Summer - quick and easy recipes - page 3

Malty Guinness and rich vanilla ice cream: a dreamy, frothy, creamy combination. This milkshake would be perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration or equally delicious sipped poolside in August. For virgin shakes, try our Chocolate Malted Milk Shake or Purple Cow Milk Shake. What to buy: We found that using a can of Guinness instead of a bottle ensures a creamier consistency.

In this quick and easy punch, rosé wine is the star. A little fresh lime juice, some muddled blackberries, and vodka are added to the wine, making this a refreshing libation for your next summer soiree. Game plan: You’ll need to make the Simple Syrup before you begin.

Agua fresca means “fresh water” in Spanish, and that’s exactly what this drink is: a refreshing water-based beverage. Made up of little more than fresh fruit, citrus juice, and water, aguas frescas are the perfect way to cool down when it’s hot outside. Pair it with a Horchata for your Cinco de Mayo menu. What to buy: Look for the ripest melons available in the produce section—the riper the melons, the less sugar you’ll have to add to the recipe.

Paletas are refreshing Latin American ice pops that contain fruit and sometimes cream. These dairy-free paletas celebrate the sweetness of fresh mangoes, with a little kick of cayenne added in. Special equipment: You will need freezer pop molds for this recipe.

Adzuki beans—also known as azuki or Asian red beans—are frequently used in desserts across Asia, in countries like China, Japan, and Korea. Keeping some of the beans whole in these creamy ice pops helps add a bit of texture. Special equipment: You will need freezer pop molds for this recipe.

Like classic Vietnamese iced coffee, this frozen pop contains strong brewed coffee and sweetened condensed milk. It’s a caffeinated treat that’s not recommended for the kiddies! Special equipment: You will need freezer pop molds for this recipe.

This recipe from author and former Gramercy Tavern managing partner Nick Mautone is a blend of Grand Marnier and iced tea that makes a perfect summer-afternoon cooler. Game plan: We like this Basic Iced Tea recipe for this cooler. Make the tea and refrigerate it up to 8 hours in advance.

You don’t need to pull out the ice cream maker for this elegant cold dessert. Just blend frozen pineapple with rum, lime juice, simple syrup, and ice, then freeze the mixture until solid and scoopable. This tart, tropical sorbet hits the mark as both an after-dinner cocktail and a dessert.

Two summer veggies combine for a light, healthy summer salad. Mix up a simple vinaigrette made with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and shallots. Pour it over crisp blanched green beans and sweet halved cherry tomatoes, stir in some parsley, and serve with Grilled Rib Steaks, Grilled Salmon, a Leg of Lamb, or a Whole Grilled Bass. Game plan: This salad can be made up to 2 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Toss briefly to recombine the flavors just prior to serving.

The Mojito (white rum, lime, simple syrup, and muddled mint leaves) is arguably the most cooling drink ever invented. Turn it into a slushy, and it reaches arctic levels of refreshment.

The Old Fashioned is a beautiful thing. At its best, it’s a careful balance of whiskey, sugar, and bitters, with a little dilution from water, often in the form of melting ice. Here, the classic goes pool-friendly, with a slushy blender version that relies on lots of ice, as well as fresh cherries to lend a little brightness and color.

This blended mix of lemon juice, simple syrup, fresh strawberries, ice, and vodka refreshes like a 7-Eleven Slurpee for grown-ups. Drag the blender out to the patio, put on some summer tunes, and kick back in the lounge chair.

Basic butter gets upgraded thanks to fresh basil and flaky sea salt. Generously spread this butter on corn for a simple yet sophisticated dish that truly epitomizes summer. Make a double batch and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks—it’s great spread on toast or tossed with farro.

Inspired by a recipe Chef David Chang created for Momofuku, this simple mixture takes rich butter and umami-laden white miso and combines them for a savory topping perfect for corn on the cob. Miso replaces the need for salt here, and is a great balance to the sweet corn. If you have any left over, try sautéing scallops in this versatile butter.

Aioli goes great on a burger, a sandwich, or even dolloped on a baked potato, so why not slather it over corn on the cob? This dairy-free recipe is full of flavor thanks to the addition of roasted garlic and Dijon mustard. Lime adds a nice kick of acidity to balance out the rich mayo-based aioli, and smoky paprika gives the creamy topping a bit of bite. Vegan? Replace the egg, vegetable oil and olive oil with Vegenaise and mix it with the garlic purée and Dijon mustard.

This umeboshi paste combines the saltiness from salt-pickled Japanese plums with the sweetness from mirin (a low-alcohol wine made from rice) to create the perfect topping for summertime’s sweet corn. If the umeboshi are too tart and salty for your liking, just add more mirin to balance out the brined plums. Umeboshi can be found in cans and jars in Asian supermarkets and gourmet grocery stores.