And over a Bank Holiday many of us can feel inclined to spend a little more time in the kitchen, or slow down to prepare meals we might normally skip when we’re in a rush midweek.
So if you’re feeling in a summery mood – whether the sun shines or not – you might want to try one of these seven i-approved recipes for the weekend.
Grilled and Chilled Peppers in Harissa, Pineapple and Honey by Helen Graves
“An elegant do-ahead side,” says Graves, author of BBQ Days, BBQ Nights, her second BBQ book packed with inventive ideas that play with smoky, salty and spicy flavours. “The key to this dish is the combination of sweet, charred peppers and honey with spicy harissa and the fragrant acidity of lime. Think ‘hot honey’ vibes but with a touch more elegance. A chilled dish feels like a very slick move, too – a way to appear like the effortless host. There are so few ingredients, but the result really sings.”
Serves: 6
Make this one a couple of hours in advance, so it has time to chill.
Takes 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 red, yellow or orange (bell) peppers (or a mix of all three)
- 300 ml (10 fl oz/1¼ cups) pineapple juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon harissa
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- flaky sea salt
- basil leaves, to garnish
Method
Prepare a barbecue for two-zone cooking.
Place the peppers directly over the coals and cook them for about 10 minutes until blackened on all sides.
Transfer to a bowl and cover the bowl tightly with cling film then allow to sit for 10 minutes more – this will allow them to soften completely inside and make the skins easier to remove.
Combine the pineapple juice and honey in a small saucepan then bring to a simmer and reduce by half, until syrupy. Stir in the harissa and lime juice and season with salt.
Remove the pepper skins by slipping them off with your fingers (this is easy to do under a running tap) and remove the seeds and stalks. Don’t worry if some black parts remain as these will add to the flavour. Thickly slice the peppers and transfer to a bowl.
Mix the peppers with the dressing, allow to cool, then chill until needed. Arrange the peppers for everyone to help themselves and garnish with basil.
Recipe from BBQ Days, BBQ Nights by Helen Graves (Hardie Grant, £22)
Shredded BBQ tofu baps from Calum Harris
“There’s a theory that spice can help when you’re hot, because your body goes ‘OOO HELLO!’” says Harris. “It sweats and then wants to cool itself down, so this is perfect for that. The jerk paste isn’t overpowering, and I balance it up all nicely with a mango slaw.”
Ingredients
- Extra firm tofu block (280g)
- 2 tsp jerk paste
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup (or tomato paste)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 tsp miso paste
- 2 soft rolls
- 1 mango
- 3 spring onions
- Pinch of fresh coriander
- Pinch of fresh mint
- 1 red chilli deseeded
- Juice of 1 and 1/2 limes
- Pinch of sea salt
- Some vegan mayo, if you fancy it
Method
Shred tofu using grater, then mix the above sauce ingredients together and massage the tofu in. Bake tofu on a sheet at 200°C for 20 mins.
Chop the mango into smaller chunks, slice the spring onion, herbs and chilli up then mix with the mango in a bowl, along with the lime juice.
Read Next
Finish by toasting the baps, then assemble by popping a bit of mayo on the bottom, then the shredded tofu, and finally the mango slaw. Boom.
Grilled peaches, burrata and elderflower dressing salad from Patrick Williams, co-owner of Kudu Collective
“This dish is perfect for a hot summer’s day,” says Williams, who grew up in South Africa and now lives in London. “Peaches are juicy, refreshing, and absolutely delicious when in season. Their sweet, vibrant flavours pair well with the rich, creamy burrata, making this an ideal starter, snack or side dish for a braai.”
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 250g burrata balls
- 25ml olive oil
- 5ml elderflower vinegar
- 1tsp acacia honey
- 5g Chardonnay vinegar
- Pinch of Maldon salt
- Handful of radishes, sliced thinly
- Tarragon leaves
- 2.5 peaches, sliced and charred on BBQ
- 5g toasted white and black sesame seeds
Method
To make the dressing, mix the olive oil, elderflower vinegar, honey and Chardonnay vinegar with a large pinch of salt.
Slice the peaches in half, remove the stones, and place on a hot braai or BBQ for a couple of minutes. Remove and set aside for plating.
Place the burrata balls onto a plate and add the warm peaches. Garnish with tarragon leaves, radishes and toasted sesame.
Strawberry Granita by Jacob Kenedy, chef owner of Gelupo
“An authentic way to make ice cream at home without an ice-cream maker, granitas are semi-liquid ice slushies that are incredibly refreshing,” explains Kenedy. “They can be enjoyed as a dessert, a summer drink, or even spiked to create a cocktail.
“With strawberry season upon us, you can follow the traditional method here which will give coarser ice crystals or, if you’re in a hurry, blend the ingredients together and serve right away for a cheat’s granita.”
Makes about 800ml / Serves 4–6
Ingredients
Blend:
- 500g frozen strawberries
- 250ml chilled water
- 100g caster sugar
To serve (optional)
- 150ml whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks with 1 tbsp caster sugar
Method
Chill your serving glasses for at least 20 minutes in the freezer before you begin.
Put the frozen strawberries, water and sugar in a blender and blend to a slushy consistency.
Transfer the mixture to a wide dish and put it in the freezer. Once it starts to freeze at the edges, every 10–15 minutes stir it with a fork or whisk it, until the mixture is almost completely frozen and icy (this will take a long time – perhaps four hours).
It is ready to serve in this slightly wet, slushy state. To keep it longer, let it freeze solid, then before serving take it out to thaw for 20 minutes or so, breaking it up with a fork.
Sweetcorn Gazpacho with Chorizo by Ben Ebbrell of Sorted Food
“Ingredients with vast amounts of water are key for staying hydrated in the heat,” says Ben Ebbrell, chef and co-founder of Sorted Food. “Cucumber, celery, lettuce, tomatoes, soft fruits. In the summer seasons in the UK they are also super tasty and locally produced.
“Gazpacho doesn’t have to be made with tomatoes – we’ve used sweetcorn for a yellow twist on this classic. Cold soup never tasted so good.”
Ingredients
- 400g tinned sweetcorn
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red onion
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- 400g sourdough loaf
- 75ml sour cream
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 125g chorizo
- 1 green chilli
- 1 lime
Method
Open two 200g tins of sweetcorn and tip them into a large mixing bowl – no need to drain them.
Cut cucumber into bite-sized chunks and chuck it into the bowl with the sweetcorn.
Peel, halve and roughly slice onion. De-seed and roughly chop bell pepper and chuck them both into the bowl. Finely grate in one clove of garlic, then remove the crusts from the ends of a sourdough loaf and tear what remains into the bowl. Save the crusts and use them to make breadcrumbs. Give everything a good mix in the bowl.
Chuck in 75ml of sour cream, drizzle in 4 tbsp of the olive oil and blend everything until smooth.
Add a splash of water if necessary – we are looking for a thick, soup-like consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Roughly dice 125g of chorizo and chuck it into a medium frying pan with the remaining 2 tbsp oil. Place the pan over a medium heat and allow the fat to melt from the chorizo.
Fry the chorizo for 6-7 minutes, until golden and crisp. Crack on with a bit of washing up, then get on with the next step while you wait.
Timer Instruction: Hey, that’s the timer for the chorizo. It should be golden and crisp.
Slice 1 green chilli into thin rounds and cut 1 lime into wedges.
Divide the gazpacho between bowls and spoon over the chorizo and its oil. Serve with the chilli and lime wedges. Tuck in to a chilled flavour bomb!
Bloody Meera by Masterchef winner Eddie Scott, from Misarana
“There’s nothing better on a hot summer’s day than sitting outside enjoying a ‘Bloody Meera’,” says Scott, whose debut cookbook Misarana introduces Indian twists to the classic French and English dishes he grew up with. “It’s a Bloody Mary but with a South Indian kick, with the perfect balance of spice, heat and sourness. After a few of these you’ll be transported to paradise somewhere in the Indian Ocean!
“The base of my brunch cocktail is from a traditional South-Indian tomato broth – rasam. It is a light, fragrant and tangy tomato soup, made by gently infusing tomatoes with curry leaves, green chilli, lime and a whole host of revitalising spices. In South India, it is customary to end a meal with a warming cup of rasam, like a digestif. I think this cocktail is a brilliant, exciting way to start the weekend; a drink that will definitely lift and wake up the senses. The rasam can be made well in advance and stored in the fridge.”
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Rasam seasoning:
- 1⁄2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1⁄2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1⁄2 tsp black peppercorns
Rasam:
- 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1⁄4 tsp asafoetida
- Leaves from 1 sprig of fresh curry leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 11⁄2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 green finger chillies, finely chopped
- 500ml (17fl oz/2 cups) tomato juice
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- Juice of 1 lime
- A small handful of chopped fresh coriander
- Salt
To serve:
- Ice cubes
- 200ml (7fl oz/3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp) vodka
- 4 celery sticks
Method
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the black mustard and cumin seeds and fry for 1 minute to release their oils.
Add the asafoetida, curry leaves and garlic to the pan and fry for 2 minutes. Add the chilli powder, green chillies, tomato juice, sugar, lime juice and rasam seasoning to the pan, along with 100ml (31/2fl oz/scant 1/2 cup) water.
Turn the heat up to high and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, then turn the heat off.
Season with salt and add the fresh coriander. Allow to cool, then put in the fridge to chill before making the cocktail.
To serve, pour the rasam into a large jug filled with ice. Add the vodka and give everything a good stir. Pour into four glasses and garnish each with a stick of celery.
Mirsana (Carnival, £26)
Mackerel crudo with Fennel, Fennel Pollen and Preserved Lemon by Ben Tish, Chef Director, Cubitt House
“A super light and fresh crudo with warming, curry-like notes from fennel pollen and a sweet-sour tang from preserved lemon that balances the mackerel’s natural oiliness,” says Ben Tish of Cubitt House. “The dish is incredibly simple to prepare but using supremely fresh mackerel is crucial. The fish should be firm to the touch, with vibrant pink flesh and the skin almost effervescent blue.
“Fish crudo is ideal for hot weather – not only is it cold and light but the acidity and sharpness involved also aids cooling. It was developed in southern Italy for this very reason, where it’s obviously very hot a lot of the year.”
Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients
- 4 medium fillets fresh mackerel, skinned and pin boned
- ½ head small fennel, very finely sliced (a mandolin is good for this)
- 1 preserved lemon, halved and cut into thin slices (seeds removed)
- ½ level teaspoon fennel pollen
- 20ml extra virgin olive oil
- Juice half lemon
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Coriander shoots for garnish
Method
Dice the mackerel into 1cm pieces
Place in a bowl and then add the fennel, fennel pollen, preserved lemon, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper
Mix well and leave to stand for 5 minutes before dividing onto chilled plates and sprinkling with fennel fronds.