My formula for those really miserable hot days is to stop by Atwater's on the way home and pick up one of their cold soups, some rolls, maybe a hunk or two of cheese. If I throw together a salad, we've got a meal with no oven involved.

I am glad to see, by the way, that Atwater's is now offering more variety in the take-out case. They used to always have one meaty soup, one with seafood and one vegetarian. Now I usually see 5 or 6 choices in the case. We recently had an avocado soup that was excellent. Their gazpacho is also quite good.

Don't forget the humble crockpot! Absolute minimum kitchen heat if set to low.

if you want to "cheat" at grilling pizza, throw the pizza stone on the grill.... it's like an outdoor oven.

oh, and boiling water for pasta makes too much heat if you do it all on the stove. grab an electric kettle and do as much water in there first. heat the water up faster. and if you're using shorter pastas, use a smaller pot.

My mother used to say her best cooking skill was making "reservations." No oven required.

On grilling pizza.... make your own dough, shape a few small pizzas instead of one large, and cook one side first (direct heat)... top the cooked side... finish cooking (indirect heat)

Ditto with an electric pressure cooker. Same concept as the crockpot, but much faster if you don't have the time to cook or wait.

Can we get a "Top 10 Worst Top 10s of All Time?"

vudean

I would think that your suggested top ten would be at the top of your proposed list.

I use my toaster oven and crockpot all the time.

Fagioli al tonno - white bean and tuna salad - was my dinner last night. Yummy, healthy, and no heat involved.

Kristen B, sounds good. Willing to share recipe?

Let me chime in, too: please share. Sounds tasty. LV

Don't forget canned food ... Tuna or salmon salad from canned fish requires no heat. Rinse and toss canned beans into a salad for protein.

Oh dear. Now I’m going to have to confess to my super-quick and easy recipe, which I’m sure will heap scorn on my head. But it made me happy last night, and will again tonight, no doubt, when I polish off the leftovers.

1/3 c finely chopped red onion
1/3 c lemon juice (could substitute vinegar if you prefer)
2 cans cannolini beans
1 can tuna in water (I think the small can is usual but I used large)
2 T olive oil
Chopped basil and/or parsley to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Put the chopped onion in the lemon juice and let soak while rinsing and draining the beans and then draining the tuna. Put the beans and tuna in a bowl. Whisk the olive oil into the onion/lemon juice to make a dressing. Stir it into the beans, and then add the herbs and s&p to taste.

I’ve done versions with cherry tomatoes, capers, etc., which is all good (in fact, I wish I thought of the capers last night – I’ll have to toss some in tonight – no cherry tomatoes in the house at the moment), and I think I may have seen recipes with sage, spicy mustard, etc., too. But I was doing it fast and basic last night. Dinner in 5 minutes with no heat!

Okay, KristinB, now I know what I'm fixing for dinner! Thanks!

Me too! I think there is going to be a run on cannolini bean.

As a native Iowan, I will reveal the best way to cook corn in the summertime without heating up your grill or kitchen: microwave. Just toss a couple of ears in, and heat on high for a minute or so - until they are hot. Shuck and remove silk, and you are ready to go. Pretty much the only thing I make in the microwave aside from hot water, melted butter, melted chocolate. But it's worth it for those instant ears of corn on the cob!

Solar oven it. Everything you want, a la solar energy.

Yep. Farmer's market has been my best friend lately. I've been eating smoked salmon and sliced tomatoes w/ salt & pepper for dinner. Yummy and refreshing!