Restaurant Style Salsa

I LOVE the salsa that they serve at restaurants.  You know the kind, NOT CHUNKY.  I wish that I could find it at the grocery store but all I've been able to find was chunky.  So now I've found a recipe that is so easy to make & it's extremely good & the best part is ...  It's not chunky!

Restaurant Style Salsa

• 1 can whole tomatoes (I think it's a 28oz can.  Its the next size up from the 14oz can).
• 2 14oz cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies (1 original & 1 mild flavored)
• 1/4c onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, smashed & chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped.  Use the whole thing, seeds pulp & all
• 1/4t sugar
• 1/4t salt
• 1/4t cumin
• juice of 1 small lime or 1/2 of a large lime
• 1/2c to 1c cilantro.  This'll add a lot of flavor so I like to use a lot

Put all ingredients into a food processor & pulse until you get your desired consistency.  Don't just let the processor run or you'll turn your salsa into soup.

Allow it to refrigerate for at least a couple hours so that the flavors can marry.

Dish it up & enjoy

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

Quick & Easy Marinara Sauce

I went searching for a Marinara recipe that I could use to replace the store bought stuff.  I figured that any decent recipe would have to simmer all day & ultimately take up a lot of time to make.  I was found this recipe on SkinnyTaste.com (one of my favorite sites).  It is fast & simple to make, very healthy and delicious.  Since the first time I made it, I've refused to go back to any store bought pasta sauce.  From scratch tastes so much better & the fact that it is so quick to make is a big plus.

Quick Marinara Sauce

Servings: 6   Serving Size: 1/2c   Old Points: 1pt   Points+: 1pt

Calories: 51.5   Fat: 0.8   Fiber: 1.1   Protein: 0.1g

• 1t olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed & chopped
• 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1t oregano
• 2T fresh basil, chopped
• salt & pepper, to taste

In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn.

Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano & bay leaf.  Stir and reduce heat to low.  Cover and let simmer about 15 - 20 minutes.  remove from heat & add fresh basil.  (don't add the basil til the very end or it'll become bitter).

Recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Ponzu Sauce

Ponzu Sauce, the tangy soy-based sauce, is traditionally made with a citrus fruit and may have been inspired by visitors from Holland during the 17th century. Fresh lemon juice and orange juice give this sauce a citrus snap.

• 1/2c Soy Sauce
• 1/4c Orange Juice
• 2T Lemon Juice
• 1T Water
• 1T Mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 1/8t Crushed Red Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Cover & Chill.

Eel Sauce

Until the other day, I thought Eel Sauce was made with eel.  Turns out, it was traditionally used as a sauce on eel, hence the name.  

• 1/2c Soy Sauce
• 1/2c White Sugar
• 1/2c Mirin (Janapese sweet rice wine)

Heat all ingredients in a pan over medium heat.  Cook & Stir constantly until liquid is reduced to about 3/4c.

Sauce will become the consistency of syrup once cooled.

Spicy Mayo

Spicy mayonnaise sauce goes great with spicy tuna and other spicy sushi rolls.

• 1T Mayo
• 1t Sriracho hot sauce
• 1t Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients.  Store in the fridge.  To use, place in a Ziploc baggie & cut a hole in the tip.

Filetto di Pomodoro

Filetto di Pomodoro

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 1 pt • Points+: 2 pt
Calories: 90.9 • Fat: 1.8 g • Protein: 0.3 g • Carb: 15.3 g • Fiber: 3.7 g 

• 2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes, chopped up
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 large onion finely chopped
• 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fat free chicken stock
• fresh basil

Saute garlic in oil, add onions and carrots and saute on medium-low for about 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add tomatoes and chicken broth and simmer 45 minutes on low.

Add fresh basil last 10 minutes (herbs will become bitter if cooked more than 20 minutes).

Taste for acidity, if sauce is a bit tangy (acidic) then add 1 tbsp of sugar. For a calorie free way to cut the acidity in the sauce add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

Recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Apple Cider Syrup

I've loved this syrup ever since I first made it in 7th grade Home Ec.  Over the years I lost the recipe but have just recently stumbled across it again!  It's really quick & easy to make.  Although I wouldn't call it healthy, it is a much better substitute for the store bought syrups & it tastes better, too.  My photo is a little darker than the syrup usually looks because I accidentally let it caramelize while I was talking to my husband, oops.  It still tasted just as good, though.  

• 1/2c White Sugar
• 1T Cornstarch
• 1T ground Cinnamon
• 1C Apple Cider (Apple juice works, too)
• 1T Lemon Juice
• 2T Butter

Stir together the sugar, cornstarch & cinnamon in a saucepan.  Stir in apple cider & lemon juice.  Cook over medium heat until it boils; boil until thickened.  Remove from heat & stir in butter, until melted.

Low Fat Alfredo Sauce

This is a really good basic Alfredo Sauce.  We've also added mushrooms, chicken or squash depending on our mood.

This is with mushrooms & Parmesan cheese

• 1T Butter
• 1/4c Flour
• 1t Salt
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 1/4t Pepper
• 3C Skim Milk
• 1T Chopped Parsley
• 1t Minced Garlic

Heat butter over med-high until melted.  Add flour; stirring for 1 minute.  Whisk in milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic & parsley.

Bring to a boil; whisking.  Reduce heat & simmer; stir occasionally for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Toss with Parmesan cheese & noodles.


Recipe from Verna Gammon