Community Cookbook: Backyard Barbecue and Dinner, as Summer Heats Up
We are in the season of barbecues and backyard dinners. These dishes can help round out the menu. Smoked Sausages with HD Sauce offer a perfect sandwich for hot dog and sausage lovers.
Those who prefer a slightly healthier diet or have vegetarian leanings may find the beef-free barbecue sandwiches more to their liking.
And finally, not everyone has a barbecue in their garden. For these people, beefless barbecue sandwiches and steamed corn on the cob come to the rescue with their indoor preparation.
Smoked Sausage Dogs with Sauce HD
This simple recipe makes hot dogs simply exceptional. Smoky links and mustard sauce are a perfect pairing. The mayonnaise nicely softens the bite of the mustard and gives the sauce its satiny texture.
Ingredients
ÂĽ cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons of yellow mustard
4 hot dog-sized smoked sausages
4 warmed hot dog buns
Directions
Prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl or measuring cup. Let the sauce sit for an hour or more to allow the flavors to blend. Cook sausages by frying, grilling, microwaving, or boiling (browning adds flavor). If you’re using raw sausages, a good technique is to boil them first, then quickly brown them in a pan or on a grill.
Spread the buns open on a work surface. Spread equal amounts of sauce on the buns, leaving a little left over. Place the sausages on the buns, then spread the remaining sauce over the sausages. Include other additions, such as chopped onion, pickles, peppers and sauerkraut, to your taste.
Remarks: Many premium smoked sausages are made with quality meat, contain no additives and are pre-cooked. Any sausage or hot dog sized sausage can be used. Double the sauce for more servings.
Yield: 4 servings
Beefless BBQ Sandwiches
These sandwiches have all the flavor, look and chew of Sloppy Joes. They don’t have the fat and calories or the mess and fuss of ground beef. Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) has one-third the calories of lean ground beef, zero fat and zero cholesterol. It is high in protein and fiber while being low in carbohydrates. TVP is easy to store and use and has a long shelf life, but it costs no more than the best selling price on regular ground beef. Meat lovers and vegetarians can enjoy these sandwiches.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons cooking oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
â…› teaspoon of salt
½ cup finely chopped bell pepper
Âľ cup of water
½ cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of ketchup
2 teaspoons of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon beef broth powder
ÂĽ plus â…› teaspoon ground cloves
ÂĽ teaspoon garlic powder
ÂĽ teaspoon onion powder
ÂĽ teaspoon liquid smoke
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons small, flaked, unflavored textured plant-based protein
4 (4 inch) or 6 (3 inch) diameter hamburger buns
Shredded lettuce (optional)
Dill pickle chips or spears (optional)
Directions
Heat cooking oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and salt. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pepper and return to sizzling. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tender but still slightly firm, stirring occasionally.
Combine next 10 ingredients (through liquid smoke) in a medium saucepan. Stir in TVP and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently, uncovered, until most of the liquid is gone (the filling should be very thick), about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring more frequently and reducing heat as the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes, then stir in vegetables. Stir filling just before using.
Warm or lightly toast buns. Spread shredded lettuce on bottom halves of buns, if using. Top lettuce with ⅓ cup filling for 3-inch buns and ½ cup for 4-inch buns. Top each with 3 to 4 pickle chips, if using (or consider serving pickle spears on the side), then top with top bun halves.
Remarks: Use vegetarian broth and Worcestershire sauce for vegetarian sandwiches. The filling freezes well. Bob’s Red Mill has a good TVP product in Kroger/Fred Meyer stores and to order from Walmart.
Yield: 4 or 6 sandwiches
Steamed corn on the cob
Whether microwaved or grilled, corn cooked in its shell tastes better. This recipe relies on the microwave, freeing up space on the grill for other uses. Apply whatever seasonings you like and the corn is ready to go.
Ingredients
2 ears of corn in husk
Seasonings of your choice
Directions
Cut 1 to 1½ inches of the ears from the ends of the silk. Cut off most of the stems at the other ends, leaving the husks in place. Place the ears with the stem ends facing each other in a 9x6x3-inch glass baking dish (the ears should lie flat in the container). Cover tightly, leaving one corner open to allow ventilation. Microwave on high for 6 to 8 minutes. Once finished, let sit, unopened, for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the shells (the ears will be warm). Serve with seasonings of your choice.
Remarks: Go beyond butter and salt. Season softened butter or mayonnaise with flavors that will delight your taste buds, like chopped cilantro and lime juice, seasoned salt, lemon pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder and/or parmesan or finely grated Cotija cheese. This recipe was developed using a 1000 watt microwave oven with turntable. Cooking times vary between ovens of different powers.
Yield: 2 servings
Dick Sellers is a freelance writer. Contact him at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com
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