Brenda Carleton

No ice cream maker required. Just watermelon, citrus, sweetness, mint, and a little time in the deep freeze. Vodka optional. Then all you do is scoop it up and plop it in a pretty bowl.

Drizzle, douse, souse, or otherwise acquaint this emerald elixir with grilled steak, chicken, chops, seafood, or heck, anything.

Simple. Surprising. Spunky. Just what we look for in a summer salad. Just what we found in this jumble of cucumbers, vinegar, and ginger.

A touch of maple syrup infuses traditional coleslaw with a unique, unexpected sweetness. Try this slaw with pulled pork sandwiches, burgers, or barbecue.

Don't care for broccoli? Just toss it on the grill. It'll take on a beguilingly earthy, smoky quality that's actually quite hard to resist.

This spicy tomato soup gets its heat from Thai Sriracha sauce and depth from blue cheese. San Marzano tomatoes are used, so the soup can be made anytime.

Lamb shanks are left to slowly burble in a lovely red wine until the meat is literally falling-off-the-bone tender. Our favorite winter pastime.

This Greek marinade made with lemon, herbs, and garlic boasts an authentic Mediterranean style.

Honest grub with demolish-the-entire-panful-while-standing-at-the-counter allure. Grab some napkins.

Quickles. It's what we dubbed these Middle Eastern pickles that can be made in a mere 20 minutes (!) with no fussy canning process. (Quick. Pickles. Quickles. Get it?!)

Know that elusive balance of ridiculously crisp skin yet tender meat and a dipping sauce that's sorta sweet but with some heat? Most wings fail miserably to achieve that. These nail it.

There's a simple way to extend the ephemeral apricot season, and it has everything to do with these easy peasy preserves.

All the scintillating, fall-off-the-bone magnificence of smoked ribs. None of the standing outside in the snow or sleet to tend your grill or smoker.

Authentic grilled jerk chicken from Helen Willinsky that's pretty much exactly like what you'd experience in the Caribbean.

The complex, almost caramelized taste of this sweetly savory side illustrates just why the last few years have seen a resurgence in respect for cauliflower.

These richly spiced, slowly roasted spuds will zap as much life into you as your morning caffeine fix.

This five-ingredient fix, a restaurant classic as well as a simple weeknight dinner, will have you practicing your acceptance speech for the best dinner ever.

An insanely satiating comfort food fix that's as quick and easy as it is inexpensive. Refried beans and cheese atop toast with pico de gallo. Wish we'd known about this a loooong time ago.

A Mexican staple, this sauce of sorts is essentially fresh salsa that's named, curiously, for a rooster's beak.

"One of the best chicken recipes ever!" "Crisp-skinned." "Juicy." "Aromatic." "Easy." "Gorgeous." "Heavenly." That's what we're hearing from folks who've tried it.