Top 10 Recipes That Are Easier Than They Look

There are numerous ways to enjoy raw fish, but one of the best is ceviche. This dish, which originated in Peru, involves curing fish in citrus and seasoning accordingly. It’s the perfect thing to make on a hot day, as you don’t need to turn on your stove for even a second. Of course, you can’t just buy some fish, smother it in lemon juice, and call it a day. You need to start with fresh, high-quality fish. Find a local fish market and get their recommendations for making ceviche. After careful slicing, you'll place your fish in your citric marinade. After about 25 minutes (depending on how you like to eat it), your dish should be ready to serve. You won’t be getting a raw deal with this delicious seafood dish.

Sure, you could just buy a box of Fruit Roll-Ups and other gummy candies for a pretty reasonable price at your local supermarket. But wouldn’t it be a lot more satisfying to just make some yourself? For Fruit Roll-Ups, you’ll blend fruit with sugar and water (and maybe lemon depending on the recipe you’re using). Then you’ll bake it or put it in a dehydrator. You’ll get the sweet taste of the store-bought ones without worrying so much about a potential cavity. For gummies, you’ll need to have a good supply of gelatin on hand. And if you have kids, this is the perfect way to introduce them to the magic of cooking.

We’ve always had a soft spot for marshmallows and their sticky goodness. What’s more amazing than how many we can eat in one sitting is how easy they are to make. You need the right equipment, namely, a high-speed mixer. You'll mix gelatin and water and combine it with a sugar mixture. A good recipe will help you with getting the temperature and timing right. There are also vegan recipes that don't use gelatin. Whether you’re making hot chocolate, s’mores, or just enjoying them on their own, it’s never a bad time for homemade marshmallows.

Want to look like a true sophisticate without much effort? Make mussels. This mollusc is high-class but not too-high cost and perfect for entertaining. Best of all, you don’t have to wreck your kitchen to make them. You can make them in one pot. Buy some fresh mussels, prepare them accordingly, and cook them in a flavorful sauce. A rich white wine broth is a common accompaniment, but you might stumble upon your own special concoction. Enjoy these delicacies right off the shell and see your guests do the same. Just make sure you don’t slurp the juice too loudly.

Even if you don’t live in Maryland, you can still enjoy some great crab cakes. These filling fishcakes can taste even better when made by your own hand. You’ll need to start with high-quality crabmeat, ideally purchased fresh from a local fish market. Mix it with flour (or breadcrumbs) and egg and season it thoroughly. Let them refrigerate for an hour so they can get firm. Then, they'll be ready for the pan and your grateful guests. You can also make a great homemade tartar sauce with ingredients that are likely already in your kitchen. Just don’t forget the Old Bay!

You don’t need to fly to Italy for great tiramisu. You can make a great batch right at home. You’ll need ladyfinger biscuits and mascarpone cheese, but the other ingredients are all quite common. You'll make the filling with cream, mascarpone, sugar and vanilla. Then, you'll dip the ladyfingers in coffee, such as espresso. Layer these components together and enjoy. For the best results, make it ahead of schedule and refrigerate it. When you finally eat it, it will be even more flavorful. Of course, we'll understand if you can't resist the urge to dig right in.

Gnocchi is an Italian dish that resembles and can be prepared like pasta, complete with cheese and tomato if that’s what you’re craving.. But it’s actually a dumpling usually made of potato. While you can purchase store-bought gnocchi, it’s a lot more satisfying to make it yourself. Potatoes are easy to come by, as are the other ingredients: salt, pepper, egg, and flour. Bake or boil your potatoes before peeling and cutting them each into four even pieces. Mix them with beaten egg, flour, and seasoning to make a dough. Many - including Gordon Ramsay - advocate using ricotta for a softer texture. Roll the dough into strips and then cut it into smaller pieces before boiling in a pot of salted water. Gnocchi cooks fast, so make sure you have your sauce ready as well.

Falafel is a dish bursting with so much flavor, you might think it requires an incredible amount of culinary skill to pull off. But all you need are some chickpeas and a well-stocked spice rack. To prepare, you'll soak dried, not canned, chickpeas for up to 12 hours before draining and washing them off. Then, you'll blend them with your chosen spices in a food processor before putting it in a bowl, mixed with baking soda and chickpea flour. Finally, you'll refrigerate for up to an hour and shape. Make sure your food processor can blend the ingredients without turning them into a puree. Put in a pita pocket or another vessel and drizzle with a flavorful yogurt sauce. Falafel: it’s not awful.

We’ve seen many chefs struggle to make risotto on “Hell’s Kitchen,” but it’s not so difficult to make when you don’t have a world-famous chef yelling at you. Risotto isn’t a dish you can just throw in the oven. But if you can follow a few simple directions, yours will turn out great. While you can use white or brown rice, tradition calls for arborio rice. Simmer a pot of salted water and cook onions in a pan with oil before adding rice. Then, you'll cook in dry white wine before the liquid is all absorbed. Next, add the hot water, 3/4 cup at a time. The most important thing is to keep stirring until the rice is creamy, not runny or mushy.

#1: Ice Cream & Sorbet

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Ice cream and sorbet can feel like magic, especially on a hot day. And while we hate to spoil your sense of wonder, making them is a lot easier than you might have been led to believe. For ice cream, you just need to mix a custard and freeze it. To make the job easier, get an ice cream maker to handle the hard work for you. You can easily make sorbet by blending frozen fruit. With both of these cold desserts, the options for flavors are endless. And you can even take things in a more savory direction, with recipes like tomato sorbet or even ghost pepper ice cream.