The barbecue has become one of our best friends on warm summer nights and we love to try out all sorts of different recipes. While we enjoy a simple dinner with steaks, sausages and beer, we also love to come up with new ideas and themed dishes that work great with each other. And who doesn’t love a nice Cajun flair with sweet and spicy flavors? Well, we’re definitely fans of this delicious and unique taste – so we’ve created a healthy and savory grill party you’re going to love! With shrimp and chicken, juicy vegetables, tasty fresh lemonade and homemade mango salsa, this is an easy dinner made for long, summer nights with a group of friends and a southern touch. So,
heat up the barbecue, turn on the music and enjoy your Cajun get-together!
Caramelized Lime And Chili Chicken:
What you’ll need:
– 5-6 chicken drumsticks & wings (or just the breast if you prefer it without the bones)
– olive oil
– 1 lime
– chili (we used chili threads, but simple chili powder or sliced fresh chilis will also work)
– paprika powder
– brown sugar
– salt & pepper
Rinse the chicken with cold water, pat dry with paper towels and then lightly coat it in olive oil. After adding the oil, season your chicken with salt/pepper, chili and paprika powder. Slice half of the lime and squeeze the juice of the other half. Drizzle the lime juice over the seasoned chicken and sprinkle with brown sugar. Add the sliced lime for more flavor and let the meat marinate for at least 2 hours before grilling it (we recommend prepping it the day before and sticking it into the fridge over night). On the barbecue, the brown sugar will caramelize, leaving you with deliciously moist and flavorful chicken!
What you’ll need:
– fresh or frozen shrimp (calculate about 5-8 pieces per person)
– lemon pepper
– brown sugar
– 1-2 fresh chilis
– juice of 1 lime
If you use frozen shrimp, be sure to take them out of the freezer ahead of time and let them defrost in a bowl with cold water and salt. Once the shrimp are defrosted, rinse and pat dry as you did with the chicken. Squeeze the lime and cut the chilis into small pieces. Then, in a bowl mix the lime juice with the chilis, lemon pepper and brown sugar to make a dressing. Toss the shrimp into the bowl with the dressing and let marinate (we also recommend a minimum of 2 hours – better yet over night). Grill for about 5-10 minutes – depending on the size of your shrimp.
What you’ll need:
– seasonal vegetables of your choice (we used bell peppers, squash & zucchini)
– olive oil
– salt & pepper
– chili (we used chili threads, but you can use whatever you have at home)
– fresh garlic
Clean and cut the veggies – don’t worry about chopping them finely, we actually prefer bigger chunks, as they won’t fall through the grid of the barbecue as easily. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil with the chili and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Then add the vegetables and toss until everything is covered evenly in the oil mixture. This can also marinate for a while, but doesn’t have to. We let it the veggies sit for about 30 minutes before throwing them onto the BBQ.
What you’ll need:
– 1 very ripe mango
– 1/2 red onion
– 3-4 cherry tomatos
– salt & pepper
– juice of 1/2 lime
– cilantro (if you like the taste of it)
Finely dice the mango, tomatos and onion – once cut, mix all 3 ingredients in a bowl. Then season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle the lime juice ontop. If you like the taste of cilantro, cut a few leaves up and mix them into the salsa. If you like your salsa spicy, you can also add chili peppers or a bit of garlic.
What you’ll need:
– ripe & flavorful tomatos
– fresh basil
– garlic
– salt & pepper
– olive oil
– fresh baguette or ciabatta bread
Dice the tomatos as small as possible. Then add them to a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and add about 1 tsp. of olive oil. Cut the fresh basil into thin stripes and add them to the bruschetta mix. Cut the bread and top each piece of bread with 1-2 tsp. of the bruschetta mix. Then place it on the grill for about 3-5 minutes, until it becomes golden brown and crispy.
Fresh Strawberry Lemonade
What you’ll need:
– 8-10 fresh strawberries
– juice of 1/2 lime
– elderflower syrup
– ice cubes
– soda water
– sliced lime or strawberries to garnish
Wash and cut the strawberries. In a blender, mix the strawberries, lime juice and a splash of the soda water to form a smoothie-like mixture. Fill the mixture into a large pitcher, add ice cubes and sliced limes or strawberries. Then fill the pitcher with soda water and sweeten to taste with the elderflower syrup. We prefer a more refreshing version with only a tiny bit of syrup – but of course you can decide how sweet you want it. Stir well before serving.
Editor’s Tip: Ask each of your friends to make one of these dishes. That way, nobody is stuck with a huge grocery shopping list or lots of time in the kitchen – because after all, it is summer and we should be spending all of our spare time outdoors!
4 thoughts on “Cajun Barbeque: A Savory & Healthy Summer Dinner”
Das sieht alles wahnsinnig lecker aus!
Hmmm jetzt habe ich Hunger :)
LG
http://great-fashion-passion.blogspot.de
Danke für die tollen Rezepte! Das Chili-Hühnchen werde ich am Wochenende direkt mal ausprobieren, das hört sich super leicht und lecker an :)
Liebe Grüße!
Wahnsinnig leckere Rezeptideen, die ich sicher bald mal ausprobieren! Besonders die Garnelen und die Limonade sind verlockend.
LG
Oh, das sieht suuuper aus. Vor allem die Mango Salsa – das wird direkt am Wochenende ausprobiert. Da unser Grill über den Sommer sowieso in Dauerbetrieb ist, kommt so ein bisschen exotische Abwechslung zwischen den Rosmarinkartoffeln und Caprese gerade recht (so lecker das auch alles ist).
Danke für die Inspiration.
Herzlichst,
Julia
http://www.salonsieunder.com