Homemade Barbecue Sauce

There are good, great, fabulous, not-so-good, kind-of-good and not-good-at-all BBQ sauces out there. So many types of BBQ sauces with different flavors that I actually get overwhelmed just by thinking about it. 

I have nothing against store-bought BBQ sauce but my rule is "If I can make it, why buy it?" This sauce is one of those things that I always thought you'd buy because of the lack of equipment and ingredients. Boy was I wrong. My mind was completely changed when I tried my Aunt's homemade BBQ sauce for the first time. I never went back to store-bought. It's really easy to make and lucky for us, she is sharing the recipe! 

Ingredients:

For the BBQ sauce

(makes 1 quart)

3 tbs vegetable oil

2 cups ketchup

1-8oz can tomato paste

1 cup water

1/3 cup vinegar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup molasses 

fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cumin

In a medium saucepan, add the oil and saute the onions and garlic for about five minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, for 30 to 45 minutes.

For the Chicken

12 chicken drumsticks 

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons dijon mustard 

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

To make the marinade, combine the garlic, dijon mustard, oil, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a large enough resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Make sure the chicken is completely covered with the marinade. Squeeze the air out and seal the bag. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill the chicken and brush BBQ sauce liberally two minutes before it's done. Serve immediately.  

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Avocado Burgers

Oh boy, what a week! I was without internet for a whole week and I felt like a fish out of water. You can never know how hooked you are to your internet until you actually are left without it.

As a result, I couldn't post last week :(. But not everything was bad news, I was very productive and took a lot of photos, did a couple of DIY projects, and today's post,which is a burger with avocado and chipotle mayo. YUM!

These burgers are perfect for a 4th of July party. Every time I make these burgers, they never disappoint. The chipotle mayo gives them a nice smoky flavor, so don't skip it! And the fresh avocados just make your burger that much better.

That's it for now! I will be back later this week with a super easy homemade BBQ sauce recipe.

Ingredients: 

(Makes 6 small burgers)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Burger buns, split 

Cheese (your favorite)

I used swiss cheese.

6 tomatos slices

6 lettuce leaves (or other greens)

6 thin slices of red onion

For the Avocado

2 avocados

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, finely minced

2 tbsp lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Mash into a chunky consistency.  Set aside.

Find chipotle mayo recipe HERE

Heat the grill. Start by drizzling olive oil onto the buns and lightly grill them. Shape the ground beef into 6 patties and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the burgers on one side for about 4 minutes then flip and put the cheese on top and cook for 4 more minutes. To assemble the burgers, spread chipotle mayo on both sides of the buns, arrange the lettuce, followed by the tomato, meat, avocado, and onions. Garnish with an olive. 

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Watermelon Lemonade

With watermelon popping up everywhere I go, it was only fair I did something with it. Ice tea or watermelon lemonade is where I turn to in those hot Summer days. 

With few ingredients you will have a refreshing drink the whole family can enjoy or you can easily turn this innocent drink into your signature cocktail for a Summer party or BBQ by adding vodka or the alcohol of your choice. Have some leftover watermelon lemonade? No problem, make popsicles! As you see, this recipe is very versatile and that's why I love it. 

One quick tip, when ready to serve, don't add ice into the pitcher (unless you know it will all be consumed right away) Add the ice, and lots of it, directly to the serving glasses. This will prevent the lemonade from diluting from the melted ice.  

Ingredients:

(makes 8 to 10 servings)

1- 5 lb. watermelon, cut into pieces

1/2 cup lemon juice +

the zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar 

Puree the watermelon (in batches) in a food processor. Strain it and discard the pulp. Add lemon juice, zest, sugar and water. Taste and adjust sugar if needed. Stir well before serving. Serve over ice and garnish with a piece of watermelon.

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