After a very busy season in the BVI, the summer allows us to take some much-needed time off and enjoy the islands while they’re quiet. One of our favourite things to do, is put together a barbecue beach picnic and go exploring for the day. We want to keep it easy to prepare and equally easy to transport.
Here are some tips that I would recommend to help you out on your beach picnics:
- Keep it simple! Plan your menu with dishes that can be made the day before and sit in the fridge overnight, so you can simply grab them and go the next day. Also, pre chopping and par cooking food items for the barbecue makes for a much easier, faster lunch.
- Bring the correct utensils. Admittedly, on many occasions, I have forgotten key utensils. Thankfully, we are good at improvising! It is helpful if you prepare your picnic bag the night before with the utensils you might need: tongs, spatulas, chopping boards, knives, grill pans such as cast iron skillets, serving utensils for each dish, and of course, plates, cups and cutlery. Here, we have used eco-friendly food and beverage containers and equipment from Green Tech BVI. See their ad for details. You will also want to consider bringing foil, wet wipes, napkins and trash bags to ensure easy clean-up.
- Cool Boxes. If you’re going on a boat day or even driving to your favourite beach, it is important to keep your food cold until you’re ready to eat. Make sure that you designate one cool box for food only, and the other for drinks. I recently saw a great ‘hack’ for keeping your food cold without the risk of it getting soggy by having loose ice around. Fill water bottles and freeze until solid. Line the bottom of your cool box with them so they act as ice packs, and stack the food items on top. Ensure that the heavier, more sturdy items are on the bottom—such as Tupperware and meat items—and the lighter items at higher risk of bruising such as bread and fruit are on top. When the water bottles have melted by the end of the day, they provide a nice shower to rinse away the salt and sand.
We hope you enjoy these easy, ‘make-ahead recipes’ for your next picnic day! We would love for you to share your finished dishes with us on Instagram #delishVIPY.
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Asian Beef Kebabs
These beef kebabs are simple to make and delicious. They travel well and are very quick from the grill to the table. Top sirloin is an inexpensive cut of meat, but can be a bit tough. The soy sauce in the marinade will help tenderise it, but also grilling to about medium rare is about as far as you will want to take it to avoid it being chewy. If you would prefer another cut of beef, I would recommend tenderloin or rib eye, but bear in mind, these are more expensive. A helpful tip, put a little bit of foil on the pointy end of the kebab stick to avoid any punctures!
Level: Easy
Makes about 15 kebabs
Ingredients
2lbs top sirloin steak
2 bell peppers
1 red onion
For the marinade
2 cups hoisin sauce
¼ cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Method
Mix together the ingredients for the marinade and put aside. Prepare the steak by cutting into 1 inch pieces and placing into a zip top bag along with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Cut the bell peppers and red onion into about ½ inch pieces, and place them into separate containers. Assemble the kebabs by alternating between the beef, peppers, and onions, in any order you wish. Place in transportable container or zip top bag. The grill should be about medium/high heat. Place kebabs on grill for about 2-3 minutes per side. If you have leftover marinade, drizzle over to baste while grilling.
*Do NOT serve leftover marinade as dipping sauce, as it has contained raw meat.
Grilled lobster with garlic butter
Growing up here, there have been many fond memories of going boating for the day. We would pack a picnic, grab a barbecue, and find the perfect beach to set up. On a few occasions, we have been so lucky where we have been on a beach and spotted a local fisherman selling fresh, right-out-the-ocean lobster. We would cut them in half, clean them up, and stick them on the grill for a short while and then lunch is served! This started to be almost a regular occurrence so I made sure to always bring a homemade garlic butter, just in case. If you’re bringing lobster from home, I would recommend that you clean them there, and transport them, raw in an airtight container. Keep these cold.
Level: Easy/intermediate
Ingredients
2-3 lb lobster
Lemon wedges
8 oz butter
6 cloves crushed garlic
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
For the garlic butter
On low heat, melt the butter and crushed garlic together. Once melted and slightly foaming, turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Do not stir.
After it has rested, scoop off the foam, and discard. At this point, you can strain the butter into your container of choice. Discard the garlic in the strainer.
*The butter should be refrigerated the night before, so make sure to bring a heat proof pan to melt on the barbecue.
For the lobster
Season with salt and pepper, place on the grill shell side down on medium/high heat. As the lobster is cooking, ensure to put a bit of the butter on the meat to help keep its moisture. Based on a 2-3 lb lobster, it should take 10-15 minutes to cook. You can slightly under-cook it and let it finish cooking off the heat to achieve the perfect ‘doneness’.
Squeeze over a bit of lemon juice and a little bit more butter if needed.
Greek Quinoa
Quinoa has become a favourite in our house. It is a grain that is full of protein and lots of other vitamins and minerals, especially recommended for vegetarians. Quinoa is so versatile as it is quite plain on its own; it needs some big flavours. The addition of a classic Greek salad offers a bit more especially for those that are vegetarian, and this can also be made vegan too!
Level: Easy
Serves: 4-6 people as a main course, 8-10 people as a side dish
Ingredients
2 cups quinoa
3 cups water
1 cucumber, deseeded and diced
1 punnet of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
½ cup of pitted olives (sliced if they are large)
6 oz crumbled feta cheese (omit for vegan option)
Bunch of dill- half reserved for dressing
½ finely sliced red onion
For the Dressing
½ cup olive oil
½ cup lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Method
Follow cooking instructions on the packet for the quinoa of your choice. Allow to cool completely before adding the rest of the ingredients. Add the fresh ingredients and mix well. Cover tightly and refrigerate. In a jar, add the ingredients for the dressing and shake until combined. Dress the salad just before you are ready to serve.
Watermelon & Goats’ Cheese Salad
This salad is the perfect summer salad! It is so refreshing and light; absolutely heavenly. It travels well and can all be tossed together when ready to serve. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I do! And the best part is, if you have left over watermelon, you can go to our website, bvipropertyyacht.com for the recipe to make Watermelon, Rose Sangria.
Level: Easy
Serves: 5 people
Ingredients
½ watermelon, diced
12 oz goats cheese, crumbled
Bunch of mint
Balsamic glaze
Method
Dice the watermelon into bite-sized cubes and layer it on the bottom of your sealable container, then add the goats’ cheese, and finally the mint. Drizzle with balsamic glaze when ready to serve.
Bonus Recipe – Watermelon/Rose Sangria
Mix together in a pitcher and serve over ice!
Important: Please be aware that BVI lobster season closes from July 31 to October 31. Prior permission must be obtained from the BVI Fire Department should you wish to have a beach bonfire. Finally, it is turtle nesting season in the BVI. When you go to the beach, please avoid digging holes, be careful where you place your barbecue, keep dogs on a lead, and also at night, refrain from using bright lights. Whatever goes to the beach with you, must come back including garbage. “Please leave only footprints, take only photographs.”
Delish was shot on location at Villa Ventana (please use different image to what is on the cover feature)
Just a walk away from one of Tortola’s secluded and stunning beaches, Ventana offers a stunning view of Trunk Bay Beach and beyond to the clear horizon. For sales inquiries contact Chris Smith, Coldwell Banker BVI – [email protected] or (284) 340 3000. For information on villa rentals, contact Michelle Hodges, BVI Villa Rental – [email protected].
Photography by Rainbow Visions BVI
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