Gourmet made simple: Three chef-inspired barbecue menus for easy summer meals

Summer is bustling with family road trips to the cottage, friends gathering for backyard barbecues and the eternal struggle of weeknight meals, so it’s nice to have a helping hand in the kitchen. Especially from someone who’s earned their chops. 

Chef, TV personality and cookbook author Ricardo Larrivée has been charming Canadians for years, encouraging families to cook and eat together. His new RICARDO line, available at Sobeys locations in Ontario and via Voilà grocery delivery service by Sobeys, offers delicious, fuss-free gourmet products guaranteed to take the grunt work out of meal prep.

Whether you’re a planner or a procrastinator, you can rely on chef-inspired, ready-when-you-are products—dressings, desserts and pre-marinated meats—for an easy and impressive approach to summer barbecuing and entertaining. All you have to do is pick up your faves in-store or have them delivered, then fire up the grill, set the table and prepare for an onslaught of compliments.

Here’s another helping hand: three virtually effortless, “Oh, this? It was nothing!” barbecue menus using the exciting RICARDO lineup. Quick and crowd-pleasing, they’ll satisfy your group’s taste buds with new and exciting flavours, leaving you time to spend on what’s really important: your loved ones.

Menu 1: Rich and decadent  

Often reserved for special occasions, the melt-in-your-mouth flavours of restaurant-style steak can now be enjoyed at home. Flap Steaks with Montreal Seasoning—using a prime cut of sirloin that butchers often save for themselves—are pre-marinated in an iconic blend of not-too-spicy chili, salt, black pepper and coriander. 

Grill, then cover loosely with aluminum foil while you prep the salad. Generously toss RICARDO’S Caesar Dressing—a creamy blend of egg yolks, lemon juice, anchovies, briny capers and Parmesan cheese—over romaine lettuce, and add crumbled bacon, croutons or Hickory Sticks (if you know, you know). 

Does a rich meal deserve a rich dessert? It does, and Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake is up for the task. It comes frozen, so ensure you thaw this velvety, gluten-free treat before dinner.

Menu 2: Bold and spicy

Sharp left into bright, bold flavours. Curry and Ginger Pork Chops are soaked in a vinegar- and oil-based marinade with fragrant curry powder, ginger, garlic and black pepper for mouth-watering results. 

Barbecue and serve alongside a simple salad of chilled soba noodles, shelled edamame, sliced red pepper and matchsticked cukes tossed in sesame-ginger Asian Style Dressing.

Red Velvet Cake is a natural segue, and RICARDO’s is so good, you’ll want to spoon its sweet Chantilly cream cheese right out of the pan. We won’t hold it against you if you save it for after kids are in bed. 

Menu 3: Juicy and sweet

The Mediterranean is ripe with beauty and vibrant flavours. Harness those seaside vibes with pre-marinated Mediterranean Style Chicken Breasts, bursting with lemon juice, fresh parsley and punchy garlic. 

Grill until they reach a minimum internal temperature of 74 C (165 F) and let rest while you toss a crisp lettuce-and-in-season-veg salad with sweet, slightly tart Honey and Whole-Grain Mustard Dressing. 

Citrus is the theme here, and this thaw-and-serve Lemon Cheesecake offers a delightfully smooth blend of lemon-flavoured cream cheese atop a gluten-free graham cracker crust. If you’re a Ricardo fan, you may already know this popular cake. Now it’s yours with zero effort required!

RICARDO products are completely interchangeable, so the next time you shop at Sobeys, you can mix and match your faves and experiment with gourmet meals made simple. Which will you add to your weekly rotation?