Silken Tofu With Spicy Soy Dressing

This recipe is inspired by the many cold silken tofu dishes from East Asia, like Japanese hiyayakko and Chinese liangban tofu. This no-cook dish is a handy one to have up your sleeve, especially for warm evenings when the desire to cook is nonexistent. Silky soft tofu is draped in a punchy soy dressing, creating a lively dish with little effort. The tofu is ideally served cold, but 10 minutes at room temperature can take the edge off. Make it your own with other fresh herbs such as Thai basil, mint or shiso leaves, or add crunch with fried shallots or roasted peanuts. A salty, fermented element like kimchi, pickled radish or ja choi, also known as zha cai, a Sichuan pickled mustard root, would work well, too. One block of silken tofu is usually enough to feed two people, but for a more substantial meal, serve it with hot rice or noodles to create a pleasing contrast of temperatures.

Makes: 4 servings

Total time: 5 minutes

For the spicy soy dressing:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon chile oil

1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds

2 teaspoons sugar

1 scallion, green and white parts, finely sliced

For the tofu:

2 (14-ounce) blocks silken tofu, cold

1 scallion, green and white parts, thinly sliced

Handful of cilantro leaves

1. Make the dressing: Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chile oil, sesame seeds, sugar and scallion in small bowl. Whisk until sugar has dissolved.

2. Carefully drain the liquid from the package of tofu and gently tip the block onto a kitchen towel. (Try to keep the block in one piece, if possible, but don’t worry if it falls apart; it will still taste great.) Pat with another clean kitchen towel, removing as much liquid as possible. Transfer the blocks to one large plate or two smaller plates — leave whole or cut into 1-inch blocks — and spoon the soy dressing over the top until the tofu is completely covered. Top with scallions and cilantro leaves, and eat on its own or with rice or noodles on the side.

— Recipe by Hetty Lui McKinnon

Best Gazpacho

More of a drink than a soup, served in frosted glasses or chilled tumblers, gazpacho is perfect when it is too hot to eat, but you need cold, salt and lunch all at the same time. Gazpacho is everywhere in Seville, Spain, where this recipe comes from, but it’s not the watered-down salsa or grainy vegetable puree often served in the United States. This version has no bread and is a creamy orange-pink rather than a lipstick red. That is because a large quantity of olive oil is required for making delicious gazpacho, rather than take-it-or-leave it gazpacho. The emulsion of red tomato juice, palest green cucumber juice and golden olive oil produces the right color and a smooth, almost fluffy texture.

Makes: 8 to 12 servings, about 1 quart

Total time: 20 minutes plus chilling time

About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks

1 Italian frying (cubanelle) pepper or another long, light green pepper, such as Anaheim, cored, seeded and roughly cut into chunks

1 cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks

1 small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks

1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, more to taste

Salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling

1. Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

2. With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.

3. Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.

4. Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired or in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.

— Recipe by Julia Moskin