Fire Starters: Easy midweek barbecue recipes to keep her lit without the effort

With temperatures hitting 25 degreees this week, take the stress out of barbecue season by grilling meals with minimum fuss but maximum taste 

Easy ideas for barbecues during the work week.

Lime and honey chicken skewers

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Perfect for a barbecue, serve these Chinese-inspired skewers with rice

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• rice for four

• 4 chicken breasts, sliced into four long strips each

• juice and zest of 3 limes, 1 extra for roasting

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 red chilli, very finely chopped

• 4 spring onions, finely sliced

• 2 tbsp crème fraîche

• ¼ preserved lemon, finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• bunch of coriander, chopped

Method

1. Put the rice on to boil in lightly salted water and drain when cooked.

2. While it is cooking, push each of the strips of chicken onto a skewer. If you are using wooden ones soak them in water first.

3. Mix together the lime juice and zest, the honey, soya sauce, chilli and rapeseed oil.

4. Place the skewers into an ovenproof dish large enough to hold them and pour the sauce over all of the skewers. Quarter the remaining lime and place it into the dish as well. Marinate for five minutes

5. Place into an oven heated to 180°C or onto the barbecue and cook for 10 minutes, turn the skewers and cook again covering them well in the sauce.

6. If cooking in the oven, roast for a further 15 minutes or until cooked through. If cooking on the barbecue, pour the sauce into a small saucepan and cook down for five minutes. 

7. While the skewers are cooking mix the preserved lemon and garlic into the crème fraîche and season using cracked black pepper.

8. Sprinkle with the coriander. Serve the skewers with the rice and some of the sauce poured over and the crème fraîche and quarter of a roasted lime on the side.

Chipotle mushroom and black bean burgers with peanuts and lime

These burgers with a hint of peanut butter are ridiculously moreish and can be served in buns with mayonnaise and pickles for enhanced flavour

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 25 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 50g smooth peanut butter

• 1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained, but not rinsed

• 2 small cloves of garlic, peeled

• 2 tsp chipotle chilli flakes

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 heaped tbsp rye flour

• 1 lime, zest only

• 1 tsp sea salt flakes

• 250g chestnut mushrooms

• To serve:

• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

• a handful of chopped salted peanuts

• a handful of chopped fresh coriander

• 4 burger buns

Method

1. Put the peanut butter into a food processor with 60g of the black beans, the garlic, chilli flakes, cumin, olive oil, rye flour, lime zest and sea salt flakes, and blitz until you have a very thick paste.

2. Tip it into a large bowl and stir in the rest of the black beans.

3. Tip the mushrooms into the processor – no need to wash it – and pulse until you have a dry mushroom mince. Stir this into the black bean mixture. With damp hands, form it into four thick burgers and arrange them on a lined baking sheet.

4. Bake in the oven at 180°C fan/200°C for 25–30 minutes. When they’ve got 10 minutes left, gently flip them over so they can crisp up on the other side.

5. They’re ready to serve straight from the oven, but for a nice bit of smokiness you can let them cool down, then finish them on a medium barbecue for a couple of minutes per side.

6. Squeeze over the lime wedges and top with a handful of chopped peanuts and coriander, then sandwich them into lightly grilled burger buns.
   This recipe is from Rukmini Iyer’s The Green Barbecue (Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes to Cook Outdoors & In)