Barbeque season is finally upon us. Fire up the grills and pick up some steaks. You’re going to want to show off your grill skills to the whole neighborhood. With this easy recipe for a tangy, spicy Kansas City style sauce, you’ll be the talk of the block all summer long!
You will need:
1 1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly for 5-7 minutes and then reduce the heat. Let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The sauce should be thick and smooth. It’s great on burgers, steaks, wings, ribs and pretty much anything else you can grill. Adjust the spiciness to your taste and serve it in a large jar with a spoon so everyone knows it’s homemade.
Alison Heller is the Jersey Bites Cape May County Regional Editor. She also writes for Examiner.com and TrendHunter.com. She grew up on the beach in Wildwood Crest and currently works in advertising. After earning her Master of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing in New York City (a place that was essentially Food Rehab), she stopped putting ketchup on everything and started experimenting with flavors. She loves sushi and cupcakes, sushi that looks like cupcakes, but never cupcakes that look like sushi. www.superalzy.com
Barbecue Recipes That Won’t Stick to Your Hips
After a long, cold winter, it looks like spring is finally here. That means that it is time to get the grill out, and also time to head out to our wonderful New Jersey beaches. This also means that it is time for those three little words many of us dread hearing: bathing suit season. Perhaps you baked your heart out to get through this winter, or maybe you ran out to restaurants whenever there was a break in between each snow-pocolypse event. Whatever the cause, you may be dealing with a little…shall we say…poundage?
Our friends at Weight Watchers are here to help. Just in time for that time of skimpier clothing, they have provided us with delicious recipes for the grill that may help you shimmy into that swimsuit and look svelte after all. If you are following the new Weight Watchers Points Plus program, you will be happy to see that recipe #1 has zero points. That’s right: zero, zippo, nada. Hopefully, these recipes will assist you as you valiantly try to axe some of that winter avoirdupois.
Grilled Vegetable Packets With Sage:
2 sprays olive oil cooking spray
3 medium summer squash, sliced on the diagonal
4 small shallots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
12 medium firm, ripe cherry tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 sage leaves (or 4 fresh rosemary or fresh thyme sprigs)
4 tsp balsamic vinegar
Preheat grill to medium. Cut four 12-inch square sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil; lightly coat each with cooking spray.
Place squash, shallots and tomatoes in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper; toss to coat. Place 1/4 of vegetable mixture on each sheet of foil. Top each packet with a sage leaf; sprinkle with vinegar.
Fold top and bottom of foil sheets to center; fold in edges. Do not press down; leave space for steam to build up.
Grill packets until shallots and squash are fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. (To test for doneness, carefully open one packet and pierce squash with the tip of a knife. If the knife comes out easily, the vegetables are done.)
Remove packets from heat. Carefully open packets (make sure to keep face away from escaping steam) and gently mix vegetables with packet juices. Yields 1 packet per serving.
Grilled Chicken Strips With Turkish Yogurt Sauce
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
3 medium scallions, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 medium jalepano pepper, seeded and minced (use gloves!)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into strips
½ teaspoon olive oil
Place yogurt in a medium bowl. Add the scallions, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, the garlic, jalapeño pepper, the 1⁄8 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄8 teaspoon of the pepper. Stir to mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Meanwhile, soak 16 (6–8-inch) wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.
Spray the grill or broiler rack with nonstick spray; prepare the grill or preheat the broiler. Put the chicken strips into a medium bowl; sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper; toss to mix well. Thread 1 chicken strip onto each skewer in a snake-like fashion. Cover the ends of the skewers with foil to prevent them from charring.
Place the skewers on the grill or broiler rack and grill or broil about 4 inches from the heat until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Pile the skewered chicken onto a small platter; drizzle the oil over yogurt sauce. Serve the sauce with the chicken. Yields 2 skewers per serving.
This very flavorful yogurt sauce also makes a great dipping sauce for raw vegetables.
The recipes can also be found here:
http://weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/index.aspx?recipeId=132841
http://weightwatchers.com/util/prt/recipe.aspx?Type=1&RecipeID=197911
Beth Christian subsisted primarily on cheeseburgers and liverwurst sandwiches during childhood and refused to try most new foods. Her culinary horizons were expanded during her college days in Schenectady, New York, where she learned the joys of trying slow-simmered Italian dishes, Szechuan cuisine, and everything in between. When not engaged in the practice of law in Monmouth County, Beth is busy scouting out interesting restaurants, farmer’s markets and food purveyors near her home in Burlington County. Beth’s primary dining sidekick is her husband John, but she also enjoys having her daughter Meghan, son Michael and her wonderful friends come along for the ride. Email Beth at BChristian@JerseyBites.com
Back to Bad Barbecue
I know Beth is always good for the “good for you” recipes. And, yes, I’m famous for the ultimate in decadence recipes. Well, who am I to disappoint. Here is a list of recipes that makes up my regular go-to barbecue fare.
Debbie’s Damn Good Baby Back Ribs: You will make loyal friends and raving fans from this recipe. I have lost count of the number of times I have made this over the years. I take help where I can get it now, and use Costco’s Dry Rub and Bottle sauce, but I still make sauce #1 from the juices then finish it off with sauce #2 (Jack Daniel’s Original) after grilling.
To go with those ribs, how about this delicious 3 Bean Casserole and some other favorite recipes from last years 4th of July Post including Creamy Coleslaw, Bodacious Balsamic Barbecue Sauce (to die for) and Alabama Deviled Eggs.
Deborah Smith , Founder and Executive Editor of JerseyBites.com. Launched in 2007 as a home for her growing collection of recipes, Jersey Bites soon grew into a hub for all things edible in the Garden State. Deborah is also the owner of Parents With Nannies, Inc. which operates a network of nanny employment websites established in 1999. In her spare time, (Ha) she works as a Social Media consultant and speaker. You can learn more about her services and marketing through social media on her blog www.DeborahLSmith.com
