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shropshiregirl
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03-06-2017, 05:39 PM
1

Barbecue Time!

Hi everyone, well it’s this time of year again!! Barbecue Time! I have 17 coming over this evening for the first of I hope, many family barbecues, (Please don’t let it rain, it’s not forecast) so spent most of yesterday and this morning prepping marinades and ensuring I haven’t forgotten a thing. Nothing has been left to chance! Plenty of wine (for moi), non-alcohol fruit punch bowl for those who don’t drink or are designated drivers. Abundance of cans of coca-cola, tango, orangeade and lemonade for the kids and of course the must have cases of beer for the men!
I have the current top twenty chart music on disc for the younger, and later on when the fairy lights come on, lots of soul music as no-one ever seems to go home early and it’s my choice because it’s MY barbeque. LOL.

Of course “MasterChef - he who must obey” will take pride of place behind the Barbie at 5 pm on the dot. Thank goodness he is a whizz at grilling on the barbi, we’ve never had any complaints about the food yet, so hopefully it should be nice.

I have the skewers (dozens of em) soaking in a bowl of water, ready to put my fruit on them in a little while. All the side dishes are prepared and in the fridge. I always include two buckets of home-made chips served in cones as the kids love them so have blanched and twice cooked them this morning, ready to dip them for the third and final time later. Thank god I have my double basket fryer that I bought off my brother years ago when he sold his catering business. It only ever comes out for chips and sausages for the barbecue. It’s perfect for bunging in two bags of 12 x frozen pork sausages that cook to perfection before being put onto the barbi and into rolls.
Plates and serviettes ready to take out.trusty plastic mustard, ketchup and brown sauce bottles filled, plastic knives, forks and spoons aplenty. I am ready!

I only ever do four main dishes as all the side dishes with these fill the plates, plus one dessert. If people don’t like the dessert, tough!.

I thought I would share these barbeque dishes with you as I am so organised LOL. Hope you like them if you try them.

SIDE DISHES

Sweet Potato and Bacon Salad.
Cut up Sweet potatoes (quantity dependent on how many people there) If you go for 4 people then about 3 large sweet potatoes with skins on, into about ¾ inch disc size, dip them first in vegetable oil, place onto the grill and cook for a few minutes each side until soft. Be careful to move them around if they look as though they are getting too hot too quickly.
With the bacon slices I place my small stove top griddle on top of the barbi and grill them until cooked.
Slice up the bacon with scissors and place both the sweet potato and bacon into a large bowl, Add chopped spring onions and mix in a honey and mustard dressing.

Devilled Egg and Potato Salad
(chopped hard boiled egg and new potatoes in mayo with chives
Pickled Red Cabbage Slaw
( 1 red cabbager, olive oil, raisins, red onion thinly sliced, balsamic vinegar tablespoon of caster sugar,) remember this is for about 4/6 persons. I quadruple quantity
,
Triple cooked chips (2 buckets) with spicy mayo, ordinary mayo, ketchup or brown sauce

Plain Green Salad with Romaine lettuce, sliced Beef Tomato, Cucumber and ordinary thinly sliced onion rings.

MAIN DISHES
Crispy sticky glazed Chicken Drumsticks (see my recipe on OFF)
Birds Eye quarter pounders in a bun with caramelised onion or relish
Loaded 4 Cheese Deep Pan Pizza slices (the kids love this with chips)
Pork Sausage Hot Dogs with caramelised onions or choice of side salad on top.

DESSERT (always do this now, my favourite)

Barbequed Exotic Fruit Skewers on Sticky Coconut Rice

If using wooden skewers as I am, soak in cold water first
.
I try to use some exotic fruit such as papaya, kiwi and mango if I can get them from the shops, these go with fresh pineapple, watermelon, and firm bananas. I cut each fruit into quarters first and make largish squares to go on the skewers, I cut the bananas thick. (With the gang coming I usually have to buy three of each! And make two dishes, one for anyone not drinking and one boozy for the rest)
Once that is done, all the fruit that is left I put into two saucepans with Lime Juice, 4 tablespoons of Rum (in the one saucepan ) and two tablespoons brown sugar.
I heat this very gently until the rest of the fruit is soft, I then take them off the heat.
I put the skewered fruit onto two trays, pour the boozy marinade through a sieve over one lot and the non-alcoholic marinade over the other tray. I then put them into the fridge this morning for about six hours so they marinade nicely.

For the sticky rice (8 portions for this, I quadruple)
3 cups sticky rice (soaked overnight in water or ½ water and ½ coconut milk and then drained)
2 cups coconut milk
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Steam your rice in a steamer over a large saucepan of boiling water. Don’t let the rice touch the water. After 25 minutes remove the rice from the heat. It should be shiny and tender.
Empty the sticky rice into a large bowl.

In a separate saucepan over a medium heat, pour in the 2 cups of coconut milk, add the brown sugar and salt until dissolved.Heat until it is hot but NOT boiling.

Pour 1 cup of the hot coconut milk over the sticky rice and leave for between 20 minutes to an hour for the flavours to blend.
When ready, I usually spoon into several small moulds that I have but you can shape them into oblong squares with a palette and knife. I then turn each mould out onto small plates and clingfilm them ready to place the skewered exotic fruit on them. When I have barbequed the fruit I place the skewer of fruit over the sticky coconut rice and then remove them from the skewer so they resting neatly and nicely on top of the rice. I finish by sprinkling Mint leaves over each plate of fruit Wallah!

Enjoy if you try the above.

I have had to quickly walk in to cut and paste this. Its now 5.25, everyone is here and the weather is absolutely glorious. Hope you all enjoy your Saturday evening. I am, Hic! LOL.
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03-06-2017, 05:53 PM
2

Re: Barbecue Time!

It sounds wonderful Shrops, hope you all have a great evening
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03-06-2017, 07:24 PM
3

Re: Barbecue Time!

But are you a good neighbour who warns people to take in their washing and close their windows or are you like our neighbours who leave us to find a house full of smoke and washing that smells as if we rolled in a bonfire?
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03-06-2017, 07:42 PM
4

Re: Barbecue Time!

Sounds great. I cannot wait to take on an `adopted family` My BBQ is wasted on one. PS-the only smell coming from mine is an aroma. No time for lighter fuel,lots of time for a starter chimney.
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03-06-2017, 07:43 PM
5

Re: Barbecue Time!

Enjoy your evening SG save some tasty morsels for us
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04-06-2017, 07:50 AM
6

Re: Barbecue Time!

People at the end of the road had a BBQ last night - and they were not popular - music blaring out until well after midnight - car doors slamming, people shrieking and screaming. Don't know what they were cooking but the street smells revolting this morning!

Shropshiregirl - I hope yours was better than theirs! Your recipes sound delicious - especially the Sweet Potato and Bacon salad - definitely going to try that one!
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04-06-2017, 02:18 PM
7

Re: Barbecue Time!

Hi everyone,Thank you for your good wishes.Barbi was a success. Everyone enjoyed themselves and thank goodness, I didn't run out of anything.

Cass, just to assure you that whenever we have a family get together in the garden, we always inform our next door neighbours either side in advance and also apologise in advance if the children make too much noise! We also extend an invitation to them as well (although they've never bothered) Both neighbours are really nice and have barbeque's themselves. I like to think we are always considerate of other people's feelings.

Anyway, those with children left around 8.30pm so there were only 8 adults left to sit in the garden quaffing wine!! . I never have the music on loud as cannot stand it, I much prefer to have it more as a pleasant sound in the background so we can hear each other speak!
It was all over by 10.00pm and then there was just he who must obey and myself sitting in the garden with a well earned cup of coffee. It was a really enjoyable get together.

Nice to know that the next 3 or 4 family barbeques will not be ours to do, and we can just sit and relax and scoff instead of looking and feeling rather frazzled, hot and yes.....shattered! .
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04-06-2017, 04:11 PM
8

Re: Barbecue Time!

Do you do home visits SG? I can supply free beer..
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06-06-2017, 07:45 AM
9

Re: Barbecue Time!

Sounds idyllic, Shropshiregirl !
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06-06-2017, 10:55 AM
10

Re: Barbecue Time!

Sounds lovely sg, we aren't BBQ fans really but we do eat outside, I cook in doors and it's all passed out into the garden where we all sit around eating and drinking and chatting. Our neighbours at the caravan site do a huge one though everyone welcome, we go to that and much fun is had by all.
 

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