1,170 summer recipes

Mapo tofu stir-fries marinated ground pork with hot bean paste, ginger, garlic, and chiles, then simmers cubed tofu in the spicy sauce. Authentic Sichuan classic ready in under an hour.

Casey Jones one-dish supper: seasoned ground beef and mushrooms simmered with tomato sauce, then topped with rising bread-dough rolls and baked until golden. A hearty, retro one-pot dinner.

Marinated mushrooms simmer briefly in a tart bath of white wine, lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil with shallots, garlic, and coriander. A chilled make-ahead appetizer ready in 40 minutes.

Hot-sauce chili simmers cubed beef chuck with green chilies, hot pepper sauce, chili powder, and cumin into a no-bean Texas-style chili. Two-stage cook for fork-tender beef.

Chestnut soup with roasted chestnuts, sauteed onion and celery, simmered in a blend of water and apple juice with soy sauce and nutmeg. A naturally creamy vegetarian soup with no dairy.

Texas-style chili con carne with diced beef, whole red chili pods, paprika, and a cornmeal-flour thickener. No beans, no tomato, just deep meaty heat from a long slow simmer.

Homemade turkey gravy built from simmered giblets and neck, pan drippings, half and half, and a finishing splash of brandy. Rich, properly thickened, and worth the extra step on Thanksgiving day.

Not so meaty bean soup uses a dried bean mix simmered with seasoning packet, then partially blended for a creamy-yet-chunky texture. Plant-based and pantry-friendly, no meat needed.

Thick and spicy spaghetti sauce gets its character from an unconventional spice rack: basil, paprika, cinnamon, curry powder, hot sauce, and burgundy wine simmered slow into a deep, complex pasta sauce.

Chicken in white wine: floured breasts pan-seared, then simmered in a bright white wine sauce with garlic, bay, and lemon zest, finished with scallions and butter. An elegant, fast 30-minute skillet dinner.

Paprika sauce simmers sweet peppers, bacon and tomato with smoky paprika, then finishes with sour cream for a creamy, Hungarian-style sauce. Spoon it over fish or chicken in about 25 minutes.

Pork tenderloin medallions with Bing cherry sauce: pan-seared pork simmered in a sweet-tart glaze of currant jelly, raspberry vinegar, orange juice, and tarragon. Topped with fresh cherries. A dinner party showstopper.

Giblet gravy done right starts with a slow-simmered broth of turkey neck, wing tips, and giblets with aromatics, then finished with skimmed pan drippings. The backbone of every classic Thanksgiving plate.

Rustic Italian chicken and vegetable soup with zucchini, carrots, and diced tomatoes simmered in light chicken broth. One Dutch oven, under an hour, with a handful of grated Parmesan on top for a nutty finish.

Rich Malaysian laksa gravy built from a fragrant rempah spice paste of chilies, lemongrass, galangal, and candlenuts, simmered with coconut milk and fish balls. The aromatic, coconut-laced base for a bowl of curry laksa.

No-bean Texas-style chili with five pounds of ground chuck simmered in beer with garlic, jalapeño, cumin, and red chilies: pure meat chili that marinates for depth and feeds a crowd.