Recipe: Heinz Classic Burger

We love a good burger. Have a go at this corker from Heinz and let us know what you think!

What you need:

4 tbsp Heinz Barbecue Sauce

4 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 cup of chilli powder 

75g fresh breadcrumbs 

1 egg lightly beaten

black pepper

500g lean beef mince

6 slicer cheddar

6 hamburger buns

sliced beef tomatoes

lettuce

What you do:

In a bowl combine the Heinz Barbecue Sauce, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and chilli powder. Add breadcrumbs and egg and stir together. 

Add the beef, season lightly with pepper and combine gently.

Divide the mixture evenly and shape into 6 burgers. Chill the burgers for 15 minutes.

When ready to cook, barbecue the burgers on a medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Top with a slice of cheese, cook for one minute, or until the cheese has melted. 

Serve on a toasted bun topped with sliced tomato and lettuce.

Where are we? - Week 11

Week 11 is our final week on the road! *Wipes away a tear*

This is your final opportunity to experience life alfresco with the team as we embark on our final 8 store summer climax!

Thursday - New Cross Gate Sainsbury's & Ely Tesco

Friday - Sydenham & Haverhill Sainsbury's

Saturday - Purley & Ipswich Tesco Extras

Sunday - Gatwick Tesco & Stanway Sainsbury's

Recipe: Intensely Creamy Strawberry Pavlova

Ingredients:

2 Egg whites

100g Caster sugar

300g Strawberries

300g Raspberries

3x 120g Pots Activia Intensely Creamy Sumptuously Strawberry Yoghurt

80g Unsalted pistachio nuts

Sprigs of mint

Dusting of icing sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 120C.  Grease and line 2 baking sheets.  Whisk 2 egg whites until fairly stiff.  Measure out 100g of caster sugar and add one tablespoon at a time to the egg whites, whisking continuously until the mixture is stiff and glossy.  Dollop 8 equal spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheets, leaving plenty of room between each one.

Make a hollow in the centre of each then bake for 2 hours.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool.  Take 300g of strawberries and 300g of raspberries and set a few aside.  Roughly chop the remaining strawberries and gently mix with the raspberries and 3x 120g pots of Activia Intensely Creamy Sumptuously Strawberry Yoghurt.  Spoon into the meringues.  Chop 80g of unsalted pistachio nuts and decorate each meringue with the remaining blueberries, a sprig of mint, the chopped pistachios and a dusting of icing sugar.

Smoooookin'!

We all know by now that the delicious flavour and beauty of BBQing lies in the smoke! Fancy tech smokers have begun to creep into the houses of many across the country, and they aren't cheap. Never fear! If you've got a barbi with a lid, we've got the tips you need to convert it into a fancy smoker.

1 - The variety of wood you use should change depending on what kind of food you're smoking. Pecan wood will add a beautiful flavour to brisket whilst hickory works perfectly with ribs. Just be careful to avoid unsuitable and potentially toxic kind of wood.

2 - Get soaked! It often a good idea to wet your wood as the steam from your chips will keep all of the succulent meat nice and juicy. If you'd rather, you can wet half of the chips and keep the rest dry for and even balance.

3 - Wrap the chips in tin foil like a burrito and poke lots of holes evenly throughout the packet and it's ready to go!

4 - Location, location, location. You don't want the food to be too close to the smoke as it can be a little too smoky. The best place to smoke anything is undoubtedly the top rack of the BBQ. So long as the meat isn't too close to direct heat and the the BBQ is properly ventilated, you'll be OK.

5 - Be patient! We know you'll be tempted, but don't keep peeking under the lid to see if the food is ready. You'll know when to intervene by regularly checking the temperature and watching for the smoke to dissipate. 

6 - After the first hour, lift up the lid and allow the smoke to clear before getting too close. Filling a clean spray bottle with apple juice can act as a great baster for meat. Keep basting every 20 minutes until the meat is falling off the bone.

Enjoy.

Where are we? - Week 9

We've only got 3 weeks left on the road, but there are still plenty more stores for you to visit! Here's where you can find us this week:

Thursday - Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham & Kingsway, Derby Sainsbury's

Friday - Emersons Green, Bristol & Fosse Park, Leicester Sainsbury's

Saturday - Cirencester Tesco & Warwick Sainsbury's 

Sunday - Swindon Tesco & Marshal Lake, Solihull Sainsbury's

Recipe: Chicken Supreme Stuffed with Boursin

If you're ever in need of some great summer food inspiration, head over Boursin's YouTube channel for recipe vids with Marcus Bean. Here's a little stuffed chicken recipe to whet your appetite. 

Recipe: Coriander and Ginger Lamb Chops

If you picked up the Mail on Sunday, you would have seen this delicious recipe! It's a variation on a dish we picked up from a small roadhouse on the way out of Bondi, and the slightly fusion edge enhances the overall flavour.

What you need:

6 Lamb Chops

50g Ginger

1 ripe papaya, peeled and roughly chopped

30g bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped

50ml extra virgin olive oil

2 or 3 hot chillies, finely chopped and deseeded

100ml Activia Low Fat natural yoghurt 

30g unsalted butter

What you do:

Mix ginger, papaya, oil and coriander in liquidiser, mix in the chillies and yoghurt

Remove fat/meat from top 2 inches of the chop and flatten out meat, removing any extra fat

Coat the chops with marinade and refrigerate in sealed bag for at least 4 hours

Sear on a high heat then grill for around 10 mins of medium heat and the a further 5 minutes on low

Keep turning to prevent burning

Season with salt & pepper and leave to rest for a few minutes before serving 

Where are we? - Week 8

Come and celebrate summer on the RoadShow this week for 5 whole days of  free food and drink!

 Wednesday - Blackpool Clifton Tesco Extra & Water Lane, Farnham Sainsbury's

Thursday - Southport & Guildford Tescos

Friday - Chorley Tesco & Cobham Sainsbury's

Saturday - Sunbury & Horwhich, Bolton Tesco

Sunday - Twickenham Tesco & Cheadle Sainsbury's

Recipe: Honey n' Cream grilled Nectarines

We're always preaching that BBQs shouldn't be reserved for sausages and burgers alone. With this recipe, you can take a step towards becoming a barbi hero and dazzle friends at your next alfresco party. This is an extravagant, indulgent, sweet treat that's perfect for a pallet cleanser.

What you need:

- Nectarines halved and stoned x 4

- 20ml Honey

- 10ml black treacle

- 5g ground cinnamon

- Vanilla ice cream (or Activia Intensely Creamy yogurt!)

- 20g clotted cream

What you do:

- Mix honey & black treacle and brush over the surface of the nectarines

- Grill face down on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until warmed through

- Serve with a scoop of ice cream and smaller scoop of cream on top...

or, for a healthier option, pour over some delicious Activia Intensely Creamy Yogurt!   

Love leftovers with Mission Deli!

Check out this video with Alex Hollywood (Bake Off, Paul Hollywood's lovely wife) and see how you can make the most of yesterday's BBQ leftovers.

Top Tips - Spread the heat!

Control your temperature across the grill by having one half full of hot coals leading to the other with none. Though there's no direct heat in this end, it's great for warming food through and slow cooking.

We want to know your barbi tips... Leave them in the comments and we'll share the best!

Where are we? - Week 7

Join us as we kick start the second half of our 90 store road trip this week! Here's a run down of where and when you can find us...

Thursday - Farlington Sainsbury's & Evesham Tesco

Friday - Havant & Stratford-Upon-Avon Tesco Extras

Saturday - Chichester Sainsbury's & Redditch Tesco

Sunday - West Hove Sainsbury's & Solihull Tesco

Mission Accomplished!

How's this for a quick, simple and delicious serving suggestion? Pop one of your Mission Deli wraps in an oven proof dish and bake to make a salad bowl! Perfect for a quirky alfresco party. We love it!

Recipe: Sabra Houmous Garlic Bread

We love garlic bread. Who doesn't, right? It's the perfect accompaniment to any alfresco meal and can be shared among friends, or scoffed just as easily on your own. Here's a special garlic bread recipe that incorporates another of our favs, Sabra Houmous! 

What you need:

- 1 loaf of French bread
- 1 pot of Sabra Garlic & Red Pepper houmous
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Garlic flavour Clover Cooking Spray

What you do:

- Fire up the grill!

- Slice French bread in half length wise, spay generously with Clover Cooking Spray and set aside

- Mix Sabra Garlic & Red Pepper houmous with the chopped garlic

- Spread houmous on French bread halves and place on tin foil

- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese

- Place on or under grill for 2- 5 minutes until the edges are crispy and the cheese is browning

- Cut each half of the bread into quarters and serve!

Where are we? - Week 6

We told you we like giving out GoodiBoxes didn't we? How about that cracker?!

We'll being handing out 8 more this week, along with thousands of free food and drink samples, recipes, coupons and alfresco advice. Come and visit us and we'll try to leave you as happy as this family (we realise that's a VERY high bar to set).

Thursday 9th - Swansea & Newcastle Tesco Extras

Friday 10th - Talbot Green, Pontyclun Tesco & Dalington Sainsbury's

Saturday 11th - Cardiff Central Tesco & Horrogate Sainsbury's

Sunday 12th - Newport & Moortown, Leeds Sainsbury's'

Recipe: Gastro Grilled Chilli & Pineapple Spare Ribs

Serves 2

Forget the local Chinese; this Asian Delight is a real grill-star of the Orient and we got the idea for this dish at, believe it or not a pub on Lantau Island. Simple to both prepare and BBQ, these ribs taste great being, sweet, sour and spicy all at the same time!

What you need
Pork spare ribs x 6
Small canned pineapple, finely chopped, plus juice
Birds Eye chillies - finely chopped/deseeded
Red onion - finely chopped
4 crushed garlic cloves 
30g grated ginger
50ml x tomato puree 
lime juice 
runny honey
70g EV olive oil 
sea salt
black pepper


What you do

- Separate ribs and simmer in salted water fro 30 mins 

– drain & cool- Pan-fry garlic, ginger, onion & chillies with oil until soft then add in chopped pineapple.

- Add pineapple juice, tomato puree & honey. 

- Season to taste and boil till thick – leave to cool.

- Brush mixture over ribs and grill over medium heat for around 15 mins, or until sauce becomes crusty/brown

You're Happy = We're Happy!

Over the course of the last 5 weeks, we've given away over 50 Gastro GoodiBoxes to unsuspecting customers who came and visited the RoadShow! As we're (only) about halfway through, we thought we'd celebrate the ones who won. You made our day and we hope we made yours too!

More than tasty tasters!

On the RoadShow we've got a lot more than just tasty summer goodies for you to eat and drink. One such AWESOME item you can get your hands on is a little Heinz recipe book, full of great ideas for summer BBQing! Here's a little snippet below for Marinated Chicken Drumsticks!

Oh, and it's free! Come and grab one.

(click to see full size)

Where are we? - Week 5

If you can tear yourself away from Wimbledon for an hour or so this week, we'd love to see you on the RoadShow! We know that's tough, but you've got to eat, right?

Thursday 2nd July - Calcott Sainsbury's & Nottingham, Top Valley Tesco

Friday 3rd July - St Clares Hampton Sainsbury's & Doncaster Tesco

Saturday 4th July - Richmond & Lincoln Sainsbury's

Sunday 5th July - Kiln Lane, Epsom Sainsbury's & Cleethorpes Tesco

Where are we? - Week 4

We're pushing the alfresco boundaries this week as our 2 RoadShows travel to Devon & Shropshire! Have a little look below to see if we're coming to your local store. If so, come and say hi!

Thursday 25th June - Lee Mill, Ivybridge & Shrewsbury Tesco Extras

Friday 26th June - Torquay Sainsbury's & Telford Tesco Extra

Saturday 27th June - Exeter Vale Tesco & Kidderminster Sainsbury's

Sunday 28th June - Alphington Road, Exeter & Selly Oak, Birmingham Sainsbury's

Where are we? - Week 3

Come and see us on the road this week! We're visiting the following stores from 11am - 7pm. Expect lots of food to be devoured, drink to be guzzled and prizes to be won!

Thursday - Hatfield Tesco Extra & Newbury Park Sainsbury's, Ilford

Friday - Aylesbury & Gallows Corner, Romford Tesco Extras

Saturday - Borehamwood Tesco Extra & Rayleigh Sainsbury's

Sunday - Addlestone & Southend Tesco Extras

Recipe: Awesome Asparagus

We think this is one of the simplest, yet most impressive alfresco snacks or starters that you can prepare. We prefer baby or young asparagus with lots of Parmigianino, but please remember to shave; do not grate!

What you need
16 Asparagus spears
Juice of 1 lime
30ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
15ml Balsamic vinegar
A small wedge of Parmigianino Reggiano
2 tsp’s Sea salt
1 tsp Cracked black pepper

What you do
Mix lime juice, oil and balsamic plus ½ salt & black pepper

Coat asparagus and grill slowly on medium, turn frequently and baste occasionally.

Remove asparagus once cooked through, lightly cover with shavings of Parmigianino and drizzle remaining lime, oil & balsamic, season with salt & black pepper to taste.

Recipe: Boursin Burger

We all know Boursin is an essential addition to anyone's cheese board, but it's so much more versatile than that. Here's a brilliant summer recipe that uses Boursin in a totally different but utterly delicious way... We present, the Boursin Burger! 

What you need: 

80g Boursin® Cheese Garlic & Herbs

1 rasher of smoked bacon, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

100g field mushrooms, finely chopped

1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. English mustard

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

500g beef mince

Half a white onion, finely chopped

Vegetable oil for cooking

Salt & pepper to taste

What you do:

Place the beef mince in a blender, along with mustard, thyme, mushrooms, onion, garlic, bacon and butter. 

Take the Boursin Cheese Black Pepper and shape into four individual balls. Push the balls into the middle of each of your burger patties, ensuring you seal around the cheese to keep it in the middle. Set aside until cooking.

Place a griddle pan or a heavy based frying pan on a high heat, alternatively, get the barbi nice and warm.

Pulse until combined. Split the mixture into four equal portions and shape into burger patties.

 Add a little oil and then immediately add the burger patties, cooking evenly for approximately 3 minutes on each side. 

Once cooked, remove from the pan and allow to rest for two minutes before serving.

Place the burgers into a warm bun, garnished with sliced gherkins and tomatoes.

Enjoy with a dollop of Heinz Barbecue Sauce or 50% Less Sugars Ketchup!

Where are we? - Week 2

We had so much fun in Kent for week 1, and we're not even getting warmed up yet... There are 8 stores that stand between us and Gastro glory this week! Check the list below to see if we're visiting your local store:

Thursday - Banbury Tesco Extra & Rugby Sainsbury's

Friday - Witney, Oxford Sainsbury's & Northampton Tesco Extra

Saturday - Abingdon & Milton Keynes Tesco Extras

Sunday - Watford & Barhill, Cambridge Tesco Extras

To see where the RoadShow is heading over the next 10 weeks, visit gastro-alfresco.co/roadshow.

What ya got cookin'? - Mission Deli Wraps

Meet our chefs, Scott & Andy... Nawww, aren't they cute. These handsome chaps will be preparing all of the food being served across the stores this summer; from sausages to chicken to Mission Deli's wrap filling, it's their splendid concoction. Here's a step by step guide on how you make a Mission Deli stir fry wrap.

1 - The quality of any great dish is in the detail. We start with Clover Cooking Spray, a healthier option with 86% less saturated fat than cooking with butter, but it still tastes great!

2 - We've got sooooo many tasty ingredients in this stir fry. Bean sprouts, cabbage, carrot, pak choi, spring onion and mushrooms to name a few. Get those sizzlin' in a hot pan Scott!

3 - Fry until it's all nice and cooked, yet still crispy. Spoon the mix into the middle of a Mediterranean Mission Deli wrap and (like the great philosophers Limp Bizkit once said) keep rollin'. Once it's wrapped up, cut into equal portions.

4 - ...and that's it! A simple, delicious and incredibly healthy deli wrap that's good to share at any summer alfresco party! Alternatively, scoff the lot yourself.

On the road again... Just can't wait to get on the road again...

Where better to begin our 11 week alfresco journey across the UK than in the garden of England? That's right, we're kicking off the 2015 RoadShow in Kent; 2 teams, 5 stores.

For those of you who don't know, our RoadShow is a foodie festival on wheels; basically, imagine Optimus Prime decided to go into the catering business and you'd be halfway there. Loaded with 9 of this years sponsors (currently being announced over on Facebook), our chefs and Brand Believers will be pulling up to your local store from 11am - 7pm, serving up freshly cooked summer food & drink!

Trust us when we say, there is something for everyone on this RoadShow. All ages. All tastes.

If free food & drink isn't enough for you (sigh) we'll be doing daily giveaways where you're able to win a Gastro GoodiBox, packed with sponsor product! Look how happy it's made these people...

So, there's not much left to be said... See you at one of the following stores:

- Friday 5th, Whitstable Tesco Extra
- Saturday 6th, Broadstairs Tesco Extra & Tunbridge Wells Sainsbury's
- Sunday 7th, Canterbury Sainsbury's Superstore & Ashford Bybrook Sainsbury's

BBQ tips you should know

As it's National BBQ Week, we thought we ought to share a few little tips & tricks that may help you reach gastro grillin' glory! If you think we've missed something out, comment or tweet using #NatBBQWeek.

1 - Hold your hand 6" from the grill to test the heat. If you feel you can hold it there for...

- under a minute, the grill is too hot
- 2-3 minutes the heat is high and ideal for searing
- 3-4 minutes is a medium temperature for normal grilling
- 4-5 minutes in fairly warm and good for heating food

2 - Marinated food tastes great and grills better, right? The longer the soak, the better the taste, right? Cut marinating times in half by placing marinated food in a sealed bag and placing in the fridge.

3 - Low & Slow! BBQing is not a race against time. Sear on high and then take it slow to retain all of those juices whilst cooking all the way through.

4 - Now you can buy a gas BBQ for under £40, there's a real argument for what's best, gas or charcoal. Follow this simple rule... Gas for ease, charcoal for taste.

5 - Shake up a barbi party with a theme. Food, clothing & drinks can all match a country's theme.

Caribbean = jerk chicken & dreds
Australian = Kanga steaks & cork hats
British = Soggy hotdog & a raincoat?

6 - Throwing wood chips and herb branches onto the coals can add great smoky flavour.

7 - Create barbi theatre by pressing meat on the grill with a spatula. The release of natural fat will create flames and make you look like a pro. (health warning: BBQs are fun. BBQs aren't toys. Be careful and treat them with respect)

8 - Introduce colour to BBQ food with flame roasted red, yellow & green peppers.

9 - Achieve criss crossed lines like a pro by searing on a high heat, quickly wiping the grill and placing back at 45 degrees.

10 - Safety first. Place the BBQ on level ground away from overhanging shrubbery. Only use bbq lighter fuel and NEVER use petrol. If a gas barbi doesn't light, turn off the gas and leave for a minute before returning and trying to relight.

Recipe: Marvellous Miso, Mustard & Sesame Aubergines

As if it needed to be proved, here is a superb and simple example of a vegetable that’s just great on the grill. Aubergine is, in our opinion, vastly underrated; the miso and sesame add a wonderfully oriental flavour, balanced by the Dijon and honey!

What you need

Ripe aubergines x 2

1 tbsp Miso paste

1 tbsp honey – runny

1 tsp creamy Dijon mustard

1 tsp grated ginger

1 x crushed garlic cloves

1tbsp mixed soy sauce & cider vinegar

20g toasted sesame seeds

What you do

o  Mix Miso paste, honey, mustard, ginger, garlic, soy, vinegar & ½ sesame seeds.

o  Cut aubergines length-wise then cross-cut flesh; brush scored side with ½ Miso mix.

o  Place on medium grill, cut face-down to sear then turn and baste with remaining Miso mix, turn frequently until charred all over, about 15 minutes.

o  Set aside to cool, for around 5-10 minutes.

National BBQ Week

You may have seen across social media (Facebook & Twitter for those not in the loop) that we're running National BBQ Week this week. BBQing sits at the very core of our alfresco ethos and there are few better ways to enjoy a communal mealtime than gastro grillin'.

National BBQ Week is one of the UK's biggest awareness weeks and has changed consumer BBQ attitudes and usage from just 9 million in 1997 to over 120 million last year! Now in its 19th year, National BBQ Week sees friends, families, pubs and hotels come together and embrace the BBQ culture, whatever the weather.

We want you to get involved! Whether it's just having a simple BBQ in the garden with the family, or sharing an alfresco afternoon with the whole of the village, we want to see your pics, tips and recipes.

Send them over on Twitter using #NatBBQWeek and we'll share the best ones.

10 reasons why eating alfresco is the best!

In the summertime, we think there's no better place to enjoy a meal than outside... here's why.

1 - You can put some hours in on that tan of yours, which will have everyone green with envy

2 - In the summer, it's usually warmer yet less sticky outside

3 - There's endless space

4 - You can make a mess and it doesn't matter (as much)

5 - You can let the children go off and play whilst you enjoy a drink

6 - The view is guaranteed to be better

7 - The sun is a major source of Vitamin D, which makes you feel like this...

8 - Cooking on a BBQ can make anyone feel like a badass

9 - You can be at one with nature

10 - ...and you can enjoy it with soooo many more people