Delicious dishes: 5 Sizzling Summer Dishes to keep your taste buds tingling all through the weekend

The weather is set to be a scorcher this Bank Holiday and nothing is more inviting than a spot of al fresco dining, but for those of us who can’t, we can still put our utensils to good use and cook up a storm in the kitchen!

Most of us love a good cooking programme featuring our favourite chefs, and watching how they rustle up a dish so effortlessly. Well, it’s time to grab the apron, switch on some Spotify and in the famous words of Ainsley Harriott, Get cooking!

We have curated our top 5 summer dishes to try and we hope you love them as much as we do. Tuck in!

Image: Gordon Ramsay’s Halloumi, Courgette and Herb Cakes

If you are a vegetarian or would like to try out a lovely veggie dish then you can’t go wrong with Gordon Ramsay’s Halloumi, Courgette and Herb Cakes. Just add a healthy side salad to complete the dish and delve in. An easy, hassle-free meal which tastes just as good as it looks…delicious! Make these herb cakes for your family or friends by clicking here for the full recipe and instructions.

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 courgette, grated
• 500g halloumi cheese, grated
• 2–4 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 2–4 tbsp breadcrumbs
• Olive oil, for frying
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Image: BBC Epic Summer salad

A plate of greens might not seem the most appetising, but add other vibrant colours to the mix and what you now have is an Epic Summer Salad. No cooking required, just your chopping board and crockery and, hey presto, you’re good to go. And if you don’t like one or two of the ingredients, you can leave them out and it will still look picture-perfect! For all the ingredients and how to make see here.

Ingredients:

• 400g black beans, drained
• 2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 500g heritage tomatoes, chopped into large chunks
• ½ cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scooped out and sliced on an angle
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 1 large red onion, halved and finely sliced
• 6-8 radishes sliced
• 2 avocados, peeled and sliced
• 100g feta crumbled
• Handful of herbs reserved from the dressing

Image: Jamie Oliver’s Party-Time Mexican Tacos

If you fancy a taste of Mexico, then tacos are one of our favourites and Jamie Oliver’s ones will really hit the spot. Full of flavour, not too tricky to make and the perfect outdoor food to have. Don’t forget your sombrero too! For the full recipe and instructions see here.

Ingredients:

• 1 x 1.8 kg whole free-range chicken
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 500 g plain flour , plus extra for dusting
• 1 cos lettuce
• 250 g ripe cherry tomatoes
• 2 ripe avocados
• 100 g mixed seeds
• 200 g feta cheese

Image: Gino D’Acampo’s Swordfish Steaks & Sautéed Potatoes with Gremolata

If, like us, you love fish and you want a seafood recipe with a difference then this is the le plat du jour! You can use either swordfish or tuna steak as both work equally well. Gremolata is a dressing of raw chopped garlic, parsley and lemon zest. It is usually sprinkled over meats, such as osso bucco or carpaccio, but it also makes a great garnish for grilled fish. For the full recipe click here to enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1kg new potatoes, scrubbed
• 180ml olive oil
• 8 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 6 garlic cloves, bruised with the back of a knife
• 4 × 175g swordfish steaks

Image: Nigella Lawson’s Ice Cream Cake

Finally, we couldn’t forget dessert and for those of you with a sweet tooth like us, then Nigella Lawson’s Ice Cream Cake is a must. Smooth, velvety and quite literally melts in your mouth….mmmm, yum! Although, it appears difficult to make, it actually only requires some stirring and a hot sauce to go with. A perfect way to end the long weekend! To access the full recipe see here.

Ingredients:

• 5 litres vanilla ice cream
• 100 g honey roast peanuts
• 200 g peanut butter morsels (or nestle swirled milk chocolate or chocolate chips)
• 1 × 40 g crunchie bar (broken into shards and dusty rubble)
• 150 g bourbon biscuits (broken up into crumbs and rubble)

Which dish tickles your fancy? Let us know in the comments below. If you like our blog, you’ll love our Instagram.