Nothing screams summer more than getting your BBQ out, but not all your culinary delights have to be marinated meat and bread buns.
Opt for a lighter menu for your outdoor feast, focusing on healthy BBQ dishes, rather than the classic sausages, chicken and burgers. By swapping out beef and pork and making the most of fish, fruit and veg, it really isn’t as daunting as it seems.
So for your next summer get-together, we’ve got three tasty but easy to make healthy BBQ recipes for you to try:
Seafood, pineapple and coconut kebabs
A taste of the Caribbean from the comfort of your own garden, these flavoursome kebabs really pack a punch and will bring a light touch to your healthy BBQ menu. The best part? You can whip them up in less than ten minutes.
What you’ll need:
16 large, unpeeled raw king prawns; 500g boneless salmon and white fish fillets, skinned and cut into chunky pieces; 200ml coconut milk; 100g fresh pineapple cut into chunks; 85g desiccated coconut, a drizzle of oil and lime wedges to serve
Method
- Soak eight wooden skewers in water
- Mix the prawns, fish and coconut milk together in a bowl
- Thread the prawns and fish onto the skewers, along with the chunks of fresh pineapple
- Pour the desiccated coconut onto a baking tray and roll the skewers in it, ensuring all the kebab is covered
- Lightly brush the kebabs with oil and place onto the barbecue grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until the fish is cooked through
Turkey and guacamole burgers
Flame-grilled burgers don’t have to be made from beef. A leaner option is turkey mince to bring something a little different to your banquet.
What you’ll need:
For the burgers: 500g fresh British turkey breast mince; 1 tsp of each: ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt and hot or mild chilli powder (to taste); 1 egg, lightly beaten; 3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs; 5 wholemeal pittas to serve
For the guacamole: 1 ripe avocado, chopped; 1 handful ripe cherry tomatoes, chopped; 1 heaped tablespoon chopped fresh coriander; 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped; juice of 1 lime (or to taste) and salt and pepper to taste
Method
- For the burgers, mix the herbs, spices, turkey mince and egg together in a bowl, then pour in the breadcrumbs ensuring they’re mixed evenly
- Create five patties with the mixture, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes
- For the guacamole, mash up the avocado, tomatoes, chilli and some coriander until it becomes wet, then mix in the lime juice, salt and pepper
- Take the burgers out of the fridge and grill on the BBQ for 6-7 minutes each side, ensuring they are cooked through thoroughly
- Once done, serve in a toasted pitta with a spoonful of your homemade guacamole on top
Chilli-lime sweetcorn
A stalwart of open-fire cooking, no BBQ is complete without a serving of grilled sweetcorn. Flavour the butter beforehand and you’ll have a tasty side dish to serve your guests.
What you’ll need:
2 sweetcorn cobs; 25g unsalted butter; zest of ½ lime; 1 tsp lime juice; 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander; a pinch of dried crushed chillies and salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Melt the unsalted butter in a bowl, either on the hob or in the microwave
- Mix the lime, coriander, chillies and black pepper into the melted butter
- Place the two sweetcorn cobs onto separate sheets of foil and pour the buttery mixture evenly over them
- Wrap the cobs up in the foil, to create two small bundles and place on the grill to cook for 12-15 minutes
Bring your summer party to life this year with these healthy BBQ alternative dishes that are bound to impress your guests. Tasty, flavoursome and better for you – who can complain about that!
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Recipes:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/seafood-pineapple-coconut-kebabs
http://www.britishturkey.co.uk/recipes/mexican-style-turkey-burgers-with-guacamole.html
http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/bbq-sweetcorn-with-lime-and-chilli-butter