Meal Ideas for a Relaxed Summer Season and Entertaining
December is here which means another busy but great year is coming to an end. It’s time to switch off and relax during the festive season, taking a little time out for yourself and catching up with friends and family. With the warmer weather here and so many festive celebrations in full swing it can get exhausting thinking about entertaining. So, we’ve got a few tips for easy entertaining this year so you don’t have to waste too much head space thinking about it and get back to relaxing.
BBQ’s are staple around this time of year and such an easy way to feed a big group of people. I love simply grilling some meats and making a few easy salads and just placing them in the middle of the table for people to help themselves. It gives a great relaxed vibe to a dinner party and is far easier on me as the hostess. My main tip for easy entertaining would have to be being prepared. If I know I have some sausages and meat in the freezer and some spice mixes in the pantry I am ready to go when unexpected guests come around. That’s why we’ve put together our Smoky BBQ and BBQ Master bundles. These packs come with 10 spices each that can be used in so many different ways to add instant flavour in a flash. Here are some ways in which I use my BBQ spices:
- Rub a leg of lamb generously with our Greek Gyros Seasoning for the best homemade souvlakis
- Dust some calamari rings with our zesty Calamari Salt ‘n’ Pepper blend and serve with a peppery rocket salad and a wedge of lemon
- Make some crunchy Egyptian Dukkah crusted lamb cutlets – Click Here for the recipe
- Brush your steaks before placing on a searing hot grill with some New Orleans Cajun Spice for a classic BBQ flavour
- Sprinkle a dash of Indian Tandoori on some prawns with a squeeze of lime for the perfect summer nights dish
- Marinate some chicken marylands in Jamaican Jerk Seasoning for a huge flavour impact – Click Here for the recipe
- Use our Mexican Tex Mex blend for our recipe for Mexican BBQ Pork Ribs – Click Here for the recipe
- Brush your steaks before placing on a searing hot grill with some New Orleans Cajun Spice for a classic BBQ flavour
- Rub our Hickory Smoke Powder on a beef brisket cut before placing in the slow cooker for smoky pull-apart meat
- Brush your corn cobs with olive oil and Chipotle Chilli Powder before grilling on the BBQ
- Rub some Himalayan Smoked Salt and Smokey Paprika on a whole butterflied chicken before BBQ-ing
- Sprinkle some Ancho Chilli Powder on some salmon steaks before grilling for a spicy hit
That’s just a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing but with a bundle of great spices in your cupboard the sky is the limit. Plus, they make things so quick and easy!
It wouldn’t be a BBQ without some delicious salads to freshen things up. Sometimes salads are pegged as ‘boring’ and ‘bland’ but with interesting additions they become a great, tasty dish – not just a limp mixed leaf salad that’s usually left on everyone’s plates at the end of the night. For a great salad, I think the key is texture. For crunch and flavour I love to sprinkle on some Toasted Spiced Nuts, Click Here to take a look at the recipe. I make up around 2-3 cups of this mixture at a time and keep it stored in an air tight container for whenever I need to trick up a salad. There is no fixed formula, just use the nuts you like best. They are so versatile and great for adding that little extra crunch and spicy savoury taste. Some salads I like to add them to are Fennel, Orange and Rocket with Balsamic or Mango, Oak Lettuce and Goats Cheese or even a simple Tomato, Cos Lettuce, Feta and Red Onion. Those are just a few combinations I like but you can make your own using your favourite ingredients!
Another great way of adding instant flavour and texture if our Egyptian Dukkah Crunchy. I love to roast up some veggies and toss them with some spinach and sprinkle some dukkah on top. A great Middle Eastern-inspired salad perfect for summer. Another must-try if you enjoy Middle Eastern flavours is our Cos and Green Bean Salad with Middle Eastern Yoghurt Dressing. This salad is crisp, fresh, crunchy and the perfect side dish some grilled lamb or chicken. Atop this mound of fresh green ingredients is some cool creamy Middle Eastern Za’atar yoghurt dressing with the fragrance of herbs thyme and oregano, the tang of sumac and the crunch of sesame seeds.
For more great summer entertaining ideas check out our blog from last year, The Spice People’s Food Guide to Summer Entertaining with loads of ideas for snacks and entrees, main meals, desserts and even some great summer-inspired cocktails! Also, if you’re a burger lover like myself go and check out our Father’s Day blog for three great burger recipes that are a little different than your average burger.
So, remember this is your time to relax and breathe after a busy year and take a well-deserved break before a new one kicks off. We hope this has given you some inspiration and tips for easy summer entertaining and don’t forget if you make anything from our blogs or recipes, be sure to upload it onto social media and tag us, we love seeing what you create!
From all of use at The Spice People we would love to wish you a happy, safe and very delicious Christmas!
Ciao,
Liz
F | @thespicepeople I | @thespicepeopleaus
