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Our glorious extended spring is OVER and the heat of summer has arrived. Never ending ninety degree days are in our foreseeable future. Using the oven is a big no-no at my house during the summer. Our AC doesn't work well and the house is always uncomfortably warm; using the oven would exacerbate that.


Since oven-baked anything is a bad idea, and even the thought of boiling water makes me sweat, I plan to serve up simple no-cook wraps and summer salads. Not only are they healthy, but also inexpensive, delicious and filling on hot summer days. Here's my no cook healthy menu for the week:


Monday: leftover barbacoa meat from sunday dinner + tropical cabbage salad



Tuesday: hummus, tzatziki, tabbouleh on naan bread + mango smoothie



Wednesday: tuna or chicken salad wraps (tuna mixed with mayo, whole wheat tortilla, lettuce, bell pepper strips) + watermelon


Thursday: going on a long trip - leftover wrap sandwiches


Friday: rice and bean salad + watermelon



Saturday: cafe rio salad (canned black beans on quesadillas with salad greens, store bought cilantro lime dressing and pico de gallo)



I'm not a fan of kitchen gadgets. I have a small kitchen and I like to keep things simple. I was gifted an insta-pot a few years ago, but mostly just use it to make beans. As I am packing and moving, I rediscovered my insta-pot and decided to give it another chance. If it's taking up space on a shelf, I better figure out how to use it!


Here's my insta-pot menu:


Monday: insta-pot pepperocini beef sandwiches (put steak in the instpot with pepperocinis and cook 70 minutes then put it on top of rolls for sandwiches) + cabbage/ramen salad + watermelon



Tuesday: Ground beef tacos + whole wheat tortillas + rice/bean salad + watermelon




Wednesday: Instapot cabbage soup + store bought rolls + grapes


image from feasting at home


Thursday: instapot chicken + tortillas + mango spinach smoothies


image from spendwithpennies.com


Friday: Food truck meal at Utah Art's Festival (there are activities for kids and it's free for kids to enter, we rarely eat out, as you see on this blog, but when we do I try to make it a cultural experience!)


Saturday: leftovers or tortillas w/cheese and beans



I grow a lot of cabbage. It's getting big enough to harvest, so we will be eating a lot of cabbage the next few weeks. If you don't grow your own, cabbage is still a BUDGET FRIENDLY food. At my local smiths, you can pick up a bag of chopped cabbage for $1.50, that's a steal!


Cabbage is a nutrition powerhouse. It has as much vitamin C as an orange, and is also a good source of vitamin K, potassium (which is good for your heart) and antioxidants (which protect against diseases like cancer).


Here's my menu this week, a tribute to my cabbage patch!


Monday: Cabbage soup + breadsticks (I made a double batch of soup so I could bring some camping this weekend)



Tuesday: Beef and Cabbage stir fry with ramen noodles on the side




Wednesday: Lettuce wraps with tropical cabbage salad


Thursday: BBQ meatloaf sheetpan dinner (using cabbage instead of the veggies she shows)



Friday: leftover tacos from Sunday night



Saturday: leftover soup from monday




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