No Tomato BBQ Sauce

I am sooo excited! Something happened today that had my #3 child jumping for joy.

We have searched and tried for quite some time to find BBQ sauce without tomatoes that is palatable for a child. (There's a reason they put sugar in the ketchup.) Since nightshades and additives are a big "no-no", store bought sauces have not worked for us. Today we had a roast in our old friend the crockpot and a some serious hankering for BBQ.

Once again I googled and searched. Then viola'!!!  There was this allergy friendly recipe made with common household items. (What a concept!) I cut, paste and printed that bad boy then handed the recipes to my hubby. "Have at it," I said. "Let us see how it turns out."

Umm.... YUM, it was!
Thank you Mr. Riches at About.com for making one night-shade free kid happy and his mama proud.


(By Derrick Riches, About.com Guide)

Sweet Mustard Barbecue Sauce

This is a mustard-based barbecue sauce, which might sound strange to a few people, but is actually a delicious Southern barbecue sauce. The combination of mustard and molasses gives barbecued meats a sweet and sour flavor.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:
• 1 cup prepared mustard
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (we left out the cayenne, because we think it's a nightshade and it was totally yummy without it)

Preparation:

Combine dry ingredients in a saucepan. Add enough vinegar to make a mixable paste. Mix well. Place over high heat and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-------------
NOTE: throw this stuff in with your roast and let is simmer on slow.... melt in your mouth BBQ shall ensue.

Tomato Free "Tomato Sauce" and Spaghetti!

Looky-looky!!! My boy is happy! He has his favorite dish... SPAGHETTI!


Gluten-free noodles and Tomato FREE "tomato" sauce!!!

I have tried tomato free sauce for my sweetie before. They are usually beet based, really sweet..., and really purple! Just not quite... "tomato saucy" enough for my taste.

So tonight, I had this wild hair..... I see the sweet potato just innocently sitting in the veggie drawer.... I wonder????

Here is my latest concoction! According to my dear son... "It's PERFECT MOM!" So, I am a happy woman.


Tomato Free Spaghetti Sauce

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped (or canned)

1 handful of carrot, peeled and chopped (or canned)

1 beets, cleaned and slice (or canned)
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. parley
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. garlic

You can do these two ways: faster or slower

Faster: open those bad boy cans up and throw them all in the food processor, puree your frustrations away. Then dump them all in a saucepan on the stove with the ground beef (cooked) and seasonings. Simmer on low until your sauce is not so purple and the seasonings have time to flavor the veggies. (10-20 minutes)

Slower: peel and chop those fresh veggies, then process them in a Cuisinart (with some added water as needed) until you have a nice mush. Dump this in the saucepan with the beef and seasoning (and a little extra water if needed), stir together. Simmer until you have a nice yummy smelling sauce (apprx. 20-25 minutes).

What I actually did tonight: It was a combo. I do not tend to have beets lying around in my fridge. Therefore, I slurried up my carrots and sweet potatoes and added them in with the canned beets in the pan. It really gave the sauce a "thickness" that just canned veggies do not give. Know what I mean? You could even just steam your veggies in the microwave to soften them up first. Lots of options. Fun! Fun!

Serve over gluten free noodles or spaghetti squash and watch your kid's face light up!

Servings: I do not know... we never seem to have leftovers no matter how much I fix.

Hint: Make your kids eat their salad while waiting for the sauce to finish cooking. In addition, make sure you fix yourself a plate before you let them serve themselves! I tend to make a big pot of sauce and freeze some back for another meal or two (saving much time in the future).