Frugal Foodie Friday: Wow, I am very proud to say that Smart School Time Recipes was downloaded by over 6000 viewers yesterday! It seems to be on track for thousands of additional downloads this week and hopefully in the future. Please help to spread the word of feeding ourselves and our kids with whole foods (rather than over-processed packages of Franken-foods) by emailing, sharing, and tweeting about this new Free eCookbook. You can send them to this link - www.onefrugalfoodie.com/2010/09/01/free-school-time-recipes. Change through recipes and food ideas; that's my motto. Speaking of recipes ...

I was actually going to post my version of one of the recipes in that eCookbook today, but I realized we are coming upon a major barbecue weekend. A northern hemisphere going away party for the summer if you will. So I'm saving the Smart School Time recipe for next week, and sharing my new go-to homemade BBQ sauce today. You may have seen a version of this recipe here on Go Dairy Free prior, but I thought I would share my version, which is quite a bit milder than the original (with option to go even more "kid-friendly") since this has become a go-to recipe in our house.

All summer long, my husband and I scoured our local stores for good, natural barbecue sauce. I kid you not, we found only one brand that didn't have high fructose corn syrup (and usually in the first three ingredients no less!); it was Annie's. I love Annie's Homegrown. They are a great little natural food company - but, I'm sorry, their barbecue sauce is the pits. It's a spiced up tomato-y concoction with flavors that completely do not meld. I definitely do not recommend.

So when I reviewed American Vegan Kitchen and saw the Chipotle BBQ Portobello recipe with homemade barbecue sauce, I thought, "Why not? What have I got to lose?" The entire recipe as I wrote about prior is delicious, but the barbecue sauce itself (a component of the recipe) is awesome, even on its own. In fact, I have made it at least a dozen times since with a couple of modifications.

Tamasin's version is way, way, WAY too hot for our taste buds, so I have toned my version down a lot. It does use ketchup as a base, but you can use Hunt's (for the super bargain bbq sauce - this stuff is cheap and no longer contains high fructose corn syrup) or a good quality agave-sweetened brand like Organicville.

I've included two versions below: an instant non-fat version (we use this when the sauce will be simmering in a crockpot anyway) or the slightly richer simmered version (still takes just 15 minutes and is low in fat).

Chipotle BBQ Sauce - Almost Original Recipe

The following recipes are optionally Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, and Soy-Free - be sure to check the label of the ketchup and worcestershire carefully for ingredient concerns. These are adapted from American Vegan Kitchen.

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Finely Minced Onion
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2/3 Cup Ketchup
• 1 to 3 teaspoons (up to 1 tablespoon) Minced Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce* (omit if you just want a gentle spice)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons Blackstrap Molasses
• 1 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
• 3/4 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, and saute for a few minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and saute for just a minute more. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Check in to stir occasionally. If it gets too thick, feel free to add a little water. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. 

Chipotle BBQ Sauce - In an Instant

• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced or 1/8 to 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder (optional)
• 1/4 to 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 2/3 Cup Ketchup
• 1 to 3 teaspoons (up to 1 tablespoon) Minced Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce* (omit if you just want a gentle spice)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons Blackstrap Molasses
• 1 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
• 3/4 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Simply stir or blend all ingredients together. For best flavor, add to a dish that is still cooking or in the crockpot to help the flavors meld. But in a pinch, you can use it as is. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

*I de-seed the chipotles as much as possible (yes, it's a little messy, but those seeds can be toooo spicy), and then puree the chipotles in adobo to make it ready-to-use and easy-to-measure. It can be stored this way for a little while in the fridge or freezer.

Both recipes make about 1 cup

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Article by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living.