A heatwave means barbecue time

Posted by petra08 on August 8, 2019 · 12 Comments 

Summer finally arrived in full force and I thought it was a sign to invite my friends and neighbors over for a barbecue. I find it hard to do a barbecue and not cook too much so inviting more people seemed like a great solution.

Barbecue menu

• Curry Chilli Oil marinated breast of chicken
• Dried Lime Chilli Oil marinated breast of chicken
• Wild Rosehip spice and feta cheese roast new potatoes
• Wild Rosephip spice Lamb Kofta
• Fennel & Dried Lime Chilli Oil Roast Beetroot salad
• Stuffed mushrooms
• Watermelon & Pomegranate salad
• Sausages
• Garlic yogurt sauce
• Cheese
• Chocolate slab

I admit I got a bit carried away but everything was easy to prepare and it was ready to barbecue when my friends arrived, perfect party food!

It took a little pre planning and I roasted some cherry tomatoes and the beetroot earlier in the day and boiled the potatoes until just soft.

As I was gently breaking the potatoes it occured to me that everyone likes the crispy bits and decided to break them up more, with the skin on before roasting them.

Wild Rosehip Spice & Feta Cheese roast new Potatoes

preparation time 5 minutes

cooking time time to cook the potatoes soft + 45 minutes in the oven

oven 175C or 350F

serves 7

Ingredients

• 2-3 potatoes per person, depending on size, boil them skin on
• 1/2 dl or 1/4 cup rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 200 gr or 7 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 1-2 tbsp wild rosehip spice
• 1 small handful of roasted sundried tomatoes
• 3 spring onions, sliced

Tear the cooled potatoes with your hands in to chunks. Place the chunks in a bowl and pour over the oil, mix to make sure everything is coated and then add the spices and the feta cheese.

Spread the potato mixture on to an oven tray and roast until it it is crispy. If the potatoes are ready beforehand turn the heat down to 100C, or 210F to keep it warm until you are ready to serve.

The feta cheese gets nice and crispy and is delicious with the potatoes. Add the roasted tomatoes and spring onion before serving.

I used the Curry Chilli Oil and the Dried Lime Chilli oil as a marinade for the chicken breasts. I cut them in half to make them thinner and to cook faster on the barbecue and I will do that again, no need to worry if the chicken is cooked through. The Spiced Chilli Oil is a bit hotter and I wasn’t sure some of my guests were up for it.

I wanted to try my wild rosehip spice mix with the lamb and made my version of lamb koftas.

Wild rosehip spiced lamb koftas

preparation time 10 minutes

cooking time 5-8 minutes

serves 3 as a main or 7 as a side dish

Ingredients

• 600 gr or 21 oz mince lamb
• 50 gr or 2 oz feta cheese
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tbsp wild rosehip spice for the mince and 1 tbsp wild rosehip spice to roll the koftas in

I used wooden sticks and I soaked them for a couple of hours beforehand but in hindsight I will use my metal skewers next time.

Mix the meat with the spices, the lemon zest and crumbled feta cheese and shape them into oval shamed meatballs. Spear them with the skewers and roll them in the extra rosehip spice and set aside until it is time to barbecue.

I love to barbecue on charcoal but I have to admit I didn’t wait as long as I should have, they were slightly burnt but what I could rescue was delicious!

Needless to say the sausages got a little over done as well. On the good side it was all cooked. Any excuse! ha ha

Salads are so great, it is easy to make them in advance and they make a barbecue lighter and adds flavor and texture.

M picked golden beetroots from the allotment. When you grow your own food you know how sometimes you can end up with a glut, what better way to use it up than to share it with friends?

Fennel & Dried Lime Chilli Oil Roast Beetroot salad

preparation time 15 minutes

cooking time 35-40 minutes

oven 175C or 350F

serves 7 as a side dish

Ingredients

For the beetroots

• 6 beetroots, peeled and cut in to 8 
• 2 tbsp Dried Lime Chilli Oil 
• 1 good pinch of sea salt 

Mix the beetroots with the Dried Lime Chilli Oil and the sea salt. Make sure it is evenly covered and roast until soft.

For the fennel

• 1 bulb of fennel 
• 1/2 tbsp sea salt 

Additional ingredients 

• 1 good handful of spinach or chard (no stems), shredded fine 
• 1 pinch of sea salt 
• olive oil 

Slice the fennel into thin slices on a mandoline. Add the salt and place in a colander. Mix and let it stand for at least 30 minutes. 

Slice spinach or chard thinly and place in a bowl. Put the hot beetroots on top of the spinach or chard and cover with a tight lid and let stand for at least 30 minutes, The warmth from the roasted beetroots will slightly wilt the chard or the spinach. 

Rinse the softened fennel and squeeze as much water out as possible. Mix the fennel with the beetroot and chard just before serving, add a pinch of sea salt and some olive oil just before serving. 

I marinated the chicken for a couple of hours but next time I will marinate them over night.

Dried Lime Chilli Oil marinated chicken and blue cheese stuffed mushrooms.

Curry Chilli Oil marinated chicken

I had loaded up on drinks and with the food I had to get an extra table out, it always makes me giggle. In addition to the foods above I did a watermelon and pomegranate salad and I would never have guessed but almost all the food went!

I made a chocolate slab for something sweet, easy to make and everyone loves chocolate, right?

We ended the meal with some cheese to nibble but it was too dark for any photos. It was a perfect evening, not even the lightest breeze and it was warm, we don’t have many evenings like that, it was a treat.

I am bringing this to the always lovely Angie’s Fiesta Friday. Her co host is the very talented Antonia, Zoale.com.

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Filed under Allotment/Veg, barbecue, Beetroot, Blue cheese, Cheese, Chicken, Chilli, Chilli oil, Fennel, Home made produce, Main course, Meat, Mushroom, Potatoes, Recipe, Side dish, Spring onion, Starch, Tomatoes, Watermelon · Tagged with Chocolate slab, Heatonomy Curry Chilli Oil, Heatonomy Dried Lime Chilli Oil, Heatonomy Wild Rosehip Spice, Marinated chicken, roast potatoes, stuffed mushrooms, watermelon salad, wild rosehip