Easy

Aguas frescas, water-based fruit drinks, are a cool way to make your fresh fruit go further—especially in the summertime when you might have a larger watermelon than you know what to do with, or peaches that are starting to shrivel.

This versatile condiment brings a balanced mix of sweet, salty, acidic, and herbaceous flavors that complement virtually any pizza. If it’s not pizza night but you’ve got leftovers, drizzle this over roasted vegetables, cooked chicken, or a crispy-skinned piece of fish.

This method is endlessly adaptable: Swap the black bass for salmon; use spinach instead of cabbage. Don’t like mushrooms? Skip ’em!

Poaching boneless, skinless chicken breasts in well-salted water yields juicy, flavorful meat that won’t dry out. Crunchy veggies and a punchy Dijon vinaigrette make this hearty salad complete.

Here’s a Sichuan-inspired stir-fry of snappy, blistered asparagus and crispy pork. Can’t find asparagus? Green beans or snap peas work just as well. (One thing that’s non-negotiable: a side of chile crisp.)

A slight twist on scallion noodles: the same savory, lip-smacking flavor but now with a lot of texture from the crunchy, spicy garlic topping.

The combination of garlic and ramps may seem like overkill, but we promise it’s not. The garlic will mellow as it cooks while the ramps stay pungent.

This buttery roast chicken gets rubbed with green garlic and cooked low and slow in the oven for juicy, shreddable meat underneath crispy, crackly skin.

These pancakes get their light texture from a batter made with club soda. Pressing hard on them when frying makes them crisp.

Sour cream isn’t just a gimmick. Used in place of the more typical cream or buttermilk, it adds a rich, tangy flavor, and its acidity helps make the biscuits incredibly tender.

Agua de limón, or Key lime water, is probably the most common agua fresca. This recipe is a fun spin on the traditional, using lemons instead of Key limes and adding avocado to acknowledge the very classic combination of citrus and avocado, but out of their normal context. 

We strongly endorse eating this dish with your hands, discarding shrimp tails and pepper stems as you go. Soy sauce, lime, and plenty of grated garlic create a marinade that adds tons of flavor in as little as five minutes while helping the shredded coconut adhere to the shrimp.

Letting the dough do its first rise in the fridge overnight means improved flavor and ease of handling, but if you don’t feel like waiting that long, leave it out at room temperature until doubled in size—three to four hours.

This dish is so easy to make and yet looks and tastes impressive enough to serve for a dinner party.

Who needs beef? When you combine chicken with shredded veggies and a tangy Greek yogurt sauce, you get a burger as thick and juicy as any other.

Here, chicken and cauliflower get tossed in a garlicky chipotle marinade, roasted to charred perfection and nestled into tortillas. Want to make these vegetarian? Cut the chicken and double the cauli.

Serve these mouthwatering ribs alongside a simple slaw made with shredded cabbage, lime juice, and avocado oil mayonnaise.

In this Thai-inspired stir-fry, a quick sear gives Spam a crispy yet melt-in-your-mouth texture, and a finishing drizzle of vinaigrette balances the salty rich ham with an herbaceous lift.

Silken tofu is the base of this dressing, creating a punchy sauce that's creamy and silky. Bryant Terry uses it to dress a hearty grain salad with celery, persimmons, and chopped nuts—but you can also drizzle it over grilled vegetables, or use it as a dip for crudités.