Picnic, Party and BBQ ideas...

Scotch Eggs

5 hard boiled eggs

454g low fat pork sausages

14g 0.5oz flour to dust your hands

3 eggs, beaten

2 slices wholemeal bread, made into breadcrumbs

1.    Hard boil 5 eggs, cool in running water and take off shells

2.    Skin the sausages, cut through skin lengthways and take out the meat.

3.    Using a little flour to dust your hands, take 1.5 sausages and roll into a ball.  Then press out into 4.5 cm diameter.

4.    Place a boiled egg in the centre and form the meat around the egg.  Repeat until all five are done.

5.    Beat the 3 eggs in a basin for the coating.  Dip the meat covered eggs into the beaten egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs.

6.    Place on a baking tray, spray with low fat cooking spray and cook in the oven for 15/20 minutes at 200c / Gas 6.

Party Dip

454g / 1lb fat free natural fromage frais

Grated zest and juice of lemon/lime

1 small green or red chilli, deseeded and chopped

1 small bunch of mint, freshly chopped

2tbsp chopped dill

Salt and pepper

Pinch of paprika

Sprig of parsley

Crudites: carrots, peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower, cucumber, celery and courgette

1.    Spoon the fromage frais into a bowl, stir in the lemon/lime zest and juice, and the chilli and mix together.

2.    Add the mint and dill, and season to taste

3.    Prepare your crudites and arroung around the plate with the dip in the middle.

Vegetable Quiche (no pastry)

Chop up a mix of your favourite vegetable and layer them in the bottom of a flan dish.

Pour a mixture of beaten eggs and fat free cottage cheese over the top, season well.

Cook in the oven for around 30 minutes, cool and slice up ready for your hamper.

Pasta Salad

Mix your favourite cooked pasta with chopped peppers, spring onions and cherry tomatoes.

Add a fat free vinaigrette and chilli flakes if you like it hot.

Chicken drumsticks

Remove the skin (sorry!) ad coat the chicken with smoked paprika, mustard powder and

garlic powder.  Bake for around 30 minutes (or until cooked), cool and store in an airtight 

container ready for your picnic.

Veg crudites and Hummus dip

Make a quick dip using blended chickpweas, fat free natural fromage frais, crushed garlic

and lemon juice.  Chop up as much veg as you like and get dipping!

Red Pepper, Spinach & Sweet Potato Tortilla

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and halved and sliced into thin half moons

1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

4 large eggs

57g/2oz baby spinach

Salt and pepper

Low calorie cooking spray

2 tablespoon quark

2 little gem lettuce, leaves separated

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced

Method

1.   Preheat oven to 200c /  Gas 6

2.   Mix the red onion and red pepper together and place on a roasting tin lined with baking parchment.  Roast the vegetables or 20-25 minutes, until they’re tender.  Five minutes before the end of cooking add in the rosemary and garlic and mix well.  Remove the vegetables from the oven and reduce the temperature to 180c / Gas 4

3.   In a large bowl, whisk the eggs then add the roasted veg and dollop in the quark in small spoonfuls over the top.  Let the tortilla set slightly on the hob for 1 minute, transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes until set.

4.   Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Serve with the lettuce, tomatoes, carrot and cucumber, and a drizzle of fat free/ low fat dressing.

Surf & Turf Kebabs

4 garlic cloves

1tsp paprika

1tsp Tabasco sauce

6tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

24 raw tiger prawns, with tails left on

800g lean sirloin/rump steak, cut into 32 pieces

6 spring onions cut into 2.5cm pieces

2 red peppers cut into 2.5cm pieces

Lemon wedges to serve

Mix together the garlic, paprika, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces.  Season well, sip the prawns into the mixture, lift out and set aside.  Stir in the cubes of steak and leave to marinate for 15 minutes.

Thread the prawns, steak, onions and peppers onto metal skewers.  Cook on the barbecue for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until steak is cooked to your liking and the prawns are cooked through.

Serve the kebabs with a tomato salsa made with chopped tomatoes; fresh mint and parsley; chopped red onion, lime juice and Tabasco. Plate up with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Chargrilled corn on the cob with herb dip

4 x corn on the cob

Low fat cooking spray

Salt and pepper

Shredded red pepper to garnish

Herb Dip

227g / 80z fat free natural fromage frais

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp freshly snipped chives

1tbsp freshly chopped mint

1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Juice of 0.5 lemon

Salt and pepper

1.    Cut each cob in half, parboil in a large pan of boiling water for about 5 minutes until tender.  Drain and pat dry.

2.    Spray the cobs lightly with cooking spray and place them in a heated cast iron grill pan, or over the barbecue grill.  Cook for about 2 minutes, turning frequently.

3.    Meanwhile mix all the ingredients together for dip and spoon into a bowl.

4.    Season the cooked cobs with salt and pepper and serve with a sprinkling of red pepper and the herb dip.

You could try this with other veg. Why not try aubergine, courgette, peppers, red onion wedges or even big tomatoes?

Lemon Yogurt Syllabub with summer berry jelly

Ingredients

227g /8oz fat free natural yogurt

3 level tbsp skimmed milk powder

Artificial sweetener to taste

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 small egg white

12 raspberries, to garnish

Strips of lemon peel

113g / 4oz strawberries

113g / 4oz raspberries

113g / 4oz blackberries

113g / 4oz blueberries

425ml / 15floz water

Artificial sweetener, to taste

7g / 1/4 oz gelatine

2tbsp hot water

Method

1.   Make the jelly: cut the strawberries into quarters and leave the other fruits whole. Put half the fruits in a saucepan and cover with water.  Add a little artificial sweetener and poach gently over a low heat for 1-2 minutes until the fruits just start to soften.  Do not overcook – they must retain their shape.  Press the remaining fruits through a sieve to extract the juices.  Add to the fruits in the pan.

2.   Soak the gelatine in the hot water for 1 minute. Strain the juices from the poached fruits into a bowl and stir in the gelatine.  Strain again.  Cool the cooked fruits quickly and divide them between 4 attractive tall glasses.  Pour the strained syrup over to just cover them.  Chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until set.

3.   To make the syllabub, in a bowl mix the yogurt with the skimmed milk powder.  Sweeten to taste and add the lemon zest.  Whisk together and then chill for about 40 minutes until firm and slightly thickened.  Beat the egg white until stiff and fold into the syllabub.

4.   Spooon the syllabub over the jelly and return to the refrigerator for 2 hours.  To serve, decorate the top of each dish with raspberries and lemon peel.  Serve chilled.