Quick Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce

This sauce goes together quickly and has a nice thick consistency that goes amazingly well on pork ribs (and probably anything else that could use a thick slather of sauce!) Play with the chipotle powder and make it as hot (or not) as you like. 

Quick Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce

1 med onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tbsp coconut oil or butter 

1 can tomato paste (156ml)

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2/3 c maple syrup

4 T molasses

1 tsp salt

½ tsp chipotle pepper powder (increase or decrease by ¼ tsp depending on your love of heat!)

Sauté onion over med high heat until starting to soften and brown, add minced garlic cloves, sauté 1 min more. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well, bring to a boil then reduce heat to med low. Simmer for 15-20 min. puree with hand blender until smooth. Use right away, or Keep in fridge for up to a week.

Savory BBQ Chicken

We use our BBQ a lot. It is not a seasonal cooking device in our house, it is used year round, and for much more than just grilling steaks.  (I have used it for everything from baking bread, muffins, pizza and even cookies in it, prior to my grain free days) I think of it as an outdoor oven for those hot summer days when you just can’t bear the thought of heating up the house with your oven.  It also lets you get away with less dishes to clean up, which is always a bonus in my kitchen!!

I cooked this chicken using an indirect heat method on the BBQ. Heating up the entire BBQ  and then turning off the heat below whatever you are cooking, and leaving the outside burners on ensures a nice juicy piece of chicken. Ours has 3 burners, making this method of cooking work beautifully. These cuts of chicken are typically fatty, and when combined with the marinade can cause flare ups on the BBQ.  This method creates a wonderful smoky flavoured BBQ chicken with minimal flares. ( If you don’t have a BBQ that will work for this method it would also work in the oven, I would bake it at 375F for about 45 minutes.)

Savory BBQ Chicken

¼ cup Organic Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

3 Tbsp tomato paste (**see below for a tomato paste tip)

1 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tsp grated or minced fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

¾ tsp Herbamare or sea salt of choice 

4 chicken leg quarters, cut apart into drumsticks and thighs to make 8 pieces

Mix all ingredients together well. In a large bowl or zip style bag,  place  marinade and chicken pieces. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least one hour (or up to 12 hrs).

Preheat BBQ grill on high for 10-15 minutes until nice and hot.  Place chicken pieces on middle of grill, skin side down to sear for 1-2 minutes. Flip over and turn off heat underneath the chicken pieces, and turn the burners on either side down to medium. Close BBQ and let cook with the indirect heat for approx 45 minutes or until the juices run clear when the chicken is cut open. (instant read thermometer should read 165F) Serve hot!

Pictured with Grain-Free Battered Cauliflower

Marinate in Bag for at least one hour

**when using the little cans of tomato paste, I like to freeze the leftovers in 1 tbsp amounts in an ice cube tray. When frozen, remove from tray and store in a freezer bag until needed!

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms With Spinach And Goat Cheese

Portobello mushrooms done on the grill are very tasty. Add a tangy peppery marinade and combine them with a quick sauté of greens and a nice creamy goat cheese and they become a perfect light meal or side dish that comes together in a flash.  Grilling the mushrooms on the BBQ adds a nice smokiness that balances the flavour of the goat cheese perfectly.

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms With Spinach And Goat Cheese

2 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed and brushed clean

1 small log of goat cheese (ours was Chevrai with fine herbs, you will only use about half of it)

Marinade:

3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

3 Tbsp Organic Olive oil

1 tsp coarsely cracked fresh ground black pepper

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh thyme, woody stems removed, roughly chopped (or ½ tsp dried)

Vegetable Saute:

1 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter)

1 onion, sliced in ½ inch slices

3 cups baby spinach

Salt to taste.

Preheat your BBQ or indoor grill to medium high.

Cut 4  round slices from your log of goat cheese, about ½ inch thick, and set aside

Melt the coconut oil in a medium sized cast iron pan over medium high heat and sauté the onion slices  until they just start to color a bit. Turn heat to low, and stir occasionally.

Baste mushrooms with the marinade and BBQ or grill for approx 3-4 minutes per side, basting once more per side as they grill. Reserve a bit of the marinade to drizzle on your mushrooms after they are plated.

When mushrooms are flipped to their second side, turn the heat back up on your onions to medium high and add the spinach. Season lightly with salt and sauté until the spinach is just wilted, 2-3 minutes.

Place the BBQ’d mushrooms on your plates. Top with your sautéed spinach and onions.  Place 2 rounds of goat cheese per mushroom on top of the spinach, and drizzle the remaining marinade on top of the cheese. Serve while hot!