4 three-course menus for July

Thea Everett

Deputy editor (audiences) Thea loves to be in the kitchen and has a particular interest in cooking on a budget and deep frying. She thinks Sri Lankan and Indian food is the food of the gods. She looks after the brand’s social channels and newsletter – and contributes features and recipes.

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July means al fresco dining, an abundance of delicious stone fruits and summer vegetables coming into season, and the opportunity to cook restaurant-worthy food at home. Now that’s what we call fun! Invite friends and family over to enjoy a three-course meal that won’t mean you’re spending hours in the kitchen.

We’ve devised seasonal menus for July. Each one is created with different occasions in mind, but always makes the most of ingredients in their UK prime. We’ve picked starters and mains that readily halve or double, depending on how many guests you have. For the larger puds, we recommend second helpings…

Need a quick meal, last-minute? Our speedy menu can be made in under an hour. Feeding veggies or vegans? We’ve got a menu to please both. And then, of course, there’s our knockout dinner party menu – who says you can’t go all out, even if you’re just spending time at home?

Give one a go and let us know if you make any of them!

The impressive dinner party menu

Go a little bit cheffy with our menu to impress. Scallops served in their shells make the prettiest of starters and these ones are surprisingly simple to make; 25 minutes is all you need.

For mains, serve this restaurant-style dish of glazed roast side of salmon with cucumber salsa. It’s served with Thai basil, sumac and lime wedges which make it so refreshing.

And expect nothing less than ‘oos’ and ‘aahs’ when you unveil our stunning blueberry and peach pie. If you’re going to make a pie, it might as well be a deep-dish pie, are we right?

The speedy menu

We’ve created a wonderful lunch or dinner party menu that you can knock up in under an hour – yes, really. Serve our 15-minute grilled goats cheese salad with crusty bread for a simple, speedy starter.

And no one will guess that these crispy pork chops with fennel take less than 30 minutes to make. The hit of spice and vinegar really make these sing.

To finish, these 20-minute vin santo soaked apricots with hipped honey ricotta look the part, and can be made in advance. Just leave to chill in the fridge, ready to whip out at a moment’s notice! Who doesn’t love dessert in a sundae glass? (Don’t worry, bowls are fine too!)

Who doesn't love dessert in a sundae glass?

The vegetarian menu

With aubergine soup, grilled halloumi and ice cream… We’re taking tips from the Mediterranean for our crowd-pleasing vegetarian menu.

You might not have had aubergine in soup before, but here it brings a full-on smokiness and pairs so well with the cooling crème fraîche and tangy tomato in this recipe. Rice in soup is something really special, as it soaks up all that lovely flavour. Follow that up with an lick-your-lips extravaganza in the form of Georgina Hayden’s grilled halloumi with jammy figs ideally served with flat breads for wrapping around.

And our little-bit-lighter chocolate ice cream recipe just means you can enjoy an extra scoop (or two).

The vegan menu

Whether you call it plant-based, meat-free or just good old vegan, this menu is rich in umami flavour and full of different textures.

Salty, moreish and fun to eat, these charred broad beans with soy, mirin and smoked chilli salt are utterly different and totally addictive.

Everyone loves a burger, so follow up with our potato cauliflower version before finishing on a cooling note with our pretty ‘n’ pink strawberry and elderflower sorbet.

Want more recipes for July?

Start with our hand-picked collection of July seasonal recipes for inspiration, and you could also try our summer dinner ideas collection, for recipes that will steer you away from the stove as much as possible.