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Showing posts with label barbecue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barbecue. Show all posts

get cooking this summer with iceland's barbecue range.

Iceland barbecue range
Iceland barbecue 2017

Summer is in full swing and that can only mean one thing... barbecue season! Come rain or shine, us Brits love an excuse to dine al fresco with friends and family. But with such unpredictable weather, a downpour on a Wednesday can turn into sudden sunny skies by the weekend.

This is where the #PowerOfFrozen can really help you out. With a fantastic barbecue range for 2017, Iceland can see you stock up on delicious BBQ essentials to keep in the freezer ready for sunny spells and tropical heatwaves. An impromptu garden party or heatwave on the horizon? Simply defrost your favourite and fire up the BBQ for a delicious outdoor feast. Scroll on to see what I thought of the latest range... (sunshine optional)

Iceland barbecue
Iceland barbecue Summer range 2017

salmon niçoise and caprese cous cous: dining al fresco with homesense.


I've hope you've been enjoying the long Bank Holiday weekend! Has the British Summer finally begun? Whether you're planning the first BBQ of the season or are dusting off that picnic basket, I've teamed up with HomeSense to bring you some al fresco inspiration. In case you aren't familiar, HomeSense pride themselves on beautiful homeware without the hefty pricetag. Part of the TK Maxx family, HomeSense offer everything from cookware and baking essentials, to pretty cushions and quirky decorative finds. As a foodie I of course always make a beeline for the kitchenware aisle, discovering some lovely pieces from their latest Al Fresco dining range


avocado & bacon burger.


A super easy barbecue recipe for the Summer. I've teamed up again with Iceland to show how the #PowerofFrozen is perfect for BBQ season. Their 100% beef quarter pounder burgers and easy bake cobs are such handy ingredients to have in the freezer ready for sunny days. In this avocado and bacon burger recipe, I simply cooked up their super tasty burger patties with slices of crispy bacon and ripe avocado in a soft burger bun. The beef burgers are essentially just great quality beef with a seasoning of salt and pepper - frozen food doesn't mean rubbish food! Serve with their easy-to-cook sweet potato fries for the ultimate Summer feast!


homemade salmon burgers: easy eating with co op.


a simple summer burger for seafood lovers like myself. this homemade salmon burger patty is made up of steamed salmon, a dash of lemon, a sprinkling of fresh coriander and dill, a handful of spring onions and finely chopped garlic. make a few hours ahead for an easy evening meal or alternative weekend barbecue idea. i enjoyed mine with salt and pepper hand cut chips and a generous portion of coleslaw.


simple caprese salad.


a trio of red, green and white dancing on the plate, this salad is a celebration of italian colours and flavours. keeping it fresh and simple is a must with this recipe, i just couldn't wait to share with you the brilliant italian produce from nife is life which i used to create it. 


summer fun with the waitrose bbq range.


how lovely is the weather lately? it just makes me want to buy lots of summer dresses and have a bbq every weekend! so when the people of john lewis asked if i would like to host a party and try out their waitrose bbq food and a pizza stone it couldn't have come at a more perfect time. i got up super early last saturday morning and excitedly whizzed over to my local to see what treats they had... couldn't believe it was near on 20 degrees that early in the morning.


i went for the 3 for £10 offer of chorizo style sausage whorls, honey and mustard pork kebabs and lamb shish kebabs, 2 for £5 packs of veal and parmesan burgers, tasty dips, mixed salad and some veggie options for my friend alice :) there are a few other bits and bobs that appear in this post (sneaky pimms in the corner there) that i added to myself or rustled up from bits in the cupboard.


elderflower and kiwi daiquiri.


it seems summer is finally upon us... dusting off that barbecue, queuing at ice cream vans, strawberries and cream and fruity cocktails. so i thought i'd try out a little something. here i present you... a refreshing elderflower and kiwi daiquiri. 

my housemate made a gorgeous cocktail the other weekend made up of bottle green elderflower cordial, gin and lemonade so i thought i'd experiment with the bottle green sparkling elderflower i was recently sent. i realise daiquiris aren't strictly fizzy but the kiwi fruit accidentally gave the drink a texture similar to a strawberry daiquri :) i also used rum as a base ingredient but you can of course make a virgin adaptation sans rum. 

so how do you concoct one... or two?

prawn and haloumi skewers with sweet potato chips.


inspired by nando's, this prawn and haloumi skewers takes my favourite elements of their menu and makes a healthy dish that could also be an alternative barbecue idea.

i've marinated the prawns in the nando's garlic peri peri marinade (or spicier if you dare!), changed their infamous sweet potato mash into sweet potato chips and brought my favourite side dish into the mix... grilled haloumi! these can be marinated overnight, prepared in advance or done on the day; so the order that you make them may vary depending :) you will need...

shopping list (for around two people)
♥ two sweet potatoes, sliced
♥ 250g cooked jumbo or king prawns
♥ one block of haloumi, roughly chopped
♥ your fave nando's marinade
♥ a drizzle of olive oil
♥ wooden skewers
♥ silver foil


salmon korma kebabs.



this could be used as a barbecue idea or as part of a meal. for the recipe, which serves two, you will need...

shopping list
♥ two salmon fillets
♥ two tablespoons of korma paste
♥ one red pepper
♥ half a white onion, chopped
♥ 200ml coconut milk
♥ your favourite rice
♥ skewers


minty lamb burgers with tzatziki and spicy cous cous.

shopping list

for the minty lamb burgers

500g minced lamb
2 tsps dried mint
half a red onion, chopped
half a beaten egg

for the cous cous
200g cous cous
350ml chicken
stock
two teaspoons ground coriander
one teaspoon of crushed chillies

for the tzatziki
200g natural greek style yoghurt
half a cucumber
a dash of extra virgin olive oil
two teaspoons lemon juice
two cloves of finely chopped or crushed garlic
a sprinkle of paprika

these measurements make around twelve small patties, eight larger ones and a bowl of cous cous and dip to serve four. perfect for this (if not rather early) barbecue season.

for the burgers
begin by throwing the minced lamb, mint and chopped onions into a bowl like so.
use your hands to squidge the mixture into a ball, using the beaten egg to help keep it together. this stage is done when you are happy that the onions and mint have been evenly mixed throughout. don't be a afraid to add a little more mint if desired.




next, portion the mixture into patties. roll into balls
and then press gently to make sure the burger isn't
too thick to cook evenly. sprinkle a little more mint if you like. for a burger size i would say this makes around eight. for an alternative, make twenty really small balls and serve in a pitta with the tzatziki as a lamb kofta.



pan fry for around ten minutes, grill for fifteen or
barbecue for, well, however long it takes. delicately turn them half way through and for best results only move or turn a couple of times. and you're done. now onto the other part of the meal, which of course, blue peter style, you would've made earlier.





for the cous cous
the cous cous is probably the most simple part to make.
plain cous cous is a really versatile for being able to add your own seasoning or spice to compliment your tastes or main dish. for mine i mixed the cous cous, butter, crushed chillies and coriander like so. then carefully pour over the hot chicken stock and cover. then, just leave it to do its magic and absorb the stock. leave on the side for a little while before keeping cool in the fridge.



for the tzatzikipeel the cucumber, de-seed and chop into chunks. i personally prefer a more chunky dip but the cucumber can be more traditionally grated into the yoghurt. next, add the lemon juice and other components to the yoghurt, sprinkle with paprika and you're done.



the tzatziki is especially yummy if you've made your

cous cous super spicy. serve around the table for a fun and sociable meal or barbecue. kalí óreksi!