It's a sweltering 95 degrees today, and the last place we want to be is near the stove or oven (especially those of us without air conditioning, cough cough). Fortunately, there are ways to avoid the extra cooking heat by sticking to sandwiches, quesadillas, salsas, fruit salads, and smoothies. Here's what my house had last night:

Fresh Salsa and Black Bean Tacos

For salsa, combine the following in a medium bowl:
-3 medium tomatoes, diced
-1/2 onion or 3 scallions, finely chopped
-3-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 jalapeno pepper, hungarian pepper or bell pepper (depending on your taste for spice), chopped
-pinch of red pepper flakes
-1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
-1 Tbsp cider vinegar
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp cumin

For black beans, combine the following in a medium bowl:
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
-1-2 cloves garlic, minced
-small handful of cilantro, chopped
-1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
-pinch of crushed red pepper
-pinch of salt
-pinch of cumin
-pinch of cayenne pepper

**Keep in mind, all of these ingredients are optional! Don't make a special trip to the store if you don't have chipotle peppers or cilantro or crushed red pepper. Your meal will still be delish.

After the bean and salsa prep, lay out a "taco bar" with lettuce, onions, cilantro, sour cream, and anything else that suits your fancy along with the beans and salsa. Pile your tortilla or taco shell high with these yummy and nutritious ingredients, and gobble it up on your back deck, front porch, or even in your kitchen (since it's still cool).