Charcoal Challenge – Embrace The BBQ

I’m pretty new to bbq’s partly because I’m vegetarian and partly because I’m not a burger in a bun kind of girl. Maybe I’ve been unluckily but the food on a bbq just never appealed to me.

Recently though I’ve had my mind changed. I no longer think of a bbq as a place to get tasteless burgers smothered in tomato sauce and stuffed into a boring white bread roll. It’s now become an outdoor cooker and a place to relax with friends and family. So when I was invited to take part in The Charcoal Challenge by The Money Supermarket … well I couldn’t say no.

Armed with £50 I set off to Tesco to pull together a spread for Me, Mr Dad, RoRo, RaRa, Eldest, Nana, Grandad, a couple of my girls friends and their friends mum plus her toddler (six kiddies and five adults.

I bought …

Meat
Diced chicken – £2.95, diced lamb £4, diced pork £3.99, Sausages (8) £1.99, chicken legs (4) £2.13
subtotal= £15.06

Salad & Vegetables
Carrots £1, new potatoes £1.40, Aubergine £1.50, fine beans £1.50, cherry tomatoes £2, Iceburg lettuce £1, orange pepper x2 £1.60, red pepper x2 £1.60, cucumber £0.65, standard tomatoes £1.50, Lemon x3 £0.65, beetroot pack £0.80, courgette £0.40, frozen mini corn on the cob £1.35.
subtotal = £13.60

Dairy
Halloumi cheese £2.35, parmasan cheese £3.50, houmous £1.20.
subtotal= £7.05

Fruit
Grapes £2, Strawberries x2 £4.
subtotal= £6

Other
Pitta x2 £0.44, hula hoops £1, pringles x2 £2.48, black olives £1.05.
subtotal= £4.97

Total Spend = £48.43

I also used a cupfull of puy lentils (from a packet at home), a table spoon of couscous (from a packet at home), herbs from the garden (mint, parsley, thyme, coriander), home made elderflower fizz (adults), water for the kids and about a 1/4 of a bag of charcoal (from a packet at home).

It made a rather glorious spread.

Garlic Thyme Chicken

Chicken, lamb & pork skewers in herbs an oil plus halloumi, tomato & courgette skewers

Plus sausages, corn on the cob (cooked in foil)