Homemade BBQ Sauce

Because homemade is just better. This is easy and way better than any BBQ sauce I ever bought in a bottle.  (Just take a look at the ingredients of that bottled sauce next time. ugh-half I couldn;t even pronounce)  There are so many different ways to create a BBQ sauce from scratch- experiment with different flavors and spices!

Note: this is a bit on the spicy side. To tone down the heat start with just a very small pinch of cayenne (or go with a mild hot sauce and use just a dash) and then progress with more to taste.

Ingredients
(makes about 1 cup of sauce)

• 1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp of ketchup
• 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard (you can use whatever mustard you have in the fridge)
• 3 tsp of brown sugar
• 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• big pinch of cayenne (Or you can use hot sauce)
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp of onion powder
• 1/2 tsp of ground cumin

Directions

1. In a small sauce pot combine all ingredients and stir to combine.  Heat over medium low heat until it comes to a simmer.
2. Simmer for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors combine and sauce thicken.  You can keep over low heat and just a slight simmer for really as long as you like.  Longer simmering means a thicker consistency.  If the sauce gets too thick for you- just add a bit of water to loosen it up.
3. Any leftovers just put into some tupperware and store in the fridge.  You can even put in a squeeze bottle and store like that!

Memorial Day Weekend- BBQ, Beer and Bikes



Pretty awesome right?


Memorial Day is always about BBQ Beer and Bikes for us LOL. But then again that's pretty much our life in general during the summer.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.

So over the Memorial Day weekend we packed up and took a 5 hour drive down to West Virginia to the Summit Point Motorsports Park.  It was a CCS Racing weekend.  So proud of Brendan for doing so well first time at this track.  I'm his number one fan and sponsor.  The weather was amazing- hot and sunny.  Got myself a nice tan and my fiance got some race time in.  We had such a great time.  He loads up his truck with bike stuff and I load the pop-up camper with food and everything else. 

We have limited space in the cooler and mini fridge so I need to plan out a weekends worth of meals accordingly.  I also don't like to settle for just hamburgers and hot dogs, so this is a quick run down of what I made for the weekend:

Friday Night (we arrived): homemade burgers and hot dogs after we set up camp.
Saturday Breakfast: bagels, bananas and coffee (we had this everyday for breakfast)
Saturday Lunch: grilled pizza
Saturday Dinner: Chicken Kabobs and Asparagus
Sunday Lunch: Grilled Sausage, Pepper and Onion Sandwiches
Sunday Dinner: Pork Tenderloin with grilled corn
Monday Lunch: Chicken Kabobs and Asparagus

Of course we had A LOT of drinks on hand. It was so hot- water, Gatorade, iced tea, Redbull and of course beer.

We had some cheese doodles, triscuits, hummus and other various snacks too.

Not exactly the healthiest of choices, but hey it's vacation!

Everything I cooked was very simple prep and simple cook.  All the veggies were simply seasoned with salt, pepper and oil.  The chicken kabobs were just skewered boneless skinless chicken breasts seasoned with McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning (my fav go-to summer seasoning).  The pork tenderloin was marinated in garlic, honey, jalapenos, oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.  I even grilled the bagels to toast them up.  FYI if you have never had grilled asparagus- go and make that tonight- they are the bomb.

And if you have never grilled pizza- get on that!  It is probably the closest thing you will have to real brick oven pizza.  It is super simple too.  I really should have brought my rolling pin though- was a pain to roll it out- that's why its super misshaped but whatever it's "rustic".  I packed homemade dough (you could even do store bought), shredded cheese, sliced tomatoes and fresh basil.  Roll the dough out and lay on the grill.  I then brush or drizzle a bit of oil.  Let that cook and bubble up.  When it is ready to turn you will be able to grab it up and it will easily pull away from the grill.  Flip it over and top with tomatoes and basil then the cheese to help everything stay put.  Cover (aka close the lid), turn heat to low and just wait until everything melts.  Even if you burn the bottom, it still tastes really good! (oh yea- don't forget a cutting board and knife!)

Here's all the rest of the weekend!




Lexi sun bathing




Dutchy Moo Cow is hot




Mini fridge is stocked plus we had a cooler



gotta have the hot sauce

Our home away from home (with a/c of course!)

Ya know, just the essentials

Simple breakfast plus coffee of course

My ride

A man of many talents

Took him on the turn

Yea forgot to soak the skewers- oh well!

Race grid

Shade!

Love sausage super crispy- cut sausage in half then serve on buns with ketchup!

Yea, these boys don't play around when it comes to speed

Cooling off in the camper- isn't this the cutest thing you've ever seen???!!!!

Held his position against this guy and took 11 out of 23 in this race! So proud of you babe, I love you!

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (Leftover Weeknight Meal)

So I'm sure we all have "leftover night" one day a week or so.  On Sunday we came home from grandmas with a rotisserie chicken, a tray full of Spanish rice, and I had some corn and grilled chicken left over from a previous BBQ of my own.  Some people say they are bad when it comes to opening the fridge, seeing what's there and making a meal- for me this is a welcomed challenge.  This one was not as difficult because of the similar flavor profiles of these separate dishes.

Any leftover chicken is an awesome thing to have, it can become so many things.  The rice was obviously a side and so was the grilled corn on its own. Starch, veggie, done.

I had three leftover kaiser rolls (but tortillas or really any hearty bread would have worked here too), chicken and a pantry/fridge door.  Hand shred the left over chicken, obviously removing the skin and bones.  Set that aside while you make your sauce.  Everything else gets microwaved to just reheat!

I have to say I don't have a set BBQ sauce recipe, it changes I think every time I make it, but this was the one I made last night.  I used an immersion blender to make the sauce thicker, quicker, and to make it smooth- but if you don't have one you can always carefully transfer to a regular blender, food processor or just leave chunky and simmer longer to thicken.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 roasted red pepper, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 1/2 cup of chicken stock
• 1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp of brown sugar
• 2 tbsp of worchestire sauce
• 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp of salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• about 2-3 cups of shredded cooked chicken (or pork!)

Directions

1. In a sauce pot add about a tbsp of oil and then saute the onion, garlic, and jalapeno until softened.  About 5-7 minutes- careful not to burn it.  Then add the roasted red pepper.
2. Then add the lime juice, chicken stock and tomato sauce.  Try to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan- if there are any.
3. Add the sugar, vinegar, worchestire sauce, salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
5. This would be the time to blend.  After blending keep at a simmer until sauce like consistency then add in your chicken and heat through.
6. If not blending, keep at a low boil until thickened to your liking (ALWAYS taste the sauce before adding the meat or serving) and then add the chicken.
7. Pile the chicken on toasted buns with pickled jalapenos, tomatoes and lettuce.

There are so many other ways to make this- other usual ingredients are ketchup, tomato paste, mustard, cumin, paprika, beer, chipolte etc.  If you want you can add a squirt of ketchup or tomato paste to heighten the tomato flavor more.  Taste the sauce before adding the chicken and adjust to your preference.

Now if you don't have already cooked chicken, don't worry- just poach your chicken first then use the poaching liquid as your chicken stock. Add chicken to pot, cover with water until almost fully submerged.  Bring to a boil then immediately reduce to a low simmer.  Cook until done.  Remove chicken and the water it cooked in is now essentially chicken broth- use for your sauce!

California Chicken Burgers with Cabbage Carrot Slaw

I know I have been slacking! Just realized my last post was the beginning of the month! Tomorrow I hope to post some cookie recipes I will be trying out.  I don't do much baking, so we will see how good they come out.

Here in New York it definitely doesn't feel like winter and if the BBQ wasn't all packed away I just might have broke it out.  So instead I got the trusty George Foreman grill going and made some of these tasty tasty burgers.  Chicken burgers are not the same as beef, because 1) they have no flavor on their own and 2) you MUST cook them all the way through.  Both reasons might make chicken burgers a bit tricky but with all these big flavors and my trusty meat thermometer we are ready to go.  I also have to add that these are pretty healthy- we ground boneless skinless chicken breasts ourselves, flavored with spices and low calorie items and used turkey bacon.  The slaw is good for you too- no mayo and we used heart healthy extra virgin olive oil. (I can only hate on the bread because of the carb count- but what the heck- it's the holidays right?)

A chicken burger is not exactly an original but I couldn't find a recipe that was exactly what I wanted so obviously I just made up my own with all the flavors I liked the best.  This idea came from a wrap that was on the menu at one of our favorite diners, that unfortunately closed down :(  But now will live on in this recipe :)

For 6 burgers:

• 2 ½ boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons of McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1 ½ carrots, shredded (shred 3 all together if making the slaw too)
• 2 chipolte in adobo, chopped

1. In a food processor (or a meat grinder) grind up the chicken.  If you want to buy already ground chicken, I would say this came out to about 2 pounds worth.

2. Then mix the meat and all the other ingredients in.  Then form the patties (I got about 6, it might vary on the size of your chicken breasts)
3. Get your grill or frying pan hot and cook until done- about 160 degrees, the carry over heat will cook it to the safe 165 degree mark.  About 6-8 minutes each side if in a frying pan.  The GF grill took about 6-8 mins all together (obviously because it cooks both sides at once)

For the Red Cabbage and Carrot Slaw:

• ½ of a medium sized head of red cabbage, shredded
• 1 ½ carrots, shredded
• the other ½ of that red onion, sliced thin
• juice of one orange
• extra virgin olive oil to coat
• 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar would be good too)
• salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and let marinate in the fridge while you make your burgers.

Toppings

Really they are whatever you want- BUT when people classify something as "Californian" for some reason it always has avocado. So this is what I topped mine with:

• Turkey bacon or regular bacon
• Avocado, sliced
• Tomato, sliced
• Cabbage and carrot slaw
• Baby spinach

If you needed a dressing of some sort I would go with a honey mustard or blue cheese.  OR instead of mixing the chipolte in with the meat- you could mix it up with some mayo and use that as a dressing.  I skipped the cheese but a spicy monteray jack cheese would be awesome (because it originates from CA!) or maybe a tangy provolone.

Pile it high on a crusty but soft bun and this is one burger you will be making again!

The North Carolina Barbecue Company

So, the girls from Top Shelf Network were lucky enough to receive a complementary sample package from The North Carolina Barbecue Company and they were nice enough to ask me to come over and try some of the food with them! In the package we received 2 packages of meat, 2 signatures sauces, and 2 containers of slaw.  They have two different "lines" or "styles" of BBQ: authentic Eastern North Carolina BBQ and Piedmont (Lexington) BBQ.  (Each containing a meat, sauce and slaw that all compliment each other)  They ship the food right to your door so it makes for a unique gift for anyone in your life that craves real southern bbq!  I also have a soft spot in my heart for North Carolina, since I spent most of summers of my younger years vacationing there in mountain country (Etowah & Hendersonville, NC).

The meat was good, it was juicy and tender pulled pork.  The sauces that went along with it are very different than our usual thick bbq sauce of the north.  It really is just a vinaigrette that helps cut threw the fattiness of the pork and brings a delightful zing into the mixture.  Now the slaws were probably some of the best I've ever eaten.  I do have a soft spot for slaws as well, but these were really good.  The Eastern was my favorite, and I've never had anything like the Piedmont one.  It was spicy and tasted like bbq.  Both delicious.  I felt the best way to eat the pork was on a slider bun topped with the sauce.

There website has helpful videos to show you exactly what you are getting.

Pros:

• Easy to prepare
• Delicious slaws and sauces
• Love how they have each product with it's own style line
• Ship right to your door
• Website is informative and easy to use
• Can be a unique gift

Cons:

• Little overpriced in my opinion for the amount you get
• Reheat time took a little longer than stated on the package
• Can only order in packages (as of now)

Kudos and Thanks to the NCBBQ Company for the samples and being a small local business that is filling empty tummies with authentic southern bbq nationwide.

Eastern Style

Piedmont (Lexington) Style

BBQ, Burgers, and Beer

This is how I plan on spending my Memorial Day Weekend!  I love Memorial Day Weekend, its like the official beginning of summer! BBQ's are blazing and what a better time than to share a couple of my (and a bunch of my friends) BBQ favs.

Forget those nasty frozen burgers- I don't eat those unless I'm at someone else's BBQ- they are frozen beef pucks, flavorless and full of fillers.  Making your own burgers is super easy- Once you know the procedure you can easily make meatloaf and meatballs too.  The best part about burgers is that there is endless possibilities.  Right now I am actually trying to come up with some ideas to submit into the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger Contest. So lets get the basics down:

This burger I made the other day and it was just so simple and delicious I will share the recipe with you, I call it "The Original"

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb of ground chuck*
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves
• palm full of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning (this is an essential spice blend in my kitchen, I put that sh*! in everything ;) but if you don't have this just add salt, pepper, and some heat-like cayenne or red pepper flakes, but seriously invest in this seasoning it seriously is awesome for so many things)
• 1 egg
• about a handful of breadcrumbs
• Olive oil

Directions

• Mix all ingredients together (except oil) in a bowl just until it comes together- try and not over-mix it.  The heat from your hands will start to melt the fat and we don't want the fat to melt before cooking.  Also over mixing makes the meat tough. yuck.
• Form into patties, this recipe will prob make about 6 to 8.  Shape into regular hamburger rounds and then smoosh your thumb in the middle of each burger to make a little dent or well- this will help the burger cook evenly, and not bubble up in the middle (the dreaded burger bump), so all the stuff you pile on top wont be sliding off.
• Coat in oil and throw them on a hot grill.  Do not touch them, don't poke them, don't mess with them.  Cook your burgers medium- slightly pink in the middle- this makes the burger so much better than a tough well done one.  For medium, depending on the size of your burgers, I would do about 4 to 5 mins on each side.
• I just added a toasted bun and ketchup, but if you want cheese-throw the cheese on about 30 sec- 1 min before it's done.

Some grilling tips:

• Make the burgers a little bit bigger than the bun, because they will shrink up a bit when cooked
• For the love of all that's good eats- do not squish your burger down with the spatula- that only makes the good juices run out and you will end up with a dry burger and most likely flair ups from the grill.

Overwhelmed at the meat department?

• *Ground chuck:  I have used a lot of different ground meats to make burgers, but this has got to be my favorite ground beef to work with, it is so delicious.  Ground chuck is ground from a single cut of beef (the shoulder), just "ground beef" can have meat from all over the animal.
• Ground Beef: Regular ground beef is usually a combo of two or more cuts of beef.  When you see the ground beef labeled as 80/20, 93/7 etc, this is the lean meat to fat ratio.  Even though it's not the healthiest choice-80/20 or 85/15 (which ground chuck is) are better because the fat adds flavor and moisture to the end result.
• Ground sirloin: this is a piece of ground sirloin lol (middle of the cow) its a leaner ground choice around the 90/10 area.
• Sometimes you will see ground hamburger: now this is like the mystery ground beef lol, it basically is all the trimmings (inside and out) ground up all together- ugh I would stay away from this
• Ground round: its a ground beef from the round of the cow (like london broil, or round roast- the back of the cow, like the top leg) its about 85/15
• Meatloaf mix: this is a mix of beef, veal, and pork- mainly used for meatloafs and meatballs.

I have found that the leaner the meat the more expensive it is- when you go to pick out your meat- you will notice this right away

Not into beef? Try ground turkey.  This is my chili turkey burger with green peppers. yum!