This chilled, no-cook dish has saved my summer

The combination of cold tofu and gochujang sauce is a heat-wave haven, absolutely no cooking needed.

View in browser|nytimes.com August 7, 2024 Eric Kim's chilled tofu with gochujang sauce. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. This chilled tofu is my no-cook summer saver By Eric Kim Happy Hump Day! Eric Kim here, jumping in for Melissa Clark. August just got going, but we at New York Times Cooking have been hard at work developing Thanksgiving recipes and holiday cookies for the bustling fall season ahead. I feel like a food ideation racehorse, which is why during the week I just really need to eat something simple, clean and high-protein in between my festal recipe development, rich restaurant meals and reporting trips around the country. This chilled tofu with gochujang sauce fits all of those bills for me like the long, skinny piece at the end of a Tetris round. The combination of cold, custardy soybean curd — not unlike Asian-style steamed eggs — and tangy, savory, chile-sweet gochujang sauce is a warm-weather epiphany, no cooking required. The sauce is essentially a chojang, a portmanteau of the Korean words for vinegar (cho) and gochujang, the fiery, fermented red chile paste, one of South Korea's most delicious exports. You may have seen chojang on Korean banchan tables; maybe you've seen it with blanched broccoli, alongside cucumbers and lettuce and steamed cabbage. It's an excellent shrimp cocktail dipping sauce and the basis for a lot of my summer vegetable intake. Make a double batch of the sauce, if you like, to keep in the fridge for last-minute crisper-drawer raids. Featured Recipe Chilled Tofu With Gochujang Sauce View Recipe → Carolina Gelen has a lovely and smart new recipe for us: seared chicken thighs with cherry tomatoes and olives, in which the olive brine seasons the entire dish in lieu of salt and deglazes the pan for a sticky, shmaltzy meal. "Tarragon sprigs add their irresistible peppery aroma," she writes. If you're feeling salmon this week, then Lidey Heuck's sheet-pan roasted salmon niçoise salad is an elegant option that gives you those bright Niçoise flavors with much less effort — the vegetables are roasted all together rather than steamed or blanched individually. Serve with a side of stuffed zucchini if you want to make it a party. (It is Hump Day, after all.) And in case you were wondering, it's summer corn season. Don't let this week go by without making an annual superstar, Melissa Clark's famous creamy corn pasta with basil. If you need something fresh and cooling for dessert, then try my no-bake melon cheesecake bars. BoJack Horseman would approve of this cantaloupe lover's dream: No honeydew in sight. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. One-Pot, Once a Week New Ali Slagle recipe alert! With just six ingredients (not including salt, pepper and oil), you can have this bold, spicy-savory shrimp and mushroom stir-fry on your table in just 20 minutes. "Meaty mushrooms provide an earthy base," she writes, "while the shrimp offers a sweet, saline snap." But the star here is kimchi, caramelized and returned to its original state as cabbage (but with all those briny, fermented flavors). Did I mention you can make this all in one pan? Back to turkey roasting! My colleague Mia Leimkuhler will be writing to you next. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Microwave-Steamed Eggs By Eric Kim 10 minutes Makes 2 servings Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Seared Chicken Thighs With Cherry Tomatoes and Olives By Carolina Gelen 45 minutes Makes 4 servings Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Sheet-Pan Roasted Salmon Niçoise Salad By Lidey Heuck 40 minutes Makes 4 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Stuffed Zucchini By Lidey Heuck 1 hour 40 minutes Makes 6 to 8 servings Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times Creamy Corn Pasta With Basil By Melissa Clark 30 minutes Makes 3 to 4 servings David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. No-Bake Melon Cheesecake Bars By Eric Kim 20 minutes, plus 6 hours' chilling Makes 16 bars Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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