Grilling

Grilling and chilling! My favourite!

Grillin n chillin! This has got to be my favourite way of cooking and I just love the summer when I get the grill fired up, chuck on some meat, knock up a salad and chill with some cold beers or a nice wine. Love it!

Of course grillin ain’t just for the summer. I know people that grill all year round, they even sweep the snow off the barbie and fire her up! I would too if I had more enthusiasm from those around me, but they consider grilling is best done in summer when you can sit outside in the warm and enjoy it. To a point I agree with that too and of course it makes grillin more special.

As I am one for special occassions I try and have at least one grill a week in the summer. But in my house it always seems to end up in a feast. My father-in-law wants pork nacken steaks (this is a cheap cut of pork from the neck in Germany) my mother-in-law always wants a certain type of sausage, then sausage (schnecken) snails for the boys, some chicken for the wife and some other type of sausage and an entrecote for me. Of course the sausage for m-i-l comes in a pack of 6 then f-i-l wants another type of sausage to go with his bit of pig meat and these of course come in a pack of 4 and I have to grill them all and wifey’s request has 6 sausages in the pack and 2 bits of chicken. So before you know it we have like 20 sausages of various shapes and sizes and about 7 bits of meat! Of course you can buy individual bits of meat and sausage but not what they want.

This year I have decided to theme grill events. I did last year when the in-laws were out, but this year they will eat what I grill and prepare and thats that!

Of course I don’t do things by half. With the grilled meat we have a salad, then baked potatoes or boiled potatoes skin on rolled in sea salt and butter, garlic bread and usually some grilled veg such as med veg or grilled corn and shrooms. I usually do the veg in foil bags on the grill and then grill them a bit to finish. Sometimes I stuff the mushrooms with cheese and grill them. Then of course we might have a starter. I usually make a salsa to go with tortilla chips or hummus and Pita, not to mention the drinks. I may make a jug of Pimms or my own version of Sangria! Kick ass!!

Check out out some of my fave grill recipes. They will include everything grillin from marinades, salad dressings and sides and most importantly the meat!

Enjoy!

BBQ Sauce

Usually I am not a big fan of any types of BBQ sauce, I only use it when making ribs and use it as a marinade, but I do have friends and family that do like to have a sauce with their grilled meat and it is a very common thing here in Germany…

Beetroot and Feta Salad

In our house, up until fairly recently, beetroot had always been pickled in vinegar, either sliced or small whole ones and only eaten with a salad. I wasn’t a big fan when I was younger, but I guess we get to like more sour foods as we get older and I certainly did…

Cheesy Baked Mushrooms

Quite often when I grill, I also get a pan up there over the coals and sauté something for on the side. Mushrooms are a fave along with onions or some mixed vegetables, Mediterranean style, but if I do have time I prepare some mushrooms for the oven or under the grill…

Cheesy Baked Potatoes

Cheesy Baked Potatoes I just love potatoes and I love cheese, so what better way to put these two favourites together than baking them! Growing up we always had mashed potatoes, with the Sunday dinner, roasted potatoes. Springtime was the time for boil…

Chunky Gorgonzola Dip

I love grilling and to keep my guests taste buds tingling whilst I grill, I usually make a few dips as starters and chunky gorgonzola dip has become a hit…

Crunchy Noodle Salad

If you are looking for a great salad for a party or BBQ, then look no further as this recipe just rocks. I have loved many Asian style noodle salads, usually made with glass noodles and love em! This with the spaghetti, I wasn’t sure about, but it works and it works a treat…

Lamb Kofta Kebabs

Watching Jamie Oliver’s Great Escapes in Athens, Greece, he cooked up some brilliant lamb kofta kebabs. They looked the business for sure so I decided to do a bit of Greek style grilling myself…

Roasted Potato and Sweet Potato Wedges

The sweet and salty combination of the roasted potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes was amazing and it is such a finger licking side dish when grilling, but don’t just leave it there, this dish can go just about anywhere…

Sangria

If you’ve been to Spain then you would know what Sangria is. For those who have never heard of Sangria, well, it’s commonly a red wine based drink, served by the glass or jug with ice, with slices of apple and orange…

The Classic Burger

Hamburger, beefburger, you can even call it Susan if you want, but it really doesn’t matter! The Classic Burger is usually made with 100% beef, some breadcrumbs, an egg and seasoning and has to be our favourite grill ingredient along with the sausage…

Zucchini Potato Gratin

This recipe for Zucchini Potato Gratin has become a great side dish over this summer and doesn’t just have to be eaten when grilling as it will go with just about anything…