Scorching BBQ's

Having family and friends round for a barbecue is the ideal ways to spend long, hot summer afternoons. Something cold to drink, crunchy salads and food cooked over hot coals are the essential components of barbecue bliss.

Here are Love Food Hate Waste's top tips for barbecue perfection...

BBQ

Pre-barbeque prep

  • Keep the fridge between one and five degrees to help food stay fresher for longer. Raw meat should be kept on the bottom shelf away from other foods.
  • Use up ginger, garlic and lemongrass by making a simple marinade for king prawns, lamb, beef or chicken skewers.
  • Spare lemons squeezed, combined with a sprinkling of sugar and sparkling spring water makes thirst quenching lemonade. Alternatively, sliced lemons can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for a refreshing addition to cold drinks.
  • If you are inviting lots of guests to your BBQ and are unsure of how much to cook, why not try our Perfect Portion Calculator.

 

Making your food go further

  • Store cupboard essentials, like dried noodles, make delicious cold oriental salads when combined with chopped spare veg like baby corn and sugar snap peas.
  • Wrap fish that needs using up in foil and barbeque.
  • If you have any Mediterranean vegetables to use up, such as courgettes, aubergines and peppers, brush them with olive oil and char grill until soft or try our Roast Vegetable Lunch
  • If raspberries, strawberries and blueberries look past their prime, cook gently in a saucepan until soft and then serve with crème fraiche or ice-cream for an easy post-barbeque pudding.
  • Keep the kiddies entertained by giving them refreshing lollies made with left over fruit juice, smoothies and yoghurts frozen into ice-lolly moulds.

 

When the sun goes down

  • If you have leftover cooked meat, wrap it well and keep it in the fridge – it will be good to use for up to 2 days.
  • Add a dollop of leftover dip to a cold burger for a tasty lunch the next day. Try our tasty topped BBQ burger recipe.
  • Leftover sausages can be added to many dishes try our Quick Pizza Tortilla Chips
  • Cold sausages also make tasty lunch box treats or can be frozen to eat later.
  • Any bread rolls that have gone a bit stale can be made into breadcrumbs and frozen in a freezer bag to use later for making stuffings, bread sauce or mix with grated cheese for a gratin topping.