summer-dinners

The next few weeks are far too hot for you to get flustered in your kitchen. I have rustled together 50 easy meals, you can prepare in 20 minutes or less! Simple dishes, which look and taste sensational. Add crusty bread, a salad and you’ll have the perfect summer dish – which will have the wow factor and look like you have been slaving over the stove for hours! Less time in the kitchen and more time at the beach. Which Is where I’m writing from.

Here they are:

  1. Cook pasta in boiling water. Add some chopped tomatoes, grated pecorino, spinach and toasted pine-nuts to a serving bowl. Toss with some good olive oil. Drain the pasta. Mix with all the ingredients and a spoon of the cooking water. Finish with cracked pepper and olive oil.
  2. Frittata. Beat 4 eggs. Add some parmesan, salt, pepper chopped herbs, pancetta and fontina cheese cubes. Cook on medium slow for 5 minutes. Turn using a plate, put back in the pan and finish cooking for a couple of minutes.
  3. Drench 4 sole fillet in flour, season. Cook quickly in a hot pan with melted butter, turning once. Squeeze one lemon, add parsley. This is my son ultimate dinner.
  4. Season 4 beef fillet. Cook on both sides for 4 minutes. Set aside. Add some good red wine or port or cherry to the pan, a pat of butter and reduce for 3 to 4 minutes on high. Serve on the side of the rested fillets.
  5. Boil 4 large potatoes till fork tener. Peel and serve with lots of chopped toppings.
  6. Drain the oil from a can of good tuna . Add to a pan with olives and tomatoes. Cook spaghetti al dente. Drain. Add to the tuna with a handful of bread crumbs, parsley and chopped basil. drizzle with olive oil.
  7. Slice a good melon. serve with prosciutto, bread, fresh ricotta and honey.
  8. Make a smoked salmon platter. Serve with toasted white bread, lemon, capers,  sliced tomatoes.
  9. Cut 4 hot dogs on both sides but leave them in one piece. Sauté for a couple of minutes in a hot pan with a teaspoon of olive oil, until the curl up. Served with mashed potatoes and condiments
  10. Slice peaches in half and pit them. Quickly grill them in a pan. Put side up on plates add some greens and some good burrrata.
  11. Add a pack of 10 minutes barley grains to 2 cups of good stock. Add peas, and a potato peeled and cubed, thyme and cook until the stock is absorbed. Serve with a good hard cheese and a salad.
  12. Sautee trout fillet in brown butter 4 to 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile cook baby fingerling potatoes in salted water. Drain, smash lightly with a fork, add basil and black olives.
  13. Cook soba noodles, then rinse in cold water until cool. Serve in a broth, with some chopped steamed vegetables and with a splash of sauce of soy sauce and minced ginger. Add soft boiled eggs.
  14. Lisetta quick Paella. Sauté, cubed chicken in a pan with diced onions and dices red pepper. Add saffron, season. Add 6 handfuls of arborio rice, toast for 2 minutes, add half a glass of wine, 2 cups chicken broth. Cook until the broth is absorbed about 15 minutes. You can add some chorizo, clams or shrimps. Finish with parsley.
  15. Cook some brown rice. Boil cleaned shrimps for a couple of minutes. Cut up some baby bok choy, brown it for a couple of seconds in a hot pan with sesame oil, minced garlic and minced ginger. Turn add 1/2 cup soy sauce and  reduce. Spoon bok choy and shrimps on cooked rice.
  16. Sautee’ 1 large cubed eggplant in olive oil and garlic for 5 minutes, add 3 fresh cubed tomato, one cup tomatoes sauce, salt pepper and basil. Add short pasta to salted, boiling water. Cook for 8/ 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the sauce. Drain the pasta, mix with the eggplants, serve with grated, salted hard ricotta cheese.
  17. Ceviche! Get some very fresh Scallops, tuna, salmon or swordfish. Slice thinly, arrange on plates, sprinkle with lime and lemon juice, salt, pepper chilies and parsley. Serve after 5 minutes with sliced avocados and a crunchy taco.
  18. Put a can of drained chickpeas in a pan add olive oil, sumac, basil, grounded coriander seeds, cook for 5 minutes, add some leafy greens cook down, add feta. Season well.
  19. Grill or toast some good baguette until crispy, drizzle olive oil, add some sliced Gruyere, add parma cotto prosciutto, melt under the broiler for a minute or 2, close, press well, enjoy!
  20.  Drain a can of cannellini beans or butter beans into a big bowl, add some good tuna in olive oil and dress with chopped parsley, red onion, salt, red vinegar and a touch more oil.
  21.  Make fresh pesto. Fill up blender with washed basil, parsley, a handful of pine nuts, a little garlic, grated parmesan, salt and pepper. Drizzle with a half cup of good quality olive oil and blend. You can substitute walnuts for the pine nuts or even pistachios. Dress your favorite cooked pasta.
  22. Pan grill a skirt steak for 4 to 5 minutes per side, season with salt and pepper, rest for 5 minutes, slice over greens and drizzle with balsamic.
  23. Boil lobsters for 11 minutes, corn on the cob for 6 minutes – serve both with butter and lemon.
  24. Poach eggs for 3 minutes or soft boil for 6 – serve over wilted spinach and crusty bread.
  25. Sauté garlic in olive oil and a bit of hot pepper, don’t burn. Dress cooked spaghetti – finish with pepper, grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
  26. Stir fry some fresh peeled shrimps in olive oil, garlic and ginger until pink. Season with salt pepper and chopped cilantro. Squeeze a lime and serve over cooked rice or steamed vegetables.
  27. Warm up some curry powder in olive oil till fragrant, deglaze with a little cream. Use to dress long think pasta. Finish with pepper and lots of chopped parsley. Add cooked chicken, shrimps lobster or crab.
  28.  Steam a big bag of scrubbed mussels until they open in a pot with some white wine, lots of garlic, chopped celery and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Use Pernod instead of wine and fennel, or vodka, thyme and chopped tomatoes. Serve with LOTS of bread.
  29. Fry left over rice from your Chinese take out with chopped vegetables, onion, garlic, grated ginger. Dress with soy sauce and, sesame oil, cilantro. Add a fried egg on top.
  30.  Make a quick bolognese – with ground beef, chopped onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Deglaze with some wine, add a can of tomatoes and cook down for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and a hint of cumin. Spoon over a bake potato, pasta, grilled eggplants. Substitute beef with ground lamb or pork.
  31. Quickly grill thin lamb chops 4 minutes for side. Season with salt pepper and chopped rosemary and mint. Whiz up a quick aioli using mayonnaise and garlic in a blender.
  32. Cook all sorts of evenly chopped vegetables in water till al dente. Season well, add some cooked pasta, olive oil and a spoon of pesto. Minestrone it is!
  33. Sear salmon covered with Teriyaki sauce for a couple of minutes per side. Serve over brown rice.
  34. Render some good, cubed pancetta in a pan – add a drained can of chickpeas or large white beans, lots of chopped parsley. Season with salt pepper and smoked paprika. Add manchengo and bacon.
  35. Quickly sear a sliced pork fillet in a pan with olive oil, a little garlic and some cut figs or prunes. Season well – remove pork and deglaze pan with some port or sweet sherry. Cook down for a minute of two and pour over pork.
  36. Scramble fresh eggs. Pan fry some good mushrooms. Season well. Add lots of parsley and some sliced tomatoes.
  37. Steam broccoli till fork tender. Sauté some seasoned filet mignon strips in olive oil. Finish with soy sauce, lots of chopped herbs and a squeeze of lemon. Serve over rice or soba noodles.
  38. Make six-minute eggs: simmer gently, run under cold water until cool, then peel. Serve over steamed asparagus.
  39. Cook some lentils till soft. Drain. Add herbs, some goat cheese and spinach. Drizzle olive oil, a spoon of pistachio oil and some balsamic. Add some toasted pistachios.
  40. Slice some good mozzarella cheese and put in between 2 slices of soy white bread. Dip in beaten egg, then coat with bread crumbed seasoned. Fry till golden brown on both sides. Serve with fresh tomatoes and sliced cucumbers.
  41. Slice 2 eggplants very finely. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and oregano. Broil on high on both sides until brown. Sprinkle with goat cheese or feta and broil for a couple of seconds.
  42. Dredge sliced chicken breast in flour. Cook on both sides in olive oil. Serve with good bread, lemon and some mayo.
  43. Chop a tuna steak, add some soy and chopped cilantro and make burgers. Grill quickly and serve on a toasted sesame bun with wasabi mayo.
  44. Boil 4 years of corn. Boil 4 kielbasa. Slice and serve with hot mustard.
  45. Slice zucchini and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes in a hot pan with olive oil. Add chopped mint. Make thin omelets  and serve together.
  46. Steam some cous cous. Pan fry cubed chicken with some chopped tomatoes, olives and basil. Add cumin powder, salt and pepper.
  47. Panzanella. Chop tomatoes, dress with olive oil, red wine vinegar salt and pepper. Add cubed one day old bred and toss. Serve with sardines and butter.
  48. Put some asparagus in a foil pouch with olive oil, crushed and minced garlic, salt pepper and parsley. Cook in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile grill a flank stake for 5 minutes per side and after resting for about 7 minutes slice and serve with asparagus.
  49. Cut a baguette. Add slices of brie on both sides and broil until the cheese is melting and bubbly. Serve with sliced tomatoes and cured black olives.
  50. Pancakes for dinner!