SIMPLE Kitchen Concepts

These easy ideas will add flair to summer recipes and minimize time in the kitchen, while maximizing time in the sunshine

by Emma Enebak

Make Pickles Quick

While pickling vegetables might sound intimidating, the process is made easy with this quick refrigerator pickle recipe—a fun way to dress up salads and bowls or serve alongside your summer barbecue meals. Some of the most popular vegetables to pickle are cucumbers, radishes, red onions, beets, carrots, and summer squash. First, chop the vegetable of your choice into thin slices and place in a large mixing bowl. Mix with about 1 tablespoon kosher salt, a sweetener (such as 1 teaspoon sugar or honey), and about 1 teaspoon spices of your choice (1⁄3 teaspoon dill, 1⁄3 teaspoon coriander, and 1⁄3 teaspoon allspice, for example). Transfer to a Mason jar or container with a lid, and add enough distilled white vinegar to fully cover the vegetables. Finally, seal the lid and refrigerate. The veggies should be ready within 10 minutes but can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Scream for Homemade Ice Cream

Indulging in a bowl of ice cream is the perfect way to beat the summer heat. No ice cream maker? No problem. All you need is a blender or food processor and frozen fruit. Blend or pulse the frozen fruit until a smooth and creamy consistency is achieved, usually about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the fruit. This trick works best with frozen ripe bananas on their own or with a dash of milk or cream, a combo which whips up into a soft-serve ice cream-like texture. Enjoy immediately or place in an airtight container and freeze until firmer. For berry fanatics, try adding in heavy whipping cream with your frozen berries to help produce a similar ice cream texture. Get creative and toss in sugary-sweet additions such as chocolate chips or peanut butter.

A Veggie Twist

Put down the kitchen knives. Instead, opt for a spiralizer, a compact and easy-to-use tool that can slice vegetables into slinky spirals in just minutes. The popularity of these tools has grown in recent years, coinciding with plant-based alternatives to carb-heavy pasta dishes. Zucchini and sweet potato are popular veggies to stand in for pasta. While there are many models on the market, most spiralizers, like the OXO 3-blade model pictured here, include the basic components—a multiblade platform against which the vegetable will be secured, and a handle or dial to begin rotating the vegetable against the blade, initiating the spiralizing process. The spirals open a world of possibilities for delicious, plant-based recipes. Try with the easy zoodle recipe on page 4.

Give Tossed Salads a Spin

A salad spinner is a helpful tool for removing water from your greens, but it can also help with tossing salads. Simply throw your ingredients in the bowl, seal with the lid, and turn the handle at the top to spin salad contents mess-free. The resulting, evenly mixed salad can be served straight from the bowl, making the spinner a portable dish to bring to barbecues and picnics all summer long.

A Cool Trick for Reheating Rice

It can be tricky to restore leftover rice to its former glory. To avoid the crunchy and dry texture that can result from reheating, try popping an ice cube on top before microwaving your rice. Rather than melting, the water from the ice cube produces steam, which will moisturize the rice and restore it to its desired flu y texture.