Barbecue ideas please!!

[Harrogatemum]

We are having about 20 people over for DH's birthday in a week or so (lets hope the weather improves hey....) and doing a bbq.

We are bbq afficionados as DH is an Aussie but I seem to do the same old things every time we have one, Greek salad, potato salad, sausages, home made burgers and occasionally marinaded chicken or veggie kebabs.

I need some new ideas and inspiration - anyone got any failsafe bbq suggestions....for the bbq itself and for salads?

mom always marinaded chicken pieces in yoghurt and spices, then would partially cook in a pan, before taking tothe barbecues. yummy.
also, mincemeat, seekh kebab masala mix from packet, gram flour, chopped onion, garlic ginger all mixed up, and then on skewers to make yummy seekh kebabs.
i know someone who made some really yummy sweet kebabs using amongst other things, dates! but i'd personally not do that for big party as a lot of people might not eat it!
mint chutney goes nicely with the seekh kebabs and the chicken

I love ribs on a BBQ - they're cheap and tasty. Buy or make a marinade and then parcook them in the oven.

Also, instead of potato salad, you could try a potato bake (dauphinoise style) or potato wedges ( chop into cubes, put into olive oil that's been heated in over, sprinkle on lots of crushed garlic and fresh rosemary sprigs, salt and pepper. They go all crunchy and yum)

We're having a big BBQ in July for about 25 adults - I posted on here for recipe ideas and the suggestion of a 'make your own kebabs' thing came up. Given our guests will be busy with kids, I'm not going to do that but am thinking about just doing different types of kebabs (which I know takes a lot of work but DH assures me he's happy to sit and thread meat on a stick). Am going for veges with halloumi, traditional south african sosaties with lamb, curry and apricots; beef (maybe depending on cost) and chicken - probably some spicy and some in a lemon and herb type thing.

Big piece of cod or haddock, drizzle with olive oil and season to your taste, wrap in news paper, tie with string and cook.

New potatoes, par boil, stick onto some foil, drizzle with olive oil, fresh rosemary and salt and pepper, fold foil into a parcel and stick on BBQ.

Chocolate bananas for pudding. Banana, sliced in the middle, put in some choc, wrap in foil and leave on the BBQ after the flames have gone out.

we did a boozy fruit salad on the bbq after the meat was done. We chopped apple, banana, greapes, strawberries, made into a parcel of tinfoil, added a slug of wine and some water and put it on the bbq. Was very dubious but it was lovely with some single cream.

some fab ideas - thanks everyone!! Just thinking about kebabs...might try some surf and turf ones, although could be a bit fiddly!

salmon steaks in with sweet chilli sauce drizzled over - sweet crusty outer with sweet salmon flesh inside - yum.

buy a huge fish - in tact - stuff with egg, ham and bread all mixed up together, wrap in foil, put it in bbq until cooked.

bananas cut long with flake choc stuffed inside - wrap in foil, heat and serve with cream or ice cream

carrot salad - grated carrot, drizzle with oj, throw in sultanas

BEETROOT sliced - perfect accompaniment - better get used to the taste if you are coming to Aus

trying to think what else we do.

salad - lettuce - we like cos lettuce, tomato - usually cherry/grape - cut in half, sliced red onion, chopped shallots, grated carrot, corn kernels - anything else you want to throw in.

or easy salad - tomato, lettuce, red onion.

terriaki chicken is lovely on the bbq. Corn cobs - kids love them. Grilled haloumi cheese on a yummy salad. Leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic. Or leg of lamb tunnel boned and stffed with breadcrunbs, mint and honey and done on a weber. Whole fish stuffed with lemon and herbs in the cavity them wrapped in foil and chucked on.

at people planning bbqs as i sit in a 2 bed flat watching the rain. all this food sounds heavenly.

Bananas in their skins with white chocalte buttons stuffed inside - mmm

Monkfish holds together really well on kebabs, so you could use that if you decide to do surf and turf.

Mackerel and trout both go well - with various dressings
Swordfish and tuna steaks are easy as long as you don't dry them out.
I cut waxy potatoes into thick slices and shake in a big with oilve oil and salt and then bbq until crsip on outside.
roasted peppers, sliced aubergines and courgettes
Stuffed mushrooms
Steak in tortilla wraps
make various burgers- turkey, lamb with moroccan spices etc