Summer Dinner ideas Thread
Discussion
Now that we seem to be heading into Summer I thought it would be a good idea to start a Thread dedicated to Summer Dinner ideas.
So here we go to kick things off.....
Lobster, artichoke and sun-dried tomato salad
Ingredients
1kg/2¼lb lobster
6 artichoke bases (or 1 tin) quartered
175g/6oz sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tbsp chives, chopped
1 tbsp capers
Dressing:
1 onion, finely chopped
150ml/¼ pint dry white wine
2 tsp whole grain mustard
55g/2oz butter
55g/2oz flour
275ml/10fl oz milk
125ml/4fl oz single cream
25g/1oz parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Put on a large pan of boiling water. Choose a pan to fit the lobster fully covered by water. When water is boiling put in lobster and cook at a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Remove, cool slightly. (Lobster should be cooked 10 minutes per kg).
2. Crack lobster shell, take out the intestinal tract and slice tail diagonally, pick out claw meat too.
3. For the dressing: cook onion and white wine together. Melt butter, add flour, cook for 2 minutes, add milk, mustard, single cream, salt and pepper and cook stirring all the time. Mix in artichoke bases, sun dried tomato, chives, capers and finally lobster.
4. Heat through for a further 4-5 minutes.
5. Serve sprinkled with parmesan as a main course with a mixed salad or as a starter on its own.
So here we go to kick things off.....
Lobster, artichoke and sun-dried tomato salad
Ingredients
1kg/2¼lb lobster
6 artichoke bases (or 1 tin) quartered
175g/6oz sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tbsp chives, chopped
1 tbsp capers
Dressing:
1 onion, finely chopped
150ml/¼ pint dry white wine
2 tsp whole grain mustard
55g/2oz butter
55g/2oz flour
275ml/10fl oz milk
125ml/4fl oz single cream
25g/1oz parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Put on a large pan of boiling water. Choose a pan to fit the lobster fully covered by water. When water is boiling put in lobster and cook at a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Remove, cool slightly. (Lobster should be cooked 10 minutes per kg).
2. Crack lobster shell, take out the intestinal tract and slice tail diagonally, pick out claw meat too.
3. For the dressing: cook onion and white wine together. Melt butter, add flour, cook for 2 minutes, add milk, mustard, single cream, salt and pepper and cook stirring all the time. Mix in artichoke bases, sun dried tomato, chives, capers and finally lobster.
4. Heat through for a further 4-5 minutes.
5. Serve sprinkled with parmesan as a main course with a mixed salad or as a starter on its own.
Jamie Oliver's Thai(ish) salad always goes down well in the summer months:
Thai Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 clove garlic, finely sliced
1 handful fresh coriander and basil chopped
Combine all ingredients and let it sit for at least one hour before serving.
Pour it over:
Beansprouts, mixed leaves, raw sugarsnap peas, handful of crushed cashews
To make it a heartier (but still light) main meal add cooked noodles
Then add sliced chicken/steak/duck/prawns hot out of the wok.
Yum
Thai Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 clove garlic, finely sliced
1 handful fresh coriander and basil chopped
Combine all ingredients and let it sit for at least one hour before serving.
Pour it over:
Beansprouts, mixed leaves, raw sugarsnap peas, handful of crushed cashews
To make it a heartier (but still light) main meal add cooked noodles
Then add sliced chicken/steak/duck/prawns hot out of the wok.
Yum
This is a nice one for a barbie.
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/quick-suppers...
Moroccan chicken and potato salad recipe
This simple Moroccan chicken and potato salad recipe has been adapted to be suitable to make at a picnic on a beach. The chicken can be barbecued or grilled. You can obviously make it at home, on a hill, in a forest or wherever you want to. It tastes hot and fab anywhere. You could even take it to the kasbah!
Serves 6
Ingredients
750g waxy new potatoes
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
Bunch of spring onions, chopped
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
2 x 238g packs mini chicken breast fillets
1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes until just tender. Drain well and quarter each potato. Put into a large bowl.
Tip
You can cook the chicken under a grill. Put on a foil-lined tray and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning once, until tender.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, 4 tablespoons oil, the mint, chillies and seasoning. Pour over the potatoes, then cool. Add the onions and put into a large Tupperware box.
3. Mix the remaining oil with the paprika. Put into a small Tupperware box, add the chicken and mix well. Put both boxes into a cool box.
4. at the beach, light the barbecue, following the manufacturer's instructions. Barbecue the chicken for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway, until tender. Toss the chicken with the potato salad and serve.
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/quick-suppers...
Moroccan chicken and potato salad recipe
This simple Moroccan chicken and potato salad recipe has been adapted to be suitable to make at a picnic on a beach. The chicken can be barbecued or grilled. You can obviously make it at home, on a hill, in a forest or wherever you want to. It tastes hot and fab anywhere. You could even take it to the kasbah!
Serves 6
Ingredients
750g waxy new potatoes
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
Bunch of spring onions, chopped
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
2 x 238g packs mini chicken breast fillets
1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes until just tender. Drain well and quarter each potato. Put into a large bowl.
Tip
You can cook the chicken under a grill. Put on a foil-lined tray and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning once, until tender.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, 4 tablespoons oil, the mint, chillies and seasoning. Pour over the potatoes, then cool. Add the onions and put into a large Tupperware box.
3. Mix the remaining oil with the paprika. Put into a small Tupperware box, add the chicken and mix well. Put both boxes into a cool box.
4. at the beach, light the barbecue, following the manufacturer's instructions. Barbecue the chicken for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway, until tender. Toss the chicken with the potato salad and serve.
Another one......
Tuna carpaccio with rocket and a chilli tomato dressing
Ingredients
500g/1lb 2oz top quality tuna loin
crushed pepper
dried chilli flakes
plain oil
rocket leaves
canned chopped tomatoes
chopped chilli
sugar syrup (110g/4oz sugar dissolved in 110ml/4fl oz water )
1 lemon
olive oil
Method
1. Rub the trimmed tuna loin with oil and roll in the crushed pepper and chilli.
2. Sear in a hot dry non-stick pan for 2 minutes on each side.
Set aside in the fridge to chill.
3. After 30 minutes take out the tuna and slice thinly.
4. Squeeze some lemon juice and olive oil over the rocket and pile up in the centre of a plate. Lay the tuna slices around the rocket and dress.
5. Make the dressing: liquidise the tomatoes together with the chilli and sieve. Add the sugar syrup and reduce in a pan until thick and sweet. Season well. Allow to cool then dribble over the tuna.
Tuna carpaccio with rocket and a chilli tomato dressing
Ingredients
500g/1lb 2oz top quality tuna loin
crushed pepper
dried chilli flakes
plain oil
rocket leaves
canned chopped tomatoes
chopped chilli
sugar syrup (110g/4oz sugar dissolved in 110ml/4fl oz water )
1 lemon
olive oil
Method
1. Rub the trimmed tuna loin with oil and roll in the crushed pepper and chilli.
2. Sear in a hot dry non-stick pan for 2 minutes on each side.
Set aside in the fridge to chill.
3. After 30 minutes take out the tuna and slice thinly.
4. Squeeze some lemon juice and olive oil over the rocket and pile up in the centre of a plate. Lay the tuna slices around the rocket and dress.
5. Make the dressing: liquidise the tomatoes together with the chilli and sieve. Add the sugar syrup and reduce in a pan until thick and sweet. Season well. Allow to cool then dribble over the tuna.
Put some seasoned chicken thighs into a roasting tin with a good glug of olive oil and some peeled garlic cloves. Squeeze over the juice of a lemon and add the skins then put it in a 200 deg oven for 30 minutes. Then tuck a handful of basil leaves in among the thighs and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Take the tin out, put it on a hob on a high heat and add a glass of medium white wine. Reduce for a few minutes and then serve with crispy lettuce leaves using the sauce as a dressing
Take the tin out, put it on a hob on a high heat and add a glass of medium white wine. Reduce for a few minutes and then serve with crispy lettuce leaves using the sauce as a dressing
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