Remember the old saying, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen? I think I know how that one got started. I love cooking, but on humid summer days, the kitchen – or the galley – is the last place I want to be.

It's very tempting to just head to the nearest restaurant, but there are ways to stay cool and still enjoy a meal cooked yourself by planning in advance and taking advantage of several simple strategies.

Successful cooking in the summer means spending less time in the galley. Fruit, salad, cold soups and sandwiches are all good options.The key to staying cool is to reduce the amount of time spent over a hot oven or stove, and that usually means planning meals that don't require much cooking. Sandwiches are a perfect example. They can be prepared quickly and without appliances using almost any ingredient, and that makes them an ideal meal for a hot summer evening.

You can also serve them with just about anything: green salad, fruit salad, fruit kabobs, bean salad, noodle salad or raw vegetables with dip. If you like the soup-and-sandwich approach, remember that soups don't have to be hot. There are plenty of great-tasting cold soups like gazpacho that can really round out a meal. (For a story on cold soups, see link below.)

Salads are another no brainer. Start with the basics – romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers – and then you can add protein like chicken, fish, cheese or garbanzo beans. You can also add sun dried tomatoes, shredded carrots, olives – just about anything you can find. Another quick meal I like is a Greek platter: pita bread cut into quarters, hummus, olives, feta cheese and roasted peppers. They're easy to put together and light enough to be served in summer. (For more recipes, see link below.)