Cool dinners for hot nights

Posted by Jess Spiro on 29 January 2023

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Cool dinners for hot nights — It’s getting to that time of year where the heat begins to beat down relentlessly – even after the sun goes down there’s no respite. On nights like these, the last thing you want to do is slave in a hot kitchen only to sit down to a piping-hot meal. This is why we’ve rounded up 7 of our quickest-cooking, cool recipes that won’t make you or your house feel any hotter.

Spicy pork tacos with watermelon, coriander salsa verde and peanuts

These not only come together in very little time, but the total oven time is under 15 minutes.
Get the recipe for spicy pork tacos with watermelon, coriander salsa verde and peanuts here.

Lemongrass chicken with smashed cucumber salad

This chicken is full of punchy flavour and as it’s flattened out very thinly, doesn’t take very long to cook. If the puffed rice feels like a step too far, feel free to leave it out and replace with roasted peanuts if you like.
Get the recipe for lemongrass chicken with smashed cucumber salad here.

Crunchy chicken salad

Just when you thought you’d done all you could with a chicken schnitzel. The salad here keeps everything fresh and light, and most importantly, cool.
Get the recipe for crunchy chicken salad here.

Szechuan wok beef with salted lime cucumber

Stir-fries will always be a winning dinner for hot nights as they take almost no time to come together. Serve this with rice as suggested or with rice noodles if the thought of putting a pot of rice on the stove breaks you into a further sweat.
Get the recipe for Szechuan wok beef with salted lime cucumber here.

Lamb chops with rosemary and lemon

The flattening out here is key to ensuring an even, quick cooking time. Swap the mashed potatoes for a cool potato salad if you prefer.
Get the recipe for lamb chops with rosemary and lemon here.

Greens and pasta with pecorino, olive and baby spinach pesto

With a total cooking time of 15 minutes, this pasta dish is bound to become part of your summer dinner repertoire. If you can’t be bothered with the pesto, we won’t tell anyone if you use shop-bought instead.
Get the recipe for greens and pasta with pecorino, olive and baby spinach pesto here.

Flavourburst nectarine-and-tomato gazpacho

Is there a dish that combines seasonal produce and hot-weather cooking better than a gazpacho? We think not. The nectarines might feel like an odd addition here, but they add a satisfying sweetness to everything that you won’t even notice in the finished dish.
Get the recipe for Flavourburst nectarine-and-tomato gazpacho here.