So the summer is rolling and it is BBQ time again. This is just plain ol’ BBQ sauce; unadulterated and straightforward. My favorite. And made in the slow cooker. I make many types of sauces in the slow cooker, but this is one I consider one of my foundation sauces.

There are so many books and articles now on outdoor grilling, it is astounding. But everyone has to have one all-purpose BBQ sauce to use instead of one from a bottle. If you love to cook, this is a must-have. And you control the salt when you make it yourself.

For many barbecue styles and enthusiasts, the quality of the barbecue is determined by the flavor of the BBQ sauce, which are regional in flavor–Kansas City contains molasses, Carolina style has tangy mustard and vinegar, Texas BBQ has the hot pepper element, Western BBQ is tomato based. But good ol’ American Tomato BBQ sauce is a perennial favorite as it is the all-purpose keep-it-in-the-fridge-all-the-time. I always use an unfiltered, good-quality apple cider vinegar, one of my secret ingredients and passions, as it adds a great flavor element.

Use Not Your Mother’s tangy BBQ Sauce in my slow cooker recipes for chicken or ribs, even tofu, or on your outdoor grill, brushing on the last 20 minutes of cooking to avoid burning the sugar.

Overview

Cooker: Medium or Large Round or Oval

Machine Setting and Cook Time: Low Heat: 5 to 6 hours

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 1/2 cup dry red wine or water

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika

• 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder, to taste

• 2 cups ketchup

Instructions

In a skillet, warm the oil and sauté the onion over medium heat until limp.  Add the wine and vinegar and bring to a boil.  Transfer into the crock and add the lemon juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, paprika, chili powder, and ketchup.

Cover and cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours.  If the sauce is not thick enough for you, remove the cover, turn the setting to HIGH, and cook up to 30 minutes until desired consistency.

Purée with an immersion blender or transfer to a food processor and process until smooth.  Cool, then transfer to a jar and store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 2 months.

Excerpted from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. (c) 2005, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• Few shakes onion powder

• Few shakes Tabasco or other favorite hot sauce

• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, or 4 boneless half chicken breasts

• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, or brown rice flour

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (one of the salt free blends that are fine textured), or grated zest of a small lemon

• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

In a shallow glass dish, such as an 8-x-8-inch Pyrex pan, add the buttermilk, Dijon, onion powder, and hot sauce. Whisk to combine. Rinse chicken pieces in water and pat dry with paper towels. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 8 hours, to marinate.

Preheat the oven to 425º. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray with nonstick olive oil cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, paprika, baking powder, Italian seasoning or lemon zest, and salt. Place the mixture in a gallon plastic food storage bag. Remove one piece of chicken at a time and place in the bag; shake to coat, then place on the rack. Repeat with all the chicken pieces, arranging the chicken skinless-side up with a bit of room in between each piece. Spray the chicken with the olive oil cooking spray (important for crisping the coating). Discard the leftover marinade and flour mixtures.

Bake on the center rack until golden, about 30 to 40 minutes, until juices run clear (not pink) when poked with a sharp knife or the internal temperature of the chicken breasts is 165°F and the thighs 170°. The thermometer is the best way to check these and do so at 25 minutes to be sure not to overcook. Serve hot on top of the hot waffles, and provide a knife and fork. Pass the maple syrup, agave syrup, or honey.

The hot-sweet Cumberland sauce is a British invention and served with all sorts of ham, poultry, and game meats. We don’t see it on American tables enough. It is so classic that it appears in Larousse Gastronomique, the French culinary encyclopedia, as a cold sauce for meats, although I like it served warm. One of my oldest catering clients gave me this recipe in the 1980s and I have never found one better; it’s so good I give quarts of it for Christmas presents.  This is one of my best recipes and will end up being one of yours. Use your favorite Vintage Port reserved for drinking to make this recipe shine.

Makes 1 quart

Overview

Preparation Timeline: Can be made 1 day to 1 month ahead

Serving Equipment: Bowl, serving ladle

Onsite/Refrigerator: No

Temperature at Serving: Warm, chilled, or room temperature

Ingredients

• Peel of 4 large orange, removed with a vegetable peeler

• 2 cups currant jelly

• 1 cup Port wine

• 1 cup orange juice

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions

In the work bowl of a food processor with the motor running, drop in the orange peel and pulse to grind.  Add the remaining ingredients and process for 1 minute.  Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and clear.  Cool to room temperature and store in an airtight plastic container or screw-top glass jar in the refrigerator.

the rice plant and seeds of grain

This is a recipe from food writer and restauranteur Jesse Cool and it is a keeper because it adapts for seasonal flexibility with no fuss.  For all her fancy cooking, this is one of her staple standbys for dinner at home.  In winter, Jesse uses organic frozen vegetables from Cascadian Farms; in summer, fresh.  We like white corn, if available. Keep your paprika in the refrigerator instead of the cupboard to keep it fresh.

Overview

• Machine:  Medium (6 cup) rice cooker
• Yield:  Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon sweet or spicy ground paprika
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas
• 1/2 cup fresh corn cut off the cob or frozen corn kernels

Instructions

1. Place the rice in a fine strainer or bowl, rinse with cold water, and drain twice.
2. Coat the rice bowl with a nonstick vegetable spray.  Place the rice in the rice bowl.  Add the water, salt, and all the rest of the ingredients into the rice bowl.  Stir just to combine, then cover and program for the regular cooking cycle.  Let the rice rest 10 minutes on the Keep Warm cycle.  Serve hot.

Excerpted from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook, by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann. (c) 2002, used by permission from the Harvard Common Press.

Overview

• Serves 4
• Cooking Method: Stovetop
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: About 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed and cut into 3-inch square chunks and seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 large red, yellow, or green bell pepper, chopped
• 3 fresh or canned plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 8 ounces sour cream (regular or reduced-fat)
• Pinch of salt and few grinds of black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add the chicken, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes; do not brown it or it will be tough. Add the bell pepper, tomatoes, and paprika. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the sour cream. Add to the pan and cook, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce is hot and thickened. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.