9 Strategies for Spending Less Time in the Kitchen This Summer
You know the line in Hamilton when Aaron Burr says, "Talk less, smile more." During the summer, we're sing-speaking that tune with the words "Cook less, assemble more."
The key is low cook rather than no cook. It's HOT in most of the country, but you've still gotta eat, and you can't survive (happily) on raw vegetables alone. These nine ideas will help you put together dinner (or something you can call "dinner") faster, with minimal cooking and without getting sweatier than you already are.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle1/9Make a Sunday sauce…
But definitely not the kind that simmers for hours. You want one that comes together quickly, with little to no cooking, and that can hang out in your fridge. Pick a couple to make over the weekend, then use them to transform slices of toast, a few eggs, or whatever vegetables looked good to you at the market into dinner:
Muhammara: Pulse 1 cup toasted walnuts, 4 roasted red peppers from a jar, ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses, 2 Tbsp. mild red pepper flakes, 1 Tbsp. tahini, 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, and ½ tsp. paprika in a food processor until mostly smooth; season with salt. Scoop up with pita or thin with water and stir into cooked grains like farro.
Herby ricotta dip: Blend ½ cup fresh ricotta and ¼ cup plain whole -milk yogurt with 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and 1 finely grated garlic clove until smooth. Add 2 handfuls of tender herbs— parsley, cilantro, basil, mint, dill, or a combo— and blend until uniform. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with vegetables or spread on bread and top with salted sliced tomatoes.
Peanut sauce: Whisk ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar, 5 tsp. Sriracha, one 1" piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped, 1 tsp. honey, and ½ cup warm water in a small bowl until smooth and pourable. If sauce looks a little thick, thin with a splash or so of water. Mix with ramen noodles and pan-fried tofu.
Ponzu vinaigrette: Mix one 1" piece ginger, peeled, 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed, 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, ½ tsp. honey, and ¼ tsp. toasted sesame oil; season with salt. Use to marinate steak, drizzle over seared salmon, or toss with rice noodles, cilantro, and shredded cabbage.
Sesame scallion sauce: Blend 5 scallions, 1 cup chopped parsley, ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar, 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp. sesame oil, and 1 Tbsp. honey until smooth. Add ½ sliced serrano chile and blend until incorporated; add water a teaspoonful or so at a time if sauce is too thick. Taste and add more chile if desired. Season with salt. Drizzle on fried eggs or use to dress salad greens or marinate shrimp or chicken.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski2/9…and turn raw veg into a legit summer side.
The difference between an ascetic pile of raw vegetables and a glorious platter of crudités is the care given to the components. You’ve made the dip, now ensure the dippers also reach their full potential. Here's how:
As you slice, add vegetables to a bowl of ice water, which will make them extra crispy, cool, and refreshing by the time you're ready to assemble.
Even raw cut veg want to be seasoned. Slice cucumbers, fennel, carrots, and radishes, then sprinkle with salt and spritz with whatever source of acid you used in your dip, like lemon juice or vinegar.
And then there are the vegetables that have the best taste and texture when cooked. Asparagus, green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower all benefit from a blanch. To do it, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the veg until crisp-tender and bright green (well, when applicable). Transfer to a salted ice bath to prevent carry-over cooking and amplify crunch.
Some ingredients call for special treatment: Roast or pan-fry eggplant and zucchini rounds and boil fingerling potatoes.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones3/9Quick-cooking proteins save the day.
Save the 2"-thick rib eyes and spatchcocked chickens for the grill, when you’ve got a drink in your hand and a breeze through your hair. If you’re indoors, choose protein that’s going to cook in minutes—shrimp, fish fillets, ground meat, tofu, and hanger, flank, or skirt steak are all good candidates. In general, remember that boneless cooks faster than bone-in, and the smaller and/or thinner the pieces, the less time they’ll need. If you're looking to slice a boneless piece of meat, like the short ribs pictures above, into thin slices, freezing it for 15 minutes will make the job much easier.
4/9The electric kettle > the electric slide.
When your kitchen is 1000° and the thought of turning on the stove makes you sweat yet must be done (because, pasta salad!), take this shortcut: Fill up your electric kettle (we like the super fast Cuisinart PerfecTemp Electric Kettle, $70 on Amazon), transfer the hot water to your pot, and bring it back to a boil, which will happen fast. Or just skip the stove and use rice noodles instead: Arrange them in a wide bowl or baking dish, then pour straight-from-the-kettle water over top and stir occasionally until they’re soft.
5/9If you are going to cook, might as well make extra.
If a component of a dish could easily become the building block of another meal (boiled eggs or potatoes, rice, lentils, grains, roasted or grilled veg, poached chicken breasts, dashi, chicken or vegetable broth), make a bit more than you need in the moment. Producing extra means you’ll have to heat up your kitchen only once—and the same goes for doing the dishes. Consider it the best way to dip a toe into meal prep without devoting a whole day.
Photo by Alex Lau6/9Stock your kitchen with building blocks.
Your regular roster of pantry and fridge staples isn’t important only in the depths of winter—it’s just as vital when it’s too hot to fawn and fuss. Here’s what we pick up at the store so that half the work is already done.
Tinned fish: Fan out over crackers or sliced bread or tuck into little ramekins to make that cheese board truly sophisticated.
Hot-smoked salmon: Flake apart and serve over sushi rice seasoned with rice vinegar, or stir in crème fraîche, minced shallot, and lemon juice and spoon over toast.
Marinated or braised tofu: Already cooked and seasoned, it’s ready for layering into a sandwich with sprouts and avocado or tossing into a salad with celery, cucumbers, peanuts, and cilantro.
Canned beans: Keep white beans, black beans, and chickpeas on hand for dips, nachos, and sautés.
Precooked sausages: These won’t crumble like raw sausages, but you can sear or broil them sliced or whole until warmed through and brown—and you won’t have to worry about whether they’re cooked. We like the Seemore brand (eatseemore.com).
Pickles of all kinds: Add pickled green beans, okra, carrots, beets, and hot chiles to sandwiches, salads, and snack plates.
Rice noodles: Stir-fry with burst cherry tomatoes and chili oil, or make a cold salad with peanut sauce and sliced sugar snap peas.
Rice papers: After just a few seconds in warm water, rice paper rounds are pliable enough to fill with carrot and cucumber matchsticks, poached shrimp, and/or the aforementioned tofu.
Rotisserie chicken: Shred it, then heat it in a pan with sautéed garlic and scallions. Season with soy sauce, fish sauce, sambal, and lime juice, and wrap in Bibb lettuce leaves.
Deli meats: It’s worth it to make a special trip to a fancy-ish butcher for a selection of cooked and cured meats like prosciutto cotto, capocollo, and mortadella; your future sub (a.k.a. hoagie) thanks you.
7/9When tomatoes meet carbs, magic happens.
A tomato sandwich is never a bad idea. But mayo and white bread are just the start. Here's how to customize the classic from the bread up:
Choose your bread: pan-fried country-style bread, naan, focaccia
Layer on something creamy: miso-butter, fresh ricotta whipped with lemon zest and roasted garlic, planks of feta
Add a surprise inside (?): sliced hard-boiled eggs, crisped bacon, anchovies
Next come the tomatoes: season with salt, pepper, and, maybe, a drizzle of red wine or sherry vinegar
Finally, the extra credit: chives, sesame seeds, chaat masala, mild chile flakes
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski8/9Don't mess with great fruit.
When the fruit’s this good, why hide it in a pie or crumble? The best dessert requires just three ingredients: sugar, salt, and time. Letting berries or sliced stone fruit hang out for at least 15 minutes with a couple tablespoons of sugar (plus some salt for contrast and a little lemon or lime juice if you want zip) will bring out its juices and make it taste more like itself. All you need now is whipped cream.
Photo by Alex Lau9/9You get to decide what makes a meal.
A meal is just a social construct. Our staff has proudly called the following foods "dinner":
A peach eaten over the sink –Carla Music
A ballpark Chicago dog –Kate Fenoglio
Two Mister Softees –Sarah Jampel
A carton full of sun golds and packs of Korean seaweed –Elyse Inamine
Peanut butter and jelly in the park –Aliza Abarbanel
A 50:50 bowl of Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch –Meryl Rothstein
Microwaved leftover takeout rice with cilantro chutney, chopped tomatoes, and any kind of cheese –Priya Krishna
Castelvetrano olives, sea salt crackers, ice-cold wine –Christina Chaey
