BBQ for 11

[puggirl]

Help please.

Have invited over (rather partner has) 11 friends next Saturday for a BBQ event. Two of the ladies are the most fabulous cooks, we have enjoyed their hospitality on many an occasion and now it's time to return the favour.

Except... I am not a very accomplished cook. I have not a clue what to cook, portion size, how much booze to get in.

I can hear the tick tick as the day draws nearer and desperately need advice/ideas any help really would be very much appreciated.

Anything cold that you can do earlier that day..potato salad, tomato salad, couscous with a tray if roast veg chucked in it and ice Lollys for pudding! Or if they're properly good cooks why not ask them to bring a salad of some sort and you just sort out meat and pudding?? If you want to impress, summer pudding of meringues are easy and look AMAZING!

I will give you my fail safe marinades for meat/chicken

Devilled Sauce = equal quantities of tomato & worcestershire sauces. Give a good mix & marinade the meat for as long as possible (overnight is best).

Tandoori Sauce
Half large tub of natural yoghurt put in a large bowl that will contain all of the meat. You can add more yoghurt later once you've added in all of your spices. Make sure you have enough to coat all the meat.

, 1 medium onion & a few garlic & thumb size piece ginger all blended to a paste. Add to the yoghurt bowl.

Add 2 tsp each of corander, cumin, garaam masaala or all spice (spice mix you use for xmas cake) nandos hot & spicy seasoning (sainsburys or tesco) or chilli powder to taste to the yogurt & onion mix. Give it a good mix & add juice of half a lemon & then add your meat. Add some chopped coriander leaves r not essential but I find it adds to the flavour.

Adjust spices b& add more yoghurt if needed before adding meat & coating thoroughly.

Marinade for as long as possible. Cook it in the oven to dry out the yoghurt sauce & then finish off in the bbq.

Light potato salad
Equal quantities of natural yoghurt & mayo.Add finely chopped spring onions & a handful of chopped coriander before adding cooked potatoes.

Also offer more juices/posh soft drinks and water than booze as people will be driving and some may not drink at all. Dont put all your booze out as people will drink it all at once as if its going out of fashion. Stagger the alcohol, serve more with the food than on arrival. Remember hot bbqs and drunk guests do not mix.

Cheesecakes and or nice ice cream will be lovely if the weather holds up.

Get everyone to bring a Bottle

Otherwise you'll get some fussy bugger whose on a diet & will only drink vodka & slimlime tonic like me