Hot and humid weather cooking -

I don't think this insane heatwave is ever going to go away.

For a while there - no rain. Then we had horrendous rain, thunder, lightning, hail, and instead of it breaking the humidity - it became worse.


I even dread boiling water for tea!


We still have to eat - and I've cheated quite a bit with one skillet meals, sammies and salads.



Thursday I made -


FRIED BOLOGNA WITH ONIONS


Just heat some oil in a skillet, when hot - add sliced onions and season with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. And don't forget the GARLIC! When the onion starts to soften a bit - add your bologna - either slices or strips (cut the slices in 1-inch wide strips.)

Served on toasted hearty bread and served with a nice selection of pickles and side salad.

For something a bit different, slather on the mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese of choice!



Yesterday being Friday was a no-meat day in our home.


TUNA HOAGIES

Tuna fish, drained
Chopped celery
Chopped onion
Sweet relish
Fresh ground black pepper
Mayonnaise/salad dressing to desired consistency

Toast hoagie rolls (using my George Forman grill), fill with tuna salad and top with additional sliced onion, lettuce and tomato. For a "sloppier" sammie, slather additional mayo/dressing on your roll.

If you don't like mayo/dressing for this - try using a zesty Italian vinaigrette and some chopped carrot! Very good!



I had a package of pork riblets in the freezer and I know I have to cook something (we can't go without a cooked meal around here regardless of the heat and humidity), so last night I popped them in the refrigerator to thaw a bit.



Today they were fried in olive oil (heat the skillet, then add the oil, heat the oil and then add the pork) and seasoned with garlic, parsley, Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and onion powder.



I made a loaded macaroni salad -

1 lb. cut ziti
5 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
chipped carrot
chopped celery
frozen peas, thawed
sweet pickle relish
chopped onion
Salad dressing - to consistency
Paprika for garnish


And I made some stuffed eggs -

Combining the yolks with salad dressing, sweet relish, and a smidge of chopped celery and onion.



Served with applesauce for dipping the pork.



Now for tomorrow - I've got plenty of pork left over which I am going to re-heat in BBQ sauce and serve with baked beans! Cheater beans that is -

Canned baked beans
Ketchup
Mustard
Brown sugar

and if I am not too lazy and can take the heat - crisp fried bacon.

I just cannot take this weather (heat/humidity) anymore!


Right now - I am wishing for snow! I'm dying for homemade bread but it's way too humid to even attempt making it at 4 AM.

Sunday - Spaghettini in Meat Sauce with Italian Sausage

Regardless of the heat and humidity - I HAVE to make a meal today. No more one-skillet meals to "cheat" in this weather.

While it is too hot for baking, I left quite early to get to the market and I picked up two loaves of Italian bread to go with our meal today. I would have loved to bake bread today - but I just can't do it in this heat.

Promises of rain from the weatherman are just that - promises - and no rains.


Since I have to cook - I am going to make enough for two days and of course, there is a method to my madness - if I can get a third meal somehow with something - by George, I'm gonna do it.


I took some rope-style Italian Sausage out of the freezer before I ran to the market, and it was almost thawed out in that short time I was gone (less than 20 minutes!)



I cut the sausage into links, and skillet-fried in a bit of olive oil.



Once fried, I added my ground chuck - seasoned with Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, fennel, garlic, onion powder, parsley.



When the ground chuck was fried, I added:
1 can (29 oz.) tomato puree
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (29 oz.) water (almost full)

Seasoned with Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, onion powder, chili powder, marjoram, basil, garlic, parsley, pinch Italian seasoning, fresh grated Pecorino Romano and a pinch of sugar - all to taste.

Covered and let simmer while I was waiting for my water to boil for my spagettini #9.

Once the water boiled, I added my Kosher salt, waited for the water to return to a full boil, and cooked my spaghettini al dente.



While the spaghettini was cooking, I assembled a quick salad of lettuce, tomato, and sliced pepperoncini peppers in my homemade vinaigrette.



A platter full of spaghettini in meat sauce - and enough Italian sausage so that we can have Italian sausage on Italian bread sammies later.



Topped with a bit of fresh grated Pecorino Romano.

And I've got more than a quart of homemade meat sauce that I have cooling in the refrigerator, and I will bottle that up tomorrow and I'll have it for another meal that I'll be able to put together in no time! And I have more than enough spaghettini for tomorrow's dinner! Later on - Italian sausage bombers with grated cheese! No complaints from anyone with this meal today!

I told you there was a method to my madness!