Call me crazy, but when it comes to barbecue sauce, I like to see tomatoes at the top of the ingredient list.

This sauce comes from the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que chain in New York state. Although I have never been, I have heard good things about it. So I couldn’t help but give the sauce a try. Turns out the sauce was plenty sweet enough, so no one should miss the high-fructose corn syrup.

And they are kind enough to label it gluten free for those that need that in a barbecue sauce.

This sauce is great for days when making your own sauce is too daunting. By dabbing some on a pork chop just before it’s done cooking, you’ll have a tasty meal in no time. Don’t forget to serve a little extra on the side for dipping.

When you do have time to make your own barbecue sauce, here’s my favorite quick-and-easy recipe.

For a smokey flavor, add 2 teaspoons liquid smoke.

Easy Barbecue Sauce

2 6-ounce cans tomato paste

2 cups water

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 small onion, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, gluten free if necessary

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

Hot sauce to taste, optional

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

• Make tea for two
• Microwave your seafood
• Melt chocolate, melt hearts
• Celebrate the Super Bowl

I knew what to expect for color when I cut into my first blood orange. What I wasn’t expecting was the smell. The best way I can describe it is as oranges on steroids. It smelled good.

With my first bite I thought it tasted like an orange that had been soaked in raspberry juice. It was really good. And although blood oranges probably won’t replace my breakfast fruit, I think I’ll enjoy them as a midafternoon snack.

If you haven’t given blood oranges a try, I recommend them. Not only do they look cool, they also are full of vitamins and minerals.

Apple Tea

Ginger Tea

Marmalade Tea

Cold winter nights provide a great opportunity for warming up with tea, especially since this hot beverage offers antioxidants and possibly helps reduce your risk of heart attacks and stroke. Whenever you decide to make tea for yourself, brew another cup and share the potential health benefits with someone else.

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Use apple juice with vitamin C added for an extra immune system boost.

Apple Tea

1 cup water

4 whole allspice

2 individual black tea bags, regular or decaffeinated

1 cup unsweetened apple juice or cider

2 tablespoons honey

In a small saucepan, bring water and allspice just to a boil; add tea bags. Remove from the heat; cover and steep to desired strength, about 3 minutes. Discard allspice and tea bags. Stir in apple juice and honey; heat through. Makes 2 servings.

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If you prefer, you can use more water and less milk to suit your own tastes.

Ginger Tea

1 cup water

2 teaspoons honey

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3 individual black tea bags, regular or decaffeinated

3/4 cup milk

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add honey and ginger. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; add tea bags. Cover and steep to desired
strength, about 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Stir in milk; heat through without bringing to a boil. Makes 2 servings.

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You can strain this tea before serving or enjoy the marmalade bits when you get to the bottom of the mug.

Marmalade Tea

2 cups boiling water

2 individual black tea bags, regular or decaffeinated

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil; add tea bags. Remove from the heat; cover and steep to desired strength, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Add marmalade, sugar, and lemon; stir to combine. Makes 2 servings.

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Pantry Pointers

How hot you should heat your water depends on the type of tea you are brewing. With green tea, take the water off the heat once tiny bubbles begin to form. For black and herbal teas, bring water to a full boil.

Brew times listed on a package of tea are guidelines. Typically, you will steep black tea for a shorter time than green tea, and green tea for a shorter time than herbal tea. When you are serving tea with milk, you can steep the tea longer.

Microwave Herbed Fish Fillets

Microwave Buttered Shrimp

Microwave Nutty Salmon

Serving seafood is a tasty way to add variety to mealtime while providing a lean source of protein. Steaming in the microwave is a good method for preparing seafood. Although the cooking time is often the same as steaming on the stovetop, cleanup is usually easier.

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Microwave Herbed Fish Fillets

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1 pound whitefish or sole fillets

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

In a small microwave-safe dish, combine the onion, butter, and garlic. Microwave, uncovered, on high until onion softens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, salt, tarragon, and thyme.

Arrange fish fillets in a lightly greased 2-quart round microwave-safe dish. Top with half of the butter mixture. Stir breadcrumbs into the remaining butter mixture; sprinkle over fillets. Cover and microwave on high until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 4 to 6 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

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Microwave Buttered Shrimp

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons white wine or chicken broth

5 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a 9-inch microwave-safe pie plate, combine the butter, garlic, and cayenne. Cover and cook on high until butter melts, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine or broth, lemon juice, parsley, and salt. Add shrimp; toss to coat. Cover and cook on high until shrimp turn pink, about 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 minutes, rotating once. Stir before serving. Makes 6 servings.

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Microwave Nutty Salmon

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup butter or margarine, cubed

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1-1/2 pounds salmon fillets

Place the almonds in a small microwave-safe bowl; add butter if desired. Cover and microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes or until almonds are browned, stirring twice. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Place the salmon in an 8-inch square microwave-safe dish; top with almond mixture. Cover and microwave on high until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 to 7 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

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Pantry Pointers

Since food continues to cook after removing it from the microwave, start with the minimum cooking time to avoid overcooking.

A while back, a major milk company dropped several Maine organic dairy farmers. Instead of accepting defeat, these farmers accepted a little help and gave birth to MOOMilk.

I finally got a chance to buy MOO — Maine’s Own Organic — Milk. It’s more expensive than regular milk, but similar in cost to national brands of organic milk that may have spent over a thousand miles on a truck before arriving at the store.

I couldn’t think of a better way to try MOOMilk than in chowder. This particular recipe is easy and flexible. Make it with bacon or without, with a teaspoon or a tablespoon of butter, with fish or canned clams. The only thing you really can’t change is the milk.

Quick and Easy Chowder

1 slice of bacon, pork or turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 to 1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (gluten free if necessary)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 to 3/4 pound fish or 1 10-ounce can whole baby clams, undrained
Ground black pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, and celery; cook, stirring, until celery softens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add milk, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme; simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the size of the potatoes). Add fish and cook until fish becomes opaque and flakes easily, or add clams and cook until heated through and potatoes are very tender. Season with pepper to taste. Makes 2 to 4 servings.

For more on MOOMilk, check out MOOMilk’s website as well as this podcast of a talk given by one of the farms involved.

Chocolate Mousse for Two

Chocolate Truffles

Decadent Hot Chocolate for Two

Chocolate and Valentine’s Day often seem to go hand in hand. With this day of sweets fast approaching, consider skipping the cellophane-wrapped candy available for purchase in favor of surprising that special someone with handmade treats served with love.

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Chocolate Mousse for Two

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon water

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Whipped cream

In a small, heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips with water; stir until smooth. Stir a small amount of chocolate mixture into egg yolk; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Stir several times as mixture cools.

In a mixing bowl, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Fold in cooled chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish with whipped cream if desired. Makes 2 servings.

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If a food processor is unavailable, place cookies in a resealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.

Chocolate Truffles

1 16-ounce package chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, divided

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

2 8-ounce packages semisweet baking chocolate, melted

Cover a baking with wax paper; set aside. Using a food processor, crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs; set aside. Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll this mixture into 42 balls, each about 1 inch in diameter. Dip balls in chocolate; place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator. Makes 42 truffles.

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This hot chocolate is great served with marshmallows.

Decadent Hot Chocolate for Two

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup milk, divided

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 dash hot chili powder, optional

Combine chocolate chips and 1/2 cup milk in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add the coffee, cinnamon, and hot chili powder and stir until the coffee dissolves. Stir in the remaining milk. Strain into 2 mugs. Thin with additional milk, if desired.

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Pantry Pointers

Never leave chocolate unattended as you melt it because chocolate can scorch easily. Frequent stirring helps prevent scorching.

That all changed this week when I saw flat-iron steaks for $2.99 a pound. These particular steaks were topped with a garlic-peppercorn seasoning that had a smell so amazing it permeated the plastic wrap and called out to me. I brought it home, put it in my grilling machine, and cooked it.

But not for too long.

I like my steak to have a nice, red center. Not only do I enjoy them that way, it also gives me some leeway with leftovers. I can reheat the steak without turning it into shoe leather.

My flat-iron steak was very tender and absolutely delicious. And upon further research, I found that it typically sells for about $3 to $5 a pound. It’s a cut of meat I recommend, and at those prices, I would choose it over sirloin and other more expensive cuts whenever possible. And it’s versatile, so you can feel free to grill it, stir-fry it, pan-fry it, or even use it for fajitas.

Easy New Orleans Jambalaya

Indiana Pork Sandwiches

When it comes to football, we often have favorite foods to go with our favorite teams. But our favorite teams don’t always make it to the Super Bowl. When that happens, focus on where the teams come from and serve favorites from those areas.

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Easy New Orleans Jambalaya

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 pound fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch chunks

1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 large onions, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

2-3/4 cups chicken broth

1-1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice

1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; set aside. Add onions, celery, green peppers, garlic, and red and black pepper. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place the chicken back in the pot along with the sausage, broth, rice, and paprika. Bring mixture to a boil; cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes during cooking to evenly distribute the rice and see if a little additional broth is needed. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Serve these sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes, mustard, onions, and pickles if desired.

Indiana Pork Sandwiches

1-1/2 pounds pork tenderloins

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 pinch garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

6 sandwich buns

Preheat oven to 325 degrees; line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil and set aside. Slice tenderloin into 1/4-inch rounds. Place rounds between sheets of plastic wrap and pound until thin. In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs and milk. In a separate bowl, mix breadcrumbs, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip tenderloins in egg mixture, then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Fry coated tenderloin until golden brown on both sides. Place browned tenderloin in baking dish; bake, uncovered, until pork is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve on buns. Makes 6 servings.

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Pantry Pointers

Whenever possible, keep food close enough to the action so that guests can see the television while filling their plates.

That didn’t go as well as I’d planned.

I got busy with a lot of work, and somehow the Pantry ended up on the bottom of my to-do list. I didn’t miss any column deadlines (click here to see the recent ones) and I continued to take lots of food photos, I just got bad at posting things. Very bad.

I still want to work on redesigning some things on this site, but I’ll need a few more weeks for that. In the meantime, here is one of my favorite (and quick!) main dishes to make after a long day of work.

This recipe makes 2 servings. To double this recipe, purchase a larger ham steak and a 15- to 16-ounce can of fruit cocktail. When thickening the sauce, double the cornstarch and water as well.

Ham Steak with Fruit Sauce

1 6- to 8-ounce boneless ham steak
1 8.25-ounce can light fruit cocktail (in light syrup or natural juices)
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add ham steak; cook according to package instructions, about 3 minutes per side for thin steaks and 8 minutes per side for thick steaks.

Meanwhile, drain the fruit cocktail, putting all of the juice into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Bring juice to a boil; stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until the mixture thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add fruit and simmer until heated through. Serve over ham steak. Makes 2 servings.