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Light and easy pretty much describes most of our meals during the summer. And that is the theme for this week’s Gluten Free Menu Swap ^[2]. Renee at Beyond Rice and Tofu ^[2] is hosting the swap, so be sure to check out what she has planned for meals this week.

A few of my favorite ideas for keeping the cooking heat out of the kitchen during the summer:

• Leftovers: Cook plenty so you can quickly heat up leftovers in the microwave later in the week.
• Rely on salads: Fresh fruits and vegetables and even chilled cooked meats will help you stay cooler.
• Use smaller, or thinner, cuts of meat: They will cook up in a matter of minutes on a hot grill!
• Use your slow cooker outside: Why not place it on your patio or deck to keep the cooking and heat outside?

On Celiac Family’s Menu This Week:

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Tropical Black Bean Salad

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Beef Kabobs

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Seven-Layer Salad

Monday – Fajitas with small strips of chicken, onions and peppers cooks quickly. I’ll serve them with corn tortillas and rice.

Tuesday – Pulled Pork ^[6] served with Tropical Black Bean Salad ^[3]

Wednesday – Leftovers

Thursday – I think I’ll make Angela’s Santa Fe-Style Quinoa Salad ^[7].

Friday – Shrimp, pre-cooked and chilled, served with a simple cocktail sauce and a spicy slaw ^[8].

Saturday – Beef Kabobs ^[4] with small potatoes, peppers, onions.

Sunday – Seven-Layer Salad ^[5] with Creamy Dill Dressing

Want to join Gluten-Free Menu Swap?
You’ll find the rules, as well as the current and upcoming schedules, at Gluten Free Goodness ^[9]. Thanks to Cheryl for her continued efforts at keeping our menu swap going.

Need more menu ideas? ^[10]

• Laura at OrgJunkie.com ^[11] hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
• Or, check out some of my past menu plans ^[12].