Throughout the year, I spend a lot of time dreaming up ideas for quick, simple, seasonal recipes. I know that if a dish doesn’t require a lot of time and is relatively straightforward, most cooks will be interested in hearing more and giving the recipe a try.

But this week I’m here to offer three new recipes that are not particularly quick or easy. Don’t get me wrong: This is not to say these recipes are wildly difficult or require you to take the day off of work to get it done. No, these are recipes that just require a bit more — more time, patience and preparation. But I promise you the payoff is well worth the effort.

It’s June and that means early summer celebrations: graduations, Father’s Day, family get-togethers, summer meals. When you want something a bit more special than usual and are willing to give just a bit more time, these three recipes — a spinach souffle, a vegetable paella and a strawberry-laced cheesecake — will fit the bill.

A souffle: You’re thinking, ‘Isn’t that really fussy and difficult?’ No and no. Sauteed spinach is folded into a simple white sauce and then gently mixed with whipped up egg whites. The souffles are baked in individual ramekins or a large ovenproof skillet. No fussy souffle pans or paper collars to worry about here. The whipped egg whites create air and cause the souffle to rise. The results are dramatic and surprisingly light. Serve with an arugula and mixed greens salad and warm crusty bread. And make sure everyone is seated and ready to eat because you’ll want to serve the souffles the minute they come out of the oven.

*To separate eggs: Have two bowls ready. Gently crack the egg on the side of one bowl and let the egg whites drip out into the bowl. Be very careful not to let any of the yolk dribble in; yolks will make it difficult for the white to whip up properly. Place the yolks in a separate bowl.

A Spanish paella is one of my favorite dishes for summer entertaining — whether it’s a small or large group. Unlike traditional paellas that contain shellfish, sausage and/or chicken, this version focuses on spring and early summer vegetables. The dish can be cooked outdoors on your grill or on your stovetop, and it’s endlessly adaptable.

I won’t try to hide the fact that a good paella requires several steps. But, if you prep most of it ahead of time you can put the paella together in very little time and then pop it on the grill or on the stovetop as soon as your guests arrive.

Let’s talk about paella pans. You don’t need to run out and buy one, but they aren’t costly and will make a very authentic looking and tasting paella. They come in carbon steel, stainless steel and enamel and have a flat, dimpled bottom to spread out the heat evenly. I’ve made this paella using a traditional paella pan, but also tried it with a 12-inch cast iron skillet. You want to choose a skillet that is heavy, with low sides (so the rice doesn’t steam) that will hold heat well.

The sofrito, the heart of a good paella, is made by cooking down onions, garlic tomatoes and chili flakes for an hour. The sofrito and all the vegetables can be prepped ahead of time and covered and refrigerated for hours, or overnight.

You can tweak this recipe in many ways: Add shrimp, clams, mussels, sausage or chicken. If you add sausage or chicken you will need to brown and precook it before adding to the paella. Sausage needs about 3 to 5 minutes per side and chicken needs about 8 minutes per side before adding to the paella where it will finish cooking. Clams and mussels are added directly without any prep after the paella has cooked for about 10 minutes.

A note about paella rice: Traditional paella rice is a short grained rice that absorbs liquid (in this case, stock) quickly while still retaining firm grains. It’s generally called bomba or calasparra rice. If you can’t find bomba rice you can substitute arborio rice which is traditionally used for risotto. And if you can’t find a Spanish or Italian specialty rice you can use short-grain basmati rice but it won’t absorb the liquid in quite the same way and could produce a mushy paella.

If you’re serving a crowd you can double the recipe and use a 16 or 18-inch skillet or paella pan.

The vegetables, rice and garnishes

This gorgeous strawberry cheesecake is made by cooking up a quick strawberry puree (strawberries, and raspberries if you like, sugar and water are simmered until thickened and then strained) that is swirled into a ricotta, sour cream and cream cheese mixture on top of a graham cracker crust. The berry syrup creates a sophisticated Italian marbled paper look. It’s a sure winner for any summer party. The cake is large (and rich) enough to serve a crowd.

Cheesecake isn’t hard to make but there are several steps to consider: The syrup needs to cool for at least 2 hours, the crust needs to be made and baked ahead of time, and the cake needs to be made a full day ahead of serving.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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