Savoir Maxi Dress

Summer’s in the air, the lilies are peeping up on the patio and it’s time to think about cooking up some outdoor fun with this great value kitchenware. With these few simple steps you can create a fabulous Saturday dinner menu, turning your home into an outdoor bistro for friends with delicious home cooking in a flash.

Beyond the frills, French cuisine is really simple; good cuts of meat with vegetables which taste fabulous cooked in a Tefal Steamer or a fresh salad to be dressed up smart or kept nice and rustic. Presentation is everything so have a play around with stacking home cut chips, putting sauces in simple white porcelain serving dishes and perfect a really simple summer menu. A classic foolproof French dish has to be fillet steak and frites cooked in a quick and easy deep fat fryer. It’s a best seller for us but be sure to get the best quality meat you can. First, rub a good quality olive oil into the steaks and sprinkle with some black pepper, leave the salt for now as too much will dry out the meat before you’ve started cooking. The simplest and easiest way to cook steaks is on a griddle if you’re watching your waistline a George Foreman grill and griddle is ideal for low fat cooking and, once it’s nice and hot you’ll need to cook each side for just a couple of minutes, turning halfway through so you get a good criss cross pattern. Practice cooking times to suit the size and way you like to eat yours. Serve up with chips and season with rock salt and a freshly tossed green salad.

Of course, a great meal isn’t just about the food, Littlewoods Europe has fabulous selection of Jamie Oliver homewares which is a fine way to dress your summer table in style. Keep it simple and the rest is an open highway; from a Moroccan themed paradise with cushions and beanbags for lounging to French chic with a relaxed homely feel. Don’t spend a fortune, you can get great outdoor accessories to create a fabulous backdrop after dark. Always invest in good glasses, they make wine drinking such a pleasure and look lovely on a fresh white tablecloth. You could also put out some dips, crisps and crudités for guests to snack on with pre dinner drinks while you wait for the main course.

Follow these simple rules and you’ll not only impress your friends or paying guests but you’ll surprise yourself at how well you can cook too. And, all this stress free, leaving you plenty of time to slip on your favourite Maxi Dress and relax with your friends in the sunshine.

Bon Appetit x