3 Easy Sides To Instantly Upgrade Your BBQs

Why is it that every time I go to a summer barbecue, the meat is well thought out, and yet the sides are a boring afterthought? In my house, that simply won't do. Today, I'm going to show you three remarkable ideas that are worthy of center stage at any barbecue or weeknight dinner. They have the perfect creaminess, tanginess, or spice to suit any meal, and they're so craveable you'll be serving them all summer long. First up is a riff on a classic Lebanese labneh sandwich that combines a fresh garden salad with creamy labneh and crispy croutons. It sounds simple, but this salad packs in a ton of flavour that you just have to try to believe. To get started, you'll make some zaatar croutons, which are great to serve on any salad. Grab a small loaf of bread, then start cutting it into thick chunks. I like my croutons on the larger side, so they're crunchy on the outside and delicately crisp inside. Cut them this big, and they'll really crisp up in the oven without being overly crunchy. Speaking of the oven, transfer them to an oven tray, then sprinkle over a heaped tablespoon of your favourite zaatar or any other spice mix. Pour a good glug of extra virgin olive oil over the top of the bread, and sprinkle them with a little salt, then toss to combine. The oil will allow the exterior of the bread to crisp up, while also helping the zaatar to stick. Once they're evenly mixed, spread them out on the tray so they have a little space around them. Then, put the tray into a preheated 180C oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes until they reach your desired crispiness. These are going to be so crispy and flavourful, and thanks to the pinch of salt, they're also great for snacking on. Set them aside while you prepare the salad. To do that, you'll chop both a Persian cucumber and a plum tomato into large chunks. After chopping the tomato, give it a quick salt, and toss to coat all the pieces. That will intensify every bite of tomato. Now take a small handful of olives and slice them in half. You can use any kind of olive, but kalamata olives add nice little pops of saltiness to each bite. Add a pile of fresh labneh to a plate, about 75g should be enough. And if you're curious to what labneh is, it's basically strained yogurt that has the texture of cream cheese, with the sourness and flavour of yogurt. You can easily make this yourself if you follow our guide. Spread the labneh out with the back of a spoon to form some nice ridges. Then before assembling, pluck some fresh mint leaves from their stalks, and now you can get started. Lay the vegetables over the labneh evenly, so you get some of each component in every bite. Once you have a good bed of veg and mint, drizzle over a good amount of extra virgin olive oil, then top it with a handful of za'atar croutons. Truthfully, I know this doesn't seem that exciting, but there's magic in pairing those ingredients together. I'm so addicted to this that I've had it three times in the past week. Next up is a tangy, umami, fresh and flavourful take on a green bean salad. To get started, you need a large pile of plum cherry tomatoes that are bursting with juice. You'll roast these to intensify their flavour, then add a special seasoning to turn them into tangy flavour bombs. Start off by slicing all the tomatoes in half. Once they're sliced, transfer them to a bowl, then add one teaspoon of sugar and toss to combine. The sugar will pull the liquid out of the tomatoes and make them caramelise amazingly in the oven. Add two tablespoons of olive oil, then mix again until they're all coated. Grab a parchment paper lined baking tray and pour all the tomatoes and liquid onto it, then flip the tomatoes over so they're all skin side down. Put the tray into a preheated 200 degree celsius oven with a fan on and let them roast for 30 minutes. After about 10 minutes of cooking, they'll be soft and blistered. Go ahead and grab 6-8 tomato halves and set those aside to use in the dressing. Continue cooking the rest of the tomatoes, and once they've got a good amount of caramelisation and char like this, pull them out. They'll have developed an intensely tomato-y umami flavour that's the exact right amount of sweet. Scoop them off the tray and set them aside to cool for 5-10 minutes. And on that tray you'll also have a bunch of tomato juice and olive oil that is packed with even more flavour. So, transfer it to a jug to use in the dressing. Once the tomatoes have cooled, you can add their final flavour, intense tang. Add a quarter teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of black lime powder. This is made from sundried limes that have a deep and almost smoky citrus flavour. If you can't get them, sumac can work too. Gently mix the tomatoes with the spices and you'll be left with these tangy umami and worthy of being illegal tomato flavour bombs. These will add so much flavour to any dish. To complement those intense tomatoes, we're going to dress the rest of the salad in a bright and herby dressing to balance it out. To the reserved cooking liquid, add some olive oil so that in total it measures around 2 and a half tablespoons. Next, you'll introduce some fresh herbiness by adding about 20 large basil leaves to the jug. Season with a quarter teaspoon salt, a quarter teaspoon black pepper, and then add the roast tomatoes you set aside earlier. Pour in one and a half tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and the zest of half a lemon, then start blending. The olive oil should emulsify into the basil and tomato, creating a creamy and herby dressing that is so incredibly flavourful. All that's left is to cook the green beans. Wash 150 grams of fine green beans and snap off the stems. You then need to steam them, and my favourite way to do this is in the microwave. Transfer them to a large bowl, add a couple tablespoons of water, then cover with a plate. Cook for 2 minutes on 900 watts until they're perfectly steamed. They should have a firm but soft texture with a very slight snap. Get rid of any remaining liquid, then pour in as much dressing as you want, I recommend about half, and then give the beans a good toss to coat every inch. Plate them up in a pile, then scatter the tomatoes around the plate. Remember, they're really intense so their flavour goes a long way, and to add some plain flavour and much needed contrast, toast and sprinkle over a bunch of pine nuts. This is everything you can need in a side. It's tangy, savoury, bright, and packed full of so much amazing flavour. Lastly, I'll show you how to make some incredible smashed potatoes, but they're not just any potatoes, these are coated in a spicy and herby garlic sauce that really packs a punch. I'll be serving these in place of fries at every barbecue. To get started, you need 500 grams of baby potatoes. I've washed them so I can use them skin on, and straight away place them in a large pot or pan. Add 2-3 generous pinches of salt, then pour over room temperature water until they're completely submerged. Turn the heat up to high and let the water slowly come up to a boil. Then, when it's at a full boil, set a timer for 20 minutes and leave them to cook. Once your timer rings, grab a load of potatoes and test one for doneness. A fork should sink right through. Drain off the water, then let the potatoes cool for about 10 minutes. Now grab a non-stick oven tray or line one with baking paper, then pour in about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add your potatoes and give them a quick shake to lightly coat them in oil, then you need to smash. Grab something flat and sturdy like a measuring cup, and dip it in the oil so it's coated, then start squishing the potatoes into the tray. Flatten them to about half a centimetre thick, which will give them loads of surface area to crisp up in the oven. Spread them out so they aren't touching and have plenty of room, and if you're doing a double bash or your tray looks full, split them over two trays. The last thing they need before going in is a quick crack of salt over the top. And now, let's crisp them. Add the tray to an oven that's preheated to 200 degrees Celsius, and let the potatoes cook for 40 to 60 minutes. About 25 minutes through, pull the tray out to flip them over. The potatoes should be really golden and have started to crisp. Put them back in to continue cooking, and then take them out when they're crisped up to your preference. It's worth keeping an eye on them towards the end as the thinner ones can easily char, so they're worth removing early. I like them as crisp as possible, and this technique never fails to deliver. Next, you're going to make a batata hara-inspired sauce to take these potatoes to the next level. You'll need a small red chilli, and if you're wise, you'll get something on the milder side. This stuff can get intense. Roughly chop the chilli, then grab a pestle and mortar and add the chunks. Add two to three cloves of garlic and half a teaspoon of salt, then you need to crush them together into a fine paste. It might take a while, so you can use a food processor if you're in a rush, and it's ready when the paste is this smooth. Now to add some flavours other than heat. Add half a teaspoon of paprika, a quarter teaspoon of black pepper, and half a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix that together until it emulsifies into this potent and tasty paste. Now you could use it as is, but unless you have amazing health insurance, I suggest you cook off the raw chilli and garlic to mellow it down. Cook the sauce in a pan over medium heat with half a tablespoon of olive oil for about 60 to 90 seconds or until fragrant. Lastly, before assembling, strip a small bunch of coriander leaves from their stalks and finely chop them to this size. Now let's bring it all together. Add the crispy and crunchy smashed potatoes to a bowl, then add all of the fried chilli paste. Pour in one tablespoon of lemon juice and add a handful of chopped coriander. Give it a thorough but gentle mix to coat the potatoes in the delicious sauce, and now they're officially mouthwatering. Pile them up on a plate, then garnish with coriander, diced red chilli, and for fresh tang, a zest over a little lemon. These mouthwatering potatoes are so incredibly flavoured, you'll be thinking about them all summer long. Ooh, that's spicy. Very spicy. Spicier than expected. Very good, but just don't make it that spicy.