Healthy barbecuing with fish, vegetables and fruit

The barbecue season is in full swing and I’m loving it. Barbecuing and eating outside is such a simple pleasure. It totally fits into the current trend of slow cooking and slow living: taking time for yourself daily and being more conscious about things and enjoying it better. Moreover, barbecuing is  also much healthier, especially if you grill mean meats, chicken, fish and vegetables and fruits. I leave out the sausages and hamburgers and rather opt for a balanced meal.

Although most people in the Netherlands only barbecue in the weekends in groups and schedule it as being a party or event, I made it a habit to just barbecue by myself as well, and also on weekdays after work. For me it’s just a way of living and cooking in summer,  as it is in South Africa and Australia. I’m a seasoned and skillful barbecuer, so it doesn’t take me much time to lit the charcoal grill. Earlier this week I grilled sardines, asparagus, tomatoes and king prawns and had fruit for dessert. I grilled more than I could eat so I could have some more as left overs the next day (I’ll be sharing my left over recipes tomorrow) Here’s how I seasoned and grilled the fish and vegetables:

Grilled sardines

Before you can grill your sardines you have to clean them. If you don’t like to do that, you can ask your monger to do it for you. Once you cleaned them, wash them again with cold water and lemon juice, and they are ready for the grill. Start by grilling them with a few rosemary twigs on top. The flavour will be very subtle but noticeable. Take of the rosemary andcover the sardines with sea salt to get a crispy and brown crust, and turn.  Keep turning until they are golden brown and crispy on both sides. Use a pesto (dill, tomato or basil) to top the sardines.

Grilled asparagus

Grilling asparagus is very easy. You claean them, you drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice over them, and you put them on the grill. Turn them regularly for them to grill evenly. Test with a fork to see if they are ready.

Grilled tomatoes

Grilling tomatoes is like roasting them in the oven. You just put them on the grill and once they start to wrinkle, that’s your sign they are ready to eat.

Grilled king prawns with chili dressing

Put the king prawns with the shell down on the grill until they are cooked. Then turn them over to grill for only a few minutes. Then drizzle them with chilli dressing. For the dressing you’ll need: 1 tsp of red chilli paste, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and 1 crushed garlic clove.

Mint tea and cherries for dessert

For dessert I had fresh mint tea (just pour boiling water on fresh mint leaves and let steep) with honey, and cherries. A perfect and healthy dessert.

Do you have healthy barbecue tips? Please share them so I can give them a try. And please check back tomorrow when I will share what to do with the left overs.

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