Blueberry Barbecue Sauce

Here are two different types of Blueberry Barbecue Sauces.  One is a quick version and the other is for the slow cooker.  They look great!

BLUEBERRY BARBECUE SAUCE

Servings:  3 cups

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2-2/3 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/3 cup minced onion

1-1/3 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno Chile; seeded

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

4 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1-1/3 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2-2/3 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a non-reactive saucepan.  Add the onion and jalapeno and cook over moderate heat, stirring until wilted, about 3 minutes.  Add the ketchup, vinegar, sugar, mustard and Tabasco.  Bring to a simmer.  Add the blackberries and simmer over low heat, stirring until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Puree the sauce in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pass through a strainer and season with salt and pepper.   Serve at room temperature.

Use on:  any kind of beef, steak, hamburger, pork, chicken.

The sauce can be refrigerated for up to one day.

BLUEBERRY BARBECUE SAUCE

Servings:  4 cups

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/4 cup zinfandel wine (or other sweet wine)

1/3 cup cider vinegar

2-1/2 pints (5 cups) fresh blueberries

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Red pepper flakes (large pinch or to taste)

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1.        In a small skillet over medium heat, warm the oil; sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until softened

2.        Add the wine and vinegar; bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits sticking to the pan.

3.       Transfer mixture to a slow cooker and add in the remaining ingredients. 

4.       Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or until thickened.

5.       If the sauce is not thick enough, remove the lid, turn the cooker to High and cook up to 30 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.

6.       Puree with a hand-held immersion blender (or transfer to a food processor and process until smooth).

7.       Season with salt and pepper to taste.

8.       Let cool, transfer to a jar and store, tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 2 months.

Enjoy!

Mulligan Stew with Blueberry Dumplings

This is another unusual blueberry recipe. It looks complex but the recipe states that it is not as difficult as it looks.  It sounds like it could be quite tasty.  I would try it just for the opportunity to taste vegetables that I have never eaten like rutabaga and parsnips.  I am not sure where allspice berries can be obtained.  I will have to look at the grocery store for all of these items before I plan to make it.   

Mulligan Stew with Blueberry Dumplings

From Farm House Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis (Workman Pub), 

This mulligan stew uses chicken as a base with rutabaga, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips, plus delightful blueberry dumplings. Do be sure you use the allspice berries. They complement the blueberry dumplings and connect them to the soup. If you must, you may substitute golden raisins for the blueberries. The recipe length may look daunting, but it is really quite easy to make.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (3-1/2 to 4 pounds) chicken, cut in pieces

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon wild vegetable oil such as safflower

Salt and fresh ground pepper

2 bay leaves

4 fresh thyme sprigs

4 allspice berries

1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1 large potato, peeled and cut in 2-inch cubes

4 small carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup wild blueberries fresh or frozen or 1/4 cup golden raisins coarsely chopped

2 cups green peas, fresh or frozen

3 small parsnips, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

Preparation:

Rinse chicken well and pat it thoroughly dry.

Heat the butter and oil in a large (at least 8-quart) heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken pieces, season them generously with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides, seasoning the other side when you turn the pieces. Brown the chicken in several batches to avoid crowding the pan, 8 minutes per batch.

Transfer chicken to a plate or bowl, drain off half the fat in the pan, and then return the chicken to the pan. Add enough water to just cover the chicken. Then add bay leaves, thyme, allspice  and rutabaga. Cover, leave the heat at medium-high, bring  to a boil. Cook until rutabaga is nearly soft through but still somewhat crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and the carrots, cover, and cook until carrots are nearly tender, about 15 minutes.

While the stew is cooking, make the dumpling dough. To do this, sift the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, baking soda, and nutmeg together into a medium-size bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg, melted butter, and buttermilk. Mix them together in the well with a small whisk, a fork or your fingers. Working quickly, incorporate the dry ingredients to make a fairly stiff dough.  Fold in the blueberries or raisins.

Adjust the seasoning of the stew and make sure it is boiling merrily, then stir in the peas and parsnips. Next, one heaping tablespoon at a time, drop the dumpling dough on top of the stew so the dumplings are not touching. Cover, and cook just until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through, no longer than 15 minutes. Check them occasionally to be sure they do not overcook and become dry.

To serve mulligan stew, cut through the dumplings with a serving spoon, and ladle the chicken and vegetables into warmed shallow soup bowls (remove the thyme and bay leaves). Place the dumplings on top; serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings 

 Enjoy!