Friday 14 August 2015

Four Superb Salads for Barbecue Parties

If you are entertaining al fresco this season, you’ll already know that barbecuing is not all about the meat, fish or veggie burgers you are grilling (although this is a big part of it). But it’s also about what to serve with it. And, with a rise in the numbers of people striving for healthier ways of eating, salads are becoming a vital part of the al fresco experience.
Salads have come a long way since the days of shredded Iceberg lettuce, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onion and a vinaigrette. They are now becoming increasingly more exotic with a host of different ingredients thrown into the mix, which are all designed to stimulate the palate and leave your guests craving for more.
Since budding chefs and professionals have started to experiment with herbs, spices, chillies, dressings, feta or haloumi cheeses, exotic vegetables, seeds, bulgur wheat or couscous in salads, gone are the days of the predictable side dish. So to ensure that your barbecue is a hit with your guests this summer, here’s four salad ideas from Big K, who are suppliers of gas fuelled, masonry, concrete or brick barbecues and accessories in the UK.
Big K Barbecue Accessories UK – Follow the link for details of our barbeques, accessories and fuels.

Refreshing Summer Couscous, Mint and Tomato Salad

Put about 250g of couscous into a large bowl, cover with boiling water and set it aside for about ten minutes. Meanwhile, chop a generous handful of vine tomatoes, 3 finely sliced spring onions, cucumber (seeded and diced), one red chilli, a handful of chopped mint leaves, parsley and coriander, and mix them all together.
Mix up the couscous with a fork and stir in your vegetables. Add a couple of tablespoons of virgin olive oil, the zest and juice of one lemon, and a pinch of cayenne. Mix it all up and you’re ready to serve.

Scrumptious Spinach, Beetroot and Feta Cheese Salad

Combine a bag of baby leaf salad and baby spinach leaves and place in a large bowl. Chop up four cooked beetroot, and crumble two packs of feta cheese and add them to the lettuce. Combine with four finely chopped spring onions and a handful of chopped mint leaves, plus one finely sliced red chilli (with or without the seeds).
Finally, make a simple dressing of 75g of lemon juice, a heaped teaspoon of Dijon mustard and 75g of extra virgin olive oil. Then mix up the dressing, pour it on top of the salad, and it’s ready to go!

Avocado and Mango Salad with a Zingy Lime Dressing

This summer salad is easy to make. All you have to do is put a bag of baby leaf lettuce into a large bowl. Then roughly cut two mangos and two avocados into half inch cubes and place them on top of the lettuce.
Then it’s time to make the dressing. Just combine the zest and juice of two limes, with a chopped red chili, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil. Add a touch of honey and some chopped coriander leaves and mix with the salad. You might want to place a few lime wedges on the side for presentation.

Delicious Pear, Walnut and Haloumi Cheese Salad

This doesn’t take long to put together and it is a fantastic accompaniment to a barbecue. Just empty a bag of baby leaf lettuce into a large bowl. Roughly chop two pears into cubes and add to the mix. Slice a packet of haloumi cheese into rectangles and grill for a few minutes each side, then pan fry two handfuls of walnut pieces. Add some lemon juice to taste, mix up all the ingredients together and you’re ready to serve.
Big K
Along with charcoal and gas fired barbecues, Big K also sell a wide range of barbecue tools and accessories in the UK including grill brushes, kebab skewers, barbecue skewers, tool sets, shovels, forks and cleaning kits. We also sell steak grills, fish grills, charcoal or wood braziers, gas conversion kits, fireplace protection, rotisserie spits and kits, wok plates and stone sets. Click on the link above to see our full range.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.