When the summer months come around, I love having a few simple meal ideas ready for when it’s time to start up the BBQ. If you’re in Australia I couldn’t recommend Barbecues Galore more. I’ve been buying from them since I first moved to Australia and I use my Turbo Elite BBQ every single week of the year. The service we’ve received has been second to none whether it was arranging delivery or helping us to change from propane to natural gas.
One call or a visit to the store and the problem was sorted. (If you don’t yet have a BBQ, you can explore a range of them here: http://www.barbequesgalore.com.au. Ours is getting on in years so maybe I should join you.) We even invited the folks from Barbecues Galore to our wedding, that’s how much we thought of them. (and yes, I’ll admit, we did buy a lot of stuff from them.)
Barbequing is fun and relaxing, and it’s a great way to bring the family together for a meal. If you’re looking for a little inspiration on just what to cook at your next BBQ, here are three simple meals you can make for (and with!) the family. Okay, pickles might not be a ‘whole’ meal but try them.
Grilled Pickles.
These pickles ARE something a little different. I love moving away from the same thing every day and it’s great when you can get creative with side dishes. Grilled pickles are likely something you haven’t yet tried, but are easy to make on the BBQ.
- 1 large Lebanese cucumber sliced into medium sized wedges
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped (1 teaspoon dried)
- 4 tablespoons cider vinegar (or any vinegar that you prefer)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Heat the bbq.
- While the bbq is heating, mix the dill, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Place the cucumber wedges on the bbq and grill until you have good grill marks on both sides. They take 5-10 minutes to cook and don't worry about burning.
- When the cucumber wedges are grilled add them to the vinegar mixture and marinate for 15 minutes. Before serving, strain away excess liquid.
1. Beef Skewers – Kebabs
Skewers are great for families who have kids, as it allows them to participate in the cooking process and create their own killer skewer combinations. More importantly, kids will ALWAYS eat food on a stick. Kids of all ages.
- ½ kilogram of beef cut into 2½ cm cubes (1-inch)
- 1 capsicum (green pepper)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tin pineapple chunks
- ½ cup cooking oil
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground ginger
- Soak skewers in water.
- Combine the oil, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger in a bowl and mix well. Add beef and mix to coat.
- Marinate for an hour.
- Preheat bbq to medium high heat
- While bbq is preheating, thread the beef, capsicum, pineapple and onions on the skewers.
- Grill until the meat is done to your liking, 6-8 minutes
2. Lamb with Asparagus
Do you cook much lamb on the BBQ these days? You should as lamb makes a delicious meal. For something a little different, try a Middle Eastern spin on your grilled lamb with cumin, garlic and coriander.
- 1 kilogram of lamb - I used backstrap but any lamb will be good
- 1 cup yogurt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1½ tablespoons ground cardamom
- 12 spears of asparagus
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- In a non-reactive bowl, mix the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and cardamom.
- Add the lamb and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat the bbq on medium-high temperature.
- Place lamb on the bbq and cook until medium-rare to medium.
- Brush asparagus with melted coconut oil and bbq for about 3-4 minutes but don't allow it to burn. You just want nice grill marks.
3. Honey Mustard Chicken and Cheesy Macaroni
Honey mustard chicken and cheesy macaroni is always a crowd pleaser. When I first moved to Australia I would ask for honey mustard dressing or sauce and folks looked at me like I was from Mars. Now everyone seems to love it. I don’t know many families that don’t love macaroni and cheese. This is an easy dish for a weeknight meal and I’m pretty sure you’ll get big smiles from even your pickiest eater.
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- salt and pepper (or use any chicken rub you like)
- 4 boneless chicken breast halves
- ½ cup dijon mustard (or use your favourite mustard)
- ½ cup raw unfiltered honey (or use what you have)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- juice of ½ lemon
- Macaroni Cheese
- 400 grams elbow macaroni
- 1½ cups cream
- ¾ cup milk
- 1¼ cup grated cheddar / tasty cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup extra grated cheese
- Preheat bbq to high / medium-high
- Remove tenderloin and place chicken breasts in a plastic bag and pound with a rolling pin to make a more uniform thickness - about 13mm or ½ inch (you can cook the tenderloin separately or save it for chicken fingers)
- Coat with oil and season chicken with salt and pepper and place on the bbq.
- Cook for 6 minutes, then flip and close the cover on the bbq and cook another 4 minutes.
- Rest for at least 8 minutes before serving.
- Mix all ingredients well and serve over the chicken.
- In a saucepan add cream and milk and bring to the boil. Add 1¼ cup cheese and stir til melted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook macaroni according to package directions but to al dente
- Drain and mix with the cheese sauce and pour it in a pan suitable for the BBQ.
- Top with the extra grated cheese and cover with foil and place on the BBQ
- It's done when cheese topping is melted and bubbling.
Creating tasty meals on a BBQ isn’t complicated at all. I couldn’t imagine not having a BBQ outside, especially when friends and family come by for dinner.
Not only is it easy but also I’m always outside where the fun is. Creating simple dishes like the ones mentioned above means you won’t be stuck inside working. I hope you’ll have an enjoyable barbequing season with the whole family. I made all four of these dishes in less than an hour and a half.
This post was kindly sponsored by Barbecues Galore. My opinions are my own – obviously.