Sugar Free Coffee BBQ Sauce

So I was complaining to a buddy at work, Russ, about the fact that all the store bought BBQ sauces all have sugar in them.  He took this as a challenge, I guess, because he went home and made an awesome Coffee and Agave Nectar based BBQ sauce.  Russ gave me permission to post this recipe here.  Keep in mind like with most of the recipes I post that this is a "give or take" kind of recipe.  He wrote it down best he could remember how he made it.  Here it is...

2 Package instant coffee

1¼  Cup water

1 Cup beef stock

1 Small can tomato paste

¾ - 1 Cup Agave nectar

1 Tbsp Liquid smoke

1 Tbsp Cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp Black pepper

½ Tbsp Salt

½ Tbsp Garlic powder

¾ Tbsp Onion powder

Heat water

Stir in instant coffee

Mix in all other ingredients

Simmer until reduced to desired thickness

I'm sure there are a million variations.  This should give you a good idea on how to start making up your own sauces!

Meatless Bean Burger Patties

This recipe is modified from one my wife found in a magazine.  It's a great substitute for a meat patty. Make a batch of these and put them in the refrigerator.  They are easy to reheat and enjoy as a quick meal or a packed lunch for work.

1 can of black eyed peas (or black beans)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow (or orange) bell pepper
2 eggs
4 slices of sugar free whole wheat bread for bread crumbs
1/2 cup cooked brown rice (optional... but I like it)
1/2 tsp dried garlic/garlic powder (or some fresh garlic)
1 Tbsp Chili Powder (more or less to taste)
Olive oil

Put your bread slices in the oven at a lower temp to dry them out completely.  Once dry, crush them to a fine bread crumb.

Rinse and strain the can of beans.  Mash beans in a mixing bowl.

Finely chop peppers and add to mashed beans.

Mix in all other ingredients.

The mix should be a nice consistency to make patties.

Spread olive oil on a hot griddle.  Place patties on the oil and let cook for about 8-10 minutes on one side.  Do not turn too soon or the patties will have a tendency to break up.  After 8-10 minutes, turn once and cook for another 8-10 minutes.  I normally add a little more olive oil around the patties after turning.

One batch makes 6 - 8 patties.  These aren't the fasted meal to make, but heating them up tomorrow is quick in the microwave.  I wrap the patty in a paper towel and heat for about 30 seconds.

Dressing the patty:  Treat this like you would a hamburger.  I like to top mine with a little mayo and BBQ sauce (sugar free of course... I'll have a recipe for that as well).  A slice of cheese, some lettuce a slice of tomato... you get the picture.  All on a sugar free whole wheat hamburger bun.

Variations:  Once you make these try to imagine some of the possible variations. Try some chopped mushrooms or different kinds of peppers.  I have even thought of possibly adding some TVP (textured vegetable protein).

Enjoy!

Stuffed Pasta Shells

My wife encouraged me to use some of the ingredients that we had to come up with something new (to us). I wasn't feeling especially creative, but I liked her idea so I came up with the following.

I mixed Ricotta Cheese with shredded Mozzarella Cheese in a mixing bowl. To that I added a little Olive Oil and Butter and fresh pressed garlic. I blended up some frozen spinach and broccoli in our Magic Bullet (not the best tool for that, but it worked ok... a food processor would have been better I'm sure). I took the blended Spinach and Broccoli and stirred it into cheese mix.

While I was mixing all that up I was boiling some whole wheat pasta shells. These were the smaller ones about the size of a quarter. The pasta was then strained and cooled for a few minutes.

In a 9x11 baking pan I rubbed a little olive oil on the bottom to prevent the pasta from sticking. I put the cheese mixture in a gallon size baggie and snipped a tiny corner off of it so I could squeeze the mixture into the shells (like icing on a cake).

I lined the bottom of the pan with these little stuffed shells. Then, I poured over them some "no sugar added" marinara sauce. Topped it all with a light layer of shredded Mozzarella Cheese. Bake at 350 for 2o minutes (or so).

I'm sure there are cooks out there that can tell me a better way to do this recipe, but it turned out nice. I thoroughly enjoyed this with two slices of sugar free whole wheat toast with butter and garlic salt.