Ingredients (serves 6):
1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup coriander leaves and stems
1 1/4 cups basil leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves
4 tablespoons of fish sauce
3 peeled garlic cloves
zest of 1 lime
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of apple juice
1.5kg chicken drumsticks or thighs (skin on)
Method:
Combining the onion, coriander, basil, mint, fish sauce, garlic, lime zest, black pepper
and apple juice into a blender and puree until smooth.
Place the chicken into a large zip lock bag and pour over the marinade – refrigerate over night.
Remove the chicken from the fridge about an hour before cooking.
Cook on the BBQ with the skin side down first so it goes nice and crispy, then cook for a total of about 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Thai Style Chicken Drumsticks
Lemon garlic prawns
While the weather is still warm and sunny, use your BBQ and enjoy a few of these easy to make, super tasty prawns.
Lemon garlic prawns
Ingredients
500g fresh green king prawns
1 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic, crushed
2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp parsley, fresh or dried
Method
Mix all together ingredients together and let prawns marinade for at least 10-15mins.
Heat the barbeque up to medium heat and cook the prawns until they go pink and are cooked (about 3-5mins).
Season with freshly ground pepper and salt.
Three salads to use for your next BBQ
Beetroot, Mint and Carrot Salad
I always think about beetroot as roasted or boiled but the other day I tried them raw and it was really nice. It gave the salad a deep earthy flavour with loads of crunch and a fantastic colour which means the salad is loaded with antioxidants.
Ingredients
(Serves 4-8)
500g raw beetroots (1 bunch)
2 carrots
1 small onion, very finely chopped
½ bunch fresh mint, chopped
1 ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Method
Peel the beetroots and carrots and then finely grate them, using a food processor or hand held grater.
Place grated vegetables in a mixing bowl together with the onion and mint.
Place the vinegar, mustard and olive oil in a jar with a screw top lid and shake vigorously until well blended.
Pour over the salad and mix in well using clean hands so the flavours blend through properly.
Serve as a side dish.
Tips
To avoid purple hands, wear disposable kitchen gloves!
No Potato Salad
I love a good old potato salad but as I never really eat potatoes anymore I had to find a substitute and I did…. cauliflower is the answer.
Ingredients
1 cauliflower
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 3-4 tablespoons)
1 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs, hard boiled and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to your liking
Method
Chop cauliflower into small florets and steam until just –tender – you want a little bit of resistance.
Place steamed cauliflower into ice water to stop the cooking process and to avoid overcooking.
When cooled put cauliflower in a mixing bowl and add celery, onion, parsley and egg.
Mix olive oil and mustard well, add to the salad and mix carefully, add salt and pepper.
Apple, walnut and radicchio salad
The combination of this salad is fantastic; crunch from fresh apples, the goodness of the fats in the walnuts combined with the ruby red leafs of radicchio.
Ingredients
(serves 4)
50g (1/2 cup) walnuts
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbs white wine vinegar
80ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
2 radicchio, trimmed, finely shredded
2 granny smith apples, quartered, cored, thinly sliced
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Place walnuts on an oven tray and roast for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
To make dressing, place mustard and vinegar in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in oil until incorporated.
Place radicchio, apples, onions and walnuts in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to combine.
Lemon and Orange BBQ Prawns
We are leaving the winter behind us. It’s time to get the BBQ out and start cooking
Ingredients
Serves 4
500-700g uncooked peeled (leave tail), vein removed
1-2 lemons
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tbs finely chopped garlic
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4-3/4 tsp dried hot chili flakes
1-2 cup red onions cut into squares for skewers
1-2 cup green or red capsicum cut into squares for skewers
1-2 cup mushroom cut into half or leave whole depending on size
Soak the wooden skewers in water for 30min while you preparing the marinade for the prawns.
Method
Squeeze the lemon into a bowl. Add the orange juice, finely chopped garlic, chili flakes, and black pepper. Mix.
Add the prawns to marinade and stir. The prawns only need 15-30 minutes to marinade.
Once the prawns are marinaded simply put a prawn onto skewer, with vegetables between them.
Heat your BBQ to medium to high heat and cook for about 2-3min each side until prawn is cooked.
Enjoy with a freshly made garden salad
Spice Up Your BBQ meat, seafood and chicken with rubs and marinade
BBQ season has arrived so why not try one of these rubs and marinades to spice up your BBQ food with.
Mediterranean Herb Rub
Ingredients
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl.
Coat the chicken, meat or seafood with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the rub, pressing gently to help it infuse into the food.
Cook on a lightly oiled BBQ until cooked through.
Note: Try this rub with BBQ boneless chicken breasts, turkey, steak, lamb chops or prawns and white fish.
Cajun Rub
Ingredients
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of honey (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl.
Coat the chicken, meat, or seafood with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the rub, pressing gently to help it infuse into the food.
Cook on a lightly oiled BBQ until cooked through.
Note: Try this rub when barbequing chicken, pork tenderloin, pork chops, prawn, or salmon.
BBQ Rub
Ingredients
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon squeeze of honey (optional)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground coffee
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl.
Coat the chicken, meat, or seafood with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the rub, pressing gently to help infuse to the food.
Cook on a lightly oiled BBQ until cooked though.
Note: Try this rub when BBQ bone-in chicken pieces, steak, and lamb backstrap or cutlets.
Lemon Rosemary Marinade
Ingredients
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lemon, thinly sliced
6 sprigs rosemary
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Combine the ingredients in a large resalable plastic bag, a shallow bowl, or a baking dish.
Add 800-1kg pounds of chicken, meat or seafood, cover and put in fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to overnight. (For fish and scallops, marinate for no more than 15 minutes or they may become mushy.)
Turn the food occasionally so all surfaces are exposed to the marinade.
Before cooking, remove the food from the container, shake off the excess liquid. (Always toss a marinade once you’ve soaked raw meat in it―the mixture may be contaminated with bacteria).
Cook on a lightly oiled BBQ until cooked though.
Note: Best with; Bone-in chicken pieces, lamb chops, boneless leg of lamb, prawn, white fish.
Coconut Pork Skewers
Ingredients
Serves 10-12 canapé size or 3-4 main size
500g Pork fillet cut into 2cm cubes
Marinade
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped
1 medium sized white onion, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed
Finley grated zest of 1 lime
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
25g freshly grated coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut
½ teaspoon salt flakes
1 teaspoon organic honey (optional)
Method
Pound the lemongrass, onion, garlic and lime zest to a paste using a mortar and pestle or food processor. Stir in turmeric and olive oil. Transfer paste to a bowl large enough to hold the pork, and then add coconut, honey (optional) and salt, mixing well.
Add cubed pork to marinade and coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight. Meanwhile soak 12 skewers in water for 30 mins (to prevent the skewers from burning).
Pre-heat grill or BBQ to hot. Thread pork cubes onto skewers and cook for 2-4mins each side. Make sure not to overcook as pork can get dry.
These tasty pork skewers are perfect as a starter or canapé as well as the primary ingredient for a main meal.
I made the skewers last weekend and they tasted delicious. I sprinkled a little bit of coconut to garnish and served it with a salty & spicy dipping sauce as a part of a starter. I am pretty sure that my guests liked it.
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