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Cooking Clever - Fab food for tough times No. 47

Grill seekers

It's time to dust down the barbecue and get grilling, but instead of sticking to the same old sausages and burgers why not branch out and make things a little more interesting this year? Here are three simple dishes to try that would make a fine centrepiece for any barbecue, writes Katy McGuinness

Grilled Coconut Salmon

Lamb Kebabs with Warm Chickpea Salad

Lime and Chilli Chicken Wings

Minted yoghurt marinade

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Grilled Coconut Salmon Cost: €10

Serves 4

4 x 180g skinless salmon fillets
1tsp sea salt
1tsp freshly ground black pepper
60ml coconut milk
1tsp ground turmeric
Sunflower oil, for brushing

Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together the coconut milk and turmeric. Brush the fish with the mixture, reserving the remainder. Preheat a barbecue (or char-grill pan) on high and brush lightly with oil. Add the salmon fillets and cook for two minutes on each side for medium, or until cooked to your liking, brushing a little more coconut milk onto the freshly grilled surfaces. Serve at once – good with steamed rice and leafy greens.

Lamb Kebabs with Warm Chickpea Salad Cost: €16

Serves 4

750 g lamb fillet or boneless leg of lamb
Mint yoghurt marinade (*see below)
Warm chickpea salad
150g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water, drained and rinsed
1 bay leaf
½ onion
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon
A handful of fresh parsley leaves
A pinch of sweet paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 metal skewers

Using a sharp knife, cut the lamb fillet into bite sized pieces and put in a shallow dish. Add the marinade and stir well to coat the lamb. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours. Thread onto the metal skewers.

Prepare the chickpea salad one hour before barbecuing. Put the soaked chickpeas, bay leaf and onion into a heavy based saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes or until chickpeas are tender, skimming off the foam from time to time. Drain the chickpeas and transfer to a bowl. Remove the onion and bay leaf. Mash coarsely with a fork. Stir in the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, paprika and salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile preheat the barbecue. Then cook the kebabs over hot coals for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway through until tender. Serve the kebabs on a bed of chickpea salad, sprinkled with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Lime and Chilli Chicken Wings Cost: €4

Serves 5-6

125ml lime juice
4 small red chillies, finely diced
½tsp salt
1tsp caster sugar
3tbsp olive oil
1kg chicken wings

Mix the lime juice, chilli, salt, sugar and oil together. Marinate the chicken for one hour. Drain any excess marinade but keep it for basting during cooking. Place chicken on oiled barbecue grill. Cook for 20 minutes, turning often.

Minted yoghurt marinade Cost: €3.56

2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
250ml thick yoghurt
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
½tsp salt
2tbsp chopped fresh mint
¼tsp chilli powder

Put the spices into a dry frying pan and taste over medium heat until golden and aromatic. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer to a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and crush to a coarse powder. Put the spices in a bowl, add the yoghurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, salt, mint and chilli powder and mix well. Set aside to infuse until ready to use.

Next week: Seasonal salads