Orange Chipotle Barbecue Sauce (from 500 Vegan Recipes)

Orange Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Soy Free & Gluten Free

Oh, so sweet! But wait, what's that kick? Ohhh, the smoky chipotle has emerged from the sweetness to leave your tongue warm...not burning. This recipe calls for a strange ingredient…grape jelly! Please, don't use jam, but jelly. This is my Gramma Jo's secret ingredient. She uses it in all of her barbecue sauces, even store-bought ones.

2 tablespoons (30 g) extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion (about 6 ounces, 170 g), roughly chopped

1 tablespoon (15 g) minced garlic

24 ounces (680 g) tomato sauce

6 ounces (170 g) tomato paste

1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice

1/2 cup (110 g) packed brown sugar

1/4 cup (80 g) grape jelly

2 tablespoons (12 g) ground chipotle powder

In a stock pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent and fragrant, and just beginning to brown. Add in remaining ingredients and stir. Bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve as you would any barbecue sauce. If not using right away, place in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Will last about a week in the fridge, or freeze for later use.

Yield: About 4 cups (940 ml)

Happy Father's Day! Have some Ribz!

I totally stole the idea from Tracy over at A Veg*n For Dinner. She has some amazing seitan creations. I admit that I am not as "careful" about my presentation of these ribz as she was, but I thought these ribz were fantastic. Although I did steal her method for using "bonz," I came up with my own recipe for the "meat." I baked mine on Saturday night and threw them into the fridge. On Sunday, I threw the whole rack on the grill to warm 'em up and give them an even smokier flavor.



Chipotle Barbecue Ribz on Cedar Bonz
Dry Ingredients
3 cups gluten flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp granulated onion
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp chipotle powder (This makes 'em pretty spicy, feel free to reduce the heat if you need to.)
6 1 inch cedar bones (optional)*
Wet Ingredients
+/- 1 cup veggie broth**
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Bragg's or soy sauce
1/3 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (I used a chipotle hickory flavor)
extra bbq sauce for basting
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients and knead about 5 minutes. Let mixture rest about 20 minutes. Pour a generous amount of barbecue sauce into the bottom of the baking pan. If using bonz, divide your "dough" into 2 equal pieces. Press one piece into the bottom of the pan, until it is in the shape of a large rectangle. Lay in the bonz equally apart from eachother, press the other piece of dough onto the top of the bonz, making sure to press in between the bonz so that the seitan sticks together. If you are not using the bonz, simply spread your dough into a nice flat rectangle. Spread another layer of barbecue sauce all over the top. Cover the entire pan tightly with foil and bake for about 75-90 minutes.

*If you can get your hands on a food safe cedar plank, cut it into 1" bonz uzing a saw, and then sand down the edges. Soak the bonz in warm water for at least an hour before use.
**If you find you mixture too dry, just add in a bit more broth.

Cedar Smoked Tofu and Pasta Salad in a Chipotle, Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

In amidst the packing and cleaning and prepping for the move, I found time to fix a few quick meals that can be easily eaten throughout the week. This cold pasta salad is one of them. It is very hearty, very yummy and comes together in the amount of time it takes to boil the pasta.



Cedar Smoked Tofu and Pasta Salad in a Chipotle, Spinach and Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Ingredients
1 lb pasta (I used penne)
1 lb block of extra firm smoked tofu (you can buy it already smoked, or make your own), cut into bite sized chunks
1 cup vegan mayo
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground chipotle powder
1 tsp chili powder
12 oz roasted red peppers, sliced thinly
14 oz spinach (drained if using canned, about 2 cups if using fresh, chiffonade)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Prepare pasta according to package instructions. In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients. When pasta is ready, drain and run cold water over it to cool it down quickly. Toss the pasta with the dressing. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Burgers

Another creation from the "Just the Burgers" test kitchen.

Something about the sweetness of a sweet potato or yam combined with the smoky spiciness of chipotle peppers has always reminded me of fall. For this burger, I didn't even need a bun to enjoy the savory with the sweet and just a hint of Autumn peeking through.

Before cooking.


Plated with a dish of Chipotle Dipping Sauce (from Cozy Inside.)


This one is baked.


This one is fried:


I think I actually like it baked, better than fried.