BBQING WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY
Having a BBQ is one of the funnest things to do with friends. Did you know that having a BBQ is kind of an art form? And a man’s job. I’ll rather prepare salads and dips and he gets to do the meat. But it remains an art: not burning sausages, making sure the chicken is well done, but the cutlets nice and juicy. Besides that, everyone seems to love a BBQ.
The easiest version is also the most unhealthy and boring one: a container filled with meet (every supermarket has special BBQ meat that has already been chopped in pieces and sometimes even seasoned), potato salads, green lettuce with tomatoes and lots of cocktail, garlic, and chili sauce. And French bread, of course. But try doing this, it can’t hurt and it’s a lot healthier and way more fun.
Tips on how to BBQ healthily without pangs of guilt afterwards.
Fish, meat and vega
Don’t go for those big juicy sausages and strings of bacon unless you’re planning on running a marathon. In which case you wouldn’t notice it.
– Buy chicken at the organic butcher’s. It’s much better and a lot more delicious than the ones from the supermarket. Make chicken skewers and marinate these in olive oil, lemon, tarragon, and garlic. Put it in the fridge for an hour and BBQ them.
-Buy a dorade, but ask the fishmonger to clean it for the BBQ (he’ll leave it’s head attached, but will remove all the intestines). Put some lemon, profuse amounts of olive oil, some thyme and rosemary in its belly and put it on the roster. Fillet the fish when it’s done and add some extra olive oil, salt, and pepper. So, soo good.
-Cut vegetables you like in medium sized chunks and skewer these. Marinate them in some olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Put them on the BBQ. They’re done in less than fifteen minutes. Though don’t forget to regularly turn them.
– Corn is healthy and very easy. Run the corn with some olive oil and salt and pepper, and put them on the BBQ. When they’re done (after about 10 minutes), rub some butter and salt on it. Delicious!
Sauces
Satay sauce is delicious on satay, but it really makes you fat.
-Why not try Rens Kroes’s hummus. You can make it with different herbs, paprika powder, e.g., or cilantro.
-Or make tzaziki, very simple: grate some peeled cucumber in a container. Poor most of the liquid out of the bowl. Add three full scoops of Greek yoghurt, some garlic, salt and pepper, stir, and you’re done.
-Homemade mayonnaise isn’t unhealthy. Here’s a great recipe. Add some truffle paste and everyone will be applauding you, I assure you.
Bread
French bread from the supermarket can be quite tasty but it isn’t very healthy. You can eat twenty chunks without it satiating you. Quality French bread, on the contrary, will satiate you.
But there are also alternatives:
-I’m a big fan of quinoa bread. It’s a bit of a job, but you can save it for quite some time. It’s delicious with dips or a slice of cheese.
-If you want to buy bread at the bakery’s, choose spelt or sour dough. It’s more nutritious and it’ll satiate you quicker.
-Buy spelt crackers instead of bread or make them yourself if you’re a star in the kitchen. Take time for this recipe of homemade crackers.
Well, you know what to do right? Oh, and things like cocktail nuts and cheese fingers are hard to refuse. If you’re hosting a BBQ at home then don’t make things too complicated for yourself. Just don’t put them on the table. Choose raw nuts, crudité with hummus dip, and taco crisps with guacamole. Here’s that recipe too.
Enjoy your BBQ this summer and keep your killer body. That’s a promise.
