Summer cooking on board, when it’s too hot to have the oven on should be minimalistic, with small effort and big flavours!

Outdoors cooking can be fun and sociable. Those wider towpaths are just perfect, although we occasionally put our Cobb cooker at the very back of the boat, doors to the inside closed of course to keep dangerous fumes out.

Food cooked over the hot coals and interesting salads that are simple and nutritious really are a healthy and delicious way to enjoy meals. Salads are more than lettuce etc. and can often be a complete dish, rather than a side piece. If I offer my husband couscous or quinoa, given the choice he would decline, but then afterwards he will admit how much he enjoyed it.

The marinating is often where the secret lies to tasty barbecued food, the right combinations of ingredients and a few hours in the fridge make all the difference. I use a lot of yoghurt, but have recently experimented with coconut milk as an alternative, any salad dressing transforms a few basics into something special. So, I’m sharing some simple no fuss recipes and a couple of ice cream ideas for you to try, I hope you enjoy.

MANGO AND COCONUT SALAD

1 ripe mango, ½ red onion, tomatoes and fresh coriander.

Dressing ingredients:
¼ cup coconut milk, ¼ tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp honey.

Chop all the ingredients and toss together with the dressing.

This salad is perfect served with Tikka skewers and warm flatbreads.

TIKKA SKEWERS

My recent two versions were made using chicken fillet pieces, onions, mushrooms and peppers and then some with paneer substituting the chicken. Cut the pieces into uniform sizes to ensure even cooking.

This recipe also works well with chicken on the bone, such as drumsticks, the secret is to lightly score the flesh with a knife to ensure the marinade works into the meat for maximum flavour, then refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours before cooking.

Marinade ingredients; ½ cup yoghurt or tinned coconut milk, 1 tbsp garlic paste, 1 tbsp ginger paste, juice of 1 lemon, ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp ground fenugreek, 1 tsp each of chilli powder, ground coriander, cumin, garam masala and paprika, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp red food colouring powder (optional) which is available from most Asian supermarkets.

HOT CHILLI FRIDGE PICKLES

These are quick and easy and will keep for a few days in the fridge, they make a nice addition to burgers in a cob or just on their own over greens with a tahini dressing.

To make the brine: 1 cup apple cider or white wine vinegar, ½ cup water, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tbsp salt, 1 to 2 tsp (depending on how much heat you like) dried chillies, 1 tsp fresh or dried dill or other herbs of choice. Heat until the sugar is melted, allow to cool. Prepare vegetables of choice and submerge in the cooled brine, leave for a couple of hours or overnight.

TAHINI DRESSING

3 tbsp tahini (if you don’t have tahini use oil and 1 tbsp sesame seeds), 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, ½ lime squeezed, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil.
Whisk all the ingredients together, will keep in a jar in the fridge until needed.

BURGERS are a barbeque classic and I love to make my own. I’ve got three simple recipes using beef, lamb and chicken, along with a tasty alternative using beetroot and black beans.

TOP BURGER TIPS

Refrigerate the shaped burgers for a good hour or so before cooking to help keep the shape, or even give them 20 mins or so in the freezer.
Spray or brush the surface on each side with oil before cooking to prevent sticking.
Make a little dimple in the middle of the burger to stop it curling up.
Don’t be tempted to squash them down with a spatula when they’re cooking as this will cause them to lose moisture and dry out or break apart.
Only flip them over once.
Invest in a temperature probe, check the core temperature, chicken should be 74 degrees centigrade, burgers and sausages 71.

SIMPLE BEEF AND STILTON BURGERS

Use minced beef with quite a high fat content, it helps keep the shape of the burger and prevents drying out during cooking.
Simply shape the seasoned meat around the stilton and firm together with your hands to form a patty.

CHICKEN BURGERS

Mince or very finely chop a chicken breast fillet and add 1 tsp Zaatar seasoning which is a Middle Eastern lemony herby spice blend, 2 tbsp oats, a glug of olive oil and 1 egg.
Form into patties and chill before cooking.

LAMB BURGERS

Serve with a Greek salad, pita breads and Lemon, yoghurt and feta dressing.
I like to cook the onion and spices first and then allow to cool and add to the meat, then chill until ready to use.
Approximately 500g minced lamb would make 3 burgers.
Finely chop ½ red onion and gently fry in 1 tbsp oil, once translucent add 1 crushed large garlic clove and fry for another 30 seconds taking care not to burn, add 2 tsp herbs such as rosemary and thyme, ½ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, generous pinch salt and pepper, turn off the heat and allow to cool before combining with the lamb to make the patties.

LEMON YOGHURT AND FETA DRESSING

Combine 60g feta cheese with 50ml yoghurt and 50ml olive oil, add a little chopped mint, 1 tsp honey and the juice of ½ lemon, add a pinch salt and pepper to taste.

BEET BURGERS

I absolutely love these beetroot and black bean burgers. Home cooked beetroot really is delicious, full of earthy goodness and so versatile in many dishes and salads.

To create the binder combine 1 tbsp milled flaxseed with 3 tbsp water and allow to stand, or use 1 egg.
Blitz together or mash ½ cup drained tinned black beans, 120g cooked beetroot, ¼ red onion, 1 clove garlic, ¼ tsp chilli powder, ¼ tsp cumin, ½ tsp smoked paprika, pinch salt and pepper, ½ cup oats or breadcrumbs.
Add the egg or flax mix to bind together.
Shape into patties, if you feel the mixture is too moist add more oats or breadcrumbs. Chill to hold a better shape before cooking and brush with oil.

MARINATED MUSHROOMS

These are a lovely cold dish which can be prepared in advance, serve along with salads or grains such as quinoa. For best results use baby chestnut mushrooms or quartered if larger.
¼ red onion finely chopped, 50ml balsamic vinegar, 30ml olive oil, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 minced garlic clove, sprig fresh thyme, 1 tsp caster sugar, pinch salt and pepper.
Combine the above ingredients with the mushrooms (about 200g) and then place in a plastic food bag evenly distribute the marinade with the mushrooms.
Marinate for at least 3 hours.

QUINOA

For best results, soak the quinoa grains in cold water for a couple of hours, then rinse well before cooking. As a rule of thumb 100g quinoa will require 400g boiling water to cook, simmer for about 20 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed.
Cooked quinoa can also be a good binder for home made burgers.
White, red and black quinoa makes an attractive looking tasty salad. Add black beans, avocado, feta, tomato and red onion. Or for an alternative add watermelon, spring onion, mint and feta. Finish with a simple dressing of 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil and a drizzle of honey

PINEAPPLE AND MINT SLAW

This coleslaw perfectly compliments any burger.
The best combinations are red or white cabbage, onion and carrot. I don’t like too much onion and sometimes add celery, apple or finely shredded salad greens.
Very finely shred all the ingredients and combine with chopped tinned pineapple pieces and freshly chopped mint. Add some of the pineapple juice, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of seasoning to taste.

If the coals are still warm at the end of the barbeque, wrap a banana or two in foil with some dark chocolate, crème fraiche and a few drops of vanilla essence. Place over the coals until the chocolate melts for a delicious treat.

PINA COLADA ICE CREAM

Take to top section of tin of full fat coconut milk (about ¼ cup) and blitz together with 5
pineapple rings from a tin, 1 tbsp dried coconut flakes and 1 tbsp caster sugar.
Freeze and serve with toasted coconut pieces and pineapple.

PEACH MELBA ICE CREAM

Blitz together, 2 small peaches, 1 small tin condensed milk and 1 large banana.
Add a few chopped nuts such as walnuts or almonds and freeze.

I hope you enjoy trying some of these recipes.
More can be found on my “canal cuisine” Facebook page and throughout the previous editions
of the CanalsOnline Magazine.

Hopefully we will have a long and enjoyable Summer with safe cruising, friendships, good company and memorable moments.