Secret Barbeque Sauce

Last night Mario and I went to the Hockey game, it was game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The atmosphere was unbelievable. When the Ottawa Senators first came on the ice, the crowd was cheering so loud my ears were ringing. I looked over at Mario, there was a tear running down his cheek. Alright, that's cool. Although I'd like to point out that he didn't get that emotional at our wedding, or when our kids were born....that story has nothing to do with food, except that I think this recipe is something to get emotional about.

This is our "not-so-secret-anymore-Secret BBQ Sauce". We used to always use a bottled BBQ sauce when we grilled Ribs or Chicken, and although we found a favorite and still really like it, I just wanted to have my own sauce. Now when people come for dinner I can say "Oh it's a top secret BBQ sauce recipe" and I don't have to hide the store bought bottle in the back of the fridge so nobody will see it and rat me out.

My main goal when I was developing this recipe was to replicate our favorite bottled sauce, But I think I may have actually improved on it. This recipe makes about 5 cups of BBQ sauce and I store it in a bottle in the fridge. I'm not sure how long it would last, because I've never had any go bad on me. We usually use up the entire batch within a month in the summer.

The picture above is the Secret Barbeque Sauce on Baby Back Ribs that were grilled on a charcoal grill over indirect heat. The picture below shows the Secret Barbeque Sauce on Chicken Thighs that were grilled on a charcoal grill over direct heat.


Secret Barbeque Sauce

1 cup Worchestershire sauce
1 cup Ketchup
1 cup black coffee
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
2 cups chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced

1. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

2. Let cool and pour into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.

Asparagus and Strawberry Pizza

A few weeks ago, I was reading the food section of the Ottawa Citizen and they had a recipe for "Asparagus Strawberry Pizza". I thought that was a great idea, then I read further and realized that the recipe actually called for "Strawberry Tomatoes" (never heard of em, must be from the same family as Grape Tomatoes or Cherry Tomatoes?). I became stuck on the idea of an Asparagus Pizza with actual Strawberries, so I created my own. I also added some Proscuitto (because my husband balked at the idea of a pizza with no meat) and some sliced red onion.

I have decided that this recipe will also be my entry for this month's Monthly Mingle, "Spring is in the Air", hosted by Meeta at What's for Lunch Honey?.

We grilled our pizza on the charcoal BBQ. I'm not sure I would try this on a gas BBQ, the heat may be too high, and burn the bottom of the crust before the topping is even warmed up. So if you don't have a charcoal grill, put your pizzas in the oven on a cookie sheet at 475F for about 15 minutes.

I would also like to stick my tongue out at my friend Bill, who says that "fruit does not belong on a Pizza" :-P



Asparagus and Strawberry Pizza

Pizza Dough:
3/4 cup warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups flour
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil

Toppings:
1/4 cup olive oil
20 asparagus spears
1/2 large red onion, sliced
1 1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
4 slices proscuitto (about 2-3 oz)
2 cups cheese blend (I used mozarrella, provolone and Parmersan)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1. Prepare Dough: dissolve yeast in 3/4 cup warm water for about 5 minutes. Mix dry ingredients. Add yeast mixture and oil to flour mixture. Mix until dough forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Cover and let rise for 1 hour (until double in bulk).

2. Punch down dough. Let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into two and roll out into two free form pizzas (about 13" by 8" each).

3. Prepare toppings: Cut off the asparagus tips (I only used the top 3"). Poach asparagus in simmering water for about 3 minutes. Drain. Sauté onion in a tiny bit of olive oil for 2-3 minutes until slightly soft. Add proscuitto to onion for the last 1 minute.

4. Place pizza dough directly on the grill. Brush with oil, and add onion, proscuitto, asparagus, strawberries and cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro. Close BBQ lid and grill for 10-15 minutes until toppings are bubbly hot. If you are doing this in the oven, you can go ahead and arrange all the toppings on top of the dough on cookie sheets before you put the pizzas in the oven.

Easter Turkey

Well, I didn't make this myself (but I could have). This is the Easter Turkey we ate at my Mom and Dad's house. Every year, my Dad hauls out the BBQ for the first time of the season to roast the Easter Turkey, and usually closes BBQ season with his Thanksgiving Turkey. The recipe is pretty simple. Stuff the turkey, truss it up, and throw it on the charcoal BBQ. Here is the recipe for my family's excellent stuffing. The summer savoury used in the recipe is not always readily available everywhere, I buy it on-line here. Like my Mom, I never actually measure anything when making this stuffing, I just go by instinct, but I will try to estimate some amounts.

Grandma's Newfoundland Turkey Dressing

1 cup soft bread crumbs per pound of turkey
1/2 tsp summer savoury per cup of breadcrumbs
1 large chopped onion
1/2 cup melted butter

1. Start with one cup of soft breadcrumbs per pound of turkey. Generously sprinkle with savoury. You should see lots of dark specks in the breadcrumbs. If in doubt, add more!

2. Place one large chopped onion and 1/2 cup butter in a measuring cup and put in microwave until the butter is all melted.

3. Stir butter and onion into breadcrumbs. The butter should just wet all the breadcrumbs, but they shouldn't be SWIMMING in butter. (1/2 cup would be about the right amount of butter for 8-10 cups of stuffing. So you can adjust a little depending on how much you have.)

4. Stuff the turkey.