Labor Day
306 recipes found
Lemon Sheet Cake With Raspberry Whipped Cream
This lovely cake was inspired by the colors and flavors of pink lemonade. Don’t be tempted to skip the first step of this recipe, which asks you to rub lemon zest into granulated sugar: The sugar granules help release the essential oils in the zest, making for a brighter lemon flavor and fragrance. (If you’re really short on time, you can skip using your hands and just mix with the paddle attachment inside the mixer bowl on low speed for 1 minute.) Slather this sunny cake with swoopy, easy-to-make raspberry whipped cream then serve as is, or dressed up with lemon zest or sprinkles.
Atlantic Beach Pie
Like a dreamy mash-up between a key lime and lemon meringue pie, this surprisingly fast and easy dessert is adapted from Bill Smith, who retired in 2019 after 25 years as the chef at Crook’s Corner, a Chapel Hill, N.C. restaurant that closed in June 2021. He was inspired by the lemon pies he ate at seafood restaurants in Atlantic Beach, N.C., while vacationing there as a child. While a food processor makes quick work of the saltine cracker crust, you don’t really need any special equipment — you can just as easily make it with your hands. Top it with whipped cream just before serving, and if you’re feeling flush, sprinkle it with flaky sea salt as they did at Crook's Corner, and citrus zest as we do: a lazy summer’s day in pie form.
Blueberry Pie Bars
At first glance, these bars may look like every other fruit crumble bar you’ve had, but they have a secret. Between the jammy fruit and buttery shortbread is a bonus layer of sweetened cream cheese you never knew you needed until now. Wild blueberries are less watery than conventional blueberries and have a more concentrated blueberry flavor that works beautifully in this recipe. They are available frozen and need not be thawed before using, but you can use whichever variety you find. These bars will be delicious no matter what.
Gingery Mixed Berry Pie
Mixed berry pie is the ultimate summertime treat: Handfuls of the season’s finest blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are tucked into a crisp, buttery crust that’s just begging to be served with a scoop of ice cream. Fresh ginger lends unexpected warmth and spice to this well-loved classic, but for a little punch, add up to 1 tablespoon of very finely minced candied ginger. If you find yourself short on one type of berry, make up the difference with another — just make sure the berries are the best you can find. For a crisp bottom crust, bake the pie in the lower third of your oven until it is deeply golden and the fruit juices are bubbling, and don’t skip the lattice top. It’s not just for looks: The vents help steam escape and the berry juices to concentrate.
Peanut Butter Pie
Dead simple to make, this pie hits all the right notes. Sweet, nutty peanut butter mellows next to the tang of rich cream cheese and gets a lift from a little whipped cream. But if that doesn’t convince you, the chocolate cookie crust may. This version relies on five ingredients, instead of pre-made cookies, with the cocoa giving it a deep chocolate flavor. The crust is pressed into a well-buttered pie plate, baked, then cooled, ready to be filled and chilled. When it's time to serve, you have options: Finish it with a decorative chocolate topping or a puff of lightly sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder.
Nectarine and Blueberry Galette
The charm of a galette, a casual open-faced tart, is in its imperfections. It's O.K. if the fruit juices leak a little, and there is no fussy crust-crimping for those who find that part of pie-making frustrating. The often-overlooked nectarine is such a perfect summer fruit. It has all the honeyed sweetness of a peach, minus that fuzzy skin, plus a little hit of tartness, and it pairs beautifully with dark, sweet blueberries. The sugar here is given in a range: Use the smaller amount if your fruit is particularly sweet, the larger amount if it’s tart.
Blackberry Corn Cobbler
This cobbler substitutes fresh, juicy kernels and corn milk for traditional heavy cream, taking advantage of the sweetness of seasonal corn and adding texture to a buttery crust. Grating two large ears of corn should produce enough liquid for the topping, but, if not, you can grate a third ear, or add cream or milk. The rich, crumbly crust also gets some of its moisture from the filling, which is extra syrupy from the mashed blackberries. Serve the cobbler warm with a splash of heavy cream, a dollop of coconut yogurt, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Finishing it all off with a drizzle of dark rum, while not necessary, is especially sweet.
Broccoli Salad With Peanuts and Tahini-Lime Dressing
Broccoli stalks, often overlooked or tossed in favor of the florets, take center-stage in this summer picnic salad. While many broccoli slaws are made with mayonnaise-based dressings, this one is inspired by the bright flavors of Thai cuisine, and uses sesame oil, lime juice, salted peanuts, scallions and a dash of hot sauce for heat. (Garnish the slaw with fresh Thai basil, if you like.) Tossed with a creamy vegan tahini-lime dressing, the broccoli softens just enough to lose that raw broccoli flavor without giving up any of its satisfying crunch. A food processor or Mandoline makes quick work of the stems, but with a little bit of patience, a good knife does the trick, too. Finally, this salad is best the day it’s made, though its components can be prepared in advance to save time.
Blueberry Cream Popsicles
These naturally purple pops are made with a combination of simmered blueberries puréed into an easy no-churn ice cream base. You can substitute yogurt or crème fraîche for the sour cream; either will give the popsicles a subtle tang. You can use fresh or frozen berries. (Frozen berries can be thawed and used as directed in the method below. Or use them straight from the freezer, but add 2 to 4 minutes to the cook time.) The number of pops this recipe makes depends on the size and shape of the molds used. The base can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours if you need to freeze in batches; just give the mixture a stir before using.
Mango Slaw
There is absolutely nothing new about coleslaw, but there is something slightly intriguing about coleslaw with mangos. Often, when we think of coleslaw, we think of it as a side for fish and chips, barbecue or heavy, mayonnaise-drenched cabbage. But just think about the cool, crunchy sweetness of the cabbage, carrots and mango, paired with the spicy kick of jerk chicken. What’s a better combination? You also don’t have to serve it as a side: It can be tucked into a sandwich or wrap. One of the best things about this recipe is that all the ingredients are readily available, and there are many shortcuts you can take, like using a bagged mix. Who wants to ruin their knuckles on a box grater, or break out the food processor?
Sheet-Pan Roasted Salmon Niçoise Salad
Here, the classic French salad becomes an elegant dinner, with mustard-glazed salmon in place of tuna, roasted vegetables and jammy eggs served over a jumble of salad greens tossed with a red-wine vinaigrette. Roasting the vegetables, rather than serving some steamed and some raw as you would for a traditional Niçoise, gives this dish great texture and a delicious contrast of temperatures. The vegetables and salmon are roasted on a single sheet pan, making this an elevated take on the one-dish dinner — fit for company and easy enough for a weeknight.
Grilled Summer Vegetables With Tahini Dressing
Start up the grill for a crowd-pleasing platter of vegetables from the garden or farm stand. Take care to keep the fire medium-hot, so you can cook the vegetables without letting them become scorched or blackened. A bit of char is nice, of course, but don’t try for perfect grill marks. Remove vegetables from the grill when they are just done. They’re topped with a garlicky, lemony tahini dressing that serves as a perfect accompaniment.
Tomato and Peach Salad With Whipped Goat Cheese
Whizzed in the food processor with some heavy cream and lemon zest, earthy goat cheese becomes rich and creamy, the perfect complement to juicy peaches and tomatoes. Fresh purslane, if you can find it, provides a slight crunch to the salad, but mâche or watercress would also work well. You could also tear up some basil, parsley or other tender herbs you have lying around and toss those in just before serving. Colorful, fresh and easy, this salad works as a starter, a side or a summery supper, piled on top of grilled bread.
Chocolate Zucchini Loaf Cake
This simple, one-bowl loaf cake is a sweet way to make the most of zucchini season. Chocolate cake batter is flecked with shreds of raw zucchini and studded with bittersweet chocolate chips for a summertime cake that’s fit for either breakfast or dessert. While some recipes call for squeezing the excess water out of the shredded zucchini, this loaf cake takes full advantage of the summer vegetable: The zucchini is taken directly from the grater to the bowl for additional moisture. The resulting cake strikes the perfect balance; it's rich and fudgy, but still maintains a tender crumb. The cake will keep on the counter for 4 to 5 days, loosely covered, and only gets better with age.
Vegan Frozen Coconut Lime Bars
Inspired by frozen Key lime pie, this simple summertime treat is for vegans and dairy-lovers alike. The no-bake graham cracker crust gets topped with softened store-bought, dairy-free ice cream mixed with shredded coconut and fresh lime juice for a dessert that’s as easy to put together as it is delicious. Be sure to use unsweetened, finely shredded (also called desiccated) coconut for this recipe; regular shredded or flaked coconut will be too coarse.
Pressure Cooker Classic Beef Chili
Chili in the electric pressure cooker is super fast and extremely convenient. This version is on the gently spiced side, so if you're looking for more heat, feel free to increase the chili powder or add a big pinch of cayenne – or throw a couple of extra jalapeños into the pot. Keep in mind that the leaner the beef, the less flavorful the chili. Eighty percent is a good bet here. You can also substitute ground pork or dark meat turkey. Leftover chili freezes like a dream.
Italian Subs With Sausage and Peppers
This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen. For these subs, you'll start with the onions, slicing two big sweet ones and setting them in a hot pan with a couple of gurgles of olive oil. Season with salt, black pepper and a shake of red-pepper flakes, then cook over medium heat, stirring and tossing occasionally so that they go golden and soft. This’ll take a while. Add a couple of sliced bell peppers to the pan, and continue cooking, still stirring and tossing, until they begin to wilt. Set the vegetables aside. About halfway through, set some sweet Italian sausages in another hot, oil-slicked pan, and cook them through until crisp and brown on the exterior, turning often. Split your sub rolls (I like the sesame-seeded variety here) and scrape out a little of the interior from each. Load one side of each roll with some of the onions and peppers, the other with a sausage. Top with mozzarella, put the open sandwiches on a sheet pan and slide them all into a hot oven for five minutes or so, until the cheese is melted and the bread is lightly toasted. Fold together and serve. Sam Sifton features a no-recipe recipe every Wednesday in his What to Cook newsletter. Sign up to receive it. You can find more no-recipe recipes here.
Chickpea Salad With Fresh Herbs and Scallions
A lighter, easier take on classic American potato salad, this version uses canned chickpeas in place of potatoes and favors Greek yogurt over mayonnaise. The trick to achieving the creamy texture of traditional potato salad is to mash some of the chickpeas lightly with a fork. It travels well, so it deserves a spot at your next picnic or desk lunch.
Strawberry Gingersnap Icebox Cake
Fluffy swirls of strawberry cream are layered with spicy gingersnaps in this summery, no-bake confection. The deep strawberry flavor comes through twice here: once in the mascarpone cream, which is whipped with berry purée, and in a scarlet topping spiked with lime zest and grated fresh ginger. We used Nabisco gingersnaps, but any brand should work, as could vanilla wafers. This cake is best made the day before you want to serve it, giving the gingersnaps a chance to soften into a luscious, soft cake.
Mississippi Mud Pie
Mississippi mud pies come in all shapes and sizes: No two are exactly alike. They can have one layer, or five, and include ice cream or meringue, a flourless cake, nuts, fudge sauce and even brownie. This version, inspired by the towering beauty made by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito of Baked in Brooklyn and written about in their book, "Baked Explorations," features a graham cracker base, a dense brownie, chocolate custard and whipped cream. Needless to say, a little goes a long way. Share it with 16 to 32 of your closest friends. And a tip for serving: To ensure a clean release, give the underside and sides of the cake pan a 10-second blast with a hairdryer.
Classic Potato Salad
The recipe for this Southern classic came from the chef Millie Peartree’s mother, Millie Bell. The sweet relish melds with the creamy potatoes for a deep, balanced flavor. Onion powder adds savory notes without the texture of diced onion, which could overpower the dish. Make sure that your eggs are rinsed thoroughly, so no pieces of shell remain, and that your potatoes are uniformly cut in roughly 1-inch cubes so they all finish cooking at the same time. (Millie Bell used her thumb as a measure.) And, most important of all, don’t overcook the potatoes — they take only 15 to 20 minutes to boil. You want potato salad, not mashed potatoes. You can prepare potato salad ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
Vegan Potato Salad With Tahini
This robustly seasoned vegan potato salad is lively and earthy from a dressing of cumin, charred scallion and loads of tahini, which gives it a rich and creamy texture. This is a good one to make a day before you want to serve it as the flavors get better as they sit. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature so everything is at its brightest and most supple.
Watermelon Margarita
Mixing cocktails may seem intimidating, but it’s actually quite intuitive once you understand how to balance the alcohol, sweetness and acidity. In “3-Ingredient Cocktails” (Ten Speed Press, 2017), Robert Simonson presents the formula for a perfect margarita: 1½ ounces tequila, 1 ounce Cointreau and 3/4 ounce lime juice, shaken and served. Even easier to memorize, this version uses 6 ounces fresh watermelon juice — a sweet but subtle nod to summer — and 2 ounces each tequila, Cointreau and lime juice. Be sure to taste and add more watermelon juice if your margarita is too boozy, and extra lime juice or even a pinch of salt if it’s too sweet.
Black Bean Burger With an Egg on Top
This is a vegetarian burger that does not mimic the texture or look of ground meat, but it isn’t meant to. It’s more like the most excellent refried beans. Though you can serve this well-seasoned patty like a traditional burger, on a bun with the usual condiments, it is at its best topped with a fried egg. Dusted with fine cornmeal, the burgers are pan-fried as the mixture is too soft to grill. After frying, they are baked until crisp. For convenience, they may be fried in advance and reheated.