At Home with Lisa: Avoiding the Oven On Hot Days

The weather last weekend gave us hints of summer, with temperatures creeping into the 80s.

It reminded me that soon, the last thing I will want to do is heat up the house by using the oven.

Avista’s website makes the point that the oven uses more energy than kitchen gadgets when you are cooking smaller meals.

In the summer, my boyfriend loves to get out our tiny barbecue to grill some steaks. He grills them the same way every time, a system to achieve the perfect medium rare. He won’t tell me what that system is.

But he works late nights, so I’m usually making dinner for just me. Even in the winter it’s not very energy efficient to turn on the oven for just me.

I love kitchen gadgets. For soups or beans, I have my pressure cooker.

My newest gadget is my air fryer. I use it a lot. After a long day I can cook a quick meal for just myself in about 25 minutes with a minimal amount of work.

Turn on the air fryer and heat it to 400 degrees for about 3 minutes.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil on a frozen chicken breast, sprinkle it with salt and some herbs and spices. I can switch up these to suit my mood, whether I am looking for a spicy Mexican chicken breast or some French herbs.

Spray the basket of the air fryer with a little cooking spray and place the frozen chicken breast inside. Set the timer for about 25 minutes. The chicken is done when a thermometer inserted into its thickest part reads 165 degrees.

Place the chicken on a cutting board and let it rest. Grab some fresh spinach and arugula, balsamic vinegar, salt pepper and maybe a few croutons for crunch. Toss these together and put on a plate.

Sometimes, instead of a salad, I’ll throw some frozen veggies in a bowl and microwave them for about 4 minutes to go with my chicken.

Now you have a quick and easy summer dinner for one, without heating up your whole kitchen.

Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday.