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Best barbecue ideas: Go grill
Summer is here and it's time to fire up the barbecue. Here are some fabulous ideas for outdoor eating to whet your appetite...
Marinated Halloumi Cheese Kebabs with Herbs and Fresh Mexican Tomato Salsa
This is something for the vegetarian barbecue. It has all the fun and flavour – but without meat.
Grilled Lemon Chicken Kebabs
This is what we all need – something easy to prepare and really fast to cook that also tastes exceptionally good. Serve with rice or salad or both, or, instead of the rice, warm crusty bread to dip into the juices.
Roasted Tomato Salad
If you are a tomato addict, like me, and you think that good bread dipped into fruity olive oil and tomato juices is the food of the gods, then roast the tomatoes first and you'll agree that the gods have excelled themselves.
Spiced Lamb and Cashew Kebabs
When I was fortunate enough to have a holiday in Hong Kong, I visited a restaurant at Repulse Bay called Spices. I was so taken by the spicy kebabs I had there that on my return home I immediately tried to make them – and I think this is fairly close to the original!
Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad with Harissa-style Dressing
This salad is one of the best vegetarian dishes I've ever served. The combination of goats' cheese and roasted vegetables on a cool bed of couscous mixed with salad leaves and a spicy dressing is positively five star.
All-American Half-pounders
There are several kinds of hamburgers, ranging from those that come frozen or served up in fast food chains to the slightly more classy supermarket varieties. Few people, I suspect, have tasted the real thing, which consists of good steak chopped and tenderised, formed into burgers and grilled on charcoal.
Lamb Kebabs with Lemon and Rosemary
A fillet end of leg is perfect for this recipe. Personally I like to serve these kebabs with rice, preferably brown basmati, and some tzatziki.
Avocado Salsa
This avocado salsa – a cross between a sauce and a salad – not only complements the flavour of salmon, but it also looks so pretty against the pink of the fish.
Marinated Chicken Kebabs with Whole Spices
This is a heavenly combination of textures and fragrant, spicy flavours, and has the added advantage of not being too high in fat.
Barbecued Sardines with Summer Herb Sauce
Sardines have a very evocative flavour and aroma that perfectly suit eating out of doors. This is a recipe that can easily be prepared well ahead of time and, if the coals on the barbecue are good and hot, the fish are cooked in moments. If it rains, the sardines will cook perfectly well under a domestic grill or on a ridged grill pan.
A Mixed Grill with Apricot Barbecue Glaze
This is a sauce that's suitable for all meats – lamb cutlets, pork ribs or chicken drumsticks. The quantity is enough to glaze six of each, which makes a nice mixture of meats to serve to six people.
Marinated Halloumi Cheese Kebabs with Herbs
Vegetarians often tend to feel deprived when invited to barbecues, so we spent an entire summer finding something that grills well on charcoal and has all the fun and flavour – but without meat. This was the one that fitted the bill perfectly.
Toasted Sweetcorn Salsa
This is a cross between a sauce and a salad, low in calories and absolutely delicious. If possible make this salsa about half an hour before you serve it to allow the flavours to develop.
