Cook? Are you out of your mind? 35C in the UK in June only comes along every ten years. The trains/buses/cars/traffic in this heat is enough to make you feel completely exhausted by the time you crawl back home in the evening; and the thought of FRYING things, BOILING things, PEELING and CHOPPING is, let’s say it gently, most unwelcome.
But eats must and takeaways are so not a good idea, so it’s salad days. Get a nice rotisserie chicken – or roast one like that if you’re hardcore – and salad away. The couscous chicken salad will make your crowd happy and of course skip the chicken entirely if you’re so disposed.
Chicken Caesar salad can follow the couscous on the following day if plenty of the bird left. Meatlessly – chickpeas salad with red peppers will do the trick; and everyone’s allowed to use tinned chickpeas. Vegetarians, please ignore and forgive the pancetta.
If you feel like firing off barbecues, get some steak and cook it on the grill, then serve with (also grilled) red peppers and courgettes. And for a bit of super-healthy fish and hardly any cooking at all, go for the smoked mackerel salad with avocado and celeriac.
One breakfast this week at least should be an oats and banana smoothie. Mind you - bananas need to be frozen peeled, otherwise it's a floppie instead of a smoothie.
And for pudding - if you can stretch to whipping some cream, make some mini pavlovas with (psst! shop bought!) meringues and fresh berries. Otherwise - just buy ice cream. Stay cool!