Home cooking without the cooking

Although I enjoy cooking, I don’t mind making a meal without turning on the stove, especially on hot days. Sometimes it’s dinner, but more often lunch. For sandwiches, simple white bread usually is fine for us.
One meal is BLTs. With a salad and 1½ sandwiches, it becomes dinner, accompanied by a glass of cold dry white wine.
To improve the BLT, slice the tomatoes at least ¼-inch thick about 15 minutes ahead of time. Salt them on both sides and put the slices on paper towels. This draws out water and improves the tomato taste. Since I usually have frozen bacon, this meal is a breeze to make. With or in place of lettuce, use fresh basil leaves. Tear them so they’re bruised for more flavor. Also, add a few drops of lemon to the mayonaise to improve the sandwich taste.
Another easy lunch is stuffed tomatoes. Remove the seeds and some of the pulp from a large, ripe tomato. Fill the hollow with your favorite cottage cheese and top with a couple of torn basil leaves. This and a cold drink make a refreshing light meal.

Recently, Patti and I had lunch with friends. She started out with what she called “pizza on a stick” that a friend had told her about. It’s a long, sharp toothpick with a cube of mozzarella cheese, a cherry tomato, a pitted black olive, and a couple of basil leaves. I add a tiny amount of ready-made pizza sauce. It’s refreshing and tasty.
And, there’s always chicken salad. To 2 cups of diced cooked chicken, add about ¼ cup of mayonnaise, 2 diced scallions, both the white and green parts, 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, and several halved green grapes. Mix these together and serve on a bed of lettuce. This can be lunch or dinner. Don’t forget the cold white wine.
Enjoy!

If you have any questions or suggestions for this column, contact me either through this newspaper at buckscountyherald.com or directly at guthrielatason@verizon.net.

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