Delicious dozen bite 7 - sizzling summer BBQ

Hello long lost friends, how are you? I can hardly remember what you look like!! I'm so sorry that this delicious bite is soooo late, you should have had it at the end of June but a little thing called the Commonwealth Games got in the way. Now that's it's all done and dusted I can tell you that I have been working for the Organising Committee of Glasgow 2014 for the last two and a half years but the last few months it really took over my life 24/7. More about the Games in the bite 8 but for now back to the long overdue BBQ month.

Now to my surprise and delight we were actually able to BBQ three times in June which is amazing for Scotland. In fact we could probably have done it more if my work schedule had allowed because the weather was lovely and properly warm, like me outside without a cardigan! Seriously warm!

Although I must confess my blog reading chums, that if I am being 100% truthful I didn't actually cook anything on the BBQ....my lovely husband Dave did it all. I'm not sure why but outdoor cooking of any kind seems to be a manly pursuit. I'm not sure if it because it involves open flames (which is far more exciting/risky than our electric oven and induction hob) but Dave was all over it which I was more than happy to let him crack on!

Burgers

Over the years Dave and I have worked on our burger recipe and it's nearly always spot on but after some BBQ pinteresting I modified it slightly for open air cooking.

Ingredients

•          500g mince beef (I normally use lean mince but many people online recommended using meat with a higher fat content to keep it moist over the charcoals so I used 10% fat)
•          1 egg (any size)
•          Salt (generous pinch)
•          Pepper (generous pinch)
•          Some dried herbs (generous sprinkle of anything in the cupboard...oregano, Brazil, Rosemary etc)
•          Worcestershire sauce (liberal splash...more like a glug)

Mix it all together in a bow (I don't like this bit, it feels like cold slimy brains to me) and shape into four round patties....throw then on the barbie....Cook for 25ish mins or until they stick together but are not quite black!

Corn on the cob

I LOVE corn and it tastes soooo much better on the cob.  I wasn't convinced it would cook properly on the BBQ so I popped two corns in the microwave for about 3 minutes with a couple of tablespoons of water to get them started. Then they were probably on the grill for 10-15 minutes. Then we proceeded to slather the healthy veggie in lashings of butter which of course made it taste even more amazing.

Aubergine skewers

I had no idea what to do with this but was just in the mood for aubergine so I sliced it up in rounds, drizzled oil and salt over it and popped it on a skewer. I'm sure there are more interesting things to be done with aubergine so I promise to try harder next time.

Lamb and mint kebabs

Sometimes I think it's ok to take the easy road. I couldn't think what else to make so let Mr J Sainsburys do the thinking for me....I walked over to the meat section of the supermarket...picked up the kebabs, took them home, put them on the barbie and ta da they were done as per the instructions. They were nice but the mint was a bit overwhelming so not sure they would be my top pick again.

Grilled pineapple

Dave was convinced I would like this one because I have a real sweet tooth but I'm afraid warm, squishy pineapple with caramelised sugar not top did not float my boat. We just threw them on once the flames died down and they looked nice but they were not really for me.

Girl Guide favourite bananas with chocolate

My friend Nuala (of the bite 6 Eggie Bread story) and I shared another memory from being in the Guides which involved stuffing chocolate buttons into bananas and wrapping them up in tin foil and cooking them on an open fire. Unlike the Eggie Bread which was far superior all these years later I'm afraid the chocolate bananas were a letdown.  Again the warm squishy fruit just didn't do it for me. Huge sad face (Guides Honour).

Sarah Mac's Thai pork burgers

My colleague Sarah is responsible for this beauty of a recipe and it was a triumph.

Ingredients

•          Garlic - 3 or 4 cloves
•          Ginger -  2 inch piece grated
•          Spring onions – 8 chopped
•          Salted peanuts – 200g
•          Chilli – 2 chopped

Mash all of them up in a food processor then mix it with:

•          Mince – 500g
•          Soy sauce – generous glug
•          Coriander – plenty, chopped!
• 
  

Roll into 4 or 5 burgers, chill in the fridge and then cook!

We served them on flat breads with salad, sweet chilli dipping sauce and mango chutney but I could quite happily have had some noodles or rice with them, as strange as that sounds! The flavours were most definitely Thai which was such a lovely change from everything from the BBQ being covered in tomato ketchup.

So, I can officially say that it is possible to have successful BBQ’s in Scotland despite the unpredictable weather. I don't think we would go as far as planning a BBQ and risking inviting lots of people over, I think it will always have to be a spur of the moment decision to go for it when the sun decides to make an appearance.

Now on to the next bite of the challenge....July...well cooking is not on the agenda at all as I will be living in Glasgow and working 16 hours a day for about four weeks so I am dedicating this month to the review of the ready meal! I genuinely believe there are some great ones out there and sometimes needs must so I intend to test out the best ones and report back.

Happy summer eating!

Linds xx

P.S. I also did a wee bit of baking this month for my fabulous friend Karlie’s baby shower, Vicky sponge with fresh cream, jam and fresh berries and baby face earl great cup cakes xx

Note to self...don't try to ice a cake that is still warm....it goes a bit squishy!