Nothing says summer more than firing up the barbecue and eating al fresco. But there’s more to barbecue food than sausages and burgers. These delicious Grilled Lamb Skewers and Home Made Pitta Breads are the perfect way to shake up the menu.

Ah, summer. And time to fire up the barbecue. Slightly bored with the usual sausages and burgers, Dawn Quest from Meals Our Kids Love decided to try something new.

Food on sticks is always a hit with my kids but it turned out these Grilled Lamb Skewers were a meal the whole family loved. I used oregano and thyme for the marinade but for a touch of spice, you can also add cumin and paprika.

For this recipe I diced lamb leg steaks but shoulder is also good and is cheaper than most cuts of meat. Marinade for at least 4 hours if you can but overnight is better, so this is a good one to make the day before.
Serve with our homemade Quick and Easy Pitta Bread and light and tangy Tzatziki sauce.

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 lamb leg steaks (lamb shoulder also works well)
5 - 6 Tbp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
juice of 1 lemon
1 red onion, roughly chopped
handful of fresh oregano (1 tsp dried) – finely chopped
handful of fresh thyme (1 tsp dried) - finely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
metal or wooden skewers

Method
1. For the marinade, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, herbs and spices, if using, in a large bowl and season with the pepper. Don’t add the salt just yet
2. Cut the lamb into bite-size chunks (about 3cm)
3. Add the lamb to the marinade, cover with cling film and stick in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, overnight if possible
4. When done, thread the lamb onto the skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water first to prevent burning
5. Season the kebabs with the salt
Cook on the grill, BBQ or griddle for about 8 – 10 minutes depending how “done” you like your meat.
6. Serve immediately.

QUICK AND EASY PITTA BREAD

Grab the kids and get them mixing, kneading and rolling their own Quick and Easy Pitta Bread. As the name suggests, they're easy to make and miles tastier than the kind you can buy at the supermarket.

All you need is flour, water and yeast and a bit of salt and sugar. But the best bit is these taste so much better than the plastic-wrapped kind you get at the supermarket - so much so that the kids have been begging me to make these again.

For a lovely chargrilled taste, brush with olive oil and whack them on the barbecue for a few minutes. These are delicious served with Tzatziki sauce or hummus.

Makes about 6 - 8 pittas

Ingredients
500g plain flour
1 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Approx 8oz lukewarm water (temperature should be around 40C)

Method
1.Sieve the flour into a large bowl
2.Add the yeast, sugar and salt and combine well
3.Start adding the water a little at a time and mix well (you can use a food processor or a mixer with a dough hook for this)
4.When the water is absorbed, add a little more and continue until you have an elastic ball of dough. If the dough is still crumbly, add a little more water. If it feels too sticky, add more flour
5.When the dough is ready, cover the bowl with a tea-towel and put in a warm place to prove. Leave for 20 minutes or for the time stated on the back of your packet of yeast
6.When risen, remove the dough from the bowl and split into around 6 to 8 portions. Roll each portion between your hands to form a ball and then either press out with your hands, or roll with a rolling pin, to form a flat sheet of dough about 1cm thick
7. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high flame. Cook the pitta bread each side for about 3-4 minutes each
Serve warm.