BBQ season! Fabulous foods to put on the grill (whatever the weather)

Brought to you by Lidl

Don’t wait for clear blue skies for your back garden barbeque, ‘cos it may never happen.

As long as it’s not pouring rain, the weather shouldn’t put a damper on your outdoor cooking. Nothing tastes better than flamed-grilled grub and the little ones love it just as much as we do. Transform any cut of meat with innovative marinades, or jazz up veggies with some creative seasoning to cater for everyone. Invent your own marinade by sticking to these basic principles:

• Oil: keeps everything juicy and allows crisping on the grill
• Acids, like vinegar or lemon juice to tenderise and balance flavours
• Something salty/sweet: soy or Worcestershire sauce; mustard; honey; fish sauce (Naam Plat)
• Herbs, onions and garlic: traditional aromatics, to add freshness and depth

The possibilities are endless, and you should marinate overnight for real richness of flavour. Try a spice rub to liven things up; combine brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, salt, chilli powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper and rub in onto whatever meat you've chosen. Add any herbs you like, Mediterranean flavours are particular good to liven up white meat like pork or chicken for a drool-worthy result. The novelty of food on a skewer is the perfect way to con kids into getting their 5-a-day; veggies taste awesome off the BBQ. The trick is to cut them into chunks or thick slices and dry grill them first; then drizzle olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar over them when done. Even fruit is fab when cooked on the grill- peaches; pineapples; mangos and melon are divine, as they have a high percentage of fruit sugars which caramelise over the heat for a crispy, very more-ish coating. It doesn’t matter what type of BBQ you’re using; keep turning your foods to cook them evenly all the way through. This goes double for meat, and make sure it’s cooked all the way through with no pinkness. Use different utensils for raw and cooked meats, and keep them separated on the grill to make sure hygiene standards are up to scratch at all times. Load up with wooden skewers; tinfoil, and olive oil. Stack your trolley high with fresh veggies like peppers, aubergines, corn-on-the-cob and courgettes; side salads and whatever meat you fancy. Now you’re ready to throw a bumper barbeque. Bon Appetit! Looking for some more recipe ideas? Lidl has even more great recipes at lidl-recipes.ie and find more ways to save on your shopping here!