IT'S THE WEEKEND: Food and drink - Recipes for National Barbecue Week

IT'S National Barbecue Week next week - from May 26 to June 1 - marking the start of a summer full of alfresco cooking and eating.

So ditch the average BBQ fare of plain old sausages and boring burgers and try something new with our selection of recipes that should really get things sizzling.

Cook Sophie Michell has provided a great recipe for Spiced Prawn Tacos with Sweet Eve Strawberry, Avocado and Jalapeno Salsa, she says: “I love spices and these tacos are a great flavour combination. They are also a fun way to get children involved in food as they can build their own Tacos, and make a really great addition to a BBQ too. The salsa is also a great healthy alternative to sugar-filled, shop-bought BBQ sauces and the chilli even gives your metabolism a boost.”

Sticky Chicken with Streamline Thin Cut Marmalade

Recipe by www.streamlinefoods.co.uk

Quick and easy to prepare, this will become a BBQ favourite in no time.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

You’ll need:

8 chicken pieces, a mixture of drumsticks and thighs

1tsp oil

2 shallots sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 red chilli, seeded and chopped

4tbsp Streamline Thin Cut Marmalade

1tbsp soy sauce

What to do:

In a small saucepan heat 1tsp oil and cook the shallots gently for a minute. Add the garlic and chilli and continue cooking until the shallots are soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the Streamline Marmalade and soy sauce.

Put the chicken in a large bowl and pour over two thirds of the marinade mixture, stirring well to coat the chicken. Cook on the BBQ for 30 -35 mins on a medium heat, turning and basting with the remaining sauce as they cook. The chicken should be sticky and caramelised and cooked all the way through.

Note: Delicious served with potato wedges and Tenderstem broccoli. Double or triple this recipe if you’re cooking for a crowd. Cover the marinating chicken and refrigerate for up to a day to get ahead.

Sophie Michell’s Spiced Prawn Tacos with Sweet Eve Strawberry, Avocado and Jalapeno Salsa

Recipe by www.sweetevestrawberry.co.uk

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

You’ll need:

For the salsa

250g hulled Sweet Eve strawberries

2 ripe avocados

A squeeze of lime juice

1 red onion

3 jalapenos

1 small handful of fresh coriander

Sea salt and pepper

For the spice mix

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp dried coriander

A pinch of cumin

A pinch of dried oregano

A pinch of turmeric

2 garlic cloves, chopped

50ml olive oil

800g raw king prawns

8-12 soft corn tacos

4 limes (quartered)

Salad to serve

What to do:

Firstly make the salsa, then it can sit marinating for a while. To do this, dice the Sweet Eve strawberries and avocados into roughly the same sized pieces (just under 1cm square) then mix with a squeeze of lime juice. Next, finely dice the red onion and the jalapenos and mix with the Sweet Eve strawberries, avocados and a handful of fresh coriander. Season and set aside.

For the prawns, first make the spice mix by stirring the spices with the chopped garlic and adding to the olive oil. Next, de-head the prawns and take out the black line on their back, then cover the prawns with the spiced olive oil.

To heat the tacos, either dry-fry them or wrap them in foil and place in the oven at 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6 for 10 minutes.

To cook the prawns, place on skewers and BBQ the prawns for about 2 minutes each side (depending on thickness). The meat should turn white and the outside should turn pink.

To serve, place a couple of tacos on each plate, pile in the prawns and salsa, then serve with salad and the limes on the side. More chilli sauce can be added if you like it hot! Roll up the tacos and enjoy!

Quinoa salad with Tenderstem, soy beans and chilli dressing served with BBQ Halloumi and spring onion kebabs

Recipe by: www.tenderstem.co.uk

A light, healthy summer dish – perfect for BBQs or al-fresco eating

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

You will need:

For the dressing

3 tbsp olive oil

Juice & zest 1 lemon

2 long red chillies, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

A small bunch of flatleaf parsley, chopped

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the kebabs:

2 packs of halloumi cheese, each cut into 6 cubes

A bunch of spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths

4 long wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes

For the salad

200g quinoa

300g frozen soy beans (or use frozen peas if you prefer)

240g Tenderstem, cut into 3-4cm pieces

What to do:

In a mixing bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, chilli, garlic and parsley. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Add 2 tablespoons of the dressing to another bowl, and toss in the halloumi and the spring onions. Set aside to marinate whilst you make the salad.

Cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions - about 12-15 minutes - and toss through the rest of the dressing whilst still warm.

Blanch the Tenderstem and soy beans (or peas) in boiling water for 3 minutes until just tender but with plenty of bite. Drain well and toss through the quinoa. Taste to check the seasoning, adding a little more salt and pepper if necessary. Set aside while you finish the kebabs.

Take a wooden skewer and thread alternately with halloumi and pieces of spring onion. Heat a BBQ or griddle pan to hot and cook the kebabs for 2-3 minutes on each side until the halloumi is crisp on the outside. Serve immediately with generous helping of salad.

Lamb & Sweetfire Beetroot Burgers with Feta

Recipe by: www.lovebeetroot.co.uk

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

You’ll need:

500g minced lamb

250g Sweetfire beetroot*, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp chopped mint

2 cloves garlic, crushed

100g feta cheese, cut into 4 pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

4 burger buns or ciabatta rolls

Salad leaves

Cherry tomatoes, cut in ½

Finely sliced red onion rings

What to do:

1. In a large bowl, combine the lamb, Sweetfire® beetroot, egg, mint and garlic. Season to taste with salt & freshly ground black pepper and mix thoroughly.

2. Divide into 4 equal portions. Take one portion and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Place a cube of feta in the middle and draw the meat up and over the cheese, moulding it into a burger shape and taking care to ensure the cheese is totally surrounded. Repeat with the other meat portions and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

3. When you are ready to cook the burgers, heat a griddle pan (or BBQ) to medium hot and cook the burgers for around 6-8 minutes on each side. Check they are cooked by inserting a skewer into the middle. If it comes out piping hot to touch they are cooked, if not cook for a further minute or so.

4. Serve the burgers in buns with salad.

* Ruby red baby beetroot, freshly cooked and infused with Sweetfire marinade (a natural marinade made using chillis, oil, a little sugar, and white wine vinegar) which adds a delicious kick to salads and spices up cold meats and sandwiches. Available from Tescos and Waitrose.

Herby BBQ Shallots

Recipe by: www.UKshallot.com

Chef Paul Collins says: ‘Herby BBQ Shallots’

We say: ‘Shallots Baked in Foil on the BBQ’

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

You’ll need:

20 medium sized shallots

4 cloves of garlic

20g thyme

100ml olive oil

What to do:

Peel the shallots. Take a piece of tin foil A3 in size and fold in half.

Place the shallots, garlic and thyme on the foil and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the olive oil and close up all the sides of the foil.

Cook for 25-30 minutes on the edge of the BBQ grill turning once after 10-15 minutes.

BBQ Rib Eye with Grilled British Asparagus and Teriyaki Sauce

Recipe by: British Asparagus

Serves 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

You’ll need:

For the Teriyaki sauce

75ml soy sauce

75ml mirin, Japanese sweet rice wine

75ml sake

1 tbsp sugar

For the rest

2 x 150g rib eye steaks

1 tbsp vegetable oil plus a dash more for cooking the British asparagus

sea salt and black pepper

1 packet of British asparagus, trimmed of woody ends

a pinch of Togerashi seasoning (optional, you could use cayenne pepper)

White and black sesame seeds to serve

What to do:

To make the Teriyaki sauce, combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir the mixture well. Put it on medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for a couple minutes. Stop the heat and cool the mixture. It’s now ready to use but if you have any left you can store the sauce in a clean bottle in the fridge.

Heat a griddle pan until really hot and almost smoking. Rub the steaks with the oil, salt and pepper. Griddle the steaks for 2 minutes on each side so that they’re medium rare. Leave to rest. While the beef is resting rub the British asparagus with a little oil then lay on the griddle and grill for 2-3 minutes, turning every now and then until they start to soften but still have ‘bite’ and have little chars on them.

Split the asparagus between two plates. Carve the steaks into 1cm strips and lay on top of the Asparagus pouring over the meat juices left from resting. Cover each steak with a few tablespoons of Teriyaki sauce and sprinkle with the Togerashi if using and sesame seeds.

BBQ Pink Lady Apple Kebabs with Ginger Yoghurt Dip

Recipe by www.pinkladyapples.co.uk

Inspired by the hot climate growing regions for Pink Lady apples, these make the perfect end to any barbeque – juicy fruit kebabs with a zingy dip.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

You’ll need:

1 Pink Lady apple, cored and cut into 12 wedges

150 g fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 4 cubes (1/4 small pineapple)

4 tbsp honey

150 g 0% fat Greek yoghurt

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

A few fresh mint leaves

What to do:

Thread the apples and pineapple onto 4 skewers. Brush with 1 tbsp honey. Heat a griddle pan until really hot and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning until chargrilled.

In a small bowl mix together the Greek yoghurt, ginger and remaining honey. Serve the kebabs with the yoghurt and scatter with the mint.

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