Heather gives us the marinade secrets for our barbecue.

This method of soaking chicken, beef or pork brings out the flavours of the meat and adds a little something extra. She also suggests salads and a boozy pudding. Recipes are for 6.

For the marinade to flavour meat to feed 6 people:

125 mls of tomato sauce/ketchup
125 mls of honey
half tspn Chinese 5 spice powder
4 tspns soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic crushed

Mix the ingredients and stand it for a minimum of an hour with the meat in.

Barbecue when ready making sure that your chicken is cooked through to prevent problems. If you use potions of chicken with the bone in this is especially important as uncooked legs, wings or whole birds can poison you! Cook slowly so that the meat is not burnt on the outside and raw at the joints. Cook when the coals are universally grey and glowing with no flames to scorch the meat.
If you are using drumsticks etc with a bone why not play safe and put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes on high to be sure the joints are cooked.

Salad ideas:

Mango, avocado and walnut.

2 avocados peeled and sliced
2 mangos peeled and sliced
a big handful of walnut halves
3 rashers of bacon finely chopped
1 big crispy lettuce or mixed leaves.

Dressing:

60 mls olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tspn Dijon mustard
1 tbs thickened cream /double cream/whipping cream

Method:

Cook bacon in frying pan until crisp. Drain onto kitchen paper.
Arrange the lettuce or leaves with avocado, bacon, walnuts and mango on top.
Put all the ingredients for the dressing into a screw topped jar and shake. Then pour over