[BBQ Recipe] Barbequed Courgette and Bulgur Wheat Salad

Barbequed Courgette and Bulgur Wheat Salad

It can be really difficult to watch your weight when heading to a BBQ with friends and family. There will be a mountain of meat, some sumptuous fish, and if you’re lucky the odd veggie kebab on the BBQ too. The table of sides often isn’t much better with mayonnaise laden potato salads, coleslaw swimming in yet more mayonnaise and sugary condiments.

My Mum and I are often the bringers of “green salad” to these kind of events but the limp lettuce tends to get pushed around the plate. One leaf might make its way into a burger bun if its lucky.

With that in mind I’ve started making a conscious effort to serve up more exciting salads when cooking up a storm around a BBQ.

Before I thought if people weren’t willing to eat a simple green salad, why would they be willing to try a cous-cous or bulgur wheat one? I won’t lie to you, I have had mixed success in this regard. My Nan and Grandad simply won’t touch the stuff, but it turns out the rest of my family are much more willing to try new things.

With that in mind here’s one of my favourites. It’s a warm salad with the courgette grilled and served over the fluffy bed of bulgur wheat at the last minute. This gives it a bit of theatre and people feel like they’re not betraying the BBQ!

Pomegranate, Walnut and Bulgur Wheat Salad

 

Have you been outside recently? Something strange is happening, the sky is blue, the sun is shining and there’s a beautiful warm breeze. It’s funny watching how the English public react to a bit of blue sky.

Just the other day Mr KG and I took a trip down Oxford Street for a spot of shopping and a bite to eat. Half of the people we passed were huffing and puffing, not only loaded up with shopping bags, but with layers of jumpers and coats causing them to overheat. (I’ll let you in on a secret; Mr KG was one of them!) Others had gone to the other extreme – we saw so many pasty legs sticking out of shorts and skirts.

However, the sun doesn’t just do strange things to a person’s wardrobe choices, it also changes the way we eat! A lot of people believe it’s easier to lose weight in the summer because light al fresco dinners and salads for lunch suddenly become much more appetizing options.

I’ve tried bucking the trend and last autumn introduced a warm salad series which included recipes like Grilled Nectarine & Goats Cheese Salad as well as Warm Honeyed Fig, Cured Ham and Mozzarella Salad. This autumn I’ll add a few more to the collection.

In the meantime however, as the sun shines and the sky remains blue, I’ll stick to fresh, summery salads without the extra heat.

This salad is great for people who struggle to feel full after just a bowl of leaves. It focuses much more on the use of bulgur wheat to provide sustenance and energy and the fresh herbs to bring some leafy greens to the mix. Last but not least, the walnuts and pomegranate bring a delicious crunchy texture to the dish as well as subtle nutty tones and the sweet yet sharp hit of fruit.

This dish also lends itself well to being packed up in a lunch box and being taken to work. If, like me, you end up working straight through your break, it can easily be tucked into at your desk without worrying about messy dressings. As the weather continues to improve I will have to make more of an effort to eat out in the sunshine!

Warm Salad Series: Fresh Fig Salad with Cured Ham and Mozarella

“Fresh figs 3 for £1,” how do you walk past a market stall with a sign like that? I certainly couldn’t!

The first day that I attended law school I noticed a fruit market just on the corner by the tube station. They sell allsorts from big fruit salads for just £1 which are perfect for lunch, to other fresh seasonal fruits – like figs!

Every morning the stall is already set up with lots of customers grabbing something to eat on their way to work, and it’s only taken me a week to be swept up by the stalls popularity. This may have been my first purchase, but I know it won’t be my last.

I’ve only eaten figs a few times (always in restaurants) and I have never cooked with them myself, so it was a pretty bold move to buy some. However, with my warm salad series underway I knew I could muddle something together.

Crunchy Italian Cheese Salad

Summer’s on its way and that means one thing! Yummy salads!

A salad will NEVER fill you up on a winters day, but in the summer a salad is the perfect dish to keep you going throughout the day and as I’ve said many times, they really don’t have to be boring!

 

Chicken and Avocado Salad

I've already posted one avocado salad on here, one that I often take into university with me on hectic days.

This one is a non-veggie version, and I have 3 ways of varying the salad to make it that little bit more indulgent each time!

Avocado Salad

My body is craving healthy food!!!

There has been far too much indulging in cake and rich food this last week, and my body has been craving something healthy and fresh! So, for lunch I decided to make a nice Avocado salad!

It's a lovely summer salad that certainly keeps you full! Even if you choose to leave out the pasta!

Here's how to make it!