5 no-oven recipes that will let you keep your kitchen cool

avocado dish

Winter is all about oven roasted vegetables and hearty entrees, but when the weather starts to get warmer, the last thing you’ll want is to make your home even hotter by using the oven. For days like this, you’ll need an arsenal of no-oven recipes to turn to. Here are five to consider!

Caprese-Stuffed Avocados. Described as a “portable garden,” these are simple to make, pretty to look at and fun to eat. Just scoop most of the flesh out of two pitted avocados, leaving a small border, and dice the avocado. Toss it in a large bowl with cherry tomatoes sliced in half, halved mini mozzarella balls, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the mixture into the scooped-out avocados and garnish with basil. Delicious! Total time: 10 minutes. Level: Easy. Yield: Four servings.

Banana Nut Elvis Wrap. A traditional Elvis sandwich consists of peanut butter, mashed banana and bacon on toasted slices of bread. This sandwich is a riff on that classic, combining peanut butter (or the nut butter of your choice), sliced banana and a drizzle of honey on a whole wheat wrap. This would make a great breakfast or snack — bananas are a great source of resistant starch, which is a slow-burning fiber that can keep you energized, and nut butter is a good source of protein. Total time: About five minutes. Level: Easy. Yield: One serving.

Raw Carrot Pasta with Ginger-Lime Peanut Sauce. This recipe treats carrots like pasta with help from a spiralizer, but you don’t need a spiralizer to make this — just use a box grater instead. Wash and peel five carrots, spiralize or grate them, then pour the sauce over it. The sauce includes two tablespoons of unsalted, unsweetened creamy peanut butter, coconut milk, cayenne pepper chopped garlic, lime juice and salt. Garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro. Total time: About 15 minutes. Level: Moderate. Yield: Four servings.

Three-Ingredient Chocolate Bars. These treats come together in just a few minutes. Simply mix together melted coconut oil with a sweetener, either Splenda, agave or honey. Add cocoa powder and stir for 3-4 minutes until it’s extra thick. Pour the mixture into a baking dish lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Chop into pieces or cut into bars, and store it in the fridge. Keep these on hand for whenever you want a taste of something sweet! Total time: Five minutes. Level: Easy. Yield: About eight servings.

Crab Rolls. A ubiquitous summertime sandwich in New England is a lobster roll — creamy lobster salad heaped onto a long bun. This version uses crab because it’s more economical and just as delicious, but you can use lobster or even shrimp if you prefer. Combine the meat with mayonnaise, radishes, celery, chopped Granny Smith apple, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Fill the  rolls with the mixture and serve with pickles and potato chips. Total time: 15 minutes. Level: Easy. Yield: Four servings.