Monday, April 28, 2008

First Barbecue!




The weather is finally starting to shape up here in The Netherlands and we are trying to enjoy every bit of it! As long as there's sun, you won't find us indoors. We're either exploring the Dutch countryside, walking in the dunes or shopping in the city. It's such a great feeling to have the whole day to ourselves with nothing on the agenda except having fun!

Days like these are usually ended with an outdoor feast. Yesterday we opened a bottle of Chianti and munched on some olives while Hans got the barbecue going and I prepared the food. We had chicken marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and sweet paprika powder, lamb burgers, baguette with garlic butter and corn on the cob. Hans, being the genius that he is, had the idea to wrap the meat in foil instead of putting it directly on the grill. Now, I know that this isn't really very traditional, but it worked out beautifully! The meat is actually steamed and tenderized in its little foil package providing a wonderfully moist and juicy result. Another thing is that there is less chance of overcooking the meat or ending up with charred (not very healthy) or dry cuts. Plus the fact that cleaning up is much easier! We think we'll continue using this little trick!

Dessert was a fool made with raspberries (the frozen kind) and shop- bought Croquants Noix de Coco cookies from Bonne Maman. Not a bad way to end the first barbecue of the year!

9 comments:

Jen said...

Oh, enjoy! I'm jealous!

Beatriz Macias said...

I had my first bbq of the season yesterday! Our Italian neighbors invited us over for lunch, and they had a lot of good food (duh! they are ITALIAN) enjoy the beautiful weather.

Anonymous said...

I wish the weather would perk up here; I'm so jealous. The meal sounds wonderful :)

Anonymous said...

Your barbecue sounds delicious..and peaceful :)
Thank you for adding me to your link list..very kind of you and much appreciated :)

Anna's kitchen table said...

Ah, how lovely to see that Summer is on the way in some parts of the World! It all looks wonderful Paola - enjoy!
xxx

Gloria Baker said...

Paola, se ve fantàstico ahora nosotros estamos en Otoño, ayer lloviò pero realmente nos hacìa falta. Disfruta tu Primavera,xxxxGloria

Sandy said...

Oh, how I missed BBQ's. And corn on the cob is a MUST!!
Yours looks wonderful.

Paola Westbeek said...

Hi Jen! Thanks for stopping by! We enjoyed indeed!

Hi Beatriz, Well we had the first seasonal bbq together then! And I can imagine how well you ate with your Italian neighbors!

Hi George, thanks! It's gray today here, but you just have to enjoy it when you can!

Hi Maryann! No thanks at all. You have a delightful blog and I enjoy reading it. :) Thanks for visiting me!

Hi Anna! Nice to see you! You guys will get nice weather eventually, I'm sure!

Hola Gloria, Gracias amiga. Si pudiera te invitaria! Pero si algun dia estas en Holanda, ya sabes! :)

Thanks Sandy! We do love our corn on the cob! Especially Kirstie!

paola

Sarah said...

Stumbled upon your blog. Mmmhmm your BBQ sounds amazing and looks quite tasty too.