It’s official, the sun has finally come out and barbecue season is upon us! With the Jubilee long-weekend coming up and the return of group gatherings and celebrations this summer, we’re sharing some of our favourite BBQ recipes that you can make with your children.
Image credit: 40Aprons.com
This image is to give an indication of how to layer your ingredients.
Layered Rainbow Salad
This is one of our favourite summer salads and always a crowd-pleaser. The vibrant colours make it that much more appealing for children, and it’s a recipe you can prep a day or two in advance, so it’s ready to go on the day of your BBQ.
Ingredients:
¾ head iceberg lettuce outer leaves and core removed
1 cup frozen peas thawed
4 hard boiled eggs chopped
¾ cup chopped spring onions
1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes diced bite size pieces
1 cup pancetta cooked crisp
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
salt and pepper for sprinkling
Method:
In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, yoghurt and sugar until thoroughly combined, and set aside.
Chop the lettuce and place in the bottom of a large, clear bowl or trifle dish with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Next, layer on the: frozen peas, boiled eggs, spring onions, cherry tomatoes, pancetta and finally the cheese, until you have rainbow layers visible through the bowl. Keep some of the cheese and bacon aside to garnish at the end.
Grab your mayo / yoghurt mixture and spread across the top layer of the salad until it reaches the edges of the bowl.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and bacon before covering it with cling film to seal.
This should ideally sit in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours (or up to 2 days) before serving.
2. Scrummy Summer BBQ Skewers (Makes 8-12)
Tip: As a vegetarian option, swap out meats for halloumi cheese. For vegans, we also recommend adding marinated tempeh or firm tofu as a delicious alternative.
This recipe could not be more simple, which is one of the things we love about it. You can also prep these the day before, and can add or remove veggies to suit your taste.
Ingredients:
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
2 courgettes
1 aubergine
1 box button mushrooms
500g of diced chicken breast or beef cubes (or halloumi / tempeh / firm tofu if using)
1 cup red onions, diced into large chunks
Pack of wooden BBQ skewers
Method:
First soak the wooden kebab skewers in some water for 5-10 minutes to help prevent them from burning on the BBQ.
While these are soaking, slice all your vegetables, and protein (meat, halloumi or tempeh/tofu) into large cubes. If using, the tomatoes can be kept whole.
Slowly thread the veggies and protein onto your skewer - we recommend doing so in an alternating pattern so you get a rainbow skewer but you can easily adapt this to your personal taste.
Safety Tip: Place your veggies or meat on a chopping board and pierce them from the top to avoid pricking yourself with the sharper end of the skewer.
4. Pass on to an adult to BBQ until lightly charred.
Image credit: Taste.com
This image is to give an indication of how to layer your trifle but you can layer and decorate any way that you wish!
Our final recipe is packed full of fresh, exotic flavours and is such a delicious twist on a classic recipe.
3. Tropical Sunshine Trifle Top tip: You can either make this in a large trifle dish, or make 6-8 individual portions using tumblers.
Ingredients:
6 sponge ‘lady fingers’ or 175g sliced sponge cake
2 cups of liquid mango jelly
2 cups of vanilla custard
1 cup sliced mango
1 cup tinned pineapple (in syrup)
3 tbsp pineapple syrup from tinned pineapple (or orange juice if preferred)
2 cups double cream
Garnish optional - see suggestions at the bottom of the method!
Method:
Line the bottom of the trifle bowl or glasses with the sponge fingers or cake in a nice even layer. Drizzle over the pineapple juice and let it soak in for 5 minutes.
Cover the sponge with the sliced mango and tinned pineapple. Slowly and gently pour over ⅓ of the liquid jelly and put it into the fridge to allow the fruit to set at the base of the bowl.
Once set, pour over the remaining jelly mixture and allow it to set completely before adding a layer of the vanilla custard.
Finally, whip the double cream until it forms stiff peaks before spooning or piping onto the trifle
To garnish, we love to use some of the pairings below but let your creativity run wild and decorate how you wish.
Example garnishes:
Sliced orange with a grating of lime zest
Sliced almonds with a grating of orange zest
White chocolate shavings and crushed meringue
Passion fruit and sprigs of mint