BBQ recipes ready for the summer

Have you been asked to provide a BBQ catering service for an event, but want to offer something other than the tired old fare of burgers and bangers?  If you’re looking for inspirational BBQ ideas this summer, then take a look at the diverse – but delicious – recipe list below and do things a bit differently:

Portobello mushroom burgers

Another vegetarian option to delight your taste buds is this alternative to a beef burger.

• ¼ cup of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of olive oil divided
• 6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar divided
• 4 sliced red onions (cut ¼ inch thick)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 4 portobello mushroom caps
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 brioche buns
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 3 salad tomatoes
• 4 ounces fresh vegetarian-friendly mozzarella cheese cut into rough slices

Recipe

In a resealable bag, mix the red onion slices with a cup of oil and two tablespoons of vinegar. Allow this to marinate for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, basil and remaining oil, and brush the mixture over the mushrooms. Set these aside and add the remaining vinegar and honey into a small saucepan, allowing it to cook until thickened.

Next task is to drain the marinade from the onions and coat a grill rack with a non-stick cooking spray. You should be heating up the BBQ at this point. Grill the mushrooms and onions for 10-12 minutes or until tender, turning frequently. Serve in brioche buns with lettuce, tomato and mozzarella, drizzling the left-over honey and balsamic sauce.

Superfood shrimp skewers

For those who are health conscious, these skewers can be seasoned to your taste preferences and are great with a fresh side salad!

• 1 ½ lbs. of jumbo shrimps (with heads removed)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 large whole lime
• 3 teaspoons sea salt
• 3 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
• Metal skewers

Recipe

Rinse the shrimp under cold water, drain and pat dry. Place the shrimp into a Pyrex dish and sprinkle with lime juice, adding a teaspoon each of salt and white pepper, mixing to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix the sea salt and white pepper with the juiced lime. Heat the BBQ and brush the grate with oil. Place the shrimp onto the grate and grill, turning until the meat is pink. This should take about 2 minutes on each side. Use tongs to remove from the grill and place onto the skewers. Drizzle the sauce over and enjoy!

Lemon and lime chicken breast

If it’s a taste of summer you’re looking for, this is the dish for you. Get a hit of citrus with a delicious barbequed chicken breast. Why not cook up a batch of sweet potato fries to enjoy this one with — the perfect al-fresco dinner!

• 6 boneless chicken breasts
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons each lemon juice and lime juice
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Recipe

Combine the ingredients together with the chicken in a resealable bag. Allow the mixture to marinade overnight. Drain the remaining sauce (or keep it and use as a salad dressing!). On a preheated BBQ, grill the chicken at a medium – hot heat for 15-18 minutes, turning once and ensuring that the juices run clear before serving.

Chicken satay skewers

If you love peanut butter, you can transform the humble chicken skewer with this one.

Chicken-

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon eachground coriander, ground turmeric and ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon coconut extract

Satay-

• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh coriander
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon coconut extract

Flatten the chicken to ¼ inch thickness and cut it into one-inch wide strips. Use a plastic bag to combine the milk, garlic, brown sugar, seasonings and extract. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and refrigerate overnight.

Next, make sure you whisk the sauce ingredients together to a smooth texture. Then, cover and refrigerate until serving. Take the chicken mixture out and drain the marinade, then place the strips onto the skewers. Grill on a medium-hot heat, uncovered for 2-3 minutes on both sides or until the juices are clear. Serve with the satay sauce.

Oriental grilled baby back ribs

For a taste of Asia, look no further than this intensely flavoured dish.

• 4 racks of baby back ribs
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 piece of fresh ginger peeled and chopped coarsely
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

For the sauce:

• 4 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons white pepper
• 4 limes halved

Recipe

First, remove any pepper membranes from the ribs. If you are using a large rack of ribs, cut in half and place flat in a Pyrex baking dish. Use a pestle and mortar, or food processor, to ground down the garlic, ginger, sugar, salt and black pepper. Slowly add the honey, soy, and fish sauce to the mixture, then spread on both sides of the ribs. Cover and place in the fridge, allowing them to marinate for 1-4 hours.

For your dipping sauce, add four teaspoons of salt to four teaspoons of white pepper and the juice of the limes and mix together. Ensure the grill gate is clean and heat up the BBQ Then, place the ribs bone side down for 8-12 minutes per side — cook until golden brown (this may require a little longer if you are using large ribs). When cooked through, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones by around ¼ inch.

BBQ turkey burgers

Turkey may be predominantly a festive dish, but bring it to your BBQ this summer.

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil (divided)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 12 ounces ground turkey
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 1 large tomato, sliced

Recipe

Start by mixing mayonnaise and a tablespoon of basil in a bowl. Cover and place into a fridge until serving. Apply non-stick cooking spray to your grate and preheat the grill. In another bowl, mix milk, onion, salt, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and the rest of the basil. Add the turkey and mix well, then mould the mixture into patties, placing onto the grill over an indirect medium heat. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, serving when the meat is no longer pink. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato and basil mayo.

Citrus salmon and zesty salsa

Salmon-

• 1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons ground fresh coriander
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)

Salsa-

• 3/4 cup pink grapefruit segments, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup orange segments, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon ground fresh coriander
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Recipe

Once the first seven ingredients have been mixed together, place them in refrigeration for three hours. In a small bowl, combine all of the salsa ingredients and mix well, then cover and keep cool until serving. Drain the marinade and coat your BBQ grate with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat and place the salmon skin side down on to the grill, cooking while covered at a medium heat for 15-20 minutes until a flaky texture is achieved. Drizzle the salsa over and enjoy.

Sesame steaks

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 T-bone steaks (about 1-inch thick)

Recipe

Thoroughly mix together the first seven ingredients in a resealable plastic bag.  Place the steaks into the bag and coat with the mixture, seal and allow to marinade for four hours. Drain and discard the left-over marinade. On a preheated grate, cook the steaks on a medium heat for 5-7 minutes each side, or longer depending on preference.

Haloumi gyros and tzatziki

Treat yourself to a beautiful veggie option with this dish that is a lovely choice for a BBQ!

Gyros-

• 200g haloumi cheese
• 2 pieces pitta bread
• 1 tomato
• 2 cups rocket
• 1 baby brown onion

Tzatziki-

• 1 cup Greek yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Lemon juice
• Lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of salt/ black pepper
• 1 cucumber, seedless, peeled and shredded.

Recipe

To prepare the tzatziki, add all the ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Season to your taste preferences. Cut the tomato in half and slice finely, doing the same with the onion, then place both to one side. Cut the haloumi into centimetre thick slices, placing onto the BBQ at a medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes each side or until browned, then place the pittas onto the grate to warm gently for 30 seconds each side. Assemble the gyros with the haloumi and the tzatziki, adding the onion and tomato to garnish.

Barbecued banana split

BBQs aren’t all about savoury dishes, either. Why not give this charcoaled banana split a go?

• 4 bananas
• 20 giant milk chocolate buttons
• 8 pieces salted caramel fudge
• Vanilla ice cream, to serve
• Whipping cream, to serve
• 4 glacé cherries, to serve
• 2 tablespoon chopped mixed nuts, toasted

Leaving the skin on, slice the bananas from top to bottom. Place chocolate buttons and fudge in the gap, then wrap the bananas in foil. Ensure that the cut stays facing upwards, and place onto a preheated grate. Cook for 20-25 minutes, allowing the chocolate and fudge to melt. Allow to cool then remove from the foil, topping with a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream, cherry and toasted nuts.

Barbecued figs with honey and cinnamon

Another treat for those with a sweet tooth. This barbecued figs delight is also great for the health conscious too — with only 112 calories per serving!

• 8 ripe figs, stems removed
• 3 tbsp clear honey
• 15g (½oz) salted butter, diced
• Ground cinnamon, to sprinkle
• Pistachio nuts, roughly chopped, to serve
• Ice cream or cream, to serve (optional)

Cut a deep cross in the fig down to the base using a knife. Squeeze the base to make the figs open up (similar to a flower-shape). Place into a heatproof dish or foil tray and drizzle with honey. Add drops of butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Place the dish or tray, away from direct heat, onto the barbecue and close the lid. Allow to cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the fruit has softened. After cooling, scatter the nuts and serve.

Marshmallow & strawberry kebabs

This simple dish is delicious and can be made even tastier by including salted caramel sauce.

• 20 marshmallows
• 16 strawberries
• 1 tin of Nestlé carnation caramel
• Toasted hazelnuts or crumbled digestive biscuits to serve

Thread together skewers using four marshmallows and four chopped strawberries. Hold over the barbecue for 30 seconds on each side, or until the marshmallows are toasted. Stir the caramel in a bowl and add a pinch of salt, then drizzle over lightly adding the nuts of biscuit as a delicious extra.

Sourced by Flogas Gaslight, who stock BBQ gas bottles, and 5KG patio gas cylinders for patio heaters.