Chocolate & Coffee Dry Rub and BBQ Sauce

One weekend in April 2016 we had a cookoff with our friends. The theme was “coffee”. We brought our top game, we had some seriously tough competition, and we won. How rad is that.

This is the dry rub and sauce that Traci and I put on some tri-tip kabobs. I thought the rub was really good. But everyone loved the BBQ sauce. The dark earthy flavors of the ancho chili and dutch chocolate and coffee all seemed to blend together really well. We used the rub seasoning in the BBQ which really help to show the depth of flavor. We paired it with a homebrewed coffee stout, and also used that coffee stout in the BBQ sauce.

Chocolate & Coffee Dry Rub and BBQ Sauce

Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

Rub

  • 1/2 cup Coffee ground
  • 1/2 cup Dutch Cocoa Powder
  • 2 tbsp Ancho Chili Powder ground
  • 1 tbsp Coriander Seed toasted and ground
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Salt
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne to taste
  • 1 tsp Allspice toasted and ground
  • 2 tbsp Granulated Garlic
  • 2 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 2 tbsp Ground Cumin Seed toasted

BBQ Sauce

  • 1 Yellow Onion, large chopped
  • 1 tbsp Sea Salt
  • 1 tbsp Rub see above
  • 1/4 cup Molasses
  • 12 ounces Barrel-Aged Stout or Dark Ale
  • 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 can Tomato Sauce 15oz.
  • 2 ounces Brewed Espresso
  • 4-6 tbsp Brown Sugar to taste

Instructions
 

Rub

  • Combine all ingredients for rub in mixing bowl.
  • Apply liberally to meat.
    Let meat sit for 2-6hrs coated, then cook

BBQ Sause

  • Place olive oil, onion, and salt in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized.
  • Add Rub and molasses, stir 30 seconds, then add beer to deglaze pan, whisking well. 
  • Add vinegar, tomato sauce, and brown sugar. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced and thickened. 
  • When sauce is brown and thick, add espresso and remove from heat.
  • When cooled, to lukewarm, transfer sauce to blender and cover. Puree on HIGH until smooth, about 1 minute.
    Use on meat, or keep refrigerated,

Notes

Original recipes: http://thelocalpalate.com/recipes/chocolate-and-coffee-dusted-lamb-ribs-with-stout-chocolate-bqq-sauce, http://www.craftbeer.com/recipes/barrel-aged-stout-bbq-sauce
 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Category: Sauces, Seasonings, Dressings and Condiments | LEAVE A COMMENT

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

This recipe is so simple that I kinda feel bad calling it a recipe. It is literally just two things – chicken & salsa.

You can mix it up by varying the salsa used. The chicken lets out a lot of its own juices, so don’t be afraid to use a salsa that has some kick. Because of all those juices, don’t add the whole jar of salsa, only add up to two cups, no more. Also, the thing to remember about this recipe is that the better the salsa, the better the flavor will be; As it is literally the salsa doing all of the work here.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 1 minute
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs Boneless Chicken
  • 1 container Salsa
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Salt and pepper your chicken to help add flavor.
  • Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Add at least 2 cups of salsa on top of the chicken.
    Don't add any more than 2 cups, as the chicken produces a lot of its own juices.
  • Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
  • Chicken will become easy to break apart with a fork..
    Shred all of it right in the slow cooker and serve.

Notes

Original recipe: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/2-ingredient-slow-cooker-salsa-chicken-recipe/
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Category: Main Courses, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot | LEAVE A COMMENT

Mississippi Pot Roast

 

This was super easy to make. It came out really delicious. We followed the original recipe and wasn’t disappointed. It was tender, flavorful, tons of juices.

The simplicity is what really makes this a great recipe. Dump in the meat, the powdered mixes, then pepperoncini with juice. It is just about fool proof.

Our first try was a 3.77# roast and it took 7 hrs on low. I think next time we will try to half the butter. Traci whipped up some low-carb biscuits to go with this. The combo was pretty amazing! They ended up being a great way to mop up all those tasty meat juices.

Other suggestions that we found suggested to try substituting french onion soup mix, or brown gravy mix. Searing the meat will help with increasing the flavor, but it is an optional step. We have already decided that next time we will be adding a layer of vegetables to the bottom of the pot.

We’ll report back after we give it another go. Meanwhile, here’s the recipe…

Mississippi Pot Roast

Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 lbs Beef Roast
  • 1 package Ranch Dressing mix 1oz, dry
  • 1 package Au Jus gravy mix 1oz, dry
  • 1 stick Butter
  • 5-10 pepperoncini peppers plus a few tablespoons juice
  • Vegetables optional

Instructions
 

  • Add optional veggies to the bottom of the cooker. Carrots, onion, potato, etc...
  • Place roast in slow cooker
  • Empty packages of dry Ranch dressing and Au Jus dressing on top of the roast.
  • Place stick of butter on top.
  • Place pepperoncini around and on top of the roast.
  • Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours

Notes

Original recipe: https://belleofthekitchen.com/2016/04/13/mississippi-pot-roast/
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Update 1

Okay, we did it again… We made another roast. This time we did 5.651bs. The Wholefoods by us sells the roast in slabs that are -1.71bs., so this time i went for three slabs. It also came out very tasty. We tried a few things different though.

We added lots of vegetables. A bag of baby carrots. A bag of baby potatoes, A box of mushrooms. Totally doing this again next time. We cut the amount of butter used in half. That it was fine. We subbed brown gravy for the au jus. Next time though, we’re going back to using the au jus.

 

Update 2

We tried making it with chicken. What a treat! I think it might even be better then the pot roast. Anyways… this is our Mississippi Chicken recipe.

Category: Main Courses, Slow Cooker & Instant Pot | LEAVE A COMMENT

Vietnamese Noodle Soup

I forgot why we decided to make pho, i think we had just wanted something different. Regardless, we were quite happy with how this Vietnamese noodle soup ended up.

Traci found that toasting the spices befre addign them to the broth added so much more flavor to the disk and made it taste more like we stopped someplace and picked up pho to-go.

A great way to make this one lower carb is to sub in shirataki noodles (aka Miracle Noodles) for the vermicelli or rice. You get to to enjoy all that flavorful broth and skip those carbs that kick you out of ketosis.

Vietnamese Noodle Soup

Print Recipe
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 inch Ginger chopped into a few pieces
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 2 cups Stock chicken, beef, vegetable
  • 1-2 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1-2 tbsp Fish Sauce
  • 1-2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
  • 1 tsp Sugar or sugar substitute
  • 2 Limes cut into wedges
  • 1 bunch Cilantro or Mint
  • Sriracha sauce optional
  • 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
  • 1/4 tsp Cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp Coriander
  • 1/4 tsp Fennel Seed
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
  • Vermicelli Noodle or rice
  • Shredded Chicken, cooked or protein of choice

Instructions
 

  • In a pot, add your choice of stock, ginger, and smashed garlic clove and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, ~10minutes.
  • Separate from the stock - Combine the Chinese 5 spce, cardamom, coriander, fennel seed, and ground clove. Toast them in the toaster oven or heat in a pan over med-low heat until they are warmed and fragrant. Then add to the stock.
  • Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce and sugar (start with smaller amount of sugar, add to taste).
  • Add the vermicelli. While it cooks, taste the broth and adjust to your liking. 
  • When the noodles reach al dente, add your shredded chicken, letting it heat through, then take the soup off the stove.
  • Top with a squeeze of lime, some cilantro and mint, and a drizzle of sriracha

Notes

Original recipe: http://3-chairs.com/food/vietnamese-noodle-soup/
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Category: International Cuisine, Main Courses, Soup & Stews | LEAVE A COMMENT

Szechuan Eggplant

This one was inspired by trying to copy-cat the same dish from a local chinese restaurant. We were trying to eat ‘healthier’ and have more vegetables, so since we both like eggplant, we decided to order this instead of some all meat dish. I think that we have ordered it there every time that we have gone since then. While this isn’t their recipe, it is a pretty decent attempt at replicating it.

Szechuan Eggplant

Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups Eggplant cut into 1" wedges or cubes
  • 5-6 Shallots or pearl onions
  • 1 tsp Garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Red Chili Sauce Sriracha, Maggi, chili flakes or anything works
  • 2 tbsp Soy Aminos
  • 1 tsp White Vinegar
  • 1 tsp Corn flour or corn starch
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 2 tbsp Sesame Oil or peanut oil
  • 1 small bunch Cilantro leaves
  • 1 cup Water

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a wide pan and when it starts to smoke, add the eggplant in 2 batches, frying until sticky and brown.
  • Add salt and pepper to this, drain and set aside.
  • in the same pan, add a few more drops of oil if required and fry the shallots until soft.
  • To this, add the red chili sauce (or flakes) and minced garlic. Saute for a few seconds.
  • In a seperate bowl, mix the soy aminos, vinegar, corn starch, sugar, and some salt to make the Szechuan sauce.
  • Add this to the shallot mixture and cook on medium-high heat until it starts to bubble.
  • Tip in the fried eggplant and mix well until the sauce coats the eggplant.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with fried rice or noodles. Goes great even with plain steamed rice.

Notes

Original recipe: https://www.cookingandme.com/2013/03/18/schezwan-eggplant-sichuan-eggplant-recipe/
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Category: International Cuisine, Side Dish | LEAVE A COMMENT

Lemon Garlic Sauteed Bok Choy

We both like this recipe a lot.  The lemon and garlic really step up the flavor of the bok choy.  It’s a simple recipe that easy to do and it pairs easily with fish, chicken, or pork.

 

Lemon Garlic Sauteed Bok Choy

Quick, delicious, satisfying. Lots of flavor!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Baby Bok Choy
  • 1.5 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper optional for spicy
  • Sea Salt
  • 1/2 Lemon cut into wedges

Instructions
 

  • Remove any discolored outer stalks of the bok choy and discard them (or save for stock later). Place the bok choy into a colander and rinse with cool water, rubbing any grit or dirt away from between the leaves.
  • Trim the ends and slice each bok choy in half lengthwise. Or if they are large, cut them into quarters. Pat dry.
  • Add the oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes to a wide room temperature skillet. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to bubble around the garlic, but before the garlic starts to turn light brown.
  • Toss in the bok choy and spread into one layer. Sprinkle with about a 1/4 teaspoon of salt then cook, without stirring, until the bottom is starting to turn brown, about 2 minutes.
  • Flip then cook another 2 minutes or until the green leaves have wilted and the white bottoms are beginning to soften, but still have some crunch.
  • Transfer the cooked bok choy to a platter, then squeeze 2 lemon wedges on top. A teaspoon of olive oil is nice too, Serve with more lemon wedges on the side,

Notes

Original recipe: https://inspiredtaste.net/34160/lemon-garlic-bok-choy-recipe/
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Category: Healthy & Light, International Cuisine, Side Dish, Vegetarian & Vegan | LEAVE A COMMENT

Kansas City Rib Rub

Kansas City Rib Rub

Makes a great dry rub with lots of flavor. 
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Paprika
  • 1 tbsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Chili Powder
  • 3/4 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Cayenne

Instructions
 

  • MIx all of the ingredients together in a bowl and store in an air tight container.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Category: Sauces, Seasonings, Dressings and Condiments | LEAVE A COMMENT

Creamy Bacon Pea Salad

Traci helped find this recipe back when i first started trying to lower my carb intake. And in fact, this recipe was one of the recipes that help to drive the creation of this blog. We get asked for this recipe, without fail, every time we bring it to an event.

It takes a little bit of preparation time, but its totally worth it. I also  recommend letting it rest for a day to allow all the flavors to meld in with the mayo.

Creamy Bacon Pea Salad

Always a hit at BBQs and potlucks. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounce Frozen Peas, bag thawed in cool water
  • 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
  • 5 ounce Bacon cooked & crumbled
  • 1 rib Celery chopped
  • 1/3 cup Onion finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Chives chopped fresh, or 1T dried
  • 8 Eggs, Hard Boiled peeled & chopped
  • 1 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Seasoned Salt

Instructions
 

  • Combine all the ingredients and season with seasoned salt, to taste.
    Can be enjoyed immediately or stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Original recipe: http://www.healthstartsinthekitchen.com/recipe/creamy-bac/
Keyword Keto
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Category: Appetizers & Snacks, Comfort Food, Main Courses, Side Dish | LEAVE A COMMENT

Seasoned Salt

This is a tasty seasoned salt that takes minutes to put together. It tastes so much better homemade, and I feel better knowing how my salt is actually seasoned. The best part about this recipe is that it contains no MSG!

Seasoned Salt

Homemade seasoned salt with no MSG.
Print Recipe
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 3 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 3 tbsp Sea Salt
  • 2 tbsp Paprika
  • 2 tbsp Finely Ground Black Pepper
  • Crushed Red Pepper to taste optional for spicy version

Instructions
 

  • Combine everything together.
  • FIll your spice shaker.

Notes

Original recipe: http://healthstartsinthekitchen.com/2013/04/16/homemade-seasoned-salt/
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Category: Sauces, Seasonings, Dressings and Condiments | LEAVE A COMMENT