Get grilling with MasterChef star Gregg Wallace’s healthy BBQ recipes – which helped him lose 4.5 stone

IN Day Two of our Gregg Wallace summer food exclusive the MasterChef star unveils his eight favourite BBQ and lighter dishes.

As the mercury rises, more of us will be heading outside to cook. So why not try something a bit different that is healthy and also easy on the budget?

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Gregg, 57, who lost four stone through exercise and a healthier diet, says: “These recipes are simple, easy and tasty – just what we need to get the nation embracing healthy eating habits.

“I hope they get you inspired to try some simple, healthy cooking this summer.”

Spiced cauliflower salad

9

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

YOU NEED:

1 large cauliflower
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp red chilli paste
1 tsp baharat spice mix
1 lemon
1 handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 handful pomegranate seeds
4 tbsp plain yoghurt

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 7. Chop the stalks off of the cauliflower then cut into smaller, chunky florets.

Place the cauliflower florets on to a large roasting dish and sprinkle/drizzle over the olive oil, ginger, garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli paste and baharat spice powder. Mix really well using your hands to fully coat and combine together.

Place the dish into the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until the cauliflower is charred on the edges and just cook through.

Once out of the oven, mix in the dish then drizzle the cauliflower with the yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice (cutting a lemon in half and squeezing to the release the juice).

Top with the pomegranate seeds and finely chopped parsley and a slice of half the lemon to garnish.

Serve as a main dish with some flatbreads and salad, or as a side dish for your healthy BBQ.

Gregg's ultimate tuna burgers

9

Makes 4

YOU NEED:

• Two handfuls of chopped frozen peppers
• Two cans of tuna
• 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs
• 1 cucumber
• 1 egg
• 1 iceberg lettuce
• 2 spring onions
• 80g tinned sweetcorn
• 4 wholemeal buns
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 4 slices of Cheddar cheese (optional)

METHOD: Preheat BBQ. Chop the spring onions and drain the tuna.

Add all of your ingredients to a bowl and mix, except for the lettuce, cucumber, flour and wholemeal buns.

Once the mixture is well combined, add the flour to the bowl and mix again. Now shape your mixture into patties the size of your palm.

If cooking on a BBQ, make sure the coals or grill is hot, then place the burgers on the BBQ and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.

If cooking in a pan, add oil to a pan over a medium heat, add your patties and cook for 3 minutes per side.

Assemble your burgers using the rest of your ingredients, adding the Cheddar slices if you like.

Souvlaki-style chargrilled chicken & veg skewers

9

Makes 6-8 kebabs

YOU NEED:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red onion
• 2 lemons
• 3 tbsp plain yoghurt
• Olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried or chopped fresh mint
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 1 tbsp of honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD: Soak some skewers in water for 30 minutes and preheat your BBQ.

Cover the chicken in clingfilm and tenderise the breasts by hitting them with a rolling pin.

They should just begin to break apart rather than be pounded completely flat. Slice the breasts into four strips lengthways.

In a bowl, mix together the juice of one lemon, yoghurt, olive oil, grated garlic, dried oregano, paprika, pepper and salt.

Add the chicken, and stir to coat. Pop in the fridge to marinate for 20 minutes to two hours.

For the tzatziki sauce, grate the cucumber into a clean towel or cloth and wring out the water. Grate or finally chop the garlic.

Stir the cucumber, garlic, mint and dill into the yoghurt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chop the pepper and onion into large slices (about the size of a 50p coin).

Thread a slice of each vegetable on to the skewer, followed by a slice of the chicken. Repeat until you have four pieces of pepper, onion and chicken on the skewer.

When your BBQ coals are white and the smoke has died down, place the skewers on the grill, turning occasionally until the chicken has cooked through and the vegetables are charred.

(This can also be cooked under a preheated grill, turning regularly.)

In the final 2 minutes of cooking, mix 1 tbsp of honey with the juice of a lemon and baste the kebabs to lightly glaze.

Serve with the tzatziki, a fresh salad and a grilled flatbread.

BBQ'd prawns citrus and garlic

9

Serves 3-4

YOU NEED:

• 12 large raw king prawns
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 lime
• ½ lemon
• 2 red chillis
• Handful of coriander
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 bag of salad of your choice
• Olive oil
• 1 pomegranate
• 200g giant cous cous (sometimes called pearl cous cous)
• 25ml chicken stock
• 2 limes
• 1 handful mint
• 1 handful coriander

METHOD: In a shallow dish mix together the garlic (if using), lime and lemon juices, chillies (finely chopped), olive oil and honey.

Add the prawns, season with black pepper and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Place the prawns on to a hot griddle pan until pink and cooked, basting with any leftover marinade.

For the cous cous, cut the pomegranates in half and knock out the seeds using a wooden spoon by placing the cut side of the fruit down and hitting the skin hard with the spoon.

This will remove the seeds leaving the white membrane in the skin.

Place the cous cous in a bowl and pour the boiling stock or water on to the cous cous and mix in the olive oil and lime juice.

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Once the cous cous is cooled add the mint, coriander and pomegranates then top with the prawns and enjoy.

Moroccan chicken traybake

9

Serves 4

YOU NEED:

• 2 red onions
• 4 carrots
• 1 sweet potato
• 2 tbsp ras el hanout spice mix
• 500g chicken mince
• 40g pomegranate seeds
• 4 tbsp natural yoghurt
• Olive oil

METHOD: Preheat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

Chop up your veg into small chunks then put the chopped red onions, carrots and sweet potatoes into a large baking tray.

Mix 2 tbsp of olive oil and the ras el hanout spice together in a bowl and drizzle over the vegetables, tossing/stiring until they are evenly coated.

Put into the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked.

Put a large saucepan on a medium/high heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil followed by the chicken mince and fry for 8-10 minutes, stirring continuously until cooked through. Turn the heat to the lowest.

When the veg is cooked, tip on to a serving plate then top with the cooked mince.

Finish with the pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of natural yogurt.

Jerk chicken skewers with mango salsa

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Serves 4

YOU NEED:

• 2 spring onions
• 4 chicken breasts
• ½ red pepper
• 1 tsp jerk seasoning
• 2 limes
• 1 mango
• Olive oil

METHOD: Preheat the BBQ or preheat your oven to 220C/gas mark 7 and soak your skewers in water (unless using metal skewers).

Chop both the ends off the spring onions then cut them up into thin slices and add to a bowl.

Cut the pepper in half, wrap one half and return it to the fridge.

Remove the seeds and pith from the other half then cut in half again and then into smaller sections to create chunks.

Add these to the same bowl. Cut through the mango, remove the pit then chop the fruit to create chunks and add to the bowl.

Cut your lime in half then squeeze the juice of both halves into the bowl and mix everything together with a spoon.

Pour your jerk seasoning, 1 tbsp of olive oil and the juice from another whole lime into a separate bowl and mix together.

Cut your chicken into small chunks and add them to the bowl of jerk marinade, stirring them into cover all the chicken pieces.

Thread your chicken pieces on to your skewers – there should be about six on each skewer – and either add to a baking tray or put on to a plate.

Place your chicken skewers into the oven for 10 minutes at 220C/gas mark 7 or place your chicken skewers on to the hot BBQ grill and turn occasionally until cooked through.

Serve your chicken skewers with the mango salsa.

Chargrilled corn on the cob with smoky cheesy topping

9

Makes 8

YOU NEED:

• 6 corn on the cob
• 100g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• A handful of fresh coriander
• Softened butter (butter taken out of the fridge)

METHOD: Preheat the BBQ. Boil the kettle and put your corn on the cob in a large saucepan on the hob.

Pour the boiling water over the corn and bring to the boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

While it is boiling, place the paprika, garlic powder and grated cheese into a bowl and mix together.

Roughly chop the coriander on a board. Take the corn off the heat and drain in a colander.

When the BBQ is hot, use tongs to place the corn on the grill and blacken to your liking for around 2-3 minutes, turning regularly.

Take the corn off the BBQ and put on to a plate.

Spread a thin layer of butter on to each then roll the corn in the mixture of spices and cheese until fully coated.

Finally, sprinkle over the coriander to finish and serve.

(If you don’t have a BBQ, just boil the corn, drain and coat with the butter and cheesy topping.)

BBQ’d steak with butter bean salad

9

Serves 2

YOU NEED:

• 2 fillet steaks
• 1 can of butter beans
• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

METHOD: Take the steaks out of the fridge and put them on a plate, then drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Leave to one side. Preheat the BBQ. Chop the end off of the broccoli stalk then chop the rest into small chunks/florets.

Put a frying pan on a medium heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan.

Empty the can of butter beans into the pan along with the broccoli and stir together.

As this cooks, season with pepper and salt to taste. After two minutes, turn to a low heat and mix occasionally.

Once the BBQ is hot enough and the coals are white, place the steak on the grill using tongs.

Leave the steak for around 4 minutes (less if you like it rare, more if you like yours well done) then flip over the steak and do the same on the other side.

Once it has cooked enough for you, take it off the BBQ and leave to rest for 5 minutes on a plate or board.

While the steak is resting, take the butter beans and broccoli off the heat and pour into a serving bowl.

Add another drizzle of olive oil and the juice of the lemon (cut the lemon in half and squeeze) over your beans and broccoli, then add another pinch of pepper.

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Slice the steak then add to the top of your beans and broccoli salad.

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