By Stacey Stein
By the time the Victoria Day long weekend rolls
around, summer is in the air – the days are longer, kids are outside riding
their bikes, and patios are filled with people enjoying their meals al fresco.
The warmer weather also makes this a
popular time to host an outdoor barbecue, another favourite summer pastime. Burgers
and dogs may be the obvious go-to, but this long weekend, why not wow your
guests with unexpected dishes that stray from standard barbecue fare?
Read on for ideas to help you plan a unique long weekend barbecue that guests will be raving about all summer.
Awesome apps
The possibilities for interesting apps that
incorporate grilled veggies are endless. Here are a few options that are sure
to be a hit:
- Potato salad gets a makeover in
this
version that uses grilled mini potatoes and has a light, herby flavour.
Before grilling the potatoes, boil them first, run under cold water, and then toss
with some melted Gay Lea Spreadables butter.
- Add a DIY element to your
barbecue by including a crostini bar. Registered dietitian Shannon Crocker recommends
using this grilled
crostini recipe and mixing things up by putting out different toppings –
try grilled veggies, sautéed mushrooms and avocado slices. Guests will have fun
assembling their own creations. Tip: grill the crostini ahead of time and then
warm it on the grill once your guests arrive.
- Create a grilled veggie platter
filled with in-season spring fare like asparagus, zucchini, peppers and radishes.
Try serving the grilled veggies with a crowd-pleasing dip, like Nordica
Smooth roasted red pepper.
Mouth-watering mains
Replace chunks of meat with chunks of
cheese to create healthful, innovative barbecued dishes. Halloumi works well on
the grill (be sure to cut it about ½ inch thick) – it’s the star ingredient in these
dishes:
- This fattoush
salad pairs grilled halloumi with a variety of crunchy vegetables. A lemony
dressing ties it all together.
- This nutrient-rich grilled
veggie salad is loaded with a variety of grilled vegetables along with the
grilled halloumi. Quinoa adds a kick of protein.
- Who needs beef sliders? These
grilled halloumi sliders are a great meat alternative, and the herbs and
tzatziki lend some Mediterranean flair.
You can skip the meat in these other
veggie-heavy mains:
- For this roasted
red pepper flatbread recipe, grill the naan bread (rather than baking it in
the oven). Feel free to mix up the veggie toppings.
- Lightly grill the zucchini on
the barbecue in this mushroom-stuffed
zucchini recipe. Toss some chickpeas or black beans into the stuffing mixture
for a protein boost.
For meat lovers, you can try a twist on the
conventional Caesar salad. Brush some Romaine lettuce with canola oil and grill
on a lower heat (be sure to keep the core so the lettuce holds together on the
barbecue). Serve with Caesar dressing, grated parmesan and croutons, then top it
off with a grilled beef or chicken kabob.
Divine desserts
Desserts and grilling might not seem like a
natural combination, but you can make some truly inventive – and delicious –
desserts on the barbecue while impressing guests with your ingenuity. Here are
some ideas:
- Keep things simple and healthy
with grilled
fruit kabobs, paired with a sweet sour cream honey dip. Pear, apple and
pineapple work well – so do peaches, plums and nectarines, which will soon be
in season.
- Replace the peaches with
in-season pears in this
recipe, which marries grilled fruit with pan-seared halloumi cheese. Top it
all off with a champagne syrup for a dessert that’s sure to impress (feel free
to skip the arugula).
- Cake on the grill? Why not? A
dense pound cake works perfectly (buy or make your own) – place thick slices on
the barbecue, flip them over until you see grill marks, then top it off with some
Nordica
Smooth Blueberry Acai and berries (either fresh or frozen – both work
well).
