Sweet and Sour . . .

I like the tastes of sweet, sour, and tangy. Two of my favorite ways to use the sauce is with cooked meatballs or slices of smoked sausage.

Basically, I use salsa, hot powedered mustard, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and tomato sauce for my sauce creations. This is a taste as you go along adventure. Once you have a sauce that meets your expectations, you can add herbs and spices to your specifications. Freshly ground black pepper almost always shows up in my dishes. If you like an Italian taste, go for some pesto. More inclined towards Mexican, add chili and taco spices. Curry works for an Indian slant. Soy and ginger point you East to China. As you can see, there are no rights or wrongs in making this sauce. It is up to you, your tastes, and creativity.

This works well in the crock pot as you can turn it on low with your meat of choice and serve when you and the meal are ready. This works over mashed potatoes, on rice, with pasta, or over a toasted bread bun.

If you are really pressed for time, just doctor up a bottle of inexpensive barbeque sauce and proceed as indicated for cooking.

I like to cook but, sometimes, I don't have the time I want/need so rely on little tricks of the trade to bring good food to the table for my family.