OK, it is summer in Maine and we’ve sure had some real “dog days” of late.

Hazy, hot, humid, sticky weather does not propel me into my kitchen and I doubt it does you, either.

Take out is fine once in a while and an air conditioned restaurant can be a real treat when it is just too hot to cook, but there are many evenings when you don’t want to fight the traffic and crowds and just want a nice, easy to prepare dinner that doesn’t require a lot of cooking or effort.

This week’s recipes are all easy-peasy with some not requiring any cooking at all. How good is that?

The number of minutes until ready to serve (listed with each recipe below) also includes what I think is a reasonable amount of time for prepping ingredients as well as resting/freezing time.

This is the time of year to depend on short-cuts of any kind and your supermarket deli (think rotisserie chicken or cold cuts) and seafood counters (how about some cooked gulf shrimp or a container of fresh crab meat?) is a good place to start.

And of course, there is always the perfect summer meal in the beautiful state of Maine that mandates turning the stove on for just a few minutes to grill a hot dog roll – and then just a couple more minutes to mix a bit of mayo with some cooked lobster meat. Voila! Dinner is served: a lobster roll and some potato chips works for this Maine woman every time. (Call me .... I’ll bring a luscious no-bake dessert. How about pound cake with peaches and cream? Recipe below.)

No cooking/ready to serve in 10 minutes

Avocado coup with crab

• 4 ripe Haas avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
• 3 cups reduced fat, reduced sodium chicken broth, well chilled
• 1 cup whole milk, well chilled
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• Salt and white pepper
• 4-6 oz. fresh crab meat
• 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Place avocado chunks in food processor with chicken broth and puree until smooth. Add milk and lime juice and blend well. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Ladle soup into wide bowls, top with some crabmeat and sprinkle with cilantro and parsley. Yield: 4 servings.

10 minutes cooking time/ready to serve in 30 minutes

Mediterranean chicken salad

For the dressing:

• 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. tarragon vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

• 3 cups diced cooked chicken (from a supermarket prepared rotisserie chicken)
• 1/2 cup orzo (rice shaped pasta)
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 jar (6-oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. rinsed and drained capers

To prepare the dressing: Combine oil, vinegar, tarragon, lemon juice and mustard in small bowl; whisk to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place chicken in a medium bowl and measure out 1/4 cup of the dressing and add to chicken, tossing to coat. Set aside.

To prepare the salad: Cook orzo according to package directions (8-9 minutes) or until just tender but still firm to the bite. Drain; rinse under cold water and drain well again. Transfer orzo to a large bowl and stir in remaining dressing, tossing to coat. Add chicken mixture, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives and capers and toss gently to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

10 minutes cooking time/ready to serve in 15 minutes:

Parmesan and herb knots:

• 1 tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning blend
• Coarse salt for sprinkling

Using clean hands pull each biscuit into a log shape and then roll into a rope. In a small bowl combine olive oil with Parmesan, garlic powder and Italian seasonings and mix well. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat each rope with herb/oil mixture. Tie ropes into a knot, tucking ends under and place 2 inches apart on a sheet pan coated with non-stick spray. Sprinkle tops of rolls with coarse salt. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 8-10 minutes or golden brown. Yield: 8 rolls

27 MINUTES COOKING TIME/READY TO SERVE IN 40 MINUTES:

Chicken and sausage jambalaya

• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 6 oz. reduced-fat smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 can (14.5-oz.) fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (14.5-oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken

Add oil to a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, swirling to coat. When hot add sausage; sauté 1 minute or until browned. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Add rice, water, cayenne, salt, thyme and chicken broth. Bring just to a boil; cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook 20 minutes or until rice is done. Remove thyme sprigs and discard. Stir in tomatoes and chicken and cook 3 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 4 servings.

4 minutes cooking time/ready to serve in 45 minutes:

Ravioli salad

• 1 pkg. (9-oz.) fresh cheese ravioli
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 jar (3-3/4 oz.) marinated mushrooms, drained
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 1-1/2 cups diced cooked ham, beef, chicken or shrimp (think leftovers, or rotisserie chicken or cooked shrimp from supermarket)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook ravioli 3-4 minutes or according to package directions; rinse under cold water and drain well. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, rosemary, garlic, sugar and red pepper flakes, whisking to blend. Add ravioli, red bell pepper, mushrooms, green onions, olives and choice of protein and toss gently to coat. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes before serving. (May be prepared several hours ahead.) Yield: 4 servings.

No cooking/ready to serve in one hour:

Pound cake with peaches and cream

• 3 fresh peaches, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick wedges (peeled or unpeeled)
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar, divided use
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1 store-bought pound cake, sliced horizontally into 3 even pieces

Toss peaches with 1 Tbsp. sugar. Beat cream with remaining 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form.

Line a 5 by 9-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides. Lay bottom slice of pound cake in pan. Arrange half the peach slices on top in a single layer. Spread half the whipped cream over peaches, and top with middle slice of pound cake. Repeat with remaining peaches, whipped cream, and slice of pound cake.

Wrap cake with plastic wrap; freeze for at least 45 minutes.

Remove cake from pan by using plastic overhangs to lift. Slice cake into 1-inch-thick slices and serve immediately. Yield: 6-8 servings. 

5 minutes cooking time/ready to serve in 10 minutes:

Dark cherry merlot dessert sauce

• 2 cups unsweetened frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed
• 1 cup Merlot
• 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream, sorbet or frozen yogurt

Combine cherries, Merlot, brown sugar, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Lightly crush about half of cherries with a potato masher. Reduce heat and cook until reduced to about 1 cup. Let stand 5 minutes. Spoon warm sauce over ice cream, sorbet or frozen yogurt. Yield: 4 servings.

No cooking/ready to serve in 2 hours:

Layered sherbet delight

• 1 pkg. (14-1/2 oz.) purchased coconut macaroon cookies, crumbled
• 1 tub (12 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed according to directions
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1 pint each of orange, lemon and lime sherbet, slightly softened

Combine cookie crumbs with whipped topping, pecans and coconut in a medium bowl. Spread half of this mixture into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish. Spread with orange sher­bet; freeze for 10-15 minutes. Repeat with lemon and lime layers. Top with the remaining half of the cookie mixture. Cover and freeze until firm. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Paula Anderson is a freelance journalist specializing in food, entertaining and nutrition. She writes for several newspapers, as well as Maine Food & Lifestyle Magazine. She divides her time between Scarborough and Big Pine Key, Fla., where she lives with her husband Peter. Correspondence can be addressed to her at the Boothbay Register, P.O. Box 357, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or the Wiscasset Newspaper, P.O. Box 429, Wiscasset, ME 04578. You can also write to her directly via email at pander@maine.rr.com.