Karen Stoyles
Summer has arrived! Along with the warm weather, sunny days, vacation time, camping and all around outdoor fun comes backyard barbecues. If you’re getting bored of hot dogs and hamburgers, or want some fresh, new, healthier ideas, try grilling fresh garden vegetables or creating your own home-made barbeque sauce or marinade. The bottled sauces available in the grocery stores are nice for convenience, but making your own is not as difficult as you may think. The next time you fire up the barbeque, give these recipes a try and I promise you will be pleasantly surprised.
Pork Chop Marinade (may also be used for chicken and steak)
½ tsp. dried oregano (or 1 tbsp fresh oregano)
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup soy sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed or minced
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Marinade pork for at least one hour, or overnight in the fridge. Grill pork chops for about ten minutes on each side, or until well done.
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms and Bell Peppers
4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. dried basil (or 2 tbsp. fresh basil)
1 tbsp. olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Wash and prepare vegetables, cutting peppers into four pieces. Brush vegetables with oil and vinegar mix (may also be used as a marinade) and grill peppers for about five minutes on each side. Grill mushrooms for ten minutes with gills up.
Barbecue Sauce
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup blackstrap molasses
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup tomato paste (6 oz can)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground mustard
1 tbsp. chili powder
Combine ingredients in a pot and whisk. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring often. May be refrigerated for up to one week.
Karen is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, and founder of Nature Prenatal. Her mission is to educate and empower women to become healthier so that they can have healthy babies. You may visit her website at www.natureprenatal.com for more recipes and information on her services.
