Blueberry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

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Blueberry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

For me, summer is here officially. There’s nothing that we love more than firing up the grill and enjoying dinner sitting at the picnic table in the backyard. Homemade BBQ sauce is one of those things that some people insist on cooking down for hours upon hours, so if you’re looking for that…keep looking. But if you’re looking for a super quick sauce that takes just a few minutes, that will be the star of any summer cookout or potluck this summer- look no further!

Naturipe had contacted me about participating in the Very Berry Month Of May celebration on their site. A chance to make something with berries? I’m always down for that! I chose blueberries, and ended up using them to create this awesome barbecue sauce. Blueberries are cooked down with a bit of honey and water, then quickly pureed. It’s then combined with basic ingredients to form an absolutely delicious sauce that’s great brushed on pork, chicken, or beef.

I love the purple-tint that the sauce has too – it really screams “BLUEBERRY!”. And it’s definitely there in the flavor as well. A bright fruitiness and change of pace from the traditional barbecue sauces I usually go for.

Naturipe has been kind enough to host a giveaway here at Tide & Thyme. This awesome KitchenAid 7-Cup Food Processor is up for grabs! Slices, shreds, chops – the perfect size for pureeing a few berries, shredding a block of cheese, or making a batch of homemade baby food! To enter just leave a comment below telling me your favorite way to use fresh, in-season berries. Contest will run through June 1st at 12 PM. I’ll chose a winner using a Random Number Generator thingy.

Food Processor Giveaway

Want a couple of extra entries?:

Like Tide & Thyme on Facebook – leave a separate comment letting us know you did so.
Like Naturipe Farms on Facebook – leave a separate comment letting us know you did so.

Also, make sure to stop by their site and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $500 gift card from Williams-Sonoma. I could think of a bunch of great ways I could put that to use in my kitchen – how about you?

UPDATE: Congratulations to our winner, Entrant #11 – Shanna! Thanks so much for entering, everyone!

naturipegiveaway

Blueberry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

For the blueberry puree:
2 cups blueberries
3 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup water

For the sauce:
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 chipotle peppers, finely chopped
1 Tbsp adobo sauce (from the can)
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
salt and pepper
hot sauce

To make the blueberry puree combine the blueberries, honey, and water to a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until blueberries have softened and busted open – about 10 minutes. Place into food processor or blender and puree until relatively smooth – a few one second pulses.

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the blueberry puree and mix until combined. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, and/or hot sauce.

Can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Disclaimer: I have been compensated for my time to create a recipe for Naturipe Farms. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Hawaiian Chicken & Coconut Rice

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Hawaiian Chicken & Coconut Rice

I’ve definitely been in a mood to grill the past few weeks, with all the warm weather we’ve been blessed with. This recipe was one I had bookmarked for a few months before I finally got around to giving it a try. It turned out absolutely delicious, so moist and flavorful!

It’s best when marinated overnight, but if you put it in before you went to work for the day – then grilled it when you got home, I think 8 hours would probably do a pretty good job as well. Some of my favorite ingredients go into the marinade – soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and pineapple juice meld together to create a perfect harmony of flavors for the chicken.

Then, there’s the coconut rice…which, couldn’t be easier. You’re basic recipe for rice, but you substitute 1 cup of coconut milk for 1 cup of the water. The coconut flavor isn’t overwhelming, but just enough to really set off the tropical flavors in the chicken.

We all really loved this one. I went ahead and grilled more chicken than we needed for dinner that night, as I knew the leftovers would be absolutely divine in some chicken salad. Which, they were. Instead of my usual dried cranberries I added a little bit of fresh diced pineapple for a Hawaiian spin. So delish, and perfect for summer!

Hawaiian Chicken & Coconut Rice

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 2 lbs of boneless thighs)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp of sesame oil

For the coconut rice:
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup long grain white rice
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cup water

Combine soy sauce, pineapple juice, water, brown sugar, scallions, garlic, and sesame oil in a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces to the bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal. Squish around to coat the chicken in the marinade well. Place in the refrigerator and marinade for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Grill for about 5-7 minutes per-side, watching to make sure chicken doesn’t get too charred. If you do not have a grill you can use a indoor grill pan.

To prepare the rice, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice, and cook for about 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Carefully pour in the coconut milk and water, stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir once more and re-cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for 18 minutes. Remove lid and fluff rice with fork.

Serve the chicken on a bed of the coconut rice. Garnish with additional scallions if desired.

Source: adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Chicken, Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Bake

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Chicken, Spinach, and Artichoke Pasta Bake

Even when the weather is warm, sometimes I still find myself craving a big bowl of comforting baked pasta. But, it’s nice to switch it up from the standard red sauce and ricotta cheese variety. When I came across a recipe a couple of months ago in a recent issue of Taste of Home, I thought I’d give it a try.

I did end up changing it a bit, mainly by adding chicken as well as a dose of homemade Alfredo sauce to the pasta bake. I loved all the flavors together, almost reminiscent of a spinach-artichoke dip. It was pretty easy to bring together too, as it doesn’t require all the layering that something like a traditional lasagna would.

I had leftover roasted chicken from the night before, so I just used that – but a store-bought rotisserie chicken would be ideal for this application. Or you could certainly use boneless skinless chicken breasts that you roasted or sauteed as well. Whatever works best for you!

I kept it simple and just served it with a salad topped with a light lemon vinaigrette. Everyone really enjoyed it, and with most baked pastas the leftovers were even better the next day for lunch.

Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Bake

16 oz rigatoni pasta
1 batch Alfredo sauce (or 1 jar of your favorite store-bought brand)
3 cups cooked chicken, roughly chopped or shredded
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach
1 (14 oz) can water-packed quartered artichoke hearts, drained
8 oz whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

Boil a large pot of water and season with 1 Tbsp salt. Add pasta and cook for 7 minutes. Drain and return back to large pot.

Add the sauce, chicken, spinach, artichokes, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper to the pasta. Stir to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Pour half of the pasta into the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Add the remaining pasta and top with remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn on broiler. Remove foil and place pasta under broiler for about 3 minutes or so, until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Taste of Home Magazine, February/March 2014

Bourbon Chicken

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Bourbon Chicken

I know I’ve been on a Mardi Gras recipe rampage this past week here on the site, but I have just one more to share with you guys. And this one is wonderful any time of year! I remember getting Bourbon Chicken in the mall food court in Annapolis when I was growing up – at a place called The Big Easy. Even though my teenage heart was prone to Sbarro, I couldn’t resist the tender chicken in the rich sauce over a bed of rice once I’d tried it. They liked to suck you in with samples as you walked by!

I got to thinking about those days a few weeks ago, and tried my hand at making it at home. I’ve tried to make it once or twice before, but the recipes I’d used always fell short. Mainly due to the fact that none of them contained bourbon, I’d imagine. Now, from what I understand – the dish is named after the street in New Orleans…not the liquor. But, knowing those crazy Cajuns – why wouldn’t they use bourbon given the chance?

So I threw some of that in the sauce, changed a few of the ingredient ratios to get it where I wanted it – and I’m happy to report that this recipe is a winner! I only had chicken breasts, but am really looking forward to trying it with thighs next time – because they really are more tender and juicy. But, it was still great with the boobs. We all enjoyed it, and have already had a request or two since I made it a few weeks ago. So it will definitely be on the menu again soon! If you’re looking for something relatively quick and easy to make tomorrow night to celebrate Mardi Gras and New Orleans – add this to the menu!

Bourbon Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger (ground or fresh)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup bourbon
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
kosher salt
black pepper

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until nicely browned. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add remaining ingredients to skillet, and whisk to combine. Return chicken to pan and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Sauce should have reduced somewhat and be thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over white or brown rice.

Source: adapted from Food.com