Build the perfect barbecue platter

Pick and mingle! Arrange a divine selection of fresh, irresistible finger food to create a showstopping party centrepiece.

Barbecue platter

High protein, 2 vegie serves

Make the components of this platter in the order listed, then serve immediately.

• Serves 10
• Prep 45 minutes
• Cook 20 minutes

Grilled veg

2 corn cobs, husks and silks removed
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed
1 red onion, thickly sliced
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted, to garnish

1. Preheat a barbecue chargrill hotplate to medium-high.
2. Cook corn on the hotplate, turning often, for 20 minutes until tender.
3. In the last five minutes of corn cooking time, drizzle sesame oil over remaining veg and place on hot plate to cook, making sure onion slices stay together.
4. When vegies are cooked, use a sharp knife to cut kernels away from cob and arrange with onion and asparagus on platter. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Roasted truss tomato skewers

10 skewers, pre-soaked in water if bamboo
48 cherry or multicoloured tomatoes
fresh basil leaves, to garnish, optional

1. Thread 4-5 tomatoes onto each skewer, brush with a little olive oil, season with cracked black pepper and grill on chargrill plate for 3-5 minutes each side.
2. Place on platter with fresh basil leaves to garnish, if using.

Prawns and seafood sauce

4 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
4 tablespoons reduced-fat Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons low-sugar tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped
fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ oak leaf lettuce, leaves torn
1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled into ribbons
300g peeled cooked prawns, tails intact

1. To make the seafood sauce, in a medium bowl add mayo, yoghurt, tomato sauce, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and place in a small dish to serve.
2. Scatter lettuce and cucumber on platter. Arrange cooked prawns on top and serve with the seafood sauce.

Sweet potato and haloumi skewers

10 skewers, pre-soaked if bamboo
2 small sweet potatoes/golden kumara, halved lengthways and sliced
180g haloumi, halved, sliced into 10 chunks

1. In a large saucepan of boiling water cook sweet potato for 3 minutes or until almost tender, making sure not to overcook. Drain.
2. For the sweet potato skewers, alternate threading around three pieces of sweet potato and a haloumi slice onto each skewer. Repeat to make 10 skewers in total. Drizzle a little more oil over chargrill plate, then add skewers and cook, turning occasionally, for 7 minutes or until charred and heated through.
3. Arrange skewers together on the platter.

Chicken and pineapple skewers

5 skewers, pre-soaked if bamboo
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon low-sugar tomato sauce
1 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce
3 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
300g chicken breast fillets, sliced thickly and cut into large bite-size pieces
¼ fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, roughly chopped

1. To marinate the chicken, in a large bowl place maple syrup, tomato sauce and vinegar, and stir to combine. Add chicken and stir to coat. Set aside to marinate for around 8 minutes.
2. Thead pieces of chicken and pineapple onto skewers. Drizzle chargrill plate with a little oil, then add skewers and cook, turning and basting with remaining marinade, for 10 minutes or until chicken is charred and cooked through.
3. Arrange skewers on platter. If desired, remove chicken and pineapple from skewers.

Grilled steak with salsa verde

1 cup mixed fresh herbs (parsley, basil and mint)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
20g pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons baby capers
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juice
200g Scotch fillet steak

1. To make the salsa verde, in a blender place the herbs, oil, garlic, olives, capers, mustard and lemon juice and blitz until smooth. Season with pepper.
2. To cook the steak, brush with a little oil and season with pepper. Place on a hot chargrill plate and cook each side to your liking (about 1½ minutes each side for rare, 2½-3 minutes each side for medium). Remove from heat and rest for a few minutes before slicing.
3. Arrange on platter with salsa verde drizzled over.

PER SERVE:

1350kJ/320cal
Protein 25.5g
Total fat 13.5g
Sat fat 3g
Carbs 19.5g
Sugars 12.5g
Fibre 5.5g
Sodium 1070mg
Calcium 226mg
Iron 2.4mg