We all need quick summer recipes and with a little budget meal planning it is possible to create some delicious meals, without spending ages in a hot kitchen.  Make the most of the outdoors:  get out your cold picnic food recipes and head on out.  Alternatively, make the most of barbeque recipes:  grilled chicken marinades and barbeque dry rub recipes transform the simplest chicken fillet or cut of meat and elevate them into a simple but delectable meal.

Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe

This Grilled Chicken Marinade Recipe is ideal as one of your barbeque recipes.  It takes no time to prepare and you can cook the chicken on the gas grill, the open coals or on your hob – it is versatile.

You can do this with chicken pieces that have their skins on them or with boneless skinless chicken breasts, whole or slivered.  This marinade is also works well with fish.

Make a double quantity of this recipe and you can use leftovers for and easy Chicken Salad recipe, a delux Chicken Salad Sandwich or a Paella Recipe.

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Easy
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: about 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1½ lbs / 700g  chicken pieces
1 clove garlic
1″ / 2½ cm piece of ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oil

Method:
Crush the garlic. Grate the ginger.  Mix together in a shallow bowl which is big enough to take the chicken.  You can blitz the garlic and ginger together if you have a food processor.  Add the paprika, soy sauce and oil.
Place the chicken pieces in a shallow dish and cover with the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for between 20 minutes and 24 hours, the longer the better.
Heat the grill so that it is really hot.  Place the chicken breasts on the grill, (skin side nearest the heat if this is relevant).  Cook for about 7 minutes.  Turn over and cook for about 5 more minutes.  Check to see that the chicken is cooked all the way through.
If using skinless chicken breasts, you can cut the chicken into slivers. Place the slivers in the marinade.  Push the pieces down so that they are well coated.  Marinade for 20 minutes – 24 hours.  Grill for about 2 – 3 minutes and then turn the pieces over.  Grill for another 1 – 2 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through.
Serve with new potatoes or pasta and a large salad.

Budget Meal Planning for August is now available.  Monthly meal planning saves you time, money and your sanity!

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Free soul food recipe sites are quickly becoming the new financial secret weapon  for  families seeking to stretch their food budget dollars.  With the cost of eating out rising fast despite the recession, more people are choosing or being forced by economic conditions to eat more meals at home.  It’s estimated a family of four can save over 50% of their food cost by cooking and eating more meals at home as opposed to eating out.

Free soul food recipe sites continue to serve the needs of the growing numbers of consumers trying to stretch their food cost. The cost of food is the third highest expense for most families, after housing and transportation cost.  Southern cooking has a long and storied reputation of sticking to the ribs or staying with a person longer than other foods. This is an added benefit when a family is trying to get the most out of their food dollars. Soul food recipes contain ingredients that’s reasonably easy to find which makes the cost economical and incredibly affordable to most people.

Southern inspired dishes such as collard greens, black eyed peas, red beans,  cornbread, candied yams are just a few of the more popular recipes people use to stretch the budgets. These items and other similar recipes have a reputation of giving people a full feeling that last longer more than most dishes.  By taking advantage of the many free soul food recipe sites many families are saving hundreds of dollars a month off their food budgets. Many sites offer user-friendly recipes for the beginning cooks as well as unique recipes that keeps the interest of the advanced cook.

With the increase in traffic more websites are introducing instructional videos along with the recipes to make preparing the meals easier for visitors. This helps to make the cooking learning curve shorter and less painful for beginning cooks.

The post Free Soul Food Recipes: Secret Weapon For Budget Minded Consumers appeared first on Catering on the Move.

Catering a wedding without blowing your budget

Most people dream of the perfect wedding day, however it is not always in budget to have a large expensive wedding.  Some couples have small intimate weddings at home to save on additional costs like venue hire, over the bar drinks and in house catering.  Other couples visit the registry to be married officially and then have a reception when funds allow.

If you are on a tight budget here are a few ideas that may save you having to postpone your wedding till the budget is big enough or simply not being able to invite all your family and friends at attend.  Many people believe that when you mention a wedding that costs will increase.  This may be so for some costs, however not the case with all. 

Doing your research will ultimately save you money.  It is a little like buying a house, being one of the biggest decisions of your life.  If you don’t want to be paying the debt off for the next couple of years, consider a few changes to keep costs down. 

You may be set on having your wedding in a certain suburb or venue; however it may be more cost effective to hold the ceremony at different venue only metres away.  Council venues and halls and local churches are cost effective venues to hold either your ceremony and/or reception.  Council venues generally allow you to provide your own drinks and catering company. 

Purchasing your drinks including water, punch, wine and beer will allow to you purchase when there are specials.  Guests can ultimately bring their own drinks also if they would like spirits or drinks not provided. 

Catering is another cost that will vary between catering companies.  Do your research on companies that cater within your location and work with current pricing.  A mobile catering company may be able to offer a much cheaper rate as there are not high overheads associated with the venue.

Do consider that some catering packages do offer dessert, and this could be the perfect replacement for having to buy a large wedding cake.  A small wedding cake will cost much less, and can be enjoyed with friends and family the following day.

Weddings don’t have to be expensive, so plan ahead and make enquiries that will save you time and money in the long run.   

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