Taking advantage of summer produce with these five weeknight dishes

By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times

1. Ginger Chicken With Sesame-Peanut Sauce

In this crisp-skinned chicken dish, full of bold, zesty flavors, chicken legs are flavored with toasted sesame oil, garlic and ginger, then roasted until golden brown. They’re served with a creamy peanut-sesame sauce that’s spiked with even more ginger and garlic, which can be quickly whisked together while the chicken legs cook. Be sure to save any extra sauce; it will keep for a week in the fridge and is terrific with cut-up vegetables as a snack, or spooned onto roasted or fried tofu.

By Melissa Clark

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 45 minutes, plus at least 1 hour’s marinating

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
• 3 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed, safflower or other neutral oil
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

For the peanut sauce:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, plus more to taste
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably natural

Preparation

1. Prepare the chicken: In a small bowl, mix together sesame oil, salt, ginger and garlic, and smear mixture all over the chicken and underneath the skin. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet (or plate), preferably on a rack to allow air to circulate, and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove the rack under the chicken if you’ve used one. If the chicken isn’t on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer it to one (you can line it with parchment to make cleanup easier, but it’s not necessary). Pat the legs dry with a paper towel. Drizzle chicken with the neutral oil. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pricked with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.

3. While chicken is in the oven, make the peanut sauce: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and ginger until combined, then whisk in sesame oil and honey. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth. If the mixture is very thick (and this depends on your brand of peanut butter), whisk in a few tablespoons of cold water until it becomes a thick but pourable sauce.

4. Transfer chicken to a serving plate and carefully pour any pan juices on the baking sheet into the bowl with the peanut sauce. Whisk until combined. Taste the sauce and add more soy sauce, vinegar or honey if you’d like.

5. Drizzle or brush some of the peanut sauce all over chicken pieces, reserving some sauce for serving. Garnish with scallions and serve with reserved peanut sauce.

2. Coconut Rice With Shrimp and Corn

This summery, one-pot dish has everything you need: fresh shrimp nestled in creamy coconut rice, with pops of summer corn and basil. Lime cuts through the richness and adds some bright tartness. To easily shave corn kernels off the cob, lay your cob flat on your cutting board. With a chef’s knife, lob off one side. Rotate the cob so that the flat side is on the cutting board and repeat, running around all four sides. Frozen wild shrimp is an excellent weeknight staple, as it thaws and cooks quickly. You can always keep it on hand and thaw just as much as you need, which ensures optimal freshness.

By Samantha Seneviratne

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
• 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh (from 2 cobs) or frozen
• 1 lime, zested, then sliced into wedges
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for serving

Preparation

1. In a large, heavy pot, heat coconut oil over medium. Add the onion, ginger and jalapeño and season with the 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.

2. Add the rice and sauté for another minute. Then stir in the coconut milk and 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer but avoid scorching.

3. Stir in the shrimp and corn, cover again, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp is cooked through and the rice is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. (Add more water by 1/2 cups throughout cooking as needed if the water has been absorbed, but the rice is still too firm.)

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime zest and basil; season to taste with salt. Serve immediately with lime wedges and topped with more basil.

3. Buttery Lemon Pasta With Almonds and Arugula

Brown butter, crunchy almonds and tangy lemon make a rich but balanced sauce for this pantry-friendly pasta. The arugula lends freshness and rounds out the pasta, turning this into a quick one-pot meal. If you want to increase the vegetables, you can double the arugula. (Just add a little more lemon juice.) And if you don’t have baby (or wild) arugula on hand, spinach or baby kale are fine, although slightly milder, substitutes. Don’t stint on the red-pepper flakes; their spiciness helps bring together the flavors.

By Melissa Clark

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound linguine or spaghetti
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 4 to 5 ounces baby or wild arugula, coarsely chopped, or use baby kale or spinach (4 to 5 cups)
• Grated Parmesan, for serving

Preparation