Cooking in a heat wave i.e. staying sane in the kitchen

These past few days, I feel like I’m melting from the heat. It’s 37°C in The Hague! This is the Netherlands, temperatures like these aren’t suppose to happen here. I can’t believe it, and frankly I can barely stand it.

If you too are battling some type of heat wave where you are, and can’t possibly be in the kitchen for more than half an hour or so, let me remind you, or introduce you if you're new here to some of the easiest summer recipes I’ve posted over the past four and a half years on this little blog of mine that are delicious, foolproof and sometimes overlooked in favor of the shiny new ones I post each week.

Fish, meat, pasta, vegetables, salads, lunch, dinner, dessert, refreshing drinks, for you, for your friends, for your family. If you’re looking for quick, easy and delicious summer cooking inspiration, here it is:

Tartines of Grilled Peaches, Beetroot and Blue Cheese with Walnut and Garlic Spread

Tartines with Kalamata Olive Paste, Coeur de Boeuf Tomato and Feta

Poached Eggs on Buttered Toast / Greek Barley Bread with Avocado and Boiled Egg

Pastourmadopitakia (Greek Individual Pies with Pastourma) / Greek Fried Potatoes with Crumbled Feta and Dried Oregano

Greek Fava (Yellow Split-Pea Purée)

Summer Green Salad with Cherries, Jamón Serrano and Goat's Cheese

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Mint Oil, Feta and Kalamata Olives

Young Swiss-chard and Mint Salad with Cherries, Olives and Feta / Cantaloupe, Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Goat’s Cheese and Feta

Greek Fried Whitebait (Marides Tiganites) / Greek Fried Red Mullet (Barbounia Tiganita)

Greek Baked Mackerel (Kolios) with Olive Oil, Lemon and Parsley / Greek Baked Whole Tuna with Ladolemono (Greek Olive Oil and Lemon Sauce)

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce and Mixed Greens

Marinated Roast Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives, Lemon and Herbs

Keftedakia (Greek Fried Meatballs) / Sikotaki Politiko (Greek Fried Calf’s Liver with Onion and Parsley)

Lamb Chops with Herb and Garlic Sauce, and Tomato and Onion Salad

Entrecôte Steak Sandwich with Dijon Mustard and Rocket Leaves

Tagliatelle with Fresh Figs, Goat's Cheese and Prosciutto

Spaghetti with Courgette, Olive Oil and Garlic

Cold Strawberry Drink

Rosewater and Honey Lemonade / Orange Juice, Mango, Banana and Ginger Smoothie

Watermelon Daiquiri / Watermelon Margarita

Coffee Granita with Coconut Whipped Cream

Raspberry Sorbet Popsicles

Mango Sorbet Popsicles

Fresh Berry Tart with Puff Pastry

I’ll be back soon, well, as soon as this heat permits, with a new recipe. Till then, stay cool!