During those dog-days of summer, the stifling heat makes it nearly impossible to want to cook or grill out. When you don’t want to resort to ordering out Chinese food or pizza, check out some of these easy, no-cook recipes. Although a couple of the recipes may require a store-bought rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked shrimp, these delicious summer meals will keep you satisfied when the heat is on!

Shrimp and Mango Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
3/4 pound cooked shrimp (store bought)
1 large mango, deseeded, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy or tamari sauce
Juice of 1 large lime
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
4 cups arugula
4 small vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

Preparation:
Place shrimp, mango and green onions in a medium bowl. Whisk fish sauce, soy/tamari, lime juice, brown sugar and minced pepper. Pour over shrimp and mango mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Divide arugula between four salad plates or bowls. Top with one-fourth of the shrimp and mango. Garnish edge of salad plate with tomatoes.

Serves 4

Per Serving: Calories 150, Calories from Fat 17, Total Fat 1.9g (sat 0.3g), Cholesterol 128mg, Sodium 637mg, Carbohydrate 13.8g, Fiber 2.4g, Protein 19.5g

Low Fat Chicken and Apple Salad
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked skinless chicken breast, cubed (store-bought rotisserie chicken)
1 stalk of celery, sliced
1 medium unpeeled apple, diced
1/4 cup raisins
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup low fat yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder

Preparation:

Place chicken cubes in a medium bowl along with sliced celery, diced apple and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, yogurt, mayonnaise and curry powder. Pour over chicken and toss to coat.

Serves 4

Per Serving: Calories 229, Calories from Fat 24, Total Fat 2.6g (sat 0.7g), Cholesterol 85mg, Sodium 237mg, Carbohydrate 17.2g, Fiber 1.7g, Protein 34.1g

Melon Mango Soup
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 3-4 pound ripe cantaloupe melon, rind removed, seeded and chopped (about 6 cups)
2 large mangoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
Juice of 2 small limes
1 tbsp minced ginger (optional)

Preparation:

Place half the melon and mango chunks in a blender with the lime juice and ginger. Puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Puree other half of the fruit and add to the large bowl. Stir well. Chill for at least 2 hours. Garnish with fresh berries or sliced fruit.

Serves 6

Per Serving Calories 113, Calories from Fat 6, Total Fat 0.6g (sat 0.1g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 17mg, Carbohydrate 24.8g, Fiber 2.4g, Protein 1.9g

Gazpacho
Ingredients:
2 pounds vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup low sodium vegetable juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preparation:

Place ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until almost smooth. Garnish with some extra chopped vegetables and a dollop of fat-free sour cream. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Serves 6

Per Serving: Calories 104, Calories from Fat 26, Total Fat 2.9g (sat 0.4g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 51mg, Carbohydrate 17g, Fiber 3.5, Protein 2.5g

Balsamic Strawberries
Prep Time: 1 hours, 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh, ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Place strawberries in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle sugar, then gently stir. Leave to stand for 10-15 minutes. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over strawberries. Gently stir one more time. Refrigerate or let stand for at least an hour.

Serves 4.

Per Serving: Calories 54, Calories from Fat 4, Total Fat 0.4g (sat 0g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 1mg, Carbohydrate 11.8g, Fiber 2.6g, Protein 0.7g