22 tips and recipes for summer cooking

Chef's Salad with Stilton Dressing
Serves 4

You can put just about anything you like in this salad. It's a great way to use up leftover meats, summer vegetables and cheeses. Serve with a crusty baguette.

For the dressing:
1 small clove of garlic
pinch of salt
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
150ml/1/4 pint crème fraiche or soured cream
2 tbsp mayonnaise
75g/2 3/4oz Stilton, crumbled (or any other strong blue cheese)

For the salad:
300g/10 1/2 oz fresh salad leaves (from a bag, or any lettuce you like)
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1/2 a cucumber, cut in half lengthways, seeds removed and cut into half-moon shapes
250g/9oz cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 small red onion, sliced into thin rings
1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled, stone removed and cut into thick strips
200g/7oz leftover chicken or turkey, cut into chunks
6 thin slices deli ham, cut into strips

First make the dressing: crush the garlic with the salt, add the mustard powder and vinegar and combine. Mix in the crème fraiche or soured cream and mayonnaise and fold in the Stilton.

Place the salad leaves in a large serving bowl and toss through the celery, carrot, cucumber and tomatoes. Lay the onion rings, avocado, chicken and ham on top. Serve with the dressing on the side.

Quick Vegetable Stir-Fry with Almonds
Serves 4

This Chinese-influenced dish, while not authentic, is full of flavour. You can use whatever vegetables you like as long as they are cut in a similar size so they cook evenly.

1 x 2cm/3/4 in piece of ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp dry sherry or rice wine
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 courgette, halved lengthways and thinly sliced in half-moon shapes
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
150g/5 1/2 oz broccoli florets, cut in small pieces
1 to 2 red or green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
150g/5 1/2 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
150g/5 1/2 oz pak choi or Chinese cabbage, shredded
6 spring onions, sliced
150g/5 1/2 bean sprouts
100g/3 1/2 oz ready-to-eat roasted almonds
2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
2 tbsp sesame oil

350g/12oz rice, to serve

If serving with rice, put on to cook first in a saucepan or rice cooker. When done, drain, then cover with a clean tea towel and lid - it will keep for half an hour while you prepare everything else.

Combine the ginger, garlic, sherry or rice wine and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside. Prepare the vegetables. You can tip them into a large bowl as you chop them, placing the pak choi or cabbage, spring onions and bean sprouts in a separate bowl.

Heat the wok or large frying pan over a high heat and add the oil. Tip in the large bowl of vegetables and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, then pour in the sherry and soy mixture. Let it come to the boil for another minute, then add the cabbage, spring onions, sprouts and almonds. Stir through for a few more seconds then turn off the heat. Drizzle with the sesame oil and serve piled on top of the rice.

Torte di Dolcelatte Pasta with Broccoli
Serves 4

Torte di dolcelatte is a creamy Italian cheese and makes a perfect sauce for a simple pasta dish with lightly cooked broccoli.

400g/14oz penne pasta
400g/14oz broccoli, cut into florets
200g/7oz torte de dolcelatte cheese
salt and black pepper

Cook the pasta in a large pan according to instructions on the packet. A few minutes before it is fully cooked, add the broccoli to the pan and bring back to the boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until both are al dente. Drain, reserving about 75ml/5 tbsp of the cooking water. Return to the warm pan and stir in the cheese, adding a little water so it coats the pasta and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.