Wow Sunshine! - My Recipe for Pork and Fruit Kebabs

Well its fabulous - at last the sun is out, the temperature's up and we can have regular planned barbecues. I must say its been pretty miserable in northern UK this last month or so.

At the weekend I had my parents to stay and took delight in preparing a few barbecue treats for them. Try this one out and your friends and family will know you are a great barbecue cook.

Pork and Fruit Kebabs:
4 boneless pork loin steaks cut into chunks (4 - 6 pieces each steak)
8 ready to eat dried prunes
8 ready to eat dried apricots
Marinade: 3 tbsp orange juice, 1 tbsp Worcester sauce, 2 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of paprika, 1 tsp cumin powder, salt and pepper.

1. Put everything into a bowl and mix well.
2. Cover and leave overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Soak 4 wooden skewers in water to prevent them catching light or use metal skewers.
4. Thread alternating pieces of meat and fruit on the skewers.
5. Cook over the barbecue on a medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes turning regularly.

Serve the fruity kebabs with a cous cous salad or just with some fresh bread and green leaves.

Delicious!!!

What You Should Know About The Charcoal Barbecue

You've looked at the weather prediction, it is looking good and a hot summer is certainly on the way! The best way to enjoy yourself in the fast arriving sunny spell is with some cool outdoor dining with the latest charcoal barbecue. There are some points to deliberate when selecting your new outdoor cooking equipment, not least what fuel you need to use; do you want a charcoal barbecue or a gas barbecue? When looking at a charcoal barbecue, there are many shapes and sizes available, from the fold-flat barbecues that give great portability to bigger barbecue units on wheels, which can be positioned anywhere in your gardens.
The most inexpensive charcoal barbecues are the pack of aluminium foil trays, including charcoal and lighter paper; you can purchase from your local garage or supermarket. These throwaway, instant BBQs can be used for small-scale outdoor cookery, whilst being extremely low-priced, they are very bad for the environment, burning the section of ground you are cooking on and giving very erratic results - you can possibly just about cook a couple of sausages before the heat disappears! I would not recommend this type of charcoal barbeque if you want to make your barbecue party a success, the finest barbecue cookery is created on the superior quality barbecue grills which give a more even heat dispersal and don't ignite the area of land where you are sat about to eat!
In the world of charcoal barbecue grills, there are many alternatives on offer. Before you invest in your new charcoal bbq, step back and think about some of the following aspects: How big is your budget? What number of people do you want to cook for? How large an area is available in your garden? Would you like to take the barbecue grill out with you - there is nothing better than doing a bit of al fresco cookery at the local park or down at the beach. The most common barbecue fuel is charcoal, it is inexpensive to buy and is more convenient to use in portable BBQs that you can carry with you on holiday excursions. If you think the practice of igniting charcoal, using lighter fluid, singeing your eyebrows whilst standing in a haze of smoke waiting for the barbecue to warm up, too much like hard work; you may possibly want to think about a gas barbecue. A number of serious barbecue cooks deem this to be cheating but gas barbecues can give more controllable, constant heat by just the push of a switch, making sure that your food is cooked flawlessly.

By Keith R Scott
To find the latest charcoal barbecue grill please visit my website: http://www.charcoal-barbecue.co.uk/

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Lamb Kebabs - Indian Style

After having spent 3 months volunteering in Sri Lanka earlier this year I love all things spicy!
Having a barbecue is a perfect excuse to eat spicy food. These lamb seekh kebabs are just fabulous and will get your guests taste buds zinging with pleasure.

Lamb Seekh Kebabs

1lb or 500g minced lamb
1 small onion - chopped very finely in a food processor if possible
3 cloves garlic - peeled and crushed
1 red chilli - seeds removed and very finely chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
1 egg beaten
a sprig of fresh coriander
a generous addition of salt and pepper

1. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together by hand in a large bowl.
2. Divide into 8 portions.
3. Roll each portion into a sausage shape and then push a skewer down the middle and press the meat around the skewer firmly.
4. Chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
5. Remove from the fridge and place on the pre-prepared barbecue once the coals are white and not flaming.
6. Turn regularly and cook for about 20 minutes. Check the inside is cooked thoroughly before serving.

This is so easy to prepare and will taste great. Serve with fresh salad and mango chutney.

Enjoy!!

Barbecued whole salmon

Well it was my sisters 50th birthday at the weekend and we had a lovely party. One of the dishes was a whole salmon which is really very easy to cook and incredably cheap considering the number of people it can feed. I'll give you the details below and as its now really warming up I expect the Barbecues to be out this week.

1 Whole Salmon, 1 Lemon, 1 Lime, Handfull of mixed herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley), olive oil, salt and pepper.

1. Have your fishmonger gut and scale the fish.
2. Rinse out the fish and lay on a large piece of double layer foil that you have first brushed with olive oil.
3. Place slices of lemon and lime and springs of herbs in the cavity and all over the fish skin.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and grind some salt and pepper over the fish.
5. Seal the foil tightly around the fish to form a completely enclosed package.
6. Place the fish on a medium hot barbecue not directly above the coals, ie fish on one side and coals on the other.
7. Put the lid on the barbecue.
7. Turn carefully a couple of times during cooking.
8. Cook for 50 minutes then remove and allow to rest in its foil parcel for an hour.
9. Carefully open the foil parcel and transfer the whole fish to a serving dish.

The fish will be beautifully succulent and tasty. Serve with a simple green salad and some crusty bread.

Potato Salad

An easy side dish to serve with your barbecued meats:

1. Take some small new potatoes boiled with skins on for 20 minutes or until just tender. Allow to cool.
2. Chop a couple of spring onions and place in a large mixing bowl with the potatoes.
3. Add a couple of chopped hard boiled eggs (optional) to the bowl.
4. Add a handful of chopped parsley to the ingredients.
5. In a separate bowl mix together some mayonnaise and the same quantity of plain natural yogurt. Then add a pinch of paprika, some salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
6. Now gently combine the dressing with the potatoes and place in a serving dish.
7. Sprinkle the top with a handful of chopped chives.

This is so tasty and goes fabulously with all grilled meat and fish.

Hope the sun shines soon for you all!

Lighting The Barbecue

I have to put this up after arriving at a disaster of a barbeque at a friend of a friend yesterday.
OK the weather was as we say up north a bit iffy but the setting was amazing, wonderful views across open moor land and with the bleating of young lambs in the fields across the valley. Flipping idyllic!

An unexpected setting for the horror of what was about to unfold!!

As I found my eyes drawn towards the smoke there was the barbecue doing an impression of a pyre - flames burning flesh, not only of the chicken but also the lunatic who was throwing the chicken legs on from a distance as the heat was stopping him getting too close.

Craftily he had a bottle of lighter fluid in his pocket "to keep the flames lively" he said ----- OH MY GODDD!!!!!!!

As I had a very nice glass of Sancerre thrust in my hand I removed Dangerous Dave from position after upsetting him by refusing to confirm burnt raw chicken legs were
OK to eat.

So some instructions for Dangerous Dave:

When lighting your barbecue don't forget always build it in a pyramid shape, insert four or five firelighters evenly spread into the pyramid and squirt on a good dash of BBQ lighter fluid and leave for 15 minutes.
Light the individual firelighters and leave for around half an hour, there should now be NO flames and the charcoal should have turned mainly white.
You can now spread the charcoal more evenly around the barbecue rack using a barbecue tool.

The barbecue is now ready for cooking.

Remember:

1 Always wait for the barbecue to reach that flameless white coal state (remember firelighters give off nasty fumes and will ruin any barbecued food)

2 Always leave a space on one side or around the edge to allow a cooler area to place food if required.


AND NEVER NEVER WALK AROUND WITH EXPLOSIVE FUEL BETWEEN YOUR LEGS WHEN AROUND A BARBEQUE (NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO WRITE THAT)

Let’s hope for sunny days soon

Ron

BBQ Mackerel with Coriander and Lime

I wanted to share a great fish recipe with you which is easy to prepare and tastes fantastic.

1. Use clean, fresh, gutted mackerel, 1 per person. Wipe dry with kitchen paper.
2. Rub a little ground cumin and coriander over the fish skin.
3. Place fresh coriander and a slice of lime in the cavity.
4. Prepare a basting mixture: In a bowl mix together some lime juice, chopped coriander, olive oil, grated lime rind and freshly chopped chilli pepper.
5. Brush this mixture over the fish on both sides.
6. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper.
7. Place on the BBQ and cook for 4 - 5 minutes on each side basting frequently with the mixture.

This is great served with crusty bread, a simple green salad and a glass of chilled dry white wine.

Sit back and enjoy!

Good Meat = Good Barbecue

So you are organising a barbecue and you want it to be perfect. First base is to make sure your meat is good. This doesn’t have to cost the earth if you just think it through. It’s far classier and cheaper to make your own minced steak burgers than buying some tough dog end piece of steak. I love chicken but I would not prepare food that’s been kept in a confined prison to make it cheap - Only happy food at my B-B-Q! Free range chicken tastes fantastic and is a million miles away from the pale limp concentration camp victims that can be served as food.

Always give a good choice of meat and think of making each offering an exciting experience – give them the wow factor! Beef should be mature to ensure it’s tender ‘n tasty and thick enough for those that love their meat cooked perfectly (Rare). This will allow an opportunity for a decent burn to the edges but maintaining a juicy centre.

There are loads of exciting barbecue rubs to make or buy that will tantalise the taste buds and when applied thickly will also add a wonderful crusty coating. For best results apply at least 6 hours before use to allow the flavours to permeate.
Some barbecue rubs I use are:
1. brown sugar & paprika to add a rich colour;
2. onion and garlic powder to flavour the meat.
I particularly like to add a bit of smoked paprika that kick starts that smoky BBQ taste.

I must finish with my favourite BBQ dish:

Take 1 happy chicken, skin and quarter and slice into flesh with a sharp knife.
In a bowl put 500mls natural yogurt, squeeze half a lemon, add three crushed garlic cloves, and 1tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp salt & pepper, 1 tsp paprika.
Marinade the chicken in the fridge for 12 hours in this mixture. Stir a couple of times during this time.
After marinading put the chicken onto a plate, dispose of excess marinade.
Cook chicken pieces on a low heat on the barbecue until fully cooked through to the bone. - It will be awsome!
Happy days.

How to Barbecue

- Recommendations and Tips

“Preparing a perfect barbecue is not as simple as one might think.”
I have been a guest at many barbecue parties, all over the world, but rarely have I had the good fortune of enjoying properly grilled meat! Perhaps it is not generally known that barbecuing is a definite skill with specific rules to doing it well.
I do remember, however, a wonderful barbecue at the home of a good friend of mine in the south of France. John cooked up and served one of the best barbecues of my life! The meat was first marinated in a wonderful choice of spices, was tender and perfectly cooked! This was a wonderful several course meal served in a magical evening toward the end of the summer in the south of France! A wonderful memory, for me!
I also remember a restaurant in Moscow where great big skewers were grilled on huge barbecue, in the dining room itself!
Another great barbecue that I can remember was in Douala in Cameroon, in western Africa right out in the street! The barbecue consisted of a big steel barrel with wood burning inside and then the chicken was slowly being cooked on a sheet of heavy brown paper, which allowed the chicken to be half smoked while also being grilled. The result was quite delicious and I ate there often during by stay in Douala.
In Asia where people barbecue enormously and the choice of recipes is huge, barbecuing is generally done very well. I have very fond memories of women, sitting on the sidewalk barbecuing tiny bananas with barbecued chicken wings available a little further down that same street!
Grilling, or barbecuing meat is an art in itself and this is why I wanted to write this to helping you to do a better job and also to give you some basic recipes that you can try. I hope that by trying them, I’ll give you the desire to barbecue more often and also to create your own recipes!
Basic Information on how to barbecue
Barbecuing is the art of cooking food on a grill. How one does this can range from simply barbecuing over some wood surrounded by three pebbles and then skewering a piece of meat on a small branch held over the fire, to using the most up-to-date electric or gas grill. In between are all kinds or techniques like using a stove top grill. The methods of barbecuing are just infinite!
Whatever equipment you are using, anything in this chapter could be done with any of them. What you really need to do a good BBQ is a rack and a source of heat.
You can BBQ almost anything: meat of course, but also fish, seafood, vegetables, bread, even cheeses and fruit. In fact, if you are using the BBQ for a meal, you could actually prepare the entire meal on the grill (except the raw parts of the salads, of course)!
At the beginning of the chapter, I told you all about my disappointment with grilled food. The main trouble a non-expert usually has with using a BBQ to cook with is that they tend to get the grill too hot and then burn the food on the outside. With burnt meat, you can see all the black lines on the food. Grill marks should be brown or dark brown but not black. When you see black lines on BBQ-ed food, know that that food was cooked at too high a temperature or was cooked for much too long.
Something else that is very important when grilling is not to burn the fat. Frequently during cooking, fat melts onto the fire and catches fire. Even if it seems professional to look at and fun when the fat burns like this, burned fat or meat are said to be a cause of cancer and the burn taste takes away from the taste of good BBQ-ed food.
Get into the habit of trimming off excess fat before cooking on the BBQ. Even if this has been done before you buy the meat, it is a good idea to check this point before cooking. Make sure that all gristle, extra bones and extra fat have been removed or do it yourself.
Don’t put your BBQ onto the highest heat you can, as it might well be too hot. Temperature is something you need to be watching and adjusting as you cook. Are you interested and want more tips? Download the free ebook excerpt "Cook French and Stay Slim" by Jean-Louis Vosgien www.photos-and-recipes.com
Jean-Louis Vosgien is a culinary consulting chef. He was the first chef in France to introduce in the 1980's fusion food, which at the time was unknown, and is considered an expert in that field by press people. He created two cookery schools, one in Saint-Tropez and the second in Lorgues, near Saint-Tropez He created a cake, famous in France, “Le Canelou de Provence”, sold today in the three major supermarket chains in France.
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Barbecues are back

Summers Coming And So Are The Barbecues!

Summer is on the way for many of us and this usually means the barbecues get dusted off and we all get down the shops to get some matches and a sack of charcoal. However, often we have barbecues on the beach or in a park so it’s important to bring all the essentials to make sure you don’t have to run back to the house or down the local shops, it’s also important to make sure everything is in good working order. Here are a few of things which are often forgotten on the barbecue.
The barbecue – Sounds silly but it is always worth checking that the barbecue is in a decent state to use. Last year was a long time ago and any grimy stuff in it could have taken its toll. Give it a good clean a few days before you go to make sure that you don’t have any last minute mishaps.
Charcoal and something to get it going – Most of us would never forget the charcoal, but it’d easy to forget something to actually get the stuff going! Make sure you bring firelighters & plenty of matches to make sure you can get the barbecue going.
Utensils – Remember you will have to turn food regularly on a barbecue and this will need some specialist equipment, whether it be tongs, wooden spoons or a good old fashioned fork. You will also need bits and pieces for things like salad and buttering rolls so make sure you remember it all!
Torch – The nigh time creeps up on us when we have barbecues and before we know it, it is dark. Make sure you bring a torch to make sure you can see if the food is cooked and make sure you don’ leave anything behind when you leave.
Disposable bags – You will always generate a lot of rubbish when you have a barbecue so make sure you bring enough bags to pack it all away and get rid of it safely. You don’t want to have to carry rubbish around in your hands searching for bins at the end of the night.
Follow these simple tips and it should ensure you have a stress-free barbecue – Just make sure you check the weather forecast!
Gary Kingston writes for Utterly Recipes, an online cooking guide for those who want simple & quick recipes. The site offers recipes for, amongst others, beef, lamb, vegetarian and beef recipes. We also have a really nice chilli con carne you may want to have a look at!
For more information please visit Utterly Recipes
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