9x tips for BBQ and delicious summer dining

Summer is here. The barbecue beckons. It's time to sit outside for a long time and catch up with friends over a tasty snack and drink. Below are 9 things we think about for successful dishes on and off the grill.

1. Olives and tomatoes

Want to present a festive aperitif quickly? Get some olives and sun-dried tomatoes out of the cupboard. 

Olives are a healthy snack and low in calories. Ideal for satisfying your first hunger. Whether you eat them in olive oil, with garlic, southern herbs or stuffed, their distinctive flavour enhances wine and other aperitif drinks. 

Sun-dried tomatoes go well with olives and are a welcome alternative for those who are not fans of olives. 

Mani offers tasty olives, tapenades, capers and sun-dried tomatoes straight from the Greek Peloponnese. Pure or flavoured with summery flavours such as fennel, pink pepper, lemon oil or balsamic vinegar.

2. Olive oil

A summer barbecue needs olive oil! Choose carefully which oil you use for what. There are big differences in taste and quality. 

The Grand Cru's of Bio Orto are of absolute top quality. They have their own distinctive taste. Use them to turn your salads into culinary delights, make a unique dressing or enjoy the pure taste by dipping some bread in it. 

For marinating meat it is better to use a slightly cheaper olive oil such as Mueloliva or Amanprana Premium olive oil. When olive oil is heated, there is always some loss of flavour. So don't use your expensive extra virgin monocultivar oil for that.

3. Vegetarian seitan steak

Barbecuing with plant-based eaters? No problem! Bertyn's seitan steaks are easy to grill and only need to be cooked briefly. These nutritious, tasty meat substitutes are made of spelt or wheat, are rich in protein and low in fat. They really do look like a juicy piece of meat. Perhaps fun to catch your carnivorous friends with?

4. Pulled jackfruit

Want to surprise unexpected guests? Make sure you always have some tins of jackfruit and BBQ sauce or herbs at home. Jackfruit, a tropical fruit from Sri Lanka, has a meaty texture reminiscent of chicken. The 'meat' can easily be marinated and seasoned like tofu. 

Jackfruit is now popular for making veggie 'pulled pork'. You can even do this without a BBQ! To do this, pull the cubes of jackfruit apart into strips with your hands or two forks and let it marinate in a BBQ sauce for as long as possible (preferably overnight, but shorter is also possible). First briefly fry the jackfruit in a pan and then put it in an oven at 180°C for another 7 minutes. Even non-veggie friends will lick their fingers.

5. Barbecue spices

With herbs, a whole world of flavours opens up for you. Do not forget to use them in your food and certainly not at the barbecue! 

We can no longer do without Frankie's Barbecue Spice Mix of Sonnentor. A fiery red mixture of organic peppers, garlic, chilli and Mediterranean herbs especially for the barbecue and grill. Apart from meat, this mix also goes very well with seitan, tofu or aubergine and courgette.

Tip: This herb mix is also delicious on a slice of bread with some butter. 

6. Sauces and seasonings

A good BBQ should be accompanied by tasty sauces. Curtice Brothers is known for its ketchup with the rich flavour of fresh tomatoes. Made according to authentic American recipe from the 19th century and with 50% less salt and sugar! 

Be sure to try their Chili Ketchup. It has a nice spicy aftertaste and can also be used as BBQ sauce.

Pique Assiettes spoils you with an organic mayonnaise that really tastes like home-made mayonnaise. You can make a splash with this if you put it in an anonymous bowl on the table. 

For your hot dogs or burgers, you should definitely try relish. This is a sauce or tartar of pieces of pickle and pepper in a sweet and sour vinegar marinade. Americans cannot live without it. We must admit that this topping gives a whole new taste experience to your hot dog.

7. Pesto !

Pesto is a great sauce on the BBQ table. It is a nice dip for the aperitif and goes well with grilled meat. 

Stir a couple of spoons of pesto under pasta or vegetables and you immediately have a surprising summer salad. 

Do you have leftovers after the BBQ? No problem. Adding some pesto makes them even tastier. 

Bio & Te offers the most delicious pestos (according to us), but also tapenades for bruschetta or toast and a spread or cream of artichokes and a chickpea pesto. 

8. Balsamic or apple vinegar

Want to give salads, marinades or desserts a delicious finish? You can do it with olive oil and apple or balsamic vinegar.

Balsamic vinegar is grape must, sometimes mixed with apple vinegar. This mixture is left to mature for years in wooden barrels. The final balsamic contains a wide range of flavours. You do not heat it up, because that would destroy the subtle flavours completely. Balsamic vinegar is therefore only drizzled over cold dishes or used in a vinaigrette. It is delicious in combination with strawberries! 

In a salad dressing or vinaigrette, use apple cider vinegar to balance the overall flavour. It provides a fresh-sour touch with a sweet edge. In hot sauces, apple cider vinegar reduces the salty taste. Finally, marinades can sometimes be quite hearty and heavy. With some apple vinegar, you can add a fruity and sweet touch. Do you use balsamic vinegar or wine in your marinade recipe? Try using apple cider vinegar with some lemon juice and taste the difference. 

9. Summery grape juice

Tired of typical soft drinks? D'UVA is a delicious Italian grape juice in handy bottles with a screw cap. The pure grape juices can serve as an alcohol-free alternative to white, rosé or red wine. But D'Uva also offers surprising flavours of grape juice with, for example, ginger/lemon, pomegranate/grapefruit or blueberry/mandarin. These are juices that are also cool for adults to drink.