almost hear the grass growing taller and the air conditioner spending money. Everyone slows down. It's so hot you don't want to cook - not for anybody! But you still have to eat! At least with the recipes below, you won't have to turn the oven on.

Menu 1

Omelet with Summer Vegetables

This satisfying entrée for one or two is good for any meal, from breakfast to dinner. Serve with fruit or the salad below.
1-2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil plus cooking spray
• 2/3 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped zucchini
• 3 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 large egg whites plus 1 large egg or you can use ¾ cups egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons shredded cheese of your choice

Directions:

Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray and add the olive oil. Add corn, zucchini and onions to the pan; sauté 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetable to a bowl.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, water, pepper, egg whites, and egg, stirring well with a whisk. Return skillet to heat. Pour egg mixture into pan; cook until edges begin to set (about 2 minutes). Gently lift the edges of the omelet with a spatula, tilting pan to allow the uncooked egg mixture to come in contact with the pan. Spoon the corn mixture onto half of the omelet; sprinkle the corn mixture with cheese. Loosen the omelet with a spatula, and fold in half over the corn mixture. Cook 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Carefully slide the omelet onto a plate.

Baby Greens with Oranges

Blood Oranges are attractive in this salad when they are available in your area.

Makes 4 (1-1/2-cup) servings.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups mesclun or other mild salad greens
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 4 thin slices red onion, separated into rings
• 1 cup orange sections
• 3 tablespoons mixed country olives or regular kalamata olives
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Place greens in a large salad bowl. For dressing, whisk together olive oil, orange juice, and vinegar in a small dish. Pour dressing over greens, gently tossing to mix.
Divide mixture into servings and top with onion rings, orange sections, and olives. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Menu 2

Linguine With Fresh Herbs

6 servings

This is a lean pasta dish, filled with flavor as well as color. Serve as a main entree with the Caprese Salad (recipe below).

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from cubed Italian or French bread, including crust, coarsely ground in food processor
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3/4 cup chicken broth, low-sodium canned
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup loosely packed chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped Italian parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 pound linguine

Directions:

In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and toast until golden, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl.

In same skillet, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil over low heat. Add red onion and saute, stirring frequently, until soft but not brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until soft, about 30 seconds. Stir in chicken broth and simmer until heated. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.

Transfer mixture to a pasta bowl, and add basil, mint, parsley and thyme. Stir to combine.

Cook pasta in 6 quarts salted boiling water until al dente. Drain pasta, transfer to pasta bowl, and toss with herb mixture. Sprinkle toasted bread crumbs on top and serve.

Frugal Tip:  I keep a zip bag in the freezer and add any leftover pieces of bread I have from dinner.  When I need fresh breadcrumbs, I can pour out the amount needed and process them into crumbs.

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

4 servings
Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• Freshly-ground black pepper and salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Alternate fresh mozzarella slices with sliced tomatoes, overlapping, in a circular design on a serving plate.
Tear fresh basil leaves and sprinkle liberally over the slices. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Just before serving, drizzle with top-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Menu 3

Chicken and Pepper Stew

This dish can also be cooked in your Slow-Cooker (about 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high).

Serve with Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes and Green Salad.

Frugal Tip:  Bell peppers are in season now, so take advantage of their lower price. I buy extra peppers, slice them into thin strips and place them in freezer bags for the winter months. Frozen peppers work very well in casseroles or omelets or in sauces.

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken thighs or legs, skinned
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds (4 large) mixed green or yellow or orange or red bell peppers, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1-28-ounce container Pomi chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or fresh basil leaves sliced thin

Directions:

1. Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken pieces, in batches, on each side for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or plate.
2. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze, until the onions begin to soften. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and sweet peppers, a bit of salt and the garlic, and cook, stirring, until the peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir together until the tomatoes begin to bubble and smell fragrant, about 5 minutes.
3. Return the chicken pieces to the pan. Cover and cook 25 to 30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring at regular intervals and turning the chicken pieces over so that the ingredients don’t scorch and the chicken cooks evenly. The peppers should be very soft and the chicken quite tender. Add  oregano, basil and freshly ground pepper; taste and adjust the salt.

Olive-Oil Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold  potatoes
• Salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup skim milk or buttermilk

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water by 2 inches and add 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil; cook until potatoes are very tender and easily pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain; transfer to a large bowl.
2. Using a potato masher or fork, mash potatoes with olive oil and milk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with more olive oil before serving, if desired.

Menu 4

Italian Bean Salad With Tuna

Frugal tip:  Early in the week, grill fresh tuna fillets for dinner and include an extra half a pound to cook and save for this recipe later in the week.

Serves 4.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. fresh cooked tuna
• 2 cans of low sodium white (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1 red onion finely minced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon dry oregano 
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
• Grilled Italian Bread slices

Directions:

In a large non metallic bowl combine all the ingredients, and mix well.

You can serve this dish right away or refrigerate for two to three hours and serve with the grilled bread.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving.

Menu 5

Steak Salad with Tomatoes, Peppers, Sweet Onions and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

For the balsamic vinaigrette:

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

For the grilled steak:

2 top sirloin steaks, about 8 ounces each

For the green salad:

• 8 cups romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, rinsed and sliced in half
• 1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion

4 small whole grain crusty rolls

Directions:

For the balsamic vinaigrette:

Place the shallots and vinegar in a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Continue whisking and slowly add the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(This can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

For the grilled steak:

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Season the steaks with salt and pepper.

Grill the steaks on both sides until it is cooked as you prefer, about 5-6 minutes per side for medium and depending on the thickness of the steak. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board to rest for five minutes. (The steak can be grilled in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

For the green salad:

Slice the steaks into thin strips and place them in a mixing bowl. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper and onion slices and half of the balsamic vinaigrette.

Place the romaine lettuce in a separate salad bowl and toss it with the remaining vinaigrette. Arrange the steak, tomato, bell pepper and onion mixture on top. Serve with a roll.

Healthy dessert to add to any of the menus.

Tropical Sherbet

You can make it ahead, but don't freeze overnight; the mixture will become icy.
4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups cubed mango or 1 (12-ounce) package frozen mango chunks 
• 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 (6-ounce) carton lemon low-fat yogurt 
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest

Directions:

If using frozen fruit, remove mango and pineapple from freezer and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Combine mango, pineapple, yogurt, and lime in a food processor; process until smooth. Serve immediately (for soft-serve texture) or freeze in an airtight container for 1 hour 30 minutes (for firmer texture).