By Margaux Laskey
The New York Times
More fun, less drudgery. That’s my goal for the summer — and specifically for my summer cooking.
In my dreams, I’m whisking together a vinaigrette in a seaside cottage with a big breezy kitchen and a farm stand down the road (think Diane Keaton’s place in “Something’s Gotta Give”). While that’s not the reality for most of us — myself included — you can still welcome that relaxed sensibility in the recipes you cook and how you cook them (barefoot, good music playing, windows thrown open — or the air conditioning on full blast).
We’ve rounded up some of our most delightful summer salads, desserts, easy dinners, grilling and no-cook recipes that will excite, not exhaust, you. The vast majority — with the exception of the desserts, which take about an hour — can be made in 30 minutes or less. (No kidding!) Quite a few travel well and taste great at practically any temperature, making them perfect for picnics. But since summer can look a lot like the rest of the year, with more sweat and sunblock, all are the kinds of dishes you can throw together on a busy weeknight when the kids are worn out from day camp and the traffic was hellish.
Grilled Harissa Shrimp
Harissa paste is a spicy North African condiment that is typically made from some combination of red chiles or peppers, garlic and a slew of fragrant spices, often including coriander and cumin. Here the paste is used alongside a bit of honey and lemon as a quick marinade for grilled shrimp. Prepared harissa varies quite a bit from brand to brand in its heat level, but this dish is meant to be punchy and spicy. Serve the grilled shrimp with rice or flatbread, or on top of a crunchy salad, and you’ll have an easy dinner sorted. Make sure that your grilling area is very well ventilated, as the paste will get quite smoky once it hits the hot grates.
Makes 3 to 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup harissa paste
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp
Bamboo skewers
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1: In a large bowl, combine the harissa, honey, lemon juice, olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Let the shrimp marinate while you heat the grill (or grill pan) to medium-high. (If grilling indoors, you may want to open windows and make sure your space is very well ventilated, as the grilled shrimp might get quite smoky.)
2: Thread the shrimp on bamboo skewers while making sure to poke the skewer through the thick end and the tail. Alternate with tomatoes, if using.
3: Grill the shrimp until lightly charred and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve the shrimp with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.
Recipe by Yossy Arefi.
Tajín Grilled Chicken
Tajín is a Mexican seasoning made from dried, ground red chiles, sea salt and dehydrated lime juice. It is great sprinkled over fresh cut fruit like mango and pineapple or rimmed on an ice cold margarita. But it is also an easy way to add chile and lime to your favorite grilled meats, rubs or sauces. In this dish, the lime in the Tajín balances out the sweetness from the agave syrup, while the red chiles complement the smoky flavor of the chipotles. Serve the chicken as is or on toasted hamburger buns with a schmear of mayonnaise, chopped grilled scallions, cilantro leaves and sliced pickled jalapeños. This Tajín sauce also would pair well with grilled bass, cod or salmon, or with shrimp skewers.
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil, for the grill
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Sea salt (or kosher salt)
1/2 cup light agave syrup or honey
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1/4 cup adobo sauce
6 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Tajín Clásico
8 scallions, root ends trimmed
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
DIRECTIONS
1: Prepare a grill for medium-high, direct heat; clean the grates well, then brush them with vegetable oil. Alternatively, heat a grill pan on medium-high and brush the pan with oil.
2: Arrange the chicken on a sheet tray and generously season both sides with salt. Whisk together the agave syrup, orange juice, orange zest, chipotles, adobo, garlic, olive oil and Tajín in a medium bowl.
3: Brush both sides of the chicken with the Tajín sauce. Grill the chicken, turning and basting often with the Tajín sauce, until cooked through, charred but brick red and glazed, 7 to 9 minutes. Grill the scallions, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, about 5 minutes.
4: Serve the chicken with the grilled scallions, topped with cilantro.
Recipe by Rick A. Martínez.
Pizza Salad
For pizza in salad form, this recipe tosses a crisp and briny mix of romaine lettuce, pepperoncini, black olives and red onion in a fresh, grated tomato vinaigrette. Spicy pepperoni strips are sizzled until crisp; their zesty fat gets sopped up by toasty breadcrumbs that are spiked with the classic New York slice flavors (oregano, garlic and red-pepper flakes). (You can make a big batch of these crumbs, store them in the fridge and use them to top pasta, eggs, roasted veggies and anything else you want to take to pizza town.) This salad is showered with the salty pepperoni crumbs, offset by mozzarella morsels running throughout.
Makes 2 big salads or 4 side salads
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces pepperoni slices (pork, turkey or plant-based), cut into thin strips (see Tip)
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt
Red-pepper flakes
1 beefsteak tomato
1 tablespoon pepperoncini brine, plus more to taste
Granulated sugar (if needed)
1 large head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1/3 cup sliced pepperoncini, drained
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
4 ounces fresh mozzarella
DIRECTIONS
1: In a medium nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the pepperoni and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pepperoni is rendered and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the pepperoni to a plate.
2: Return the skillet with the fat to medium-low heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and toasty, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the garlic powder, then the oregano, crumbling it between your fingers as you sprinkle it over the mixture. Add the pepperoni bits, scraping in any fat clinging to the plate, and stir until evenly combined. Season with salt and red-pepper flakes to taste.
3: On the large holes of a box grater, grate the tomato into a large bowl, discarding the remaining skin. Whisk in the pepperoncini brine and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add salt, sugar and more brine to taste. Add the romaine, pepperoncini, olives and red onion; toss to combine.
4: Divide the salad among plates, pouring over any dressing remaining in the bowl. Tear mozzarella and divide over salad. Top with the pepperoni breadcrumbs and serve right away.
Tip: If using turkey pepperoni, increase the olive oil you use to cook the pepperoni to 3 tablespoons. If using a plant-based substitute, increase the initial oil to 4 tablespoons.
Recipe by Sohla El-Waylly.
Gochujang Caramel Cookies
Gochujang, the fermented Korean chile paste, offers intrigue in this otherwise classic chewy sugar cookie. A gentle amount of ground cinnamon lends snickerdoodle vibes, and the dough is raked through with ripples of clay-red gochujang “caramel,” in which brown sugar and butter mellow the chile’s heat. Mixing this dough by hand is highly recommended for the most defined crinkles and the chewiest texture.
Makes about 8 large cookies
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons)/115 grams unsalted butter, very soft
2 packed tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 heaping tablespoon gochujang
1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups/185 grams all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS
1: In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon butter, the brown sugar and gochujang until smooth. Set aside for later, at room temperature.
2: In a large bowl, by hand, whisk together the remaining 7 tablespoons butter, the granulated sugar, egg, salt, cinnamon and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. Switch to a flexible spatula and stir in the baking soda. Add the flour and gently stir to combine. Place this large bowl in the refrigerator until the dough is less sticky but still soft and pliable, 15 to 20 minutes.
3: While the dough is chilling, heat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large sheet pans with parchment.
4: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. In 3 to 4 separately spaced out blobs, spoon the gochujang mixture over the cookie dough. Moving in long circular strokes, swirl the gochujang mixture into the cookie dough so you have streaks of orange-red rippled throughout the beige. Be sure not to overmix at this stage, as you want wide, distinct strips of gochujang.
5: Use an ice cream scoop to plop out 1/4-cup rounds spaced at least 3 inches apart on the sheet pans. (You should get 4 to 5 cookies per pan.) Bake until lightly golden at the edges and dry and set in the center, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Let cool completely on the sheet pan; the cookies will flatten slightly and continue cooking as they cool. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Recipe by Eric Kim.
Spicy Corn and Shishito Salad
In this recipe, shishito peppers are sliced, lightly sauteed, then tossed with raw summer corn and a cumin-lime vinaigrette for a summer salad that’s crunchy, smoky and a little spicy. Traditionally used in Japanese and Korean cooking, shishitos are small, thin-skinned green peppers that have become increasingly popular in the United States. They are typically mild in flavor, but the occasional pepper packs a spicy punch. If you can’t find them, use diced green bell peppers in their place. Finally, cilantro-averse cooks can substitute fresh mint.
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 to 6 ears of corn)
6 ounces shishito peppers, stemmed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, or green bell peppers, stemmed and diced
1 large jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, diced
1/4 cup grated Cotija or crumbled feta cheese (optional), or to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more to taste
DIRECTIONS
1: In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil with the lime juice, cumin and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in the red onion and garlic and set aside until ready to use. (Do this step first so the onions and garlic have time to mellow slightly in the dressing.)
2: Place the corn kernels in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium (10-inch) saute pan, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the shishitos, jalapeño and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender and beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
3: Add the peppers and dressing to the bowl with the corn and toss well. Add the cheese, if using, and toss. Garnish with cilantro.
Recipe by Lidey Heuck.
