8 recipes for a hot summer's day

Beat the heat with this selection of recipes designed for a range of palates, all while keeping the budget in mind. There's everything from refreshing starters and sides to tasty mains and desserts.

- By Tony Jackman

Summer days call for a bit of inventiveness in the kitchen or at the braai. Fancy making a coleslaw? It doesn't have to be just cabbage, carrots and mayo. Roasting a chicken? Roast it in a potjie. Braaing a snoek? Cover it in streaky bacon for a bit of pizzazz.

Here's a range of recipes for a balmy summer's day, most of them with budgetary concerns in mind, but there are also some sneaky ways of serving up something special while making your spend go far. Like braaing a picanha - twice and then serving it in slim strips for a crowd to share.

You'll be surprised at how far a picanha can stretch.

Let's start with a fresh take on coleslaw, and move on via watermelon and grape salad, and monkeygland chicken drumsticks to cardamom ice cream with a cinnamon tuile.

Coleslaw of cabbage, radishes and grapesThis is ideal as a side dish for a braai. (Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish)

Ingredients1 small white cabbage8 to 10 red radishes4 spring onions1 cup white grapes, whole or halved depending on their sizeFor the dressing1 cup mayonnaise2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 tsp salt1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard1 tsp crushed black peppercorns

MethodPut all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well.Trim the cabbage and shred the best part of the leaves finely. Cut them crosswise as well so that you have short strips. Add them to the bowl with the dressing in it.Slice the radishes and cut them into slim strips, like matchsticks. Add them to the bowl, and stir all the vegetables into the dressing.Trim and finely chop the spring onions and toss through the salad.Rinse the grapes, pick the best ones and stir them in.Transfer to an attractive bowl, ready for serving.