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Classic coleslaws contain mayo, carrots, and maybe a dash of vinegar, but this version replaces those ingredients with Latin flair. Squeeze some fresh lime juice and add a little garlic, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and onion to make a tangy dressing. Then toss in thinly sliced cabbage and cilantro and let it all hang out in the fridge until the flavors have mingled. Serve with our Chipotle Grilled Chicken Thighs with Spicy Tomatillo Sauce or Grilled Country-Style Pork Ribs.
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Cocoa powder is the sort of ingredient usually seen in dessert recipes, but unsweetened cocoa powder adds a deep flavor to meats when used as part of a spice rub. For this pork recipe, mix together chili powder, cocoa powder, brown sugar, cumin, pepper, and a bit of cinnamon and coat pork tenderloins all over with it. For the best flavor, let them sit overnight, but you can also grill them right away. Serve with a Tangy Cabbage Slaw for an easy and light outdoor dinner.
Game plan: After 30 minutes, the spice-rubbed tenderloins are ready to be grilled, but for more developed flavor and juicier meat, let them sit for up to 24 hours.
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Catfish can sometimes have an unappealing “muddy” flavor, so to mellow it out, we use a coating of cornmeal and flour spiced up with cayenne pepper and paprika—it gives the fish crunch as well as extra seasoning. Shallow-fry the catfish for a few minutes per side in a cast-iron pan, hit it with a little salt, and serve it with lemon and a rémoulade for dipping.
What to buy: Try to buy farmed catfish, as it gets a “Best Choice” rating from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch list.
If you don’t have cake flour on hand, all-purpose can be used, though the results won’t be quite as crispy.
Special equipment: You’ll need a candy/fat thermometer for this recipe.
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This pizza topped with chicken and barbecue sauce is a tasty departure from the traditional tomato-sauce-and-cheese-topped pie. To start, make the pizza dough. While it’s rising, put together the easy sauce. Then stretch out the dough; top it with the sauce, smoked Gouda cheese, mozzarella cheese, shredded chicken, and slices of red onion; and bake until the crust is browned and crisp. Wash it all down with a refreshing beer cocktail.
Game plan: The dough can be made through step 4 and left to rise in the refrigerator overnight. When you’re ready to make the pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature in the covered bowl while the oven is heating, at least 30 minutes. Then proceed with shaping the dough and topping it.
The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated in a container with a tightfitting lid for up to 4 days.
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Fresh summer vegetables like corn, bell pepper, and zucchini taste so good on their own they don’t need much extra flavor or cooking time, so this recipe keeps it simple. Cook the bell pepper with garlic and onion in olive oil for a few minutes, then add the zucchini. After a few more minutes add the corn, basil, and lemon juice and you’re ready to go. Serve this easy side dish with grilled fish or steak and a summer cocktail.
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In this frozen version of a daiquiri, we blend chunks of frozen pineapple to add a smooth texture and a sweet, tropical flavor to the drink. Plus, swapping in frozen fruit for some of the ice means your drink won’t get watered down when it starts to sweat in the afternoon sun. Just before serving, add a dark rum floater for a sweet and boozy molasses kick to this refreshing summer sipper.
Game plan: If you can’t find frozen pineapple chunks or want to freeze them yourself, cut a 3-pound pineapple into 1-inch chunks and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer until completely frozen, about 4 hours.
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In this take on a Greek salad, everything gets charred on the grill and served warm with a drizzle of the oregano marinade. We like it best when all the elements are chopped up and tossed with the dressing, so each bite is loaded with cheese, veggies, and herbs.
What to buy: Halloumi is a salty cheese from Cyprus in the Mediterranean; it’s sold in blocks in many gourmet grocery stores. It has a high melting point, making it perfect for grilling.
Special equipment: You’ll need 6 (8-inch) wooden or metal skewers to make the kebabs. You’ll also need a pastry brush or barbecue basting brush.
Game plan: If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes beforehand, so they don’t burn on the grill.
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Lean pork tenderloin gets a boost of flavor from a smoky spice rub. Just coat pork tenderloins with a mixture of brown sugar, espresso powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Grill until just cooked through but still juicy, and serve with a side of Kale and Apple Coleslaw at your next barbecue.
Game plan: After 30 minutes, the spice-rubbed tenderloins are ready to be grilled, but for more developed flavor and juicier meat, let them sit for up to 24 hours.
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Packed with the flavors of summer, this sauce slow-cooks eggplant, bell peppers, and tomatoes together until the veggies break down and the flavors meld. Finish it with fresh basil and parsley. Serve it over pasta, on top of poached eggs, with garlic bread, or baked over polenta for a quick, satisfying gratin.
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Once you try this easy, buttery, and distinctly vanilla-flavored frosting, you’ll never go back to the can. Use it on cakes, cupcakes, or for filling cookie sandwiches.
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Chicken satay with peanut sauce may seem like an exotic Thai dish, but it’s really just a simple mix of a few ingredients for the chicken marinade, with those same ingredients showing up in the peanut sauce. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes, and in the meantime make the sauce. Heat it up for a few minutes to let the flavors mingle, and set it aside to cool while you skewer and grill the chicken. Serve the chicken and sauce together with some spicy pickles for a unique appetizer at your next cookout.
Special equipment: You’ll need 30 (8-inch) wooden skewers. Be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes beforehand to keep them from burning on the grill.
Game plan: The chicken is ready to grill after 30 minutes of marinating, but for the best flavor let it marinate up to 24 hours.
The sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let it come to room temperature and stir before using.
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These basic pickles are a simple mixture of sugar, vinegar, water, salt, cucumbers, shallots, and Thai chiles. Make the brine, then layer everything in a 1-quart glass jar and let it hang out in the fridge for a day. If you like extra heat, add all four chiles; if you’re not a chilehead, stick to just one. Serve the pickles with chicken satay and peanut sauce or on a sandwich or burger.
Game plan: These pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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Somewhere between a fruit bar and a crumble, this bar cookie has an oat, honey, and butter mixture that doubles as both the crust and the topping. The bright, tangy filling is a blend of dried apricots, honey, and apricot jam. Serve these apricot bars on their own or with a big scoop of ice cream.
See more tea party recipes.
This recipe was retested and updated by the CHOW Test Kitchen in May 2013.
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An aromatic, slightly piquant spice rub breathes new life into pork chops, but the sweet-sour cherry sauce is what makes this recipe a keeper.
Game plan: The cherry sauce would be equally delicious served with lamb or duck. A bonus is that the sauce can be prepared while the chops cook, making for a quick weeknight meal.
The spice rub can be made ahead and stored at room temperature for up to 3 months. It’s also great rubbed on lamb or beef.
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To make this simple summer side dish, blend vinegar, fresh dill, shallot, olive oil, and capers while the pasta cooks. Toss the pasta and dressing together with cucumber, chickpeas, and crumbled feta cheese, and serve alongside grilled salmon or chicken. Or to make the salad a complete meal, add 7 ounces of either tuna, flaked smoked trout, or shredded chicken for a light lunch or dinner.
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This versatile marinade, loaded with oregano and thyme, gives a refreshing note to everything it coats. We use it on both our Grilled Greek Salad and our Oregano-Marinated Grilled Chicken with Charred Lemons.
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This take on marinated mozzarella may not be the most obvious, but the flavors mellow as they sit to complement the creaminess of the cheese. Just mix all of the ingredients together and stash them in the fridge for a few hours. Serve with Anchovy-Marinated Olives, Marinated Mushrooms, cured meats, and crusty bread for an impromptu picnic.
What to buy: Bocconcini are 1- to 2-inch balls of fresh mozzarella packed in water. They can be found in the refrigerated aisle of most grocery stores—look for them in the “fancy cheese” section.
Game plan: The bocconcini will keep for 1 week refrigerated in a covered container.
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Smoked baby back ribs have plenty of down-home flavor, but they require special equipment and take a while to cook on the grill; this oven-to-grill method can be done in stages, so there’s no need to baby-sit the ribs. First, coat them all over with a sweetly spiced rub, then roast them in the oven while you make a simple barbecue sauce. When you’re ready to serve, throw the ribs on the grill, brush with the sauce, and let the heat turn the sauce into a sticky glaze. Pass around some potato salad, grilled corn, and a roll of paper towels at the table.
Special equipment: You’ll need a pastry brush or barbecue basting brush for this recipe.
Game plan: You can make the ribs through step 7 up to 2 days in advance. After roasting, transfer them to a large, shallow container, set aside to cool for about an hour, then cover and refrigerate. When you’re ready to grill, remove the ribs from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature before grilling, about 1 hour.
The sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Let it come to room temperature before using.
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A big slab of beef ribs can be hard to find and intimidating to cook, so here I use short ribs. I also don’t follow any prescribed style of cooking or flavoring, which makes this recipe an easy shortcut for beginners, or people who don’t want to spend hours smoking their ribs. Start with a sweet and spicy rub to coat the meat, and let it sit overnight for the best flavor. In the meantime, make the slightly smoky chipotle barbecue sauce. Roast the ribs in the oven until the meat almost falls off the bone, then finish them on the grill, slathering them with sauce until the ribs are lacquered and slightly charred. Serve with a fresh corn salad and some herby potatoes.
Special equipment: You’ll need a pastry brush or barbecue basting brush for this recipe.
What to buy: Look for flanken-cut beef short ribs—they’re sliced through the bones, revealing four or five oval-shaped cross-sections. You’ll need ribs that are 2 to 2 1/2 inches thick and 5 to 7 inches long. But don’t worry if you can’t find that exact size or cut: Though their shape is not ideal for grilling, English-cut short ribs (sliced parallel to the rib) can also be used in this recipe. Just monitor the cooking time in step 3—if your ribs are thinner than 2 inches, check them for doneness after about 1 1/2 hours; if they’re thicker than 2 1/2 inches, check them after 2 hours.
Game plan: You can make the ribs through step 3 up to 2 days in advance. After roasting, transfer them to a large, shallow container, set aside to cool for about 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate. When you’re ready to grill, remove the ribs from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature before grilling, about 1 hour.
The barbecue sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let it come to room temperature before using.
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Add a little buttery sweetness to waffles, biscuits, or Peanut Butter–Honey Banana Bread with this compound butter.
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Stirring chunky peanut butter into the batter for this banana bread is a great way to add nuts without having to mess around chopping them; honey and brown sugar add a caramelly sweetness to the ripe banana flavor. For an extra punch of honey, slather on some of our compound Honey Butter.
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Baked instead of fried and coated in whole-wheat cracker crumbs, these tender chicken strips are a much healthier alternative to fast food or frozen chicken nuggets. Serve them hot out of the oven with a kid-friendly dipping sauce like honey-mustard, barbecue, or ranch, or let cool and pack them in tomorrow’s school lunch.
What to buy: Wheatsworth crackers make a crunchy, flavorful coating and can be found in the cracker aisle of most supermarkets.
This recipe was featured as part of our Good Food for Kids photo gallery.
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The iconic potato salad recipe has a mayonnaise dressing, but this lighter version tosses new potatoes with a shallot-and-Dijon-mustard vinaigrette and gets even more flavor from fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon, and dill. The tangy herbed dressing cuts through the richness of meats like barbecued beef short ribs or braised sausages.
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Blueberries shine in this simple, delicious tart. The dough comes together quickly and is rolled out on a piece of parchment paper to keep it from sticking to the counter. Pile blueberries mixed with a bit of sugar and lemon zest into the center of the dough and fold up the sides—no pie plate needed. Transfer the whole thing, parchment and all, to a baking sheet in the oven, and in about an hour you’ll have a juicy, bubbling blueberry tart.
Special equipment: You’ll need a pastry brush for this recipe.
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These stuffed green bell peppers make an excellent vegetarian meal or a side dish that even carnivores will love. The sweetness of the bell peppers plays off the golden raisins, and the vegetal note is heightened by the herbs.
What to buy: Look for bell peppers that are about the same size; cooking time and portions will be more consistent that way.
Game plan: You can stuff the peppers up to 4 hours ahead. Take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling to let them come to room temperature.
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