Somewhere during the past two weeks of this NEVER-ending heatwave, I’ve stopped being a person who “cooks dinner,” and started being a person who “opens things” (or stands in the freezer and consumes popsicles in quick succession because they definitely ~contain fruit~. The box says so).

Something about this kind of heat brings out the true good enough is good enough in all of us. A bag of pre-washed arugula with a can of chickpeas and the clawed apart rotisserie chicken I bought three days ago will do just fine…for the whole family…four days in a row. We pick our battles.

No-cook dinners get a bad reputation because people confuse them with sad dinners or lazy dinners. They don’t have to be (also there is nothing sad about midnight cereal and I stand by that). There is a way to make a good no-cook dinner that feels intentional and nutritious without toiling (read: boiling) over the stove for hours when you’re already in a sticky mood.

Here’s everything I’ve figured out about making no-cook dinners feel like real dinners when it’s just too hot to cook:

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Every good no-cook dinner needs three core things: a protein that requires zero heat, a base that actually fills you up, and something acidic that makes the whole thing taste alive and summery. IMO the acidic part is what makes a good no-cook meal that doesn’t just taste like Ingredient Dinner.

Proteins:

Bases:

The acidic finish:

In my household we call this a “Big A** Salad.” Pardon my French. This is the kind of salad with all of the bits and bobs. It’s capital S, Sustenance. I like to do romaine, arugula, or shredded kale as the base, then something substantial on top like pulled rotisserie chicken, a can of chickpeas, or sliced hard-boiled eggs (a la a niçoise). Add something creamy (avocado, feta, fresh mozzarella), something crunchy (croutons, toasted seeds, tortilla strips), and whatever dressing you like. Here’s a good chef’s salad recipe to iterate off of.

This is one of my all time favorite summer meals. All you have to do is boil some soba, rice noodles, or regular pasta (this is an easy one to meal prep ahead of time, rinse cold, and keep in the fridge). At dinnertime all you have to do is make the sauce (peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, a splash of warm water to thin it)! Toss with the noodles, add cucumber, shredded cabbage, edamame, whatever herbs are in the fridge. I just found this recipe that puts them into lettuce boats and I can’t wait to do that next time!

This is not to be confused with a Girl Dinner of pretzels, skittles, and a can of hearts of palm to be eaten on the floor. A proper snack plate needs one protein anchor (hard-boiled eggs, deli meat, white beans), something filling (good bread, pita, substantial grainy crackers), raw vegetables with an actual dip (hummus, tzatziki, French onion dip), and one fun addition like olives, cornichons, or/and a small pile of nuts.

Here are three ways to mix ‘em up:

Buffalo: chicken + hot sauce + blue cheese or ranch + shredded romaine. Recipe here.

Greek: chicken + hummus + cucumber + tomato + feta.

Caesar: chicken + Caesar dressing + shaved parmesan + romaine + a squeeze of lemon.

Each of these takes under ten minutes. One $9 chicken becomes three completely different dinners!

Microwave a grain pouch (three whooole minutes). Pile on chickpeas, whatever fresh vegetables look good, a big spoonful of hummus, lemon juice, olive oil, and flaky salt (obvs, always). This sounds too simple to be good and it is consistently one of the best things I eat all summer. Search grain bowl on Pepper for the community versions, which are significantly more creative than mine.