Spice up that barbecue!

THE clocks have gone forward and the lighter nights mean more and more people are spending time outside.

It may still be a little chilly outdoors but summer will soon be here and families everywhere will be dusting down their barbecues and getting out their picnic hampers.

But this year instead of serving up tired old bangers and burgers on the barbie, or dishing up soggy sarnies and pork pies at your picnic, why not try something a little bit different.

The taste for spicy Indian, Chinese and Mexican food is hotting up in this country.

You can create an Indian summer in your garden with a tandoori barbecue using authentic spices and marinades.

Few people realise that India is, in fact, one of the barbecue capitals of the world -- the home of the unique tandoori style.

For the perfect barbecue feast, marinade tender chicken fillets, fish or vegetables for four hours in one of the many marinade sauces available in supermarkets. Barbecue your ingredients gently over hot coals until thoroughly cooked and serve with a selection of mango chutney, apple and ginger chutney and yoghurt raita with salad, rice and naan bread.

Chinese food also works well on the barbecue with spicy ribs, Chinese chicken wings and seafood all being quick and easy to prepare in advance and cook on the barbecue without any fuss.

Try serving your oriental barbecue dishes with egg fried rice, stir-fried vegetables, noodles, prawn crackers and fortune cookies. Why not add a little chilli to the proceedings and turn your barbecue into a Mexican feast.

Chicken or beef fajitas are ideal for cooking on a barbecue hotplate and the sizzling meat, spices, onions and peppers will attract friends and neighbours from far and wide.

The tortilla wraps are ideal outdoor food and popular with children as well. Serve up with guacamole, tomato salsa, and sour cream.

Refried beans, chilli con carne and nachos can all be added to the meal -- washed down, of course, with a few bottles of Mexican lager.

And barbecued bananas sprinkled with brown sugar and served up with vanilla ice cream are the perfect dessert to finish off any family barbecue.

If you fancy leaving the confines of your back garden and taking your eating al fresco further afield then there are plenty of ways to liven up a family picnic.

Buffet-style picnics needn't be reminiscent of the 1970s, with cheese and pineapple on a stick, limp egg and cress sandwiches and mushroom vol-au-vents.

Be adventurous -- don't just go for salad and meat.

Satay sticks, onion bhajis and samosas are all easily packed into a picnic and add a spicy twist to the meal.

But if you want to keep your picnic to a traditional English country garden theme then there are plenty of different dishes you can serve using great British ingredients.

See our delicious recipes in this section.