OS Summer Cooking

pandora205

Strawberries in a raspberry sauce. Put raspberries and not too much sugar in saucepan or microwave and cook gently until syrupy.Poor over strawberries. Serve with cream or Greek yoghurt (I make my own with an Easiyo). Lovely.

Favourite first course would be fresh lean British lamb chops with new potatoes, greens and carrots and mint sauce. Not very money saving that one but seasonal.

daska

I often make couscous patties in summer, really good with lettuce pulled straight from the tub. Very simple: make up some couscous using stock rather than plain water. Add whatever you have to hand to add texture, colour and flavour with - one of our favorites is courgette, mushrooms and cheese. Use beaten egg to bind the mixture and fry it in small patties. It's one of those things you can do in advance, goes well in a picnic or lunchbox as well.

vixtress

ive got friends coming for lunch and will be making hm thai chicken with salad and ciabatta croutons.

the chicken is just a made up recipe.
in a big pot of low fat yoghurt mix, finely chopped lemongrass, chillii, ginger, garlic, lime zest & juice, salt and pepper.
marinate chopped chicken breast or thigh for as long as poss and tip into a hot, dry frying pan or griddle pan.
serve hot or cold on a mixed salad with hm garlic ciabatta croutons..............delicious, healthy and not too heavy :D:D

i also like any grillled meat, fish or halloumi with salad......i am a bit of a salad fan if you couldnt tell!

hth
vicky x

mouseymousey99

Meringue nests to pad out summer berries! Raspberries 3.99 eeekk so got some frozen ones - used frozen blueberries too - they thawed out in the fridge.

tessie_bear

cous cous salad...ratatouille....salads with interesting selection ofleaves....saladdressings...quiche...pizza....omelette...salmon...bbqs

maman

Genuine question (and shameless bumping), so many of us are growing our own salad leaves this year. We NEED ideas of what to go with them that's filling and relatively easy. Cassetroles R out (for the time being, we hope!!!)

clutterydrawer

Broad beans with cherry tomatoes:

fry a finely chopped onion
add some vegetable stock and a generous amount of apple juice
throw in some broad beans and simmer till cooked though
add halved cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh parsley and chopped fresh lemon thyme (or herbs of your choice!) and simmer for another minute or two...serve with crusty bread

I found a recipe similar to this in a magazine a while ago, made it cos i happened to have the ingredients but didnt think it'd be up to much, and it was amazing....i did it every night for a week!

Cazzdevil

Couscous for me too, flavoured with chilli & mint or lemon & thyme, lovely and light and delicious served with grilled chicken or the like. Mmmm nomnomnom.

Stephen_Leak

It doesn't get much more summery than this.

ETON MESS

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

450g of fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon of sugar
250g of meringue
250ml of cream

METHOD

Wash the strawberries, remove any stalks and chop them into quarters. Break or chop the meringue into rough 2cm (1 inch) pieces.

Put the strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar. Mix together.

Pour the cream into another bowl. Lightly whip the cream. Don’t over-do it: it should still be pourable.
Add the strawberries to the cream, or vice versa. Add the meringue pieces. Mix together and serve.
ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES
Use ready-made meringue, especially if it’s broken and/or reduced in price.

If you make your own meringue, this is the dish to practice with. If they weep, crack or even collapse, you can still use them in this. However, you do have to make it a day in advance.

For the romantic version, top with a large strawberry and offer this to your partner.

An authentic Eton mess uses strawberries, but other summer fruits work well.

However, even Heston Blumenthal has had to concede that Eton mess is "quite simply impossible to improve upon".

HISTORICAL NOTES

Eton mess originated at Eton College in the 1930’s, when a mixture of either strawberries or bananas with cream or ice cream, all stirred together (hence the name "mess"), was served in the school’s "sock shop" (tuck shop). One anecdotal story is that the dessert was ‘invented’ by a Labrador dog, when it sat on a picnic basket in the back of a car. With the later addition of the meringue, it has evolved into the unashamedly wicked, yet still quintessentially English, summer dessert. It is traditionally served at Eton College's annual prize-giving celebration picnic on what is still called the "Fourth of June", despite actually taking place on the last Wednesday in May.

ascot64

Am I the only one that finds OS meals in the winter really easy but struggles with the summer?

My winter OS fare consists of lots of different ways to do mince, lots of veg and lots of homemade soup and plenty of home baking.

I just find that now the weather is warmer (some of the time) I am struggling to keep to the same budget but cook more summery meals.

Any suggestions?