RECIPE: two simple sides for a winter barbecue

It's becoming fashionable to barbecue all year round, in fact I've heard of people barbecueing their Christmas dinner!

Now I'm far too much of a wimp to brave the cold and wind, eating outdoors is for the warmest days of summer for me, but I love the flavours of a barbecue all year round so I often cook barbecue style food in my kitchen.

My local farm shop makes their own sausages and has won awards for their delicious Smokey Joe sausages - a traditional sausage rather than a frankfurter, with all the flavour of a barbecue crammed into their plump, juicy skins. Served with a jacket potato and some suitable sides, it's easy to pretend you are sitting in the garden on a warm summer's evening even when you are safely indoors with wind howling around the trees and rain lashing the windows!

On the left we have Sweetcorn and Red Onion Salad - for this simply finely chop a small red onion, squeeze the juice of a lime and ¼ teaspoon of salt into a bowl, mix then stir in the onion and leave to "cook" for half an hour. Just before serving, mix in a small tin of sweetcorn and a handful of roughly chopped flatleaf parsley.

On the right is Chipotle Celeriac Slaw. Put 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise into a large bowl and mix in a scant teaspoon of Chipotle Paste and the juice of half a lemon. Coarsely grate half a celeriac (you could add a grated carrot for extra colour if you like) and mix into the dressing. Can be served immediately but is better after standing for an hour.