No-Cook? No Problem?

Once the fall chill creeps in, it's hard to resist turning on the oven to bake or roast something on weeknights. After all, don't we sing the praises of comfort food these days? But in some coastal areas (i.e. Florida or Southern California), the heat can hang on until the "official" start of fall (late September) and then some.

So, it's important to have a few no-cook fall recipes at the ready. Some of my favorites include:

Gazpacho: Otherwise known as "cold tomato soup," this ordinarily summer favorite can be an ideal fall dish. Since autumn is a time when most garden harvests are in full swing, you can throw this together quickly with tomatoes and cucumbers right out of the backyard. Peel and dice them, add some vegetable cocktail juice (you know, the brand with a letter and a number in its name), a little minced garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil. If you like some zing, shake in some bottled hot pepper sauce. Pair with your favorite dinner bread, and you have yourself a meal.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches: Okay, maybe this is cheating, because it does call for you to cook an ingredient at one point; obviously, pork isn't safe (or desirable) any other way. But if you have leftover roast pork from a previous night, serve it cold on kaiser rolls with a cole slaw piled between the layers. They key to success for this one is making sure the pork is sufficiently pulled; if it wasn't pulled at the time of cooking, go ahead and shred with a fork and knife right there in the storage container. You can also stir in some BBQ sauce - chipotle is super-popular right now - to elevate the texture and taste of the cold pork. Yum!

Pre-cooked meat skewers: Chicken, shrimp, and scallops can all be purchased pre-cooked in some form or fashion today, and the skewer is a fun way to serve quickly put a meal together; think protein and vegetables all in one bite. And while we don't hear about it often, there's no reason they can't be served cold. Choose your favorite of the aforementioned meats, and place on a skewer alongside cherry tomatoes and pineapple chunks (or, if it's to your liking, raw zucchini or squash). Again, if you need a little starch, serve with bread or a pasta salad.

Pasta Salad: Well, speak of the devil! The quintessential potluck dish, pasta salad can actually be good at home too. The key to turning a pasta salad from the deli counter into a signature meal is, of course, the add-ins. Again, your pre-cooked chicken strips are a good (if not expected) way to go. But why not shake things up a little? Try rolling up some black forest ham slices with cream cheese and olive filling, then cut into pinwheels. Three slices of ham should yield about twelve of these (more if you cut the wheels thinner). If anyone asks, call it "Mediterranean fusion." Enjoy!

There's no shame in stretching out summer-style eating into the fall. It can help to save on energy costs, and increase comfort for those who aren't privy to cold weather yet. And, if the above ideas aren't your glass of iced tea, get creative and dream up some of your own.