Midweek meals: Five summer dinners the whole family will enjoy

And yes, we have included an Irish salad plate

Summer dinners that are quick, easy and delicious.

When the sun shines, make the most of it with dinners that take little time and effort, and can be enjoyed in the garden. I am a huge fan of picnic dinners during this time of year, when school is winding down and motivation for the daily grind of midweek meals at an all-time low. I often put a chicken in the over in the early afternoon and serve it with salad and bread rolls or soda bread at dinner time. I get bonus points every time if I manage to add a tray of stuffing to the mix.

Basic beef burgers

recipe by:Darina Allen

The secret of really good beef burgers is the quality of the mince, it doesn't need to be an expensive cut but it is essential to use freshly minced beef. A small percentage of fat in the mince will make the burgers sweet and juicy – between 20-25%

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 15g (½ oz) butter or extra virgin olive oil

• 75g (3oz) onion, finely chopped (optional)

• 450g (1lb) freshly minced beef — flank, chump, or shin would be perfect

• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• ½ teaspoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• olive oil

• To serve (optional):

• burger or brioche buns

• lettuce

• sliced ripe tomatoes

• sliced red onion

• crispy bacon

• avocado slices or a dollop of guacamole

• fried onions

• roast or piquillo peppers

• kimchi, pickled slaw or pickles

• spicy mayo, spicy tomato sauce,

• barbecue sauce, hot sauce, bacon jam or relish of your choice

Method

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, toss in the onions, if using, cover and sweat over a low heat for 5-6 minutes until soft but not coloured. Set aside to get cold.

2. Meanwhile, mix the beef mince with the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Then add the cooled onions and mix well. Fry off a tiny bit of the mixture in the pan to check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

3. With wet hands, shape the mixture into four burgers, or more depending on the size you require. Chill until needed.

4. Cook to your taste in a little oil in a medium-hot frying or barbecue, turning once. For rare, cook for 2 minutes on each side; for medium, 3 minutes; and for well done, 4 minutes. If you’re cooking the burgers in batches, make sure to wash and dry the pan between batches. Burgers can plump up in the centre while being cooked; to avoid this, make an indentation in the centre of each raw burger with your thumb. Serve with any of the serving suggestions above, or try one of the variations.
   
   Extracted from How to Cook: The 100 Essential Recipes Everyone Should Know by Darina Allen (Kyle)

Old-fashioned Irish salad

recipe by:Darina Allen

This simple, old fashioned salad can be quite delicious when it’s made with a crisp lettuce, good home-grown tomatoes and cucumbers, free-range eggs and home preserved beetroot

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• Fresh watercress or butterhead

• Lettuce

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, preferably free-range, quartered

• 2-4 tomatoes, quartered

• 16 slices of cucumber

• 4 slices pickled beetroot

• 4 tiny scallions or spring onions

• 2-4 sliced radishes

• Chopped parsley

• To serve: 

• Salad cream 

Method

1. Hard-boil the eggs for the salad. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, gently slide in the eggs, boil for 10 minutes (12 if they are very fresh), strain off the hot water and cover with cold water. Peel when cold. Wash and dry the lettuce and scallions.

2. To assemble the salads: Arrange a few lettuce leaves on each of 4 plates. Scatter a few quartered tomatoes and 2 hard-boiled egg quarters, a few slices of cucumber and 1 radish or 2 slices of beetroot on each plate. Garnish with spring onion and watercress, scatter the remaining egg white (from the dressing) over the salad and chopped parsley.

3. Put a tiny bowl of salad cream in the centre of each plate and serve immediately while the salad is crisp and before the beetroot starts to run.

Slow cooker chicken tikka sandwich filler

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

A couple of weeks ago I recommended cooking a whole ham to cut down on the cost of more expensive sliced ham for lunchboxes. Some readers got in touch to ask if I had a suggestion on cooked chicken or turkey for sandwiches.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 3 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 3 hours 5 mins

Course

 Side

Cuisine

 Indian

Ingredients

• 750g fresh chicken fillets

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp paprika (use smoked if you like it spicy)

• 1 tsp garic granules

• 1 tsp dried oregano

Method

1. Place the chicken fillets in the bottom of the slow cooker and sprinkle over the herbs and spices. Put the lid on the cooker and cook on a high heat for 2-3 hours. Once cooked, leave the lid on and allow to reach room temperature before slicing or shredding and storing in the fridge or freezer.

2. For even better value, cook a whole large chicken,(this will give you about 1kg of white and brown meat).  Place the whole chicken in the slow cooker, sprinkle the herbs and spices on top and cook on high for 5-6 hours. Allow the chicken to cool completely before removing the meat from the bones. I portion the meat into lunchboxes. Once cooked it’ll keep in the fridge in a sealed lunchbox for up to 3 days. If I’ve prepared enough for a full week I’ll put half into the freezer.

Chicken fajita pasta bake

recipe by:Ciara McDonnell

A guaranteed hit with the whole family, serve with a green salad and some garlic bread

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 300g fusilli or penne pasta

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 chicken breasts, sliced

• 1 onion, sliced thinly

• 2 red peppers, sliced thinly

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• ½ smoked paprika

• 1 tsp jalapeno peppers, finely chopped plus 2 tsp vinegar from the jar of jalapeno peppers (optional)

• 450ml tomato passata

• Salt and pepper

• 100g mozzarella cheese, grated

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook your pasta for five minutes. Drain, reserving half a mug of cooking water and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.  

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

3. While the pasta is cooking, in a large pan, fry the chicken, onion and peppers until the vegetables are soft and the chicken is almost cooked through. Add the spices and cook for a minute until they are fragrant. 

4. Add the garlic, and if using, the jalapeno peppers and vinegar. Stir in the passata and bring to a simmer before seasoning with salt and pepper. 

5. Pour the pasta into the sauce along with the cooking water and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over the cheese and bake for twenty minutes until the pasta is cooked through and the cheese is golden and bubbling. 

Aubergine with honey and mint

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

This is a great little dish for having as a starter plate or light lunch. You could also scale it up and have it as a side part of a large feast

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 12 mins

Total Time

 17 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 2 aubergines

• Olive oil

• 1 ½ tsp chilli flakes

• Juice ½ lemon

• 2 tsp honey

• Sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

• Handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

•  

Method

1. Slice the aubergines into approx 3mm-thick slices. Drizzle them very generously all over with olive oil on both sides and season them, also on both sides, with sea salt and black pepper.

2. Heat a griddle or frying pan over a medium high heat. Place the aubergine slices down on the hot pan, cooking them for 5-6 minutes and then flipping them over, repeating on the other side. Both sides should be golden brown and lightly crispy. You may need to do this in batches.

3. Place the grilled aubergine on a serving platter and drizzle it all over with honey. Squeeze a little lemon juice over it and then sprinkle over the chilli flakes. Lastly, scatter the chopped mint over the dish and serve warm.