A week's worth of summer dinners

Summer calls for laid-back pastimes: bike rides along the river, picnics in the park, glistening, sweating cocktails on a patio (and lugubrious lies on the beach, if you're lucky). It also calls for unassuming, simple summer dinners that involve more assembly than cooking. Whether you're eating gluten-free, paleo, vegan or vegetarian, I got something for you in this list.

This Sunday, I decided to bake banana bread and two batches of roasted vegetables. This Sunday, the temperature outside rose to 36C (97F) with the humidity factor. This Sunday, I clearly forgot I have no air conditioner but only one puny fan.

You can imagine the disaster that ensued from combining all of those factors together.

That was a reminder to go back to summer basics. If, like me, the thought of turning on the oven or spending more than 15 minutes thinking about what to eat in this heat makes you want to call for take-out, then this post is for you.

So here's a week's worth of summer dinners, as they play out in our house. No recipes, no exact measurements, no complex preparations; these are all just suggestions on what ingredients you can endeavour to put together in one dish, and what to do to them, if you must do anything at all.

Monday

Baked fish with broccoli {GF, Paleo}

The first day of the week usually means Sunday leftovers in our house. But, if by any chance we didn't have time to cook a week's worth of soup the night before, then Mondays is when I reach for the frozen fish. Laid out in a baking dish with broccoli, cauliflower, or whatever other mainstay vegetable I have in my fridge, the fish gets a sprinkling of spice (a mixture like Greek, Italian or Herbes de Provence goes great here) and a drizzling of olive oil, and off to the oven it goes for 17-20 minutes at 400F. It's a bit of oven work, true, but I find it ends quickly.

Tuesday

Edamame, radish and sprouts salad with feta or fish {GF, grain-free, vegetarian}

I like to repurpose the fish leftover from Monday alongside a simple salad of greens, edamame beans, radishes and sprouts, all doused with a lemon juice, olive oil and a healthy sprinkling of za'atar. Trust me - we wipe that plate clean.

Wednesday

Asian inspired edamame and red cabbage bowl {GF, grain-free, vegan, vegetarian}

Once I open a pack of edamame, I lay them on everything. Though you can't necessarily see them, edamame beans form the basis of this Asian-inspired bowl. They are joined by cucumber, onions, avocado, purple cabbage and radishes, and topped with black sesame and a bit of sesame oil and vinegar (rice vinegar would do well if you're not keeping paleo).

Thursday

Roasted asparagus with grilled tofu (GF, grain-free, vegan, vegetarian)

On Thursday, dinner is roasted asparagus with lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil (garlic is swell here too, but usually I'm too lazy to peel it). Put it in the oven for 15-17 minutes, until it's browned on the edges and cooked through but still retains a bit of bite. In the meantime, preheat a grill pan to high heat, and cook your tofu until scorn marks appear on both sides and it's a bit golden (the tofu in that photo is fried in waaay too much oil. Which is also delicious and recommended if you're not watching your figure).

Friday

Caprese salad (GF, grain-free, vegetarian)

Do I really need to teach you how to cook Caprese salad? You slice some good mozzarella (lactose-free for me, please), perfectly ripe tomatoes, and throw some ripped basil on top. Drizzle the whole thing with high-grade olive oil and balsamic, and sprinkle salt and pepper GENEROUSLY. Voila - a meal good enough to celebrate the weekend.

Saturday

Middle Eastern mezze platter (Vegan, vegetarian, GF option)

Take a note from your Middle Eastern friends and serve a mezze plate for Saturday. Make lazy-man's hummus by processing some canned chickpeas with a bit of warm water, a dollop of tahini (I go for a lot more than a dollop), tons of garlic and salt to taste. Lay out some olives. Chop really good tomatoes and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and balsamic. Slice cucumbers into thick, large slices and sprinkle them with a bit salt. If you're not vegan, hard boil a few eggs. Add in whatever odds and ends you have and love - hot sauce, stuffed vine leaves, pickled squash. Serve the whole thing with good bread or pita. You got yourself the best dinner yet.

Sunday

Go out for dinner.

Jk, this is a food blog, after all.

Sweet potato chips with dips (GF, grain-free, vegan/vegetarian, paleo)

Slice sweet potatoes into ½ or ¼ inch slices (not very thickly but also not thinly). Fry them on a hot grill pan. Make guacamole by chopping garlic, a few avocadoes, onions and a few cherry tomatoes, and liberally add cumin, hot sauce and lemon and lime juice. Bring out your favourite dip. Eat in front of your favourite Netflix binge show.

Thank me later.