Make the Most of Summer Cooking

Summertime is here!

I love summer cooking, and I love the fact that as the seasons change, so do our cooking methods and the type of fresh produce we use.

Summer cooking presents an opportunity in our lives to whip up something quick and easy and still eat remarkably well.

Summer cooking should be simple, fresh and full of flavour.

No one wants to be slaving over a hot stove in 30 degrees Celsius heat or have the oven on for hours during the day.

Here are some ways to make the most of summer and cook up fresh and tasty seasonal meals for your family that are bursting with both flavour and nutrition.

Artichoke and pepper flatbread

Serves 10 to 12 people.

Ingredients

750ml flour

5ml salt

15ml sugar

10g sachet of instant yeast

60ml olive oil

200-300ml warm water

Topping

30ml olive oil

2 onions, cut into thin wedges

10ml chopped garlic

1 red pepper, seeded and sliced

400g can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

Salt and pepper

100g black olives, pitted

Method

Combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Add the olive oil and enough warm water to make a dough that is soft but not sticky. Knead well until smooth and elastic. Put the dough into an oiled plastic bag and leave it to rise for 20 minutes.

Topping: Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions over medium heat until soft.

Add the garlic and pepper and cook for fiveminutes until the peppers are soft. Remove from the heat and add the artichokes, seasoning, and olives.

Remove the dough from the bag, knead gently and roll out on a lightly floured surface to form a large oval. Place the dough on a greased baking tray and pile the topping on top. Bake at 200ºC for 20 to 25 minutes until the dough is golden brown and crisp. Remove and cut into slices for serving.

BASIL PESTO STUFFED CHICKEN
Serves four to six people.

Ingredients

Pesto:

375ml basil leaves

2 cloves of garlic crushed

180ml grated Parmesan cheese

50g pine nuts

125ml olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 chicken, spatchcocked

250ml chicken stock

Method

Put the basil and garlic into the bowl of a food processor and roughly chop. Add the cheese and pine nuts and pulse again. Then with the machine running slowly add in the olive oil. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Scrape the mixture into a bowl.

Slip your fingers under the skin of the chicken and loosen it gently without tearing it. Work half the pesto mixture under the chicken skin. Rub the chicken with any remaining pesto.

Place the chicken into a roasting pan, add half the stock to the pan, and roast at 180°C for 45 to 60 minutes until it is cooked. Baste with pan juices from time to time. Top up the pan juices with the stock if it gets dry (use this to make a gravy with a little cornflour slaked with water).

Remove from the oven and put the chicken on a carving board, cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve either hot or cold.

The pesto can be prepared a few days in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge.

– IOL Lifestyle