Can you help me decide what to get in for tonight's barbeque?

[earlgrey]

DD1 is eight today, barbeque for 8 adults (one of whom is vegetarian), 6 children. Doing burgers and sozzies for the children, any thoughts on more sophisticated stuff for the grown ups? And any nice pasta/rice salad recipes? TIA.

I have left thinking about this too late .....

I make a nice peruvian rice salad that has always goen down well.

white rice, olives, mixed leaves, cucumber, peppers, green beans, boiled eggs, cherry toms, onions, avocado

dressing - garlic, mustard, yoghurt, salt, pepper, olive oil, sunf oil. sugar.

Dp and I can eat it by the bucketful.

Don't ask me what is peruvian about it, I have no idea, but that is what it is called!!

Very simple pasta salad -

brocoli, tomatoes, spinach leaves, pasta, pesto and creme fraise.
Boil the pasta in with chicken stock then mix it all together, it's rather tasty.

meat ideas -
Jerk chicken
shish kebabs
lamburgers
Jack daniels wings (like tgi!) mix sticky bbq sauce with jack daniels, marinate
thai green chicken skewers

veg ideas -
paneer skewered with veg
stuffed mushrroms or sweet peppers ( I use a mixture of cream cheese, garlic, onions and chilli flakes)
slice sweet potatoes, parboil and then marinate in salt pepper and tabasco.
garlic bread, make it, wrap in foil and bbq

desert ideas -
cooking apples stuffed with cherries, alomonds, walnuts, brown sugar and amarertto. Just whizz it all in the blender, core the apples and spoon it in. Wrap the apples in foil and bbq til done.

split bananas push choc buttons into them, wrap them up in foil and bbq - great for kids!

Nedkelly that all sounds lovely but how do you do it? Jerk chicken????? Have got to pad down to M&S this morning, any clues would help.

Please give me a clue. Barbeques are OK with dds, but sophisticated ones are a different matter ....

I don't even know what a paneer is.

paneer is indian cheese, it is great bbqed. It doesn't melt. You will find it with continental cheeses.

jerk chicken -
marinate chicken in -
bunch spring onions, 1-2 chillis, 2 cloves garlic, tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp allspice, pinch cinimon, pinch ground cloves, 4 tbsp white wine vingar, 3tbsp light soy sauce, and pepper.

You can jerk anything, so you could do some pork too.

It tastes great with those pot slices, homemade coleslaw, and bbqed pineapple rings.

zesty kebabs -
marinate chicken in finely grated rind and juice of half lemon, half an orange, 2tbsp clear honey, 2 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp mint, 1/4 tsp ground coriander, salt and pepper. Garnishe with rind to make it look really nice!

Ned, we don't eat a lot of pork - what would be the best thing? Fillets or what?

And what are pot slices? And how do you barbeque pineapple rings, and what do you serve them with?

Can you tell I'm ever so slightly worried about this evening?

Ned, THANK YOU!!

Just wondered if anyone had any other ideas.

Does a kebab of tomatoes, onion, red pepper and mushrooms sound ok for a veggie?

Don't forget you can bbq salmon and plain old lamb chops too, if you have a lot of time, chicken (about 2 hours needed to bbq if doing whole) if you do piece i.e. legs it takes less time, and ordinary mixed salad, depends on how much money, time and effort you want to put in, I guess with you dd as guest of honour you'll have your hands full...M&S might sell nice marinated pork ribs...however, be careful though if there is sugar in the marinate it tends to burn on the bbq and makes it taste bitter!

PS I have the odd vegetarian friend over and they seem to like quorn on the bbq...fake sausage I think...can pick up anywhere.

M&S have got the most gorgeous Roquefort burgers. Yum yum

potato slices are jsut sliced potatoes, see the sweet pot idea further down. Just grill the pineabpple rings and put them on top of the jerked chicken pieces.

Port escalopes might work well, you can cut them into strips.

if I'm totally honest, it sounds a bit boring!

more veggie ideas -

mozarella and aubergine sandwhiches - chop slices of aubergine, and make mozarella and tomato sandwhiches with them! I add a little chilli to spice them up too.

spicy veggie sausages -
garlic, 1 onion, 1 chilli, can kindney beans mashed, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 50g almonds, 50 g cooked rice, 50g cheddar, 1 egg yokl, 1tbsp oregano, salt pepper.

mix it all up, make sausage shapes, roll in a litte flour, refrigerate for at least 45mins, brush with oil and cook.

haloumi is another alternative to paneer. really nice skewered with red peppers, corgette, tomoatoes and little sweet onions and mushrooms.

crispy pot skins, bake pots, scoope out middles (make mash with it for the kids or something). Brush the skins with oil and cook on either side. season with salt and pepper and serve.

you can also fill them with anyithing you like - cheese, and spring onions are nice.

I've got a smile on my face - you can tell I'm 41 and you're not!!!!

I love bbqs! ANd I have a fab recipe book from M&S, you should try it.

Cauldron veggie sausages (mushroom and tarragon ones) are fab for veggie guests (and non veggie ones like me!) - I think you can get them from sainsburys but I get them from Booths (northern supermarket chain - don't know where you are).

mmm barbecues..
My favourite is pieces of chicken breast smeared in wholgrain mustard, wrapped in bacon and skewered.

ooh and asparagus/ cherry tomatos wrapped in parma ham

Just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU. The barbie went down well with both children and adults, and children are sleeping soundly as I write. For the moment

glad it went well