The usuals, of course are ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. All good. All tasty. But a good sugar free barbecue sauce can make burgers sing, transform meatballs, and elevate meatloaf, replacing tomato ketchup or sauce with barbecue sauce.

Ingredients

• Tomato Puree (can use more ketchup)
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Ketchup (or sugar free)
• Yellow Mustard
• Sugar Free Maple Syrup (can use a different sweetener)
• Garlic Powder (or a few cloves garlic)
• Onion Powder (can fine dice a medium onion instead)
• Worcestershire Sauce (make sure to see notes on this if you avoid gluten or fish)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cayenne

I like sugar free barbecue sauce that has a little tang and isn’t too sweet or overpowering, and this recipe fits that. It works because it brings just enough acid to a dish for perfect balance.

More Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Big Mac Sauce
• Comeback Sauce (for Crack Slaw)
• Peach Salsa
• Pulled Pork

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Sugar Free Barbecue Sauce

Sugar Free barbecue sauce for pork, ribs, burgers, meatballs, meatloaf and more.

Course condiment

Cuisine American

Keyword barbecue sauce, sugar free

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 4 tablespoons sugar free ketchup see notes
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (sugar free)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Instructions

• Add all ingredients together. Taste for seasoning. You can add heat if you desire with a pinch of cayenne pepper as an option, but only a pinch.

Notes

If you don’t have sugar free ketchup, add in another 1/4 cup tomato puree. 

The post Sugar Free Barbecue Sauce appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

There are a lot of different dishes one can do with beef cubes, but usually we don’t think of making a hearty pasta beef dish, but this hits all the boxes. Pasta lovers and meat lovers get a bowl that is sure to please and makes a cold winter more palatable.

Ingredients

The list might look long, but these are items you most likely have in your pantry.

• beef cubes,
• carrots,
• onion
• celery
• beef broth
• wine
• canned tomatoes
• beans (optional)
• short rigatoni
• pecorino
• herbs

• Begin by browning beef cubes. I think it’s important to trim any fat after browning. Enough of the fat will be in the pan and can be deglazed.
• Soffrito: Chop onion, carrots, celery, as this is the go to for starting almost any soup or stew to build flavor.
• Use boxed organic beef broth, canned tomatoes, white beans and a little red wine.
• Short rigatoni make the perfect replacement for potatoes, which makes this a stew and not a soup. The rigatoni are cooked right in the pot, soaking up the broth, absorbing flavor and making this a hefty stew. You could use penne pasta also.

Variations

• You could make a similar dish with a pot roast, or even change the meat around and use boneless pork chops.
• Switch out the pasta to a different macaroni like penne.
• Add dollops of ricotta cheese!

More Dishes with Beef Cubes

• Beef Ragu
• Italian Beef Stew
• Irish Stew
• Beef Cabbage Soup
• Tomato Beef Soup with Einkorn Berries
• Beef Macaroni Soup

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Beef Rigatoni

Beef Rigatoni is a cross between a soup and a stew, hearty and true comfort food.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword beef cubes, beef rigatoni, rigatoni

Ingredients

• 2 carrots diced
• 2 celery diced
• 1/2 onion diced
• 1 pound beef cubes
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 cup Italian San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1/2 pound rigatoni
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano grated
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 1 bay leaf
• salt, pepper for seasoning

Instructions

• Make sure meat is dry (use paper towel) so it will brown better. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. I used a dutch oven. Add beef cubes and brown. Do this in stages because you don't want to crowd the pan.
• Remove meat to a plate and set aside.
• Add in vegetables Saute for a few minutes.
• Deglaze pot with the wine.
• Crush the tomatoes with your hand and add to pot.
• Add beef pack to pot, along with broth, bay leaf.
• Braise the beef for two hours or until tender.
• Rinse beans in cold water. Add to pot.
• Once the beef is tender, add in pasta. The pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid. If you find there's not enough liquid in pot for pasta, add some water or more broth. Make sure the soup is boiling before adding in the pasta. Cook until pasta is done. It will absorb the broth and and the starch will thicken it into a nice sauce.
• Serve with pecorino romano and any sprinkle of herbs you like.
• Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper only if needed.

The post Hearty Italian Beef Rigatoni appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Veal Meatballs with Ricotta Cheese and Fresh Mozzarella

While I was making these veal meatballs with ricotta cheese and gooey mozzarella, I was gearing up for the Academy Award’s Red Carpet, which I look more forward to than the awards themselves.

In all the years I’ve lived, I’ve watched things in the world get better, while other things get just plain stupid.

The Red Carpet Might Take Itself  Too Seriously

You can no longer ask women at the academy awards “who” they are wearing or “what” they are wearing, unless you get into some SERIOUS questions, because supposedly it insults women. I think it was Reese Witherspoon who started the campaign “ask me more.” This article lists many of the serious questions that the women want to be asked.

One actress wants to be asked ““What social cause are you most passionate about and why?”

Oh my goodness, while all of that is “nice” that is not what the red carpet is for. It’s not the Miss America contest, nor is it an Oprah interview. It’s the red carpet, the one time that glamour IS the reason people are tuning in. In this world of social media, the actresses have a million and one opportunities to champion their causes and become known.

Don’t tell me that women who fretted over make-up, botox injections, cheek implants, jewelry and well, not hair this year, but that’s another story, will feel badly if you talk to them about their appearance. They want to be on that best dressed list. It’s part of the fun, and we need fun.

. Movies are powerful, but their main draw is a place of escape and for sheer entertainment.

We need the red carpet and we care about those dresses!

Doesn’t this picture of the extremely talented Jennifer Lawrence just make you smile?

Next thing, someone will tell me is that I can’t eat veal, but even if they do, I’m not listening.

I’m swooning (mostly) at red carpet fashion and I’m eating veal.

Veal Meatballs Process

When I made these veal meatballs, I was spinning many plates, and made them in steps over two days. I mixed and baked the meatballs on Saturday, placed them in a dish of tomato puree overnight and then on Sunday added the cheese and baked. It almost felt like not cooking!

This is a meal to serve with crusty bread and a salad, when you are craving comfort food Italian style. This could even be a party dish, a heavy appetizer, or game day nosh. It’s man food with a woman’s touch, and a hearty family meal.

I did a little looking around the other day and discovered my most popular category is my Italian food category, which has over 120 Italian recipes. I’ve decided to dig a little deeper and make more Italian food here.

So tell me, do you want more Italian recipes, and what recipes are you most interested in?

Please connect with me on instagram, where I take you on a culinary journey of what we’re eating and drinking in Nashville, and all the things that get whipped up in Spinach Tiger’s kitchen. Just click on my IG feed below.

More Meatballs from Spinach Tiger

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Veal Meatballs, with Ricotta and Fresh Mozzarella

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground veal
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 large can tomato puree
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 8 mini fresh mozzarella balls or 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

• Pour milk over ground veal
• Season with salt and pepper
• Add egg, parsley, grated parmesan, bread crumbs and very loosely, gently mix together. You don't want the meat to be compacted, as that will make the meatballs tough.
• Form into small balls.
• Place foil or parchment paper on baking sheet.
• Bake meatballs for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
• From here, you can place in your own favorite tomato sauce or do the following method.
• Mix white wine with tomato puree. Put meatballs in sauce and refrigerate for several hours to overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Scoop ricotta cheese into baking dish in various places.
• Do same with mozzarella.
• Bake until heated through and cheese is melted about 20 minutes.

The post Veal Meatballs, with Ricotta and Fresh Mozzarella appeared first on Spinach Tiger.