Life

Niall McKenna: Simple summer servings

'TIS THE season when "what should we bring?" rings out across the land as we crawl out of hibernation and the number of BBQs, garden parties, dinners and family gatherings ramp up in the warm weather.

While a few bags of green salad and a box of cherry tomatoes might suffice for some occasions, I thought I would share some of my favourite recipes which always go down a storm.

Super-simple, super-delicious and sure to have people talking, in a good way, for weeks to come. Be warned, these are often specifically requested for future events – the trials of being too delicious!

Using dried herbs many of us will have in the larder, and nothing that will have you Googling for what it should look like, hopefully these will impress and not stress for any social occasion or quiet week-night treat this summer.

Potatoes with turmeric, chilli and lime

450g new potatoes

2 tblsp olive oil

1 tblsp butter

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp red chilli flakes

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp ground turmeric

Juice of 1 lime

Fresh coriander, chopped

Sea salt

Fresh black pepper

Peel all the potatoes and quarter. For this recipe we are going to steam the potatoes rather than boil, so place in a steamer over a pot of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. You want them to be firm and not too soft. You can pick up great bamboo steamers from all Chinese supermarkets.

Place the olive oil and the butter in a frying pan and stir in all the spices: chilli, garlic, cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric etc.

Add in the potatoes and toss in the spice mix. They will take on the orange colour of the turmeric. Add the lime juice and let the juice steam away.

Once the pan has dried off, add the chopped coriander and season with salt and pepper and serve.

This is a great dish served with a BBQ shoulder of lamb or as an accompaniment to chicken.

Spicy pumpkin/squash with roasted pumpkin seeds

Serves 4

1kg of pumpkin, squash or sweet potato, chopped

2 rosemary sprigs, picked and chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

Olive oil to cook

Sea salt

Fresh black pepper

50g pumpkin seeds

Pangrattato

2 tblsp olive oil

2 shallots, finely diced

35g breadcrumbs

2 sage leaves, finely chopped

Flat leaf parsley to garnish

Sea salt

Fresh black pepper

To start, preheat your oven to its highest setting, approximately 240C. Place the olive oil, cumin and rosemary in a bowl and mix, add the chopped vegetable (this recipe works equally well with sweet potato) and coat in the mixture evenly.

Season with salt and pepper and place in a baking tray and cook for up to 35 minutes. The vegetables should be soft when skewered.

Once cooked remove from the oven and cover in tin foil. Reduce the heat of the oven to 180C.

On a dry baking tray place your pumpkin seeds, drizzle with a splash of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes until toasted and browned. Turn the oven off.

To make the pangrattato which will give the vegetables a great crunchy texture you need to heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots and cook for five minutes, add in the breadcrumbs and sage leaves and cook until all ingredients are covered in oil.

Season with salt and pepper and mix with the cooked vegetables and the pumpkin seeds. Scatter the chopped parsley and serve.