For all you BBQ lovers!

As soon as the weather starts pushing 70 degrees, there is only one thing that comes to mind, and that is BBQ!  Living in Minnesota, one would think that my craving for this delicious category of food wouldn't begin until at least the end of April or early May.  If you haven't been following weather around the nation, aren't from the United States, or live under a rock, you might not realize that in Minnesota, we have been blessed by an unusually mild Winter, and Spring-like temperatures that are making their appearance this week... just the second full week of March!

Therefore, I thought it appropriate to share with you a delicious homemade BBQ Sauce recipe that I made as a marinade for the chicken breasts we ate last night.  It is sweet, tangy, and has just the right amount of heat... of course, you can always add more hot sauce or cayenne pepper for some extra oomph as well! 

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Simple Summertime BBQ Sauce
Makes enough marinade/sauce for 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts.

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon spicy mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco Hot Sauce

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I marinated the chicken breasts in the sauce for 4 hours in the refrigerator before baking them at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  I would have preferred to grill the chicken instead of bake it, but, alas, it is barely mid-March and our gas grill has yet to be cleaned for the Summer grilling season.

So, for all of you who just can't seem to wait until May or June for a taste of barbeque, try this recipe tonight!

Librarian turned Foodie