Quick meals - quick and easy recipes - page 140

This fortified wine cocktail with deep caramel flavors is a twist on the Adonis cocktail, which usually uses fino sherry and sweet vermouth. Here, we stir together rich cream sherry, both dry and sweet vermouths, and some orange bitters, then garnish with an orange twist.

One night I was enjoying a couple of these cocktails with a friend who got to the bottom of his glass quicker than expected. I warned him that the blend of fino sherry, citrus juice, Cointreau, and allspice liqueur is dangerously easy to gulp, explaining that I’d made that mistake before at the start of an evening and it was soon the end of me. He laughed and said, “Well, then this cocktail is your alpha and omega … your beginning and end!”

A mint-flavored simple syrup made with leftover holiday candy canes. Use it as a topping for ice cream, or as a cocktail mixer.

This blended summer drink was given to us by Tres Restaurant (formerly known as Tres Agaves). It comes together in only a few minutes and can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. Just blend tequila, watermelon, lime juice, and agave nectar and pour over ice. A basil leaf garnish adds a bit of fragrant spice.

The original Dark ‘n’ Stormy (dark rum, ginger beer, and lime) comes from Bermuda. We give it the American convenience-store treatment, with ice and enough time in the blender to make it slushy and super-refreshing. Warning: You will get a brain freeze, so sip slowly!

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.

Salt and pepper are classic corn toppings, but with the simple addition of nori (dried seaweed), dried orange peel, ground red chile pepper, black and white sesame seeds, and garlic, this common seasoning combination turns into the ultimate umami mix. Togarashi is a small Japanese red chile that can be found in both dried and fresh forms ranging from flakes to powder, and it is often associated with packaged chile-related Japanese spices.

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.

Indian spiced tea—masala chai—has a lovely delicacy and a fortifying strength. We harnessed both qualities for these refreshing milkshakes that should help you get through the muggiest summer afternoon. Chai tea bags are handy, but we suggest making your own sachet, using cheesecloth and a good-quality masala chai, a blend of loose-leaf black tea with whole spices such as cardamom pods, cloves, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon, and dried ginger.

Some days a milkshake is all you need to stay cool, other days only an ice pop will do. These chai popsicles are wonderfully fragrant, perfect to end off a rich Indian meal of complex flavors or to punctuate a lazy summer afternoon. They’re super easy to put together—once you’ve made the basic mix for our Chai Frozen Milkshakes, all you need are pop molds and a little patience. Special equipment: You’ll need freezer pop molds for this recipe.

We took the basic elements of a s’more and added ice cream—in this case, strawberry ice cream, for acidity, flavor, and an irresistible pinkness. It’s an indulgent tower of broken-up graham crackers, scoops of ice cream, hot fudge sauce, marshmallow topping, almonds, fresh strawberries, and a charred marshmallow topknot. For a berry-free version, check out these Easy Chocolate S’mores Sundaes.