BBQ ideas for Summer!

Hello! This weekend is set to have delightful weather so I thought I'd write a BBQ post of all my ideas for a budget (but banging!...sorry) BBQ! Here I'll discuss where to find good meat replacements, vegetable versions (as in not soya based) and other yummy ideas...including pudding! This is more for ideas as well as saving money as I've seen a few questions starting to appear about what people have with bbqs. This post includes:

Vegan BBQ meats
Vegetable based BBQ shapes of joy!
Other ideas for you BBQ
Pudding!

Vegan BBQ meats

This is where vegan food can get expensive. Some of the companies are still quite small and so prices can get hefty. But that doesn't have to be the case! Often brands such as Linda McCartney are offer in one of the big supermarkets. For example, Morrisons currently have their sausages for £1 for 6. It's always worth having a quick google about to check prices. I like to use www.mysupermarket.co.uk as this allows you to see all the prices of a product on one screen, very nice!

Also, if you have a Farm Foods near you (here's the store locator: Farm Foods stores) you can get packs of 8 burgers and sausages (as well as mince and meatballs) 3 for £5.

Also, don't forget to check out Ocado, who often have offer on Frys products, as well a coupons that can be added to make very reasonable prices! (I will always do my best to post these offers!)

Vegetable based BBQ shapes of joy!

Sorry, I didn't know how to collectively phrase this separate to the 'meaty' types. As the rise of veganism continues, more and more of these are becoming available. The burgers I would like to draw your attention to most though are Tesco 'vegan vegetable patties' you get 6 for £1 and they are delicious and full of lovely chunky veg (as well as being especially good topped with vegan cheese and mayo covered lettuce, tomato and onion. A delicious burger experience!) See them here

Tesco also currently have an offer of 3 for £4 until the 14th May on burgers including veggie quarter pounders, spicy bean burgers and peanut and avocado burgers, as well as their sweet potato falafel and aubergine croquettes. You can see the range in the offer here (I've filtered it to vegan).

As well as Tesco Asda also have a new range of vegetable based burgers and sausages for £1.50 a pack. These include butternut squash, sweet potato and red pepper sausages and mushroom and kale sausages. See them all here.

Other ideas for your BBQ

Some of these may be obvious, but I've put them just in case you haven't thought of them yet!

Stuffed mushrooms: Get a large mushroom per person, fry an onion, wilted some spinach in with the onion and top the mushroom with this mix, adding extras such as tomato slices, or even vegan garlic and herb cream cheese. Then you can bake these in the oven or barbecue them (I recommend barbecuing the mushroom separately first though then topping and finishing them).

Vegetable rice: Fry all the veggies you like, cook the rice with a vegan stock cube in the water. Add rice to the veggies. This one may seem simple but I don't often see the idea of adding stock to rice water and it makes for a lovely taste!

Veggie kebabs: Skewer all the veg you like and cook on the bbq, you could add a bbq glaze (or any flavour) on them too.

Sweet corn: I did a post previously on frozen veg. If you didn't see it, you can get corn on the cobs in the freezer section which work out significantly cheaper per cob than fresh. These can be nicely barbecued and make a great addition to you plate.

There is a whole array of foods you can make to go with you meal, these are just a few ideas to get started with. Let me know if you have a favourite you'd like adding!

Pudding!

Chocolate bananas and ice cream: Bananas on a bbq is YUMMY! This can be made in  a few ways: either split the banana down the middle and stuff some chocolate in it, then wrap in foil and bake, or slice the bananas and cook on the BBQ, then sprinkle chocolate on the hot banana slices. You can also just cook the banana in the skin, peel it and top it whilst hot. Whatever way you do it, involve ice cream at the end! Yumyumyum

Grilled watermelon: As it sounds, you cook slices of watermelon on the bbq (currently £3.00 in Tesco for a whole massive watermelon). These are particularly nice when drizzled with a sweet syrup.

Fruit and ice cream: Again, may sound easy, but I've added this to remind you that you can get frozen fruit packs which work out considerable cheaper than fresh! There is usually a summer fruits/berry type which goes especially well with a lovely summery bbq.

I hope this helps!