Don't Sweat It: Recipes for People with No AC

Now that June has arrived, the weather is heating up. While the warmer weather makes it more enjoyable to spend time outside and do summertime activities, things can get rough for people without air conditioning. Even though I live in an air conditioned apartment now, I’ve spent several summers sweating it out with no AC. I know what it’s like to be in the midst of a heatwave and experience the inside of my home being just as hot (or even hotter!) than the temperature outside. During those times, the last thing you want to do is add more heat to the situation by turning on your oven to cook a meal.

Firing up the BBQ or ordering take-out are potential solutions you could turn to in the summer. Alas, there are some limitations with BBQing in terms of the types of recipes you can make. It may also be tricky to find healthy options when ordering in and the costs can really add up over time. Fear not! I have some suggestions and recipes for you to try so you can make meals at home without overheating.

Make Recipes that Require Little to No Heat

I’ll start with the most obvious of tips. I’m sure this one is a no-brainer for you! Turning the oven or stove top on to cook just adds to the heat already in your home. You can keep the temperature from rising by making dishes that require minimal heat. The question you’re probably asking at this point is, “What cold recipes can I make that are filling?”

Here are some ideas:

Breakfast:

• overnight oats

  • basic recipe: combine 1/2 cup of oats with 1 cup of milk or a milk alternative and let sit overnight in the fridge in a sealed container

  • potential additions: sliced banana, 1/2 cup of any type of berry, 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds or hemp hearts, 1 tablespoon of nut butter, and/or a dollop of honey or maple syrup

    *Depending on your preferences, you can add ingredients to your oats and let them sit overnight in the fridge. Or, add them to your overnight oats right before you eat them.

  • change things up: instead of oats, try using flakes made out of quinoa, millet, amaranth, or even lentils (GoGo Quinoa, for example, makes red lentil flakes)

• smoothies: there are countless possibilities here! You can have a different smoothie each day of the week if you get creative and are open to different flavour combos. Here are 3 of my favourite smoothie recipes:

  • pumpkin pie smoothie

    1/2 cooked sweet potato (skin removed) + 1 frozen banana + 1/3 cup oats + 2 cups soy milk + 1 tsp cinnamon + 2 ground cloves + 1 tsp maple syrup

  • apple pie smoothie

    1/2 apple, seeds & core removed + 1 frozen banana + 1/2 cup Greek yogurt + 2 cups soy milk + 1 tsp cinnamon + 1 tsp maple syrup

  • super thick smoothie

    1 frozen banana + 1/2 avocado + 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter + 1/2 cup Greek yogurt + 1 cup regular soy milk + 1 cup chocolate soy milk

Lunch & Supper

• sandwiches: add energy- and nutrient-dense ingredients to your sandwich like sliced avocado, cheese, hummus, or sliced olives. When making tuna or egg salad, use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. The protein in the yogurt will help keep you full.

  • avocado toast: a relative of the sandwich, avocado toast (or avocado bread, if you don’t want to use your toaster) can be filling if you load it up with sources of protein and fat. You can mix plain yogurt into you mashed avocado before you spread it on your bread. Then you can sprinkle on some chia seeds, hemp hearts, or sesame seeds. And you can top it all off with an egg, any style, or cheese.

• salads: I know what you’re thinking! The key to a salad that has staying power in your belly is to add plenty of protein and fat. When I’ve had no AC, I tried pretty much every variety of salad. Trust me - there are actually lots of interesting and tasty salad recipes that aren’t just piles of lettuce! For example, this Thai peanut noodle salad. It does require a bit of heat for the noodles and chicken. However, the cooking portion of the recipe could be done the evening before (when it’s cooler) and then you can whip up the salad the next day. Alternatively, you could use a can of chickpeas instead of chicken.

Thai Peanut Noodle Salad

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

The Salad:

16 oz or 454 grams of rice noodles (I used Rizopia’s brown rice spaghetti noodles)

10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

juice of 1 lime

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)

1 & 1/2 cups of carrot, grated (I used Nantes carrots because I like their sweeter taste)

3 bell peppers, sliced thin

1 cup snap peas, sliced diagonally

6 green onions, sliced diagonally

3/4 cup cashews

The Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon sriracha

1/4 cup peanut butter

Instructions

1) Cook the rice noodles in boiling water for about 10 minutes. After straining the noodles, run them under cold water for a couple minutes. This will wash away the extra starch (making the noodles less sticky) and will help cool them down. Toss the noodles with just enough oil to coat them and then set them aside.

2) Heat the sesame oil on medium-high heat in a frying pan. Add the chicken and the lime juice. Cooking the chicken in an acidic liquid will make it extra tender and juicy. When the chicken has turned white on the outside, add the garlic and reduce to medium heat. Once the chicken has cooked all the way through, add the mint and reduce the heat to low. Cook for a couple more minutes and then set aside to cool.

3) While you’re waiting for your hot ingredients to cool, cut up all your other salad ingredients and put them in a large bowl.

4) To make the dressing, you can combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together. Or you can put them into a food processor. Or, you can mix the ingredients up in a blender.

*Side note: if you’re doing meal prep for the entire week, your veggies might get soggy after a couple days of sitting in the dressing. You can keep the veggies crisp by portioning out your salad into containers and then adding some dressing to each portion the evening before you’ll be eating it. This dressing will keep in the fridge for about a week. You can store it in a container, or, if you have a Nutri Bullet or the like, you can keep it in the blender cup with a lid on it. That way, if the ingredients separate, you can blend them up quickly before adding your dressing to your salad.

5) When your noodles and chicken are cool, add them to your bowl with the veggies and cashews. Mix up all the ingredients with the dressing and enjoy!

A Note About Pulses…

If you don’t want to turn on the heat to cook up meat, you can use pulses as the source of protein in your meal. If you haven’t heard of this term before, it’s another name for legumes. And if you’re not sure what legumes means, it’s a general term of beans, lentils, and beans. These plant-foods are great sources of protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Incorporating pulses into your meals will keep you feeling satisfied because of the protein and fibre they contain. If you don’t know any yummy recipes that use pulses, check out the Pulse Canada website: http://www.pulsecanada.com/resources/

Try making any of the delicious recipes from these electronic cookbooks on the Pulse Canada website. These cookbooks have recipes for all meals of the day (even breakfast), plus dessert. Take a look at them to find many no-heat recipes you can make on hot days when you want to keep cool and eat healthfully. Lots of the recipes are gluten free, or can substitutions can be made to make them gluten free. Source: http://www.pulsecanada.com/resources/

“These are some good ideas for meals, Splendorous. But how can I make dessert without turning on my oven?” You don’t need to bake to make a delectable dessert. Did you know you can use your fridge? Try this no-bake cupcake recipe:

Refrigerator Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

*You can change this recipe according to your preferences, which is why the ingredient amounts are kept vague. The thickness of each layer is up to you. You can also use various flavours of each ingredient.

1 box gluten free Graham crackers (I used Kinnikinnick’s S’morables), crushed into small pieces

2 sleeves of gluten free “oreo-style” cookies (I used Glutino’s Chocolate Vanilla Creme cookies), crushed into small pieces

1 - 2 cups of frozen strawberries, thawed

1/2 - 1 cup applesauce

approx. 2 pudding cups (I used Belsoy’s French Vanilla Dessert - it’s dairy and gluten free)

2 - 3 cups of whipped cream

Instructions

1) Place liners into a muffin tin.

2) Put a layer of cracker or cookie crumbles into each muffin tin well. You might want to take a picture at this point so you can be consistent with the type of cracker/cookie you use in each well.

3) Add either strawberries or applesauce onto the cracker/cookie crumbles.

4) Add a layer of pudding.

5) Depending on the thickness of your layers, you might be able to add another layer of cracker/cookie crumbles at this point.

6) The final layer: whipped cream.

7) Top with cracker/cookie crumbles.

8) Let sit in the fridge overnight, or for at least 6 hours.

This is what the finished product looks like:

Side Note: After you let your cupcakes sit in the fridge, popping them in the freezer for a bit will make it easier to remove them from the muffin tin. Freezing the cupcakes will also make transporting them easier.

If you’d like to make a cake instead of cupcakes:

1) Place a layer of Graham crackers or cookies (whole, not crumbled) on a platter or large plate.

2) Add a layer of fruit, then pudding, then whipped cream.

3) Alternate layers of crackers/cookies, fruit, pudding, and whipped cream until your cake is the desired size.

4) Frost the top and sides of the cake with whipped cream.

5) Top with cracker/cookie crumbs, fruit, etc.

6) Let sit in the fridge overnight, or for at least 6 hours.

Side Note: The cupcake and cake recipes will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. They can also be stored in the freezer; they maintain their shape quite well when thawing them from frozen.

Cook When It’s Cooler

It can get a bit monotonous only eating minimal-heat recipes. After a while, you might want to eat a cooked or baked meal. To keep your home from overheating, take advantage of cooler temperatures when they occur and cook for future meals. If you look at the forecast and see the temperature will be lower than usual on a particular day, take that opportunity to do batch cooking. Make a larger amount of recipes that require cooking and baking, package them up, and store them in the fridge or freezer for hotter days. For example, you could make a batch of burger patties. Then, if you want a burger on a hot day, all you have to do is pop a patty in the microwave. The rest of the burger assembly process doesn’t require any heat.

You can also do your cooking/baking during the coolest times of the day. If you’re an early bird, you can do your cooking for the day in the morning, before the sun has had a chance to heat up your home. Or you can cook after the sun has gone down, for the following day.

Use Everything But the Oven for Cooking

There are many ways to cook a meal that won’t heat your home up as much as turning on your oven will.

• microwave: it might not be practical to make all of the components of a meal in the microwave. However, you can cook parts of a meal in the microwave, decreasing the number of burners you have to turn on (and, therefore, the amount of heat your stove top gives off).

  • potatoes: cut a potato or sweet potato into quarters and microwave for 5 - 7 minutes. Wrapping the pieces together in a moist paper towel can help prevent them from drying out.

  • rice & pasta: combine with the correct proportion of water in a microwave-safe dish. Be sure to account for the fact that expansion will occur. Microwave for 5 minute increments until the water is absorbed (about 20-25 mins).

  • squash (acorn, spaghetti, etc): cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves skin-side up on a microwave-safe plate. Pierce each half a couple times with a knife. Microwave for 10-15 minutes.

  • veggies: place chopped veggies in a microwave safe bowl with a 1-centimetre layer of water. Microwave for 5 minutes.

• electric kettle: put pasta, rice, diced potatoes, or veggies into a pot or heat-safe bowl. Cover with boiling water, put a lid on your pot or bowl, and let sit until soft (around 10 minutes for pasta and veggies and roughly 20-25 minutes for rice and potatoes). You could also wrap the pot or bowl with aluminum foil if you don’t have a suitable lid.

• toaster oven:

  • meat: small cuts of beef, fillets of fish

  • baked tofu

  • toasted sandwiches (tuna melts, grilled cheese, etc)

  • roasted veggies

  • tortilla pizza or English muffin pizza

  • quesadillas

  • bruschetta

• rice cooker/insta pot/etc: anything that can be made on the stove top can be made in a rice cooker or the like. You get the same product, but generate a lot less heat! Try making soups, stews, or chili with this appliance. (You can find recipes for these dishes on the Pulse Canada Website.) The possibilities are nearly endless! You can even make Spanish rice or jambalaya.

If you have no AC, use a rice cooker to make your meals instead of your stove. It’ll help you stay cool!

Spicy Spanish Saffron Rice

Spicy Spanish Saffron Rice

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 medium Spanish onion, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 red & 2 yellow bell peppers, diced

1 small butternut squash, diced

1-28 oz can diced tomatoes

3 cups Arborio rice (or other short-grain rice)

3 & 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon fresh saffron, minced

1 cup frozen edamame

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1) Turn rice cooker on “Cook” cycle. Saute onion and jalapenos (with lid off) for about 10 minutes, or until they’ve softened.

2) Stir in garlic, herbs, squash, bell peppers, and diced tomatoes. Put lid on and let cook for 10 minutes.

3) Add in rice, broth, and saffron. Restart the “Cook” cycle.

4) When the cycle is complete, stir in the edamame, salt, and pepper. Keep the rice cooker on “Warm” mode until the edamame is warmed all the way through.

5) Test the veggies and rice to ensure they’re cooked to the desired level. Cook longer if needed. Enjoy!

Rice Cooker Jambalaya

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1 large sweet onion, diced

2 green bell peppers, diced

3 sticks of celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 pork sausages (I used Johnsonville’s Italian sausage), sliced crosswise

2 1/2  cups short-grain rice 

4 cups vegetable broth

1-28 oz can diced tomatoes

Creole-Inspired Seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1) Put the butter, onion, bell peppers, and celery in the rice cooker and start the “Cook” cycle.

2) Saute (with lid off) for about 10 minutes, or until the onion turns translucent and the celery softens.

3) Add in the sausage and garlic. Cook (with lid off) for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Add in all of the remaining ingredients, stir, and restart the “Cook” cycle (leave the lid off).

5) When the “Cook” cycle ends, put the lid on and set on “Warm” mode.

6) Let sit for another 10 minutes. Then dig in!

I hope that you’ll enjoy these recipes and that my suggestions will help you stay cool this summer!

What’s the hottest temperature you’ve ever experienced?