Super Yummy Nightshade Free BBQ Ribs

ok, so they don't look pretty, but they taste good! we served them with steamed broccoli and mashed roasted cauliflower. Yum!

Ribs are easy to prepare, but BBQ sauces have tomatoes and peppers in them, and rubs have paprika and cayenne (also peppers) in them. Since nightshades and I don't get along, that was a problem. We've been doing some research, and after some trial and error, we've come up with some ribs that are yummy and don't have the offending nightshades.

Super Yummy Nightshade Free BBQ Ribs (adapted from a recipe found here)

Baby back ribs
Fauxmato BBQ Sauce
Sweet Dry Rub

Remove membrane from back of ribs. Place ribs on a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet and sprinkle dry rub on one side, then rub it in. Turn over and do the same for the other side. Let sit for 15 or 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees while ribs are resting. Spread bbq sauce on both sides of the ribs. Place a sheet of foil on top of ribs and fold over all sides, sealing the ribs into a packet. Bake ribs in oven for at least 2 hours. We've baked them for 2 1/2 hours and they've just fallen apart before we even got them on the grill. Experiment and see what works best with your oven. After removing from oven, carefully open foil and spread more bbq sauce on the ribs. Throw (or gently place) ribs on the grill for about 10 minutes each side. Be careful not to have the grill too hot or to leave them on too long as the sugars will burn instead of caramelizing. Remove from grill and enjoy!

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, corn free, peanut free, nut free, coconut free, soy free, as well as free of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, sorghum, tapioca, and shellfish. Always check labels before using to make sure the ingredients and/or manufacturing conditions haven't been changed.

Nightshade Free Sweet Dry Rub

When I made ribs this week, I first had to make the BBQ sauce and the dry rub.

BBQ rubs usually have paprika in them, but paprika is made from peppers and I can't eat it, even in small amounts. Because of the lack of paprika and the presence of black pepper, this rub is a bit peppery instead of spicy.

Sweet Dry Rub (adapted from a recipe found here, other ideas are there as well)
6 Tbl brown sugar
3 Tbl Sea salt or Kosher salt (you want a coarse salt that won't soak into the meat right away)
3 Tbl ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp mustard powder

Mix ingredients together and store in a cool, dry place.

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, corn free, peanut free, nut free, coconut free, soy free, as well as free of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, sorghum, tapioca, and shellfish. Always check labels before using to make sure the ingredients and/or manufacturing conditions haven't been changed.

Fauxmato BBQ Sauce (Tomato Free)

I made ribs this week, which meant I finally sat down and tried to figure out our BBQ sauce recipe. This version tasted close to the one Mr M made awhile ago (but didn't document) that we've been trying to re-create since. This sauce gets a Korean BBQ sauce flavor from the sesame oil and ume plum vinegar, but it's not over-powering. In the past we've used a bottled Korean BBQ sauce that was really good that contained whole sesame seeds, so you could easily add a tablespoon or two of whole sesame seeds as well.

Fauxmato BBQ Sauce

4 c fauxmato sauce
2 tbl worcestershire sauce (recipe found here, mix together the ingredients below)
     1/2 c cider vinegar
     2 tbsp coconut aminos
     2 tsps water
     1/4 tsp mustard powder
     1/4 tsp onion powder
     1/4 tsp ground ginger
     1/4 tsp garlic powder
     1/8 tsp pepper
     1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbl sesame oil
1 tbl ume plum vinegar
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tbl coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp molasses
1/4 tsp tamarind paste
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 bay leaf

Simmer for about half an hour. Remove bay leaf and use sauce. Freeze or refrigerate leftovers. Great on ribs and chicken.

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, corn free, peanut free, nut free, coconut free, soy free, as well as free of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, sorghum, tapioca, and shellfish. Always check labels before using to make sure the ingredients and/or manufacturing conditions haven't been changed.

Dragging Through More Food Issues

LMS with creepy googly eyes. Ick!

We've been having food issues again. I had to stop buying the pre-made guacamole because the peppers in it were giving me problems. Nobody makes guacamole that doesn't include hot peppers. It's not a huge deal, but it was convenient to have packets of guac sitting in the frig for whenever I wanted to use it.

Along the same lines, the paprika in BBQ rubs is also a problem. And every store bought rub and recipe I've found all include paprika. In case you were wondering, paprika comes from peppers. Grrrr.

We've also had to eliminate most rice products. LMS has been in denial about this for months now, but I noticed some time ago that our weekly pasta night was giving her intestinal issues. I've also noticed that pasta and rice were triggers for her- she would ask for seconds, then thirds of whichever was being served. Since she doesn't do this with other foods and I react the same way when I eat trigger foods, I was able to recognize it for what it was. I was also reacting after my morning bowl of gf rice crispies mixed with rice granola, topped off with rice milk. Yeah, it was a lot of rice.

We still have our gf rice crispies mixed with rice granola, but now we top it with hemp milk. I'm not super fond of the taste of hemp milk, but I'm not reacting as much and I still haven't come up other breakfast options. We've stopped eating rice and pasta and are substituting with cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash "noodles", and zucchini noodles. I have a package of kelp noodles and one of shiritake noodles in the frig, but we haven't been brave enough to try them yet. Some day soon....

We're doing better now that we're limiting the amount of rice we're eating, and I think it's helping me lose weight. Yay!

Over the last couple years as we've tried to figure out these food issues, I've noticed just how much what I eat affects how I feel physically and mentally. The physical part is fairly obvious, but the mental is the hardest to deal with, I think. I hate the fuzzy thinking, the memory problems, and the heightened anxiety levels. My motivation to do things plummets and my ability to focus and get things done also disappears. Combine that with my recent illness and we have the reason why I still haven't finished my current painting projects.  Thankfully I'm finally feeling better all around and have started making progress again. Now if I can just keep the status quo from getting disrupted....