What to eat in summer: The best recipes for hot humid days

It's getting hot in here — so opt for these tasty meals

Five quick and easy meals to make in humid conditions

Halloumi with watermelon

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

This surprising combination is bolstered by a red chilli boost that contrasts beautifully with the refreshing watermelon

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 2 spring onions, white parts only, very thinly sliced

• 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely diced

• 400g watermelon, flesh sliced into small wedges

• 1 block of halloumi, cut into thick slices

• small handful of coriander, leaves only

• olive oil

• 2 limes

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, toss the watermelon wedges, sliced spring onion and diced red chilli together with a few tablespoons of olive oil until everything is lightly coated. Cover and place in the fridge.

2. Slice the halloumi into nice thick slices and dry-fry on a very hot griddle or grill pan. Do this carefully so that the slices have nice dark golden to black charred lines on each side. Use a little olive oil if your pan isn’t non-stick.

3. Divide and arrange the watermelon salad between two serving plates.

4. Squeeze the juice of one or two limes over.

5. Place some of the hot, grilled halloumi slices on top and garnish generously with coriander leaves.

Grilled summer salad

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Full of bold ingredients, add this salad to your summer menu

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 2 medium courgette (one green, one yellow)

• 1 medium red onion

• 200g good quality feta

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• good pinch of sea salt

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 120ml extra virgin olive oil

• freshly ground black pepper

• handful of basil leaves, torn or shredded

• good pinch of red pepper or chilli flakes

Method

1. Cut the courgette into oblong slices and the red onion into 8 wedges. Make a quick marinade by whisking together 100ml of olive oil, two tablespoons of white wine vinegar and the crushed garlic, along with a small pinch of sea salt.

2. Place a griddle pan on a medium high heat until very hot, add the rest of the olive oil before placing the courgette on the hot griddle and season with salt and pepper. Cook both sides until tender and showing black marks from the grill. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the red onion to the hot griddle and cook until tender and slightly charred.

4. Arrange the grilled courgette and red onion on a serving platter, crumble the feta over and drizzle with the marinade. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes over, and garnish with freshly torn basil leaves.

Summer rolls

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Handheld yumminess; fill your summer rolls with whatever you like - leftover barbecue meat is the perfect addition for carnivores and cooked prawns are always welcome.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• For the dip:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 2 tsp of runny honey

• 1 medium clove of garlic, crushed

• 1 tsp of crushed black pepper

• For the rolls:

• 50g thin rice noodles

• a handful of lettuce leaves, washed and very roughly chopped

• a small handful of mint, washed and very roughly chopped

• a small handful of coriander, washed and very roughly chopped

• 1 carrot

• 8 rice paper sheets

• a small handful of sesame seeds

Method

1. To make the dip mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, black pepper and garlic and set aside. You can add some sesame seeds or chopped chillies as well if you wish. Set aside to allow the flavours to blend.

2. Soak the rice noodles for 15 minutes in just boiled, slightly salted water.

3. Using a potato peeler slice the carrots into very thin strips.

4. Fill a large flat bowl with just-boiled water and carefully dip a rice paper sheet into the water for about 15 seconds, until translucent and soft. Place it onto a clean tea towel to remove excess water then transfer onto a chopping board.

5. Place a line of noodles, carrot strips, lettuce, mint and coriander along one side of the rice paper disc. Sprinkle the filling with sesame seeds. Lift the other edge over the filling and press it down then roll it up tightly, so it looks like a cigar. You can tuck in each end to make it neater.

6. Repeat with the other rice paper discs and when they are ready to go. Serve with the dip.

Chipotle mushroom and black bean burgers with peanuts and lime

These burgers with a hint of peanut butter are ridiculously moreish and can be served in buns with mayonnaise and pickles for enhanced flavour

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 50g smooth peanut butter

• 1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained, but not rinsed

• 2 small cloves of garlic, peeled

• 2 tsp chipotle chilli flakes

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 heaped tbsp rye flour

• 1 lime, zest only

• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

• 250g chestnut mushrooms

• To serve:

• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

• a handful of chopped salted peanuts

• a handful of chopped fresh coriander

• 4 burger buns

Method

1. Put the peanut butter into a food processor with 60g of the black beans, the garlic, chilli flakes, cumin, olive oil, rye flour, lime zest and sea salt flakes, and blitz until you have a very thick paste.

2. Tip it into a large bowl and stir in the rest of the black beans.

3. Tip the mushrooms into the processor – no need to wash it – and pulse until you have a dry mushroom mince. Stir this into the black bean mixture. With damp hands, form it into four thick burgers and arrange them on a lined baking sheet.

4. Bake in the oven at 180°C fan/200°C for 25–30 minutes. When they’ve got 10 minutes left, gently flip them over so they can crisp up on the other side.

5. They’re ready to serve straight from the oven, but for a nice bit of smokiness you can let them cool down, then finish them on a medium barbecue for a couple of minutes per side.

6. Squeeze over the lime wedges and top with a handful of chopped peanuts and coriander, then sandwich them into lightly grilled burger buns.
   This recipe is from Rukmini Iyer’s The Green Barbecue (Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes to Cook Outdoors & In)

Filipino chicken with mango-tomato salsa recipe

“My mum calls this ‘any way chicken’ because you can make the chicken any way: I like cooking it in the oven (so I can forget about it); my mum likes to make it on the hob (to keep more of the sauce); and my boyfriend, Henry, likes grilling it on the BBQ

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 45 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Filipino

Ingredients

• For the chicken:

• 4 large chicken thighs, skin on and bone in (about 600g)

• Sea salt and black pepper

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced at an angle, to serve

• For the Filipino-style sauce:

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 4tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 2tbsp tamari or soy sauce

• 2tsp–1tbsp fish sauce or 2tsp extra tamari or soy sauce

• 2tbsp (coconut) sugar or maple syrup

• 2 star anise

• ¼tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)

• For the mango-tomato salsa:

• 1 big handful of fresh coriander

• 100g cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 100g peeled ripe mango, pineapple or stone fruit, diced

• 2cm fresh ginger, finely grated

• ½ garlic clove, finely grated

• 1 jalapeño or other chilli, deseeded and diced

• Juice of 1½ limes

• 4 spring onions or 1 small red onion, finely diced

• 2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• A dash of hot sauce (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to fan 220°C/gas mark 9. If using a BBQ, get it going now.

2. Mix all the sauce ingredients together. Place the chicken thighs in an ovenproof dish big enough to arrange the pieces about two centimetres apart (but not so big that you lose all the sauce as it cooks off in the oven), then add the sauce, coating each piece of chicken well in the mixture and leave for a few minutes, if you like.

3. Place the chicken thighs skin-side up in the dish, sprinkle a little salt and pepper over each one and roast for 25 minutes or until well cooked and the juices run clear when pierced with a knife.

4. Meanwhile, make the salsa. Roughly chop the leaves of the coriander and finely chop the stalks, then add to a serving bowl with all the other ingredients, mix together well and leave to sit for 20 minutes (while the chicken is cooking).

5. Serve the chicken scattered with the spring onions and with the salsa on the side.
   From Feel Good by Melissa Hemsley (Ebury).

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