Whether it’s a warm summer evening or a nippy winter afternoon, there is no better way to celebrate the weekend than firing up the barbeque. Throwing a barbeque for your friends and family is the perfect way to celebrate a special occasion. It is casual enough that you don’t have to worry about dressing up or about setting a formal dinner table.
Also don’t forget that hosting lots or parties or barbeques in your backyard, will likely consume more electricity than usual. This is a great opportunity to explore competitively-priced plans from Origin Energy, so that you can afford to hold more than one party.
There’s no argument that the favorites are steaks! You can find several steak cooking levels in this guide.
But a scrumptious barbeque plate is incomplete without a few freshly prepared side dishes.
So, check out recipes for mouth-watering BBQ side dishes that will put any coleslaw to shame.
Indulgent Pasta Salad (Serves 10)
It’s quite possible that you might have some vegetarians or vegans in the family. This pasta salad makes a delicious side dish, as well as main for those who don’t eat meat. You can easily prepare and refrigerate pasta salad a few days ahead.
Ingredients
● 500 g shell pasta (or any short tubular pasta of choice)
● 2 medium carrots (shredded)
● 200 g tofu (pressed and cubed)
● 4 green onions (chopped)
● ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
● 1 tbsp mustard
● 1 tbsp lemon juice
● Zest of 1 lemon
● 2 tbsp olive oil
● Salt
● Pepper
Method
- Bring water to the boil in a large saucepan. Generously season with salt. Cook pasta until it is al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water, drain, and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, put a pan on medium heat and cover the bottom with olive oil. Place tofu cubes in the pan and cook on all sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk together vegan mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and zest.
- Put cooked pasta, tofu, carrots, onions and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve cold or at room temperature. If your pasta salad has stuck together in the fridge, use reserved pasta water to loosen it.
Tex-Mex Corn (Serves 10)
A side of corn on the cob is a must for barbecues. Here is an easy way you can serve corn.
Ingredients
● 5 large ears of corn (peeled & cut in half)
● 2 tbsp vegetable oil
● 5 tbsp mayonnaise
● 3 tsp chipotle seasoning
● 1 tsp cumin powder
● 3 tbsp lime juice
● Salt
● Pepper
● 3 tbsp coriander (chopped)
Method
- Using a brush or your hands, evenly rub oil on each corn cob. Place the oiled corn cobs on a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, chipotle seasoning, cumin powder, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Next, heat up the BBQ and start cooking the corn cobs. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until cobs are evenly blackened on all sides.
- Use a brush to slather the mayo mixture on the cobs. Sprinkle chopped coriander on them for garnish. Serve hot.
Smashed Cucumber Salad (Serves 10)
Meat and pasta are delectable but also quite rich. A smashed cucumber salad is a refreshing dish that reduces the richness of the other food.
Ingredients
● 5 medium or 3 large cucumbers
● 2 ½ tsp sesame oil
● 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
● 2 ½ tsp soy sauce
● 1 ½ tsp salt
● 2 ½ tsp sugar
● 3 tsp red pepper flakes
● 2 tsp olive oil
● 3 garlic cloves (minced)
● 1 inch ginger (julienned)
Method
- Cut cucumber in half lengthwise and place cut side down on your work surface. Using the side of a large knife or a rolling pin, smash cucumbers till you see the skin cracking and flesh breaking. Once you’ve smashed all pieces, cut or break each cucumber into bite-size pieces.
- Place cucumber in a large strainer. Sprinkle and toss cucumber in a big pinch of salt and sugar. Let it drain for 30-minutes and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- In a small bowl, mix sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and sugar until salt and sugar dissolve.
- When ready to serve, place cucumber in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Add garlic, ginger, and half the dressing. Toss and taste, add more dressing if required.