Summer food

I hate cooking over a hot stove in the summer so my go-to recipe on hot days (Even though I still have to boil water for eggs and pasta...) is a pasta salad, more filling then just a salad. I add whatever vegetables I have on hand. For this batch it was celery, red bell peppers, cucumbers and some red onion. I also added some boiled eggs- I use a 2:1 ratio for just egg whites to whole eggs because I don't really like egg yolks, but it adds some creaminess to the pasta, otherwise it's just cold and crunchy. I added some diced pepperoni as well so it's a little spicy and a bit more flavorful. Then a healthy splash of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt to top it off. It tastes even better the day after.


Lately I've been buying a lot of rotisserie chickens from Ralphs or Costco. They're pretty cheap and you can use it for so many things! Plus you don't have to touch a whole raw chicken. I used mine for chicken tacos this time. Again, no slaving over a hot stove! Just shred the chicken and cut up: onions, cilanto, green onions, avocado. Get some corn tortillas, some sour cream and cheese and, if you can handle spicy, you MUST throw on some Trade Joe's roasted green chiles (they come in a small can so it's worth a try). Squeeze some lime over it and you're done!


And with the leftover bones/scraps of meat, you can make really delicious chicken stock. Just throw the bones into a pot with water (and any scrap of vegetables you have lying around) and let it simmer for a few hours. Freeze it for later use in soups, sauces, anything... I used my stock for a simple broth with somen noodles and green onions.