I havent posted a recipe in a while. To be honest I often struggle to get excited about cooking in the summer. I end up having steak and salad or whatever and its not really anything to write about. I do however break out the BBQ more often which is always fun. A common recipe for the hot months is these Meditarian inspired kebabs. They are inspired by Greek Souvlaki or Kalamaki . I have included sumac which I know is used in the middle east, but I don’t know if a Greek cook would add it to the marinade. It gives such a distinctive lemony character. The classic side of sliced tomatoes in salt and sumac is a must too. I also make a hummus to go with these but I swap out the chickpeas for red lentils.

Marinade
6 cloves of garlic
A decent sprig of rosemary
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon cumin seed
A pinch of chilli flakes
Juice of 2 lemons
A good slug of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Lamb leg steak
And / or
Chicken thigh
And / or
Pork medallion

Cut the meat in skewer sized pieces. Think about how they will go on the skewer as you cut.

Add the spices and herbs to a pestle and mortar and grind untill smooth.

Add the garlic cloves and grind till you have a thick paste. Add lemon juice and a slug of olive oil, season .

Cover meat in marinade and leave for 4 hours to 48 hours in the fridge.

Fire up the coals .

Thread meat onto skewers, press flat, you want these to be flat like a lollipop rather than bunched like Indian Tikka.

Cook over the coals and serve with Greek salad, lentil hummus, rice, pita bread, tzatziki, sliced tomato with sumac and salt and chips.