You don’t just have to stick to the traditional shop bought burgers and hot dogs when you host your next barbecue, there are plenty of other options. To really impress your friends and family members, we advise you contemplate the following ideas:

Griddled vegetables

Forget the salad that nobody touches, try frying up some veg. They’ll carry BBQ flavours if you cook them on a hob over the flames, and then simply top with crumbly feta cheese.

Goat kebabs

Goat meat tastes wonderful and it works well as a kebab. Cube the meat and add to skewers with peppers and onions, then simple rotate them over the barbecue.

Trout

Barbecuing a trout in newspapers is a cool idea and the taste will be amazing. Also add some fresh lemons and herbs for extra flavour.

For me and my family, it’s a moment we’ve all been waiting for. The sunshine has finally arrived, and it means we can now go out for a picnic. It doesn’t take much more than a picnic basket, several sandwiches, cake crisps and a few bottles of fice cold flavoured water, and it certainly keeps us happy and entertained on a sunny afternoon. I’ve always loved eating outside, and for me the location is really important. We love to go to parks, riversides and beaches as they all provide fabulous picnicking opportunities. Of course, when the eating is over, we tend to burn a few of the calories off by playing stuck in the mud, rounders or football. The kids are only 9 and 11 so they absolutely love these days out, but probably not more so than me and my husband.

Finally Easter is here, so it’s time to indulge in chocolate eggs, watch television and relax with your loved ones. We’ve started the day with a chocolate and spice hot cross bun, and we’re preparing our Herb-crusted leg of lamb with red wine gravy.

To get you in the mood for Easter, we’re giving you two ideas for delicious bank holiday weekend treats.

Carrot cake

It’s one of our all time faves, a sticky and delicious sponge real carrot topping. You can find this classic recipe online. Just don’t let the Easter bunnies get to it!

Cream Egg Rocky Road

This is a big hit in our home at Easter, and it’s easy to make. You don’t bake it, you simply melt chocolate and pile in easter goodies then leave in the fridge to chill.

Sweet potato fries are actually rather trendy at the moment. They became rather popular in the states but you’ll be able to order them at various gourmet burger restaurants in the UK. They are very easy to make, but they’re also very easy to get wrong too.

If you’d like to make them as a side for your gourmet burger, here are our top tips:

1. Cut the sweet potato nice and thin, so you’re left with French fry cuts.
2. Place them in a bowl with a touch of salt, pepper, paprika and two tablespoons of olive oil.
3. Put the oven on high.
4. Lay the sweet potato fries out on a baking tray. Be sure to make sure none of them are overlapping.
5. Place them in the centre of the oven to cook for 20-25 minutes at 200°.
6. Only turn them over when the edges have started to crisp.
7. Take them out, serve with a dollop of ketchup and enjoy.

Whether you’re putting out a spread for a birthday, a christening or just a random family gettogether, it’s always good to have some nibbles available. Rather than nipping to your local supermarket and buying a packet of crips or a tin of cashew nuts, you can instead make some treats yourself. You’ll make a much better impression, and we’ve got plenty of snack ideas for you to make, including:

• Tortilla chips and dip
• Pizza bites
• Chicken skewers
• Volevants
• Bite size sausage rolls
• Onion Bhajis
• Nachos
• Cheese dippers

These are just a few of our ideas for snacks, and there’s so much you can do. That said, you don’t have to put a huge variety on offer, but having a little bit of homemade grub can make a better impression on your guests, and they’re going to taste a lot better than snacks from a packet!

Desserts don’t need to be sweet, and if you always fancy somthing savoury and light after a heavy meal, these options below can be ideal.

1. A cheese board probably sits top of the list on the greatest savoury desserts, and there are plenty of different options to choose from. A good cheese board includes a bit of everything, so you have your stilton, cheddar, camembert, cream cheese, and blue cheese among others. Don’t forget the grapes, which help to cleanse the pallet.
2. Pancakes are another good option, and they can include savoury toppings like egg, bacon and cheese.
3. Volovants are nice and light, and whether you want to fill yours with prawns, fluffy egg or salmon, they’re all great options.

These are just a few of the savoury desserts that can be whipped up in such a short space of time. each cna be customised to suit your tastes or those of your guests.