Healthy Recipes for Barbecues and Picnics
Barbecued food doesn't have to mean fatty sausages and burgers. Most people know that chicken and red meat cook well but did you know that fish is quick and simple to cook on the barbecue, especially oily fish (such as sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, herrings and salmon) and that vegetables are delicious and healthy when barbecued.
Picnic food can be much more exciting than just sandwiches. Try some of the delicious new breads available now, like those baked with herbs or sun-dried tomatoes, or pack some crusty ciabatta and home-made pate. Salads based on pasta and rice transport well and make a nice change. Don't forget the cake!
Make the most of the sunshine (while it lasts!) and try these simple recipes.
Barbecued Chicken
I pack chicken drumsticks or thighs ( 1 per person)
lOO ml / 4 fl oz tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons chilli sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken. Marinade for at least 4 hours. Barbecue (at a medium heat) for about 20 minutes, or until well done. These can also be cooked in the oven, if it rains!
Mustard. Honey and Lemon Salmon
Salmon fillets (1 per person)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons runny honey
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over the salmon. Refridgerate for 1 hour . Barbecue for about 6-10 minutes, depending on thickness. This marinade also works well with tuna, pork or chicken.
Spicy Pineapple Pork
Pork steaks (1 per person)
1small can pineapple pieces in natural juice
2 teaspoons medium curry paste
Reserve the pineapple pieces. Measure 75ml (3 fluid oz) juice and mix with the curry paste. Marinade the pork for at least 1 hour. Barbecue for about 15-20 minutes and
top with the remaining pineapple just before serving. This also works well with gammon steaks or chicken.
Vegetable Kebabs (serves 4)
1 yellow pepper, cut into 2cm /1 inch pieces
4 small button onions, halved
1 courgette, cut into 8 pieces
8 large cherry tomatoes
4-8 mushrooms (halved, if large)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon oil
1 crushed clove garlic
Thread the vegetables onto skewers. Mix the remaining ingredients and use to baste the vegetables. Barbecue for about 15 minutes, until tender, turning frequently.
Corn on the Cob
Frozen sweetcorn cobs, thawed
Brush with oil or margarine and barbecue for about 15 minutes, turning frequently.
You can also do this with fresh sweetcorn, but will need to par-boil it for 10 minutes first
Herby Yogurt Dressing
112 cucumber, finely chopped
3 sp~ng onions, finely chopped 250ml I 112 pint natural yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
Mix and use immediately on almost any salad. This dressing works well with pasta or bean salads. It makes an excellent low calorie topping for jacket potatoes or try mixing with a tin of drained red kidney beans for an instant salad.
Tuna and Bean Pate ( serves 4-6)
150g I 6oz tinned tuna in brine, drained
100g I 4oz tinned canellini beans, drained
3 tablespoons low calorie salad dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
black pepper
Flake the tuna and mix with the salad dressing, lemon juice and pepper. Mash the beans roughly, leaving some whole and stir into the tuna mixture. Serve with crackers or crusty bread.

Pizza Pie (serves 8 -12)
Dough
700g/ 1 1/2Ibs breadmaking flour (plain or wholemeal)
1 sachet "easybake" yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping
1large tin chopped tomatoes ( drained)
1 large onion ( chopped)
3 tablespoons tomato puree
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 crushed clove garlic
100g/4 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 large green pepper, sliced
1 small tin sweetcorn, drained
2 tomatoes, sliced
150g / 6oz mature cheddar
Mix the dough ingredients and add enough hand hot water to mix to a stiff dough. Knead for 10-15 minutes and set aside in a warm place for at least 1 hour. Microwave or "dry fry" the onions and garlic, until tender. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree and oregano. Knead the dough again and roll to a large circle about 2cm (1 inch) thick. Press up the edges to make a rim. Leave to rise for a further 30 minutes. Top with the tomato mixture and the vegetables and cheese. Bake in a hot oven Gas Mark 7/375" F/190"C for approx 25-30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
Variation -You can add almost anything you like -try anchovies, ham, tuna, prawns, pepperoni, salami, bacon, cooked chicken, courgettes, olives
Curried Rice Salad
Easy cook rice, filled to 250 ml ( 10 fl oz) mark in measuring jug
500ml/ 1 pint boiling water
1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
1-2 teaspoons medium curry powder
1 small tin sweetcorn, drained
100g / 4oz frozen peas
1 small red pepper, diced
50g / 2oz sultanas ( optional)
Place the rice in a saucepan with the stock cube, curry powder and water. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. Stir in the peas and sultanas (if using) and simmer for a further 4 minutes. All the water should be absorbed and the rice should be tender. Add a little more water, if further cooking is necessary .Stir in the sweetcorn, and red pepper and refridgerate. This is lovely with a salad but is also nice served hot.
Apple and Ginger Punch
1 litre unsweetened apple juice
1 litre slimline (sugar-free) ginger ale ice cubes
slices of apple, to garnish
Mix all ingredients and serve immediately.
White Sangria (Makes 12 2lasses)
1 bottle dry white wine, chilled
500ml bottle slimline (sugar-free) bitter lemon
2 tablespoons Cointreau or Grand Marnier
100g / 4oz strawberries, sliced
100g / 4oz white grapes, halved
Mix all ingredients and add ice. Serve immediately
Baked Bananas ( serves 8)
8 large ripe bananas, peeled 100 ml /4 fl oz Malibu
4 teaspoons brown sugar
50g / 2oz butter or margarine (melted)
Make a foil parcel for each banana. Combine the Malibu, sugar and butter and pour onto each banana. Seal each parcel well and barbecue for about 10 minutes
Oaty Apricot Triangles (Makes 8)
8oz (225g) porridge oats
4oz (100g) Reduced fat spread
2oz (50g) soft brown sugar
6oz (175g) dried apricots, chopped
4 tI oz (100ml) orange juice
Preheat oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4
Grease a 20cm, 8in square cake tin. Melt the low fat spread and stir in the oats and sugar. Simmer the chopped apricots in the orange juice for 5 minutes, until soft, drain off juice. Press half of the oat mixture into the pan and top with the apricots. Cover with the remaining oats. Bake for 20 mins, until golden. Allow to cool slightly then mark into quarters. Cut each piece diagonally to make triangles.





JAMAICAN CHEESECAKE

50g/2oz reduced fat spread
150g/6oz ginger biscuits,crushed
250g/10oz low fat soft cheese
2 eggs seperated
2 tbspn granulated artificial sweetner(or liquid sweetner,according to instructions)
1 sachet powdered gelatine
100g/4oz seedless raisins
2 tbspn dark rum
125ml/ 1/4pint whipping cream

Pour the rum over the raisins and leave to soak. Set aside 1oz biscuit crumbs.Melt the reduced fat spread and stir in the remaining biscuit crumbs.Press evenly into an 8inch (20cm)loose-bottomed cake tin. Chill. Beat the cheese with the egg yolks and artificial sweetner.Pour 2oz boiling water into a jug and sprinkle on the gelatine. Stir until all the granules have dissolved.Allow to cool, then beat into the cheese mixture. Stir in the rum and raisins. Refrigerate until beginning to to set. Whisk the whites until stiff and then fold into the cheese mixture. Pour over the base and leave to set in the refrigerator.Whip the cream and spread over the cheesecake. Sprinkle over the remaining crumbs to decorate.


MANDARIN TRIFLE(Serves 8-10)

1 sugar free orange jelly
1 can mandarin segments,tinned in juice
6oz(150g) sponge cake
2tbspn orange liquer eg Grand Mariner(optional)
2 tbspn custard powder
1 pint semi-skinned milk
1 tbspn granulated artificial sweetner or a few drops liquid sweetner
1/2 pint(240ml) whipping cream

Mix the jelly with 1 pint boiling water,stirring until all the crystals have dissolved. Reserve the juice and 8 mandarin segments,stir the remaining mandarins into the jelly and place in the fridge to set. When jelly has set blend a little milk with the custard powder. Heat remaining milk until boiling and add custard.Stir until thickened. Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes. Stir in the sweetner. Leave custard to cool. Slice the sponge and layer onto the jelly. Pour on liquer (if using) and reserved juice.
Carefully pour the custard over the sponge. Whip the cream and spread half over the custard. Mark a decorative pattern with a fork. Pipe on the remaining cream and decorate with the reserved mandarins.