One dish which always go down well at a get together party or barbecue are spare ribs. I have to say can’t say I adore them but there appears to be something about getting meshy, sticky and nibbles and small tasty meat fragments off the bones which alot of us love including my son Ed. He loves this quick recipe I developed when the boys get together.

For my Barbecued Spare Ribs your going to need: 1 1/2kg pork spare ribs cut up (talk to your butcher nicely as alot will prepare these for you if you ask nicely), 3 tblsp soy sauce, 2 tblsp branston spicy pickle sauce, 1 tblsp worcester sauce, 1 tblsp good tomato ketchup and 1 tblsp coarse cut marmalade.

For full on tasty ribs and you have the time allow your ribs to marinate overnight or for several hours if you can. Put all the marinade into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute then stir well and leave to go cold before adding the ribs to the marinade and mix well. Cover and refridgerate for several hours or overnight if possible stirring around a few times. Then cover your bowl with cling film and microwave for 10 minutes, baste well and turn over and microwave for a further 10 minutes or until the ribs are tender. Then they are ready to serve with jacket potatoes, spicy wedges, cous cous etc the choice is yours. You could if you want to cook them on your barbecue if you are eating alfresco too.

Whats your favourite marinate? tell us all about it and how you came about it. Alot of the times you may be missing a ingredient and replace it with another one when guests arrive uninvited so to speak. Its then when you need to note your variation as some times its better and you can go on to develop a great tasting version which is how I have developed alot of my recipes over the years. So invest in a little black book for the kitchen to fill with your creations and record results and comments.

See my previous blog summer fruity kebabs put the D in dessert, and my British barbecues perfect recipe for a delicious salmon dish if you love salmon. There are many more to look at do a search on barbecue’s to find all my al fresco recipes.

One gadget which I keep hearing about more and more and seeing more of in friends kitchens is the Food Mincer. One such item sat proudly on my grandmothers kitchen table always; it was used for allsorts including grinding coffee beans for morning coffee.

It seems this gadget is enjoying a comeback and a return to our kitchens, as we cook more and more homemade. This can be for many reasons, whether your looking to take control of your nutrition and watch what you eat avoiding additives, allergens and colourants etc, or you could be looking at ways of saving money by cooking and preparing foods yourself but using the highest quality ingredients.

By this you could use a mincer for example to, mince a cut of beef from your local butcher in order to make burgers, whether for the kids so you know what ingredients are in them or for that homemade appeal for a barbecue with friends.

Another great use for these is I make christmas cakes, mincemeat and christmas puddings, (yes I know its that dreaded word none of us wish to discuss), but I make these for relatives and the elderly do appreciate their fruit minced slightly, as do children.

This kitchen craft cast iron mincer for example looks fantastic and being cast iron will last you through all of your kitchen recipes. This Kitchen Craft cast iron mincer from John Lewis has three different sized mincing discs and even a sausage making attachment. This mincer is easy to set-up and securly clamps to the worktop which is less than 1¼” thick with a plastic guard supplied to protect the worktop surface too.

So why not join in the trend today, and try making your own burgers and sausages for example. Its easy, try different meats with added vegetables like tomato, onion and leek for example, or even apple and add you favourite spices and herbs to create your own brand of sausage. Imagion your next barbecue when you annouce the chefs special!!

See my blog its just minced beef, and man sized burger to satisfy and lots more recipes for all occassions and meals in many more of my blogs.

Well the sun has been shining again, and looking at the group of friends in my back garden this evening a little too much sun has been had from all the red sunburn patches I can see. ‘Oh that is definitely going to hurt later!’.

I have prepared some tasty delights which will suit all of my guests, as some are vegetarian. The bbq has been on for hours now and sizzling away on top now are some homemade lamb & mint burgers I have made. The jacket pototoes which were wrapped in foil in the coals have come out now and are keeping warm while my mexican delight is finishing in the oven.

While the weathers hot and the wine is flowing, my friends love their spicy flavours to come across in their food. With a large salad freshly prepared I have some homebaked baps, which I have to say are a little on the large side. But I am not going to hear the fella’s complaining and has it happens they have turned out to be the perfect size for my homemade lamb & mint burgers. In these baps I have chopped cucumber, sweet baby plum tomatoes, watercress and cubed feta, on top of which I shall place the lamb & mint burgers which I am serving with a mint & yogurt dip I made earlier.

And for my dear veggy friends mexican potatoes, with a crop of new potatoes fresh out of my garden. I have taken these around a pound in weight and sliced them, added around 5 floz of homemade chicken stock, 1 tin 14oz of kidney beans, 1 tsp of marjoram, 1 - 7oz tin of red pimientos (these make the dish), 1/2 - 1lb of rich smoked bacon from my local butcher & parsley to garnish. Place all this in a casserole dish & cover place in the oven at gas 3/ 160 c / 325 f for about an hour and this is delicious served with salad and a chunk of homemade bread.  (For your homemade bread try my blog loafing around in the morning, about bread machines with recipes for making your own bread as this will go down a storm at your bbq’s)

Although the tequilla should be served after you have eatten, but someone forgot to tell Aidy that one!!

Check out  my previous blog bar-b-q funtime for a great bbq with every practical part to make bbq safe and easy, so if your looking for a bbq to add to your household cooking appliances make sure you read this first, as everyone voted this BBQ a Winner!!. With fathers day just around the corner why not check out my apron blog for a great idea for that special man in your life.  Another blog you may want to visit from a while ago is my man size burger blog your fella will love you for it!

Why not send in your bbq ideas and what your friends and family enjoy at your bbq’s??

Looking for something tempting to serve up on the side is sometimes quite daunting especially when your looking for something different too!

I remember my grandmother showing me a fabulous dish with a classic flavouring concept called persillade. She added this to an array of fruits and vegetables for a great tasting and looking side to accompany fish or meats alike, but my grandmother favourite was to serve this with gammon.

If your not good at preparing vegetables or want to take the time element out of this make sure you have a handy Juliene Vegetable slicer in your kitchen. You will find one invaluable for preparing vegetables in an array of shapes and sizes for all of your recipes needs. This versatile Wide Julienne Vegetable Slicer is ideal for thinly slicing fruit and vegetables for speedy preparation. Made from toughened plastic, this sturdy slicer features a comfortable handle and stay-sharp ceramic blade. A finger guard is also supplied

Try this and let me know what you think.  For Grandmothers Courgettes, Apples & Persillade-  your going to need: 1 red onion, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 medium apple, 1 medium tomato, 500g courgettes, salt & pepper, a bunch of parsley & 1 clove of garlic.

Peel & thinly slice your onion and heat 2 tablespoons of oik in a frying pan before adding your onion and cook over a low heat for 7 minutes until the onion has softened. Rinse & core the apple and then chop in to cubes. Rinse & chop in to cubes your tomato also and stir in with the onion and cook for a further 5 minutes stirring occassionally. Trim and rinse your courgettes and then slice lengthways into thin strips before cutting the strips into batons. Sprinkle these with salt, heating another frying pan fry your courgettes over a moderate heat until they release their moisture then turn up the heat and continue to cook until the moisture has evaporated, saking the pan to make sure the courgettes do not burn. Reduce the heat then add the apple, tomato & onion mix to the courgettes and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile rinse, dry & chop enough fresh parsley to make 4 tablespoons & crush the garlic. Mix this with the parsley to make the Persillade. Stir the persillade into the frying pan with the vegetables and simmer for a few minutes to cook the garlic, then grind in some black pepper & add some salt to season to your taste before serving immediately with some delicious griddled gammon.

Do you have a favourite side dish, why not tell me about it or any of my recipes or blogs?