There’s nothing better of a summer’s afternoon than firing up the barbecue, uncorking a bottle of something cold and cheeky and indulging in an open air eatathon. Cordon bleu types that the hotpress crew are, we’re not going to settle for burgers, steaks and sausages. Oh no! As befits men and women who aced their Junior Cert Home Economics, we’ve come up with a surefire winner of a menu that’ll tantalise your tastebuds and have the neighbours begging for the leftovers!

Marinaded chicken with garlic & peppers
Guaranteed to fight off even the most bloodthirsty of vampires, this tangy chicken dish is so simple to make that even a drummer could master it. Start by bunging the following into a bowl:

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the juice of a large lemon, 1 teaspoon of French mustard, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 2 seeded and chopped fresh chillies, a teaspoon of dried oregano, salt and black pepper.

Once mixed, add eight chicken breasts, cover and leave in the fridge for a minimum of eight hours.Cook slowly on the barbecue with halved vine tomatoes and quartered red and yellow peppers which should be lightly charred and blistered. Serve with warm pitta, our red pepper and feta dip and a spoonful of Greek yoghurt.

Potatoes lyonnaise
Peel 1kg of new potatoes and boil in salted water for 10 minutes. Place two thinly sliced onions into a pan with 25g of butter and fry until they become transparent. Add the potatoes, salt & pepper and a tablespoon of fresh parsley and stir well. Divide mixture in half and place each on to large squares of double thickness foil. Bring the edges together and seal tightly. Place on BBQ for 45 minutes or until the potatoes feel tender when pierced with a skewer. N.B. Not what you ought to be scoffing if you’re trying to get rid of those spare tyres/wobbly bottoms/man breasts.

Salmon steaks with basil & lemon butter
Another absurdly easy dish to whip up. Put 50g of softened butter into a bowl, add the juice and grated rind of a lemon, a tablespoon of fresh basil and salt & pepper. Roll into a ball and chill in the fridge. Next, brush four large salmon steaks with olive oil and place on the BBQ. Cook for five minutes, then turn and place a quarter of the herb butter on each steak. Five minutes more and, voila!, you’re a proper little Delia Smith. Goes great with the Potatoes Lynonnaise and a crisp green salad.

Feta and roast pepper dip with chillies
No BBQ should ever be without a bowl of this wondrous and highly addictive concoction. Start off by placing a large red pepper in a moderate oven and roasting until it starts to char and blister. Allow to cool, peel and de-seed and put in a food processor with a fresh green chilli, 200g grams of feta cheese, 3 tablespoons of milk, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the juice of one lemon, ground black pepper and a little chopped fresh parsley. Blend until smooth and serve as an accompaniment to other dishes or with warm pita or naan bread.

Fruits in cinnamon & cointreau
Mix a generous measure of Cointreau with two teaspoons of cinnamon and pour over bite-sized chunks of your favourite fruit – melon, apple, pears and whole strawberries all work well. Thread on to skewers and place on BBQ for a minute or two.
Serve with an artery-hardening dollop of whipped double cream or ice cream.