Dinner recipes you can serve cold when it's too hot to cook

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When it's hot and humid, all we want are cold, refreshing dishes. And these recipes hit the mark.

One features herb-roasted beets, a shallot-infused champagne vinaigrette, vibrant greens, buttery burrata cheese and crunchy walnuts. Another is a classic Italian dish featuring toasty bread piled high with juicy tomatoes, sweet basil and garlic-infused olive oil.

And for dessert? Sweet, colorful fruit splashed with a little honey and lime. It’s fresher, brighter and it's more customizable than any store-bought creation.

Roasted beet and burrata salad

Servings: 4

For the roasted beets

1 to 2 bunches fresh beets (1 bunch larger beets or 2 bunches smaller beets), skin on, greens trimmed, leaving about 1 inch of the stem
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
½ teaspoon salt, preferably kosher or sea salt

For the vinaigrette

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey, optional
Salt and black pepper

For serving

5 ounces baby arugula, or mixture of baby arugula and baby spinach or greens of choice
8 ounces burrata cheese
½ cup walnut halves and pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Scrub the beet root bulbs under cold running water to remove dirt and debris.

Place the beets in a shallow baking dish and add 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar, water, thyme sprigs and salt. Toss to coat the beets with the liquid. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast for 45 to 60 minutes, until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife. Check after 45 minutes, as timing will depend on the size of your beets.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the beets to cool slightly (reserve the liquid in the pan). When cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to remove the skin from the beets.

Cut the peeled beets into 1-inch pieces, return them to the remaining liquid in the baking pan and toss to coat.

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of champagne vinegar, shallot, Dijon mustard and honey (if using). Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

Transfer the arugula (or greens of choice) to individual salad plates. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the greens. Top the greens with the beets. Tear or slice the burrata into smaller pieces and add to the salad. Top the salad with the walnuts. If desired, drizzle more vinaigrette over top.

Serve with extra vinaigrette on the side.

Bruschetta

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 ¼ pounds plum (Roma) tomatoes, about 4 to 5 large
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, or 3 to 4 small cloves, minced
8 large basil leaves, or 10 medium leaves
Bread of choice (I use a sourdough baguette), cut into ½-inch thick slices, toasted or grilled

Directions

Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and remove/discard the seeds (using a spoon makes quick work of this process). Dice the tomatoes and transfer them to a colander. Add the salt and toss gently to coat. Place the colander in bowl. Let stand for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the olive oil and minced garlic. Set the pan over low heat and warm for 8 to 10 minutes, until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Do not brown the garlic. Set aside to cool.

Stack the basil leaves on top of each other and roll up tightly into a log. Using a sharp knife, slice the log crosswise into very thin ribbons.

Transfer the drained tomatoes to a medium bowl. Add the cooled olive oil and sliced basil and toss gently to combine.

Season to taste with salt and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

Spoon the tomato topping on the toasted bread and serve immediately.

Store leftover bruschetta topping in the fridge for up to 3 days (store the bread separately).

Fruit salad

This salad is best made just before serving, but there are ways to prep ahead. Chop all fruit but the bananas up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate until ready to assemble. Pull the fruit from the refrigerator 20 minutes before tossing with the honey and lime. Fruit salad is best served soon after assembly. That said, don’t toss leftovers! Store leftover fruit salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Servings: 8 to 10

For the fruit salad