For the first time in what seems like ages, I've been doing some creative cooking today.

The weather is warm enough for a barbie for dinner and so I'm experimenting with a couple of salads to go with our steak. Mmmmm steak...

The first salad I'm calling Green Bean Salad. It was inspired by something I ate at a cafe near me. As soon as I began eating I knew that it was something I would try to recreate at home. It just seemed so perfect for the warmer weather and was a treat for the senses - the crunch of the beans complemented by the creaminess of the avocado; the peppery-ness of the rocket a perfect foil for the sweetness of the mango. 

I'm sharing the "recipe" below, but be warned! I fly by the seat of my pants when it comes to cooking. I've created my own version of the dish based only on my experience of eating it once. I may need to tweak the recipe a bit for next time. 

Ingredients

A couple of big handfuls of raw green beans, topped and tailed and cut into two-inch pieces.

A couple of big handfuls of baby rocket.

Half a large red capsicum, sliced as finely as possible.

Half a spanish onion, sliced as finely as possible.

A large avocado cut into small chunks.

A large mango cut into small chunks.

A drizzle of red wine vinegar.

A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Method

Toss the beans, rocket, capsicum and onion in a salad bowl.

Dress with vinegar first, then oil.

Gently toss through avocado and mango just before serving.

The second salad is one that my sister served us recently. I helped her make it that day, so though I didn't have the recipe in front of me when I made it today, at least I had a fairly good idea of what went into it. Here's my version of Warm Potato Salad.

Ingredients

Enough new potatoes for everyone, cut into bite-size chunks. (I used about 750 grams. I didn't actually weigh them. I'm just guessing.)

A generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Diced bacon. (I used four short-cut rindless rashers.)

About half a cup of whole egg mayonnaise.

About a quarter of a cup of sour cream. (I used "light". Who was I kidding?)

Three good teaspoons of wholegrain mustard.

Method

Fry the bacon.

Put the potatoes into a baking dish and toss in the oil. Sprinkle the bacon over.

Bake the potatoes in a hot oven for 40 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking time.

Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and mustard for the dressing.

Put the cooked potatoes into a serving dish and dress immediately.

Allow the salad to cool a little before serving.

Can be refrigerated and served cold.