Hey Foodies, Happy August.. OMG this year has flown by so quickly its unreal; August is a very special month to me as its my birthday month, jeez i'm getting old looool..

The suns out yipeeeee; all I have on my mind now is getting few ingredients together, some nice cold soft drinks, and invite a few friends and family over to mine for a mini BBQ.. If you know me very well, I love having people round mine so I can cook for them and make them feel very at home :-)

OK I'm sure wherever you are summer time is usually the busiest times for you in terms of going out, meeting  friends and family, attending parties, bbq's etc..

If you are thinking of hosting people this August and you're unsure of what to serve them or stuck on great BBQ recipes, don't worry I've just put a list of things together to give you a helping hand.

First of all what's your budget, you want to be able to satisfy everyone that turns up to your BBQ, do not under & over spend, and make sure drinks are in abundance as some people tend to just drink rather than eat. And if the weather is really warm, people get dehydrated so make sure there are alot of drinks as this don't go to waste.


 Secondly think numbers numbers numbers; as this is very important, you don't want to invite 10 people and 50 people show up; remember for BBQ's you need alot of charcoal and if you run out & the shops are closed; you'll just end up doing them in the oven and trust me they don't taste the same. Also if you invite 50 people and 10 show up, hmmm that's not good as your chicken and frozen stuff go to waste and do not taste the same again if you re-freeze.

Thirdly make sure you check with the weather man; I know its not always 100% accurate but its better to have an idea of what the weather will be like than to take the risk. Especially if you live in the UK, we have a history of the most unpredictable weather in the world its ridiculous.





OK lets get back to recipes recipes recipes- right don't just throw a few boring burgers or sausages on the barbeque, think marinade as this can transform even the cheapest burgers.



BBQ burger

• To make 4 large beef burgers, mince or chop 1lb lean rump or top rump. Add 1 level tbsp celery salt, 1 level tbsp dried oregano and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

• Mix well, then form into 4 evenly sized patties, about ¾in thick – use a round biscuit cutter to shape them, if you have one.

• Light the barbecue and wait until the embers turn white. Place the burgers on the barbecue and cook for about 4 minutes on each side.

• Split the baguette (or ciabatta rolls) and toast the cut side lightly. Spread with mayonnaise on one side and add sliced cornichons (baby gherkins). Lay a couple of romaine (or cos) lettuce leaves over the mayonnaise, then tomato, burger, ketchup and finally, the second slice of bread

1 thumb of ginger

½ a bunch of fresh coriander

100ml Greek yogurt

1 tsp toasted then ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp vinegar

• Slash the chicken pieces a few times to reduce cooking time and allow the flavour to penetrate.

• Heat your barbecue to medium. In a Magimix or a pestle and mortar, grind the onion and garlic with the ginger and fresh coriander; add the yogurt and remove to a bowl big enough to marinade all of the chicken pieces. Add the spices, honey and vinegar and mix well. Season the marinade with salt, and then drop in the chicken pieces. Mix them around in the marinade and rub the yogurt mixture into the flesh with your hands.

• After marinating for at least half an hour, put the chicken pieces onto the hottest part of the grill. Turn each piece once until it is satisfyingly browned and looking delicious, then move them to a cooler part of the grill to cook gently, turning every few minutes, for about 15 minutes. Cut into the meat to check it is done. It should not be at all bloody, though remember that chicken legs do stay a little red in colour even when they’ve been fully cooked

BBQ Spare ribs

• 1–2 racks of ribs or sticking of pork (allow about 4 ribs per person, assuming other meats are being served)

For the marinade

• 2–3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 level tsp salt
• 1 tbsp English mustard
• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• Plenty of freshly ground black pepper (about 2 tsp)
• 2–3 tbsp vinegar (brown rice vinegar is good)

METHOD

On a chopping board, crush the garlic and salt together with a fork to make a paste and then scrape it into a bowl. Add all the other ingredients for the marinade, the vinegar last of all, a little at a time. Mix well, adding just enough vinegar to make a thick emulsion that will coat the ribs well.

Spread the marinade over the ribs so that they are well coated on all sides and leave them in a shallow dish for at least 1 hour, preferably 4 or 5. Feel free to turn and re-coat them once or twice during this time.

When the barbecue is up to speed (i.e. moderately hot), place the ribs over the coals without wiping off the marinade.

Turn frequently to avoid over-blackening, painting and dabbing them with extra marinade as you go. A certain amount of blackening is acceptable, indeed desirable in the end, but don't let it happen too soon. The ribs should take 10-12 minutes, a sticking 15 minutes or more.

Eat with fingers, gnawing every last morsel off the bone.

Mini Mexican stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• A pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 1 x 400g tin pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 x 125g ball mozzarella, drained and finely diced
• 400g mini sweet peppers
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion until it is softening, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin seeds and chilli flakes and fry for a couple more minutes.

Add the pinto beans and fry for a few more minutes, mashing up the beans with a wooden spoon.

Season with salt and black pepper, remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Stir the mozzarella through the cold bean mixture.

Cut the tops off the mini sweet peppers and use the handle of a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds. Fill each one with the bean mixture, popping the lids back on firmly. Carefully (they can be a bit tough) slide 2 or 3 filled peppers on to skewers, pushing them snugly up against each other.

Drizzle a little oil over the skewers and then cook over a medium-hot barbecue for around 10-15 minutes, turning regularly, until evenly charred.

Serve hot.

BBQ Prawns

Really really easy

• 500g raw Australian prawns, peeled & deveined
• 20g fajita spice mix (I used Old El Paso Fajita Spice Mix)
• 3 tbsps canola oil
• 1/8 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley + extra for garnish
• 1/8 cup fresh coriander leaves + extra for garnish
• 1 small clove of garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 lime (juice from 1/2 lime for the dressing; 1/2 lime sliced in wedges as garnish)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 small red capsicum, diced

(source:-fuss free cooking)

*images from the telegraph*

I hope you enjoy your summer and your bbq's, let me know if you try any of the above recipes.

Take care Foodies.. O'toodles :-)