6 SAVVY BBQ ALTERNATIVES

Delicious barbecued mackerel

Ingredients:

• 2 whole mackerel (gutted and cleaned)
• 2 tsp sunflower oil
• A piece of thumb-sized ginger, finely shredded
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 red chillies, shredded
• A bunch of spring onions, finely shredded
• A 250g pack of cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tsp Chinese rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

Method:

1. Light the barbecue
2. Slash the mackerel a few times on each side
3. Season with black pepper
4. Barbecue the mackerel for 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked through
5. Heat oil in frying pan and place pan on barbecue rack (or on normal hob)
6. Fry the ginger, garlic and chillies for around 2 minutes until the garlic is lightly golden
7. Take the pan off of the heat and throw in the spring onions and cherry tomatoes
8. Place the fish onto a plate
9. Splash with vinegar
10. Spoon what’s in the pan over to the plate
11. Splash with soy sauce

Nutritional information:

Calories	Fat	Saturates	Carbs	Sugars	Fibre	Protein	salt
586 kcal	44g	8g	7g	6g	2g	40g	1.78g

 

Barbecued oysters at only 196 kcal

Ingredients:

• 12 rock oysters
• chunks of bread, to serve

For the butter

• 60g butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp parsley leaves
• 50g parmesan, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder

Method:

1. Beat the butter in a small bowl until fully soft before adding remaining ingredients
2. Lay a piece of cling film out on a clean work surface
3. Spoon the butter out into the centre, then roll up tightly into a sausage like shape and keep in the fridge until ready to use
4. Light the barbecue and let it burn until the coals are white hot
5. Shuck the oysters
6. Fold a tea towel into a strip and lie it onto a chopping board
7. Put the oysters onto the towel with the curved side down and wrap the towel over to sandwich it
8. Use a strong knife to firmly pierce the hinge of the oyster, then turn it to open the oyster until you hear a pop sound
9. Work the knife around the edge of the shell until you are able to remove the lid
10. Disconnect the oyster from its shell on the bottom so it sides out easily
11. Place a bit of the butter onto the top of each oyster and put on the barbecue for 6 minutes or until bubbling
12. Serve with chunks of bread

Nutritional information:

Calories	Fat	Saturates	Carbs	Sugars	Fibre	Protein	Salt
196 kcal	17g	10g	2g	1g	1g	8g	0.6g

 

Vegetarian halloumi kebabs

Ingredients:

For kebabs

• 2 medium courgettes
• 1 large red onion
• 250g low fat halloumi cheese, cut into 16 chunks
• 16 cherry tomatoes

For the lemon base

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (preferably lemon thyme)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Pitta bread, to serve

Method:

1. Halve the courgettes lengthways, then thickly slice
2. Cut the onion into wedges and separate into pieces
3. Thread the halloumi, cherry tomatoes, courgettes and onion onto eight skewers
4. Cover and chill the kebabs until you are ready to cook
5. To make the baste, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, mustard and seasoning
6. Light the barbecue
7. Arrange the kebabs on the racks
8. Stir the baste together again to make sure all ingredients are blended together before brushing the kebabs with it
9. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turning often until the cheese begins to turn golden and the vegetables are just tender
10. Serve with warm pitta bread

Nutritional information:

Calories	Fat	Saturates	Carbs	Sugars	Fibre	Protein	Salt
194 kcal	11g	5g	7g	0g	1g	17g	2.4g

 

Healthy barbecued pepper melts

 

Ingredients:

• 4 mixed romano peppers
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 120g taleggio, thinly sliced
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

1. Light the barbecue
2. Halve the peppers lengthways and shake out the seeds
3. Set aside 6 halves and thinly slice the remaining 2
4. Heat the oil in a pan then add the onion and sliced peppers and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often until softened and dark golden
5. Spoon the mixture into the pepper halves and top with slices of cheese
6. Press a thyme sprig on top of each one and grind over some black pepper
7. Cook over medium coals on the barbecue for 15-20 minutes until the peppers are tender and the cheese has melted
8. Splash over a little balsamic vinegar and serve hot

Nutritional information:

Calories	Fat	Saturates	Carbs	Sugars	Salt
165 kcal	10g	4.1g	12g	10.2g	0.6g

 

Easily made pork, bacon and sage escalopes

Ingredients:

• 3 thin pork loin steaks
• 6 rashers of streaky Bacon
• 14 large sage leaves
• 4 tsp Maille Wholegrain Mustard
• 1 tbsp clear honey
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp Aspall Organic Cyder Vinegar
• 1 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

Method:

1. Light the barbecue
2. Cut pork steaks in half then space them apart slightly on a chopping board that has been lined with cling film
3. Cover with second sheet of cling film and bash out thinly with meat mallet or rolling pin
4. Wrap a bacon rasher around each piece of meat, tucking 2 sage leaves under each
5. Use wooden cocktail sticks to hold the bacon and sage leaves in place then chill until ready to cook
6. In a small bowl, blend together 2 tsp of the mustard, the honey, 2 tbsp of the oil, the vinegar and the Worcestershire sauce to make a dressing. Mix well with a fork and reserve
7. Finely chop the remaining sage leaves and mix in a separate bowl with the remaining mustard and oil for basting
8. Cook the meat on the barbecue rack for 3-5 minutes on each side, basting with the mustard oil mixture you just prepared
9. Serve with the dressing spooned over

Nutritional information:

Calories	Fat	Saturates	Carbs	Sugars	Protein	Salt
284 kcal	21.3g	5.4g	4.6g	4.2g	18.5g	1g

 

Drunken fruit parcels

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe peaches/nectarines
• 200g blackberries
• 3 tbsp demerara sugar
• Brandy/rum
• Double cream and biscuits

Method:

1. Have 4 sheets of foil and fold each one in half
2. Halve the peaches/nectarines, remove the stones and slice into wedges
3. Divide equally among the 4 foil sheets along with the blackberries
4. Scatter with sugar and drizzle with brandy/rum before closing the foil to form the parcels
5. Place parcels in fire’s embers/barbecue coals and cook for 20-25 minutes until soft and bubbling
6. Crumble over the biscuits and serve with cream

Nutritional information:

Calories	Fat	Saturates	Carbs	Protein	Fibre
134 kcal	0.2g	None	24.5g	2g	5.1g