[Tia Maria]

Well BBQ season has started and as we've been invited to one on Saturday I wondered what you all take to such events?

The invite said:

Please bring something for the BBQ and/or accompaniment.

Any ideas?

Also anyone got some good BBQ recipes? I'm a complete novice when it comes to BBQs and either seem to burn or undercook, so any tips much appreciated!

Cheers

Tia

[jackie m]

Hi Tia

I usually take a potato salad or salad & of course Wine for me :D & beer for hubby. If there are children aswell we usually take a large bag of marshmallows. Hope this helps a bit sure others have some great idea's.
Jackie

[jubjub]

I am probably lazy.... but I would take some meat (steak or similar) and a salad or a dessert (generally I rustle up a cake when I have the time).

I have made a potato salad that comes out really yummy and can be a bit less fattening by using the low cal versions... half and half sour cream and mayonnaise as the dressing, with your chopped boiled potatoes and some spring onions, or I suppose you could use red onion actually that would look pretty.

If you are feeling a bit more adventurous you could make chicken kebabs, marinade the meet in a tandoori spice mix (I have used Ma Healons sachets mixed with a bit of oil and white wine vinegar) or you could use the masterfoods tandoori mix as well, and maybe put that in yogurt, put chopped up meat in overnight and pop onto skewers before you go...

[Familyofmonkeys]

We really love BBQ's but found the whole 'what to take' thing a bit awkward as we are veggie, and not that many other people seem to be. In UK we used to take some sort of side dish like potato salad or stuffed mushrooms, plus we used to take our own veggie burgers/veggie sausages and mini dispossable BBQ's to cook them on, so we didn't have any awkward issues of sharing the meat BBQ. Most people had no problem with this, but we always worried about offending people in case they thought we were being fussy :o Haven't got round to finding any disposables here yet....well with weather at moment, i guess there is no hurry!
So what do the other veggies out there do?

[Smiler]

We really love BBQ's but found the whole 'what to take' thing a bit awkward as we are veggie, and not that many other people seem to be. In UK we used to take some sort of side dish like potato salad or stuffed mushrooms, plus we used to take our own veggie burgers/veggie sausages and mini dispossable BBQ's to cook them on, so we didn't have any awkward issues of sharing the meat BBQ. Most people had no problem with this, but we always worried about offending people in case they thought we were being fussy :o Haven't got round to finding any disposables here yet....well with weather at moment, i guess there is no hurry!
So what do the other veggies out there do?

I take meat for the carnivore OH and a selection of interesting salads/breads for me to share and nibble on. I'm not keen on veggie sausages/burgers so it's not hard to do without them. I eat some fish and once I took that wrapped in baking paper with a marinade, it can be cooked on the BBQ in the paper.

If anyone asks I just tell people I don't eat the meat, so I've brought extra sides. :D

[Lupin]

Initially we thought we'd just try eating meat, but we've not really managed that but other than our oldest daughter none of us call ourselves vegetarian. I just take along salad, corn cobs when they're in or veggie kebabs and say I don't like meat, which is true. I don't worry about sharing the BBQ anymore, although I used to in the UK, but like you it seems rude if you've been invited to someone's BBQ. I also invite people to bring along some meat if they're coming to ours and don't mind that being cooked on it too ... I just spend ages cleaning it when they've gone!

[KerryS]

I have a great recipe for BBQ lamb, which always goes down well. It's a butterflied leg, marinated in Moroccan spices and yoghurt before cooking. It melts in the mouth and people are often asking for the recipe. I serve it with a couscous, kumara and chickpea salad and lots of greens.
If you'd like it I can post the recipe later.

[Tia Maria]

Thanks everyone, I'll take some notes and I think I'll tell my half veggie brother about the wrapped fish idea.

KerryS - yes recipe please if you get a mo!

This may be a stupid question but do you cook it all on the BBQ or do you do some things in the oven and just finish off on the BBQ?

Also what about flies, they always seem to get under our lacey fly covers?

Cheers

Tia

[Georgebulldog]

I have a great recipe for BBQ lamb, which always goes down well. It's a butterflied leg, marinated in Moroccan spices and yoghurt before cooking. It melts in the mouth and people are often asking for the recipe. I serve it with a couscous, kumara and chickpea salad and lots of greens.
If you'd like it I can post the recipe later.

Sounds great Yes Please

[KerryS]

OK, this was adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe, so we use the bbq rather than the oven for cooking.

1 leg lamb, boned (I get the butcher to do this for me)
1 large bunch mint, roughly chopped
1 large bunch coriander, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
500g natural yogurt
400g chickpeas, drained and mashed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of a lemon
Ground cumin
Coriander seeds (crushed or ground)
Nutmeg
Olive oil

Chop up the coriander and mint and mix with the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and seasoning. Reserve half to use as a sauce once the lamb is cooked.

Score the lamb pieces, season with more salt and pepper. Make a rub with the olive oil and spices and rub into the lamb. Then coat with half the marinade and the mashed chickpeas.

Place the lamb in a plastic bag and seal, then put in the fridge until required. I usually do it an hour or so before and give the marinade plenty of time to soak in. (It looks a bit grim when it comes out, but has always been fine once cooked!)

To cook, place the meat directly on the bbq rack. I put a tray of veg (butternut squash, kumara, artichoke, baby carrots) below to catch the dripping marinade. It takes about 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the lamb and heat of your bbq.

[Tia Maria]

Another one from Tanya :nice1 :

Barbecued Sweet and Sour Pineapple Ham

Christmas at the bach? Look what’s possible with your hooded barbecue. It’s sweet and sour and simple, leaving you more time to devote to your deckchair.

Ingredients
100% New Zealand Pork Cooked Half Ham on the Bone
1/2 cup Wattie’s Ez Squeeze Sweet & Sour Sauce
3/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1/2 fresh pineapple, cut lengthwise and peeled (or one can pineapple slices, well drained)
12 fresh or glacé cherries


Method
1. To glaze and serve hot, carefully run your fingers under the skin of the 100% New Zealand Pork Cooked half Ham on the Bone and lift it away. Place on a rack in a foil lined-baking tray.
2. Stir the Wattie’s Ez Squeeze Sweet & Sour Sauce and Chinese 5 spice together and brush half over the ham.

3. Cut pineapple into 5mm slices and arrange pineapple slices slightly overlapping each other on the ham, securing with toothpicks. Decorate with cherries. Brush liberally with remaining glaze.

4. Pre-heat a hooded barbecue to 200oC, using indirect heat, turn off the two inside burners, leave the two outer burners on. Place the ham tray in the centre of 200oC the barbecue. Cover and return barbecue to 200oC (this will take about 15 minutes). Turn the gas down to maintain an even cooking temperature of 200 degrees C for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until hot through to the bone.
Serve ham evenly sliced, hot or cold.

Oven Cooking Method
To Serve Cold: Bake at 180oC for 35-40 minutes, brushing with remaining glaze every 10-15 minutes.
To serve Hot: Bake at 160oC allowing 20 minutes per kilogram, brush regularly with remaining glaze, until it has all been used up.

[Tia Maria]

We should have another ENZ competition with everyone giving their best BBQ recipes and then we vote on the yummiest! :D

Cheers

Tia