October is National Apple Month—not to mention, prime picking and eating time for some of America’s best apples. What better occasion to celebrate the contributions this storied fruit has made to American barbecue?

Apples possess a natural affinity for pork, which probably gained the fruit admission to the barbecue world in the first place. But don’t stop there. Apple juice, apple sauce, and cider vinegar are essential ingredients in regional American barbecue sauce. Apple wood is the fuel some of the most decorated competition pitmasters swear by. Then there are grilled apples, smoked apples, and “baked” apples hot from the smoker.

Given the apple’s deep roots in American food culture, you may be surprised to learn that the fruit originated in Central Asia. The early colonists brought the apple to the New World along with the honeybees needed to pollinate the trees. Thousands of apple varieties have been grown in the U.S., though only a fraction are grown commercially.

So how else should you use apples and apple-based products to take your barbecue to the next level?

Apple Brines and Marinades

• Make an apple brine: Replace a portion of the water in a standard brine recipe with apple cider or apple juice for pork, turkey, and game birds.
• Make a simple apple marinade or injector sauce: Combine 2 cups of apple cider with 1/4 cup each apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, and vegetable oil. Add 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce.
• Don’t forget hard cider, made by fermenting apple cider like beer. A dry hard cider is less sweet than apple cider, which makes it ideal for basting or as a base for marinade.

Apple Sprays, Basting Mixtures, and Mop Sauces

• Place apple cider in a spray bottle and spray it on ribs or pork shoulder as they smoke to add another layer of flavor.
• Combine apple cider, cider vinegar, bourbon, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and a little water to make a “Cider Squirt” for basting pork and poultry. Squirt it from a spray bottle or brush it on with a basting brush.
• Make a hog slather by combining mustard, apple cider, Worcestershire sauce, and melted butter in roughly equal proportions. Brush on the meat with a basting brush.
• For a simple mop sauce for beef brisket, combine one bottle of beer with 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup cold-brewed coffee, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Swab it on with a barbecue mop at the 1-hour mark, and every hour after that.

Apple Cider or Apple Juice?

So what’s the difference between apple cider and apple juice? In the U.S., sweet cider is generally unfiltered, while apple juice is filtered for clarity. Either may be pasteurized. I prefer cider—especially freshly pressed at a farm stand. The aroma and flavor will vary depending on the season and which apples are used.

Three Apple Recipes for the Grill

Put the fruit itself on the menu with these recipes for a grilled side dish, savory stuffed apples, and a skillet dessert.

Apple “Steaks”

Thick slices of Granny Smith apples get a glaze of cider, honey, lemon juice, and butter before and during grilling. Direct high heat browns the slices while leaving them firm enough to hold their shape. Serve them alongside grilled pork chops.

Get the Apple “Steaks” Recipe »

Apples Stuffed with Sausage and Sage

Pork sausage, onion, celery, and sage fill these apples, with a little maple syrup spooned over the stuffing. Smoke-roast them over indirect heat until the apples soften. They’re a savory side dish you can assemble several hours ahead and refrigerate until grilling time.

Get the Sausage-and-Sage Stuffed Apples Recipe »

Smoke-Roasted Apple Crisp

Apples, lemon, and cinnamon go into a cast-iron skillet beneath a topping of butter, granola, flour, and brown sugar. Smoke-roast over indirect heat until the filling bubbles and the topping browns. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving—with ice cream, if you like.

Get the Smoke-Roasted Apple Crisp Recipe »

Next time you’re picking up apples, grab a few extra for the grill. Serve them alongside pork, stuff them with sausage, or save them for dessert. And if there’s cider in the fridge, you’ve got the start of a baste for whatever’s smoking.

The post An Ode to Apples: Grilled, Stuffed, and Smoked appeared first on Barbecuebible.com.

Earlier this year, we knocked out a rack of red, white, and blue babyback barbecue ribs. They were a huge hit and this raspberry barbecue sauce recipe made that happen. Feel free to give it a go! Raspberry Barbecue Sauce Absolutely delicious raspberry bbq sauce recipe! CourseEntree CuisineAmerican, Barbecue Servings4 Servings Prep Time5 Minutes Cook Time20 Minutes Passive Time8 Hours ...

The post Raspberry Barbecue Sauce first appeared on Burn Blog.

This Dense Bean Salad keeps you full for hours! Black beans, lentils, veggies, kale, seeds and a creamy, lemony dressing. High Protein, High fiber, anti-inflammatory (17 grams Protein, 14 grams fiber per serving. Gluten-free, Nut-free, option for soy-free)

This is my anti-inflammatory dense bean salad. Dense bean salads have been trending, and they are just amazing hearty meals with tons of beans and so many different combinations of flavors, textures, and veggies that you can add to them.

Beans, along with all of the vegetables and other ingredients in this salad, are a great source of fiber, protein, iron, and zinc.

The whole bowl has 65+ grams or more of protein, 50+ grams of fiber, 20+ milligrams of iron, and loads of vitamin C from the tomatoes, peppers, and lemon to help your body absorb all of that iron. There are omega-3s from the hemp seeds, along with pumpkin seeds, making this an incredibly nutrient-dense meal.

This is a great, budget-friendly, easy-to-put-together salad. There is no cooking involved. You just have to chop everything, make the dressing, toss it all together, and it’s ready. It’s also perfect for meal prep because the flavors enhance as the salad sits. The next day, it’s even more flavorful because the beans absorb all of that delicious dressing.

Serve this dense bean salad with tortilla chips, toasted sourdough or garlic bread, added to wraps or tacos, or served over grains, such as quinoa or farro. There are endless possibilities with this salad!

Why You’ll Love this Dense Bean Salad

• easy, no-cook meal, perfect for hot weather!
• packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, Antioxidants and minerals in every bowl
• Anti-inflammatory ingredients
• creamy lemon yogurt dressing sends the flavor profile over the top
• naturally gluten-free and easy to make nut-free and soy-free

Continue reading: Anti-inflammatory Dense Bean Salad with Creamy Lemon Yogurt Dressing

The post Anti-inflammatory Dense Bean Salad with Creamy Lemon Yogurt Dressing appeared first on Vegan Richa.

This Vegan hash-brown casserole has a crispy top, savory steak-style soy curls, fluffy tofu ’eggs.’ 27 grams of protein, rich in calcium, iron, and fiber, this is ultimate brunch centerpiece !
(27 grams protein, 8 grams fiber per serving! Gluten-free and nut-free with soy-free options.)

This casserole is based on the steak and eggs with hash browns from IHOP. I decided to turn it into a vegan casserole, so it has soy curls that are marinated and then baked along with onion, mushrooms, and peppers until everything starts to caramelize.

Then, we add crumbled tofu, seasonings, non-dairy yogurt or non-dairy cream, and vegan cheese. Spread that over everything, mix it up a little bit, and bake it again for a cheesy, 1-pan vegan steak and egg scramble.

While all of this is baking, we make our hash browns and crisp them in a skillet, then put them on top of the casserole before serving. You can actually serve the hash browns on the side or on top of the casserole.

I love making breakfast casseroles, like my eggs Benedict casserole and my Mexican egg casserole. In those recipes, I blend the tofu to make the egg mixture. I wanted to make a version where I didn’t have to use the blender, so there are fewer dishes to clean.

This is such a hearty breakfast, and it’s so delicious! For additional protein, you can add nutritional yeast and hemp seeds or more soy curls to the tofu mixture.

Why You’ll Love Hash Brown Casserole

• 27g protein
• hearty, cozy breakfast casserole packed with fluffy tofu “egg”, vegan “steak”, cheese, and veggies
• crispy hash brown topping
• Meal prep friendly!
• naturally gluten-free with nut-free and soy-free options

Continue reading: High Protein Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole (Vegan IHOP Copycat!)

The post High Protein Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole (Vegan IHOP Copycat!) appeared first on Vegan Richa.

Seriously satisfying high protein salad with edamame, crispy tempeh, cabbage, carrots, kale, in a creamy peanut gochujang dressing. 23 gms of protein, meal prep friendly. (gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free options)

This salad is so hearty, crunchy, and delicious. It has a ton of protein, fiber, vitamins, and iron. It packs over 100 grams of protein in the whole bowl, plus 30 grams of fiber, and 19 grams of iron. It’s also a great source of vitamins A, C, and K.

This is a salad that’s going to keep you satiated and satisfy your taste buds because there’s so much flavor in the dressing. I use a peanut gochujang dressing because that flavor combination is just fire. Everybody loves a peanut butter dressing, and we’re going to level it up with some gochujang. It’s so good!

There’s protein from the creamy peanut gochujang dressing, sesame seeds and peanuts, crispy, crumbled gochujang tempeh and edamame! We add lots of veggies for even more fiber, including cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, cucumber, snap peas, green onion, and kale. You can use whichever veggies you have on hand, and use more or less to taste. If you don’t like cabbage, use lettuce instead. If you’d like more carrots, add more carrots. Just play around with the amounts based on your preference.

Then we’re going to add crispy tempeh which has been toasted and coated in a sticky gochujang and lime zest glaze, which is so amazing in this salad. This is the best way to eat tempeh!

We also add some edamame. I like to cook the edamame a little, then add soy sauce and garlic because that adds another layer of flavor and texture to the gochujang salad. You can also add the edamame as is if you prefer.

Then there are sesame seeds and peanuts for added crunch and even more protein. The peanut butter dressing is very flavorful. If you’re allergic to peanuts, use almond butter or cashew butter instead.

Why You’ll Love Peanut Gochujang Salad

• amazing flavors and textures from creamy peanut butter, spicy gochujang, and lots of crunchy veggies, nuts, and tempeh
• packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins
• perfect for picnics, parties, and potlucks
• easy to make gluten-free, soy-free, and even nut-free

Continue reading: Crunchy Peanut Gochujang Power Salad

The post Crunchy Peanut Gochujang Power Salad appeared first on Vegan Richa.

Creamy, comforting and surprisingly protein-rich, this high protein cottage cheese pasta transforms simple pantry staples into a restaurant-worthy meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights!

Looking for a healthy pasta recipe that doesn't compromise on flavor? This high protein cottage cheese pasta is exactly what your weeknight dinner menu needs.

It combines the comforting goodness of a creamy tomato pasta with the nutritional benefits of protein-rich cottage cheese, creating a meal that's wholesome, satisfying and incredibly delicious.

Instead of relying on heavy cream, this recipe uses blended cottage cheese to create a silky smooth sauce that is rich, creamy and naturally high in protein.

Slow-cooked tomato paste, sweet sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and fragrant fresh basil add layers of bold Mediterranean-inspired flavor, making every bite taste indulgent while keeping the dish surprisingly light.

Whether you're trying to increase your protein intake, looking for healthier comfort food or simply craving a creamy bowl of pasta, this recipe is guaranteed to become a regular on your dinner table.

This healthy pasta proves that nutritious meals can be every bit as indulgent as your favorite comfort food!

What is High Protein Cottage Cheese Pasta?

High protein cottage cheese pasta is a healthier version of classic creamy pasta where cottage cheese replaces heavy cream to create a rich, velvety sauce that's naturally packed with protein.

Once blended, cottage cheese becomes incredibly smooth and creamy, making it almost impossible to tell it's the secret ingredient.

In this recipe, the cottage cheese is blended with caramelized tomato paste, fresh basil and tangy sun-dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil to create a deeply flavorful tomato sauce that's creamy without feeling heavy.

The post High Protein Cottage Cheese Pasta with Tomato & Basil | Creamy Pasta Recipe without Heavy Cream first appeared on Flavor Quotient.