With little to no hands-on cooking time involved, we’re turning to these fast and fresh salads, bowls and rolls when it’s simply too hot to linger in a steamy kitchen. They’re the perfect summer dinner ideas on those hot balmy nights when turning on the oven feels like a bridge too far.
We're calling it: this is your ultimate Aussie summer salad. Loaded with barbecued lamb shoulder, sweet juicy mangoes, creamy avocado and crunchy macadamias, it's the perfect summer dinner or entertaining dish. After marinating the lamb, you can have it on the table in 30 minutes, plus you can easily double the recipe.
This healthy and satisfying spicy tuna salad is an ideal way to shake things up. Eating your greens has never looked better!
“Rice paper rolls are all about the herbs. I don’t think people use enough herbs when making them at home. I sometimes get lazy, and instead of cooking prawns and pork, I’ll buy a supermarket roast chook, shred it and sub that in instead. I also like to let people roll their own rolls at the table.” – Khanh Ong
This raw pad Thai is a crisp, nutrient rich take on the classic Thai noodle dish making it a perfect vegetarian alternative to the universally adored chicken version. You can access this recipe in delicious. Feel Good Food (ABC, $39.99) by Valli Little, available now in bookshops nationally.
This salad is perfect for a midweek meal on a warm night when you want dinner on the table in 30 minutes. And if you don’t polish it all off on the night, it makes great leftovers for a lunchbox the next day.
There's no need to travel to Vietnam to enjoy this beautiful simple dish. Made with silky rice noodles, fragrant pork mince and slaw, this family-friendly salad is super tasty, fresh and totally satisfying.
“Same as with a Sunday roast, my leftover chicken and sides make for the best sandwiches! Pile them high and tuck in.”
These homemade kebabs make the perfect quick summer meal. Packed with bright Mediterranean flavours, fire up the barbecue for a simple weeknight meal or double the recipe for effortless summer entertaining. You’ll need 6-8 metal or wooden skewers for this recipe. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes before using, to stop them from burning.
‘Soba’ is the Japanese word for buckwheat – a gluten-free grain popular throughout Asia. However, if you are wanting to avoid gluten, make sure you look at the ingredient list, as some noodles sold as soba are actually wheat-based. Recipe extracted from The 5-Minute Vegan Lunchbox by Alexander Hart, published by Smith Street Books, RRP $24.99.
Ready in a flash, this quick and easy lamb mince wrap packs a punch, thanks to the use of baharat and Aleppo pepper (see recipe notes). It’s the perfect dish to whip up for a speedy lunch or dinner when you’re dining solo.
With virtually no hands-on cooking required, this fun deconstructed bánh mì is for the days when you don’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen. Pick up a piece of roast pork from the supermarket and arrange everything on a large platter so everyone can build their own wrap.
This speedy salad is super tasty and refreshing. Enjoy on its own for a vegetarian light meal or pair with some grilled meat or fish to assemble some quick tacos. And if you don’t demolish this in one go, you’ll be happy to discover that the flavours only intensify over time for a stronger chilli kick.
Aromatic spices meet tender turkey mince and crisp vegetables in flavour-packed stiry-fry. Quick and easy to prepare, this dish is perfect for a delicious weeknight meal, served with steamed jasmine rice and a squeeze of lime.
Turn simple ingredients like canned tuna, corn, fresh fennel and herbs into a light lunch or starter your can serve at your next dinner party.
Fun, filling and fresh: crispy, juicy pork katsu is the star of these super-simple hand rolls.
