Sauces and Marinades

Caramelized Onion Relish (Good Housekeeping December, 2004)
Adapted by emaxson and brown bear

Ingredients:
2-1/2 lb.s onions, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 teaspoons rosemary
2 Tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar

Directions:
· Caramelize onions in a large non-stick skillet over high neat, stirring often until they begin to brown or caramelize.
· Reduce heat to medium low and cook 45 minutes or longer, until onions are deep golden brown.
· Stir in rosemary and cook 10 more minutes.
· Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.
· Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to 2 days.


Green Beans with Plum Tomato Salsa
Adapted by emaxson and brown bear

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. ripe plum tomatoes (6 large), seeded and chopped
2 Tablespoons minced red onion
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
2 lb. green beans, trimmed

Directions:

· Mix salsa ingredients and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
· Makes about 2-1/2 cups salsa

To Serve: Place salsa on top of beans.

Italian Dressing or Marinade From member GiselaT:

· 1 cup vinegar
· 3 tbsp finely chopped onion
· 3 garlic cloves, crushed
· 1 tbsp dry mustard
· 1 tbsp basil (fresh is best, but dry is fine also)
· 2 tbsp oregano
· 1 tsp pepper
· sugar substitute to taste

Mix all ingredients and shake until well blended.


Italian Dressing

· 1 ½ cup apple cider vinegar
· 1 ½ Tablespoons Splenda
· 1 ½ Tablespoons dried Italian Seasoning, salt free
· 2 teaspoons oregano
· Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a container with a lid and shake well. Shake well before each use. Use up to 2 oz. per serving

Balsamic Vinaigrette by Liz Maxson

12 oz. balsamic vinegar (can substitute raspberry vinegar)
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2-1/2 Tbsp. Splenda
1 tsp. Grey Poupon Brown Country Mustard*
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients together and store in fridge. This is a freebie.

*This is not really on program, but I have used it from the beginning. My original recipe called for 1 Tbsp. so I cut it back to 1 tsp. Also, this may be made with a really good raspberry vinegar. I find that the inexpensive ones are really too biting, but a good one will make a nice change for you. Be careful. Some vinegars, especially the gourmet ones, have sugar in them. This is also good on your chicken, baked potatoes, etc.


Barbecue Sauce from Liz

· 2 small cans no-sodium tomato sauce
· 1/2 cup diet Dr. Pepper
· 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
· 2-3 capfuls hickory flavored liquid smoke** (Wright’s brand is acceptable, but not Liquid Smoke brand)
· pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder to taste
· Splenda (to taste)
· 2 measuring spoons of Sweet and Low Brown Sugar (spoon comes with pkg.)

Mix all ingredients and simmer for about an hour or until sauce is desired thickness. I like a sweet barbecue sauce, so I made mine sweet, but you could add more chili powder to make it spicy and omit some or all of the sweeteners. This makes a great dipping sauce for little hamburger patties, pork loin and chicken breast pieces!!

Barbecue Sauce 6 From member hunger

· 1 onion, chopped
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1/4 cup cider vinegar
· 1-1/2 cups ketchup (homemade w/o sugar or salt)
· 2 tbsp brown Sugar Twin
· 1 lemon
· pepper

In a saucepan, heat and cook onion until tender. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, and juice of lemon. Simmer for 15 minutes and season with pepper.


BBQ sauce

· tomato sauce home made or store bought no sodium added.
· 1 onion finely, finely diced
· 2 sprigs celery finely, finely diced
· 1/2 green pepper finely, finely diced
· 4 cloves garlic (large ones) finely, finely diced
· saute these together until onion is opaque
· add tomato sauce
· Wright’s liquid hickory flavor, about 1 cap full
· splenda to your sweetness level
· 1/8 tsp black pepper
· 1/2 tsp crushed red chilies
· 1 to 2 tsp maple flavoring
Simmer for about 5 min.

Blackening Seasoning
Makes 1 cup

Place all of the spices in a bowl and mix together with a whisk. The seasoning can be stored can be stored about 1 week in an airtight container.

· 5 Tablespoons paprika
· 1 Tablespoon ground black
· 1 Tablespoon ground red pepper
· 1 Tablespoon white pepper
· 1 Tablespoon dried thyme, crushed with a mortar and pestle
· 2 Tablespoons garlic powder
· 1 Tablespoon powdered oregano
· 1 teaspoon chile powder
· 1 teaspoon onion powder
· 1 teaspoon salt in original recipe – omit for this program


Chicken Marinade
From member riverask: This recipe is really, really good. You can personalize it just by adding different herbs or using flavored vinegar. Have fun. :-)

· 2 tbsp chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
· 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
· 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
· 1 tsp dried sage
· 3 cloves garlic, minced
· 1/4 cup water
· 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and marinate chicken or other meat at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.


Classic Yellow Mustard
For all you mustard lovers, here is an awesome recipe for mustard. We like to marinade chicken breasts with some minced garlic and mustard and then grill. Yummy!

4 Tbsp dry ground mustard
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
1/2 tsp oat flour
1/8 tsp turmeric
pinch garlic powder
pinch paprika

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth.
2. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often.
3. Remove pan from heat. Leave uncovered for 1 minute, then cover pan with a lid until cool. Chill and store in a covered container. Makes 1/4 cup.

Dry Italian Dressing Mix

From member Gayla: You can use this on any recipe that calls for dry Italian Dressing mix. Omit the salt and substitute Splenda for the sugar.

· 1 tbsp garlic powder
· 1 tbsp onion powder
· 1 tbsp sugar** (Splenda)
· 2 tbsp oregano
· 1 tsp pepper
· 1/4 tsp thyme
· 1 tsp basil
· 1 tbsp parsley
· 1/4 tsp celery salt** (omit) or use celery seed
· 2 tbsp salt** (omit)

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. To make Italian Dressing mix 2 tbsp dry mix with 1/4 cup vinegar and enough water to bring it to proper consistency. Additional vinegar can be used if desired.

Essence

From member MissMuffy: Here is my modified recipe for the infamous spice blend that is used by the well known chef of TVFN fame. It's hard to believe that just a dash of this in egg whites makes such a difference.

· 2-1/2 tbsp paprika
· 2 tbsp granulated garlic powder
· 1 tbsp black pepper
· 1 tbsp granulated onion powder (California style)
· 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
· 1 tbsp dried, ground oregano, preferably Mexican
· 1 tbsp ground dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.


Fresh Salsa

From member Love2Write: You can add more of any ingredient depending on taste. I like it a little hotter so depending on the heat of the pepper I may add more than one. I also prefer red onion. I just put everything in a blender and pulse until I reach the consistency we like.

Try to use Roma tomatoes if you can. They are more durable than hothouse tomatoes and hold up well in a salsa. If there is too much acidity in it (depends on tomatoes), add more sweetener. Basically just play with the ingredients until you get something that satisfies your taste buds.

You can also change the peppers (like to banana or habanero - your preference). Good luck!!

· 3 tbsp finely diced onion
· 1 lb Roma tomatoes - diced
· 1 finely chopped green jalapeno pepper
· 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
· sweetener to taste
· 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Combine all ingredients and chill. Lasts 5 days in refrigerator.

Tomato Ketchup (from Chef-B)

One can tomato paste (No salt added)
1/8 green pepper Very very finely minced
1-½ tsp onion powder
1-½ tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Thin with water to a ketchup consistency
Add splenda to desired sweetness


KISS Chicken Marinade 3 From member Bauman1227
· 2 cups white wine
· 3 lemons

Pour wine in bowl. Squeeze lemons into wine. Use marinade immediately, marinating chicken approximately 1 hour in refrigerator before cooking. Discard any remaining marinade.

Ketchup by Liz Maxson
· 1 large can (10 or 12 oz.) tomato paste (be sure it is tomatoes, only)
· Splenda to taste (I like a sweet ketchup, some don’t)
· 1 Tbsp. dried onion (not minced, but the larger size pieces)
· White or cider vinegar, approximately ½ cup
· Several dashes of allspice, cinnamon, and/or cloves. I prefer the allspice

Heat in a small pan, just till it begins to bubble. Do not overcook. Cool and place in airtight container. Refrigerate


Marinara sauce from Chef-B
· 1 onion finely diced
· 4 to 6 med. tomatoes diced
· ½ green pepper diced
· 6 to 8 cloves garlic diced
· ½ stick celery finely diced
· 1 tsp sweet Basil
· 1 tsp oregano
· 1/8 tsp black pepper
· 1/8 tsp thyme
· ½ tsp rosemary
· 1 small can tomato paste (no salt added)

Sauté all vegetables in a pan; the juice from the veggies is plenty of moisture to cook with.
When onions become opaque, add the tomato paste; thin with water to desired thickness
Add 1 to 2 tsp splenda; simmer 5 min
This is wonderful by itself, but sometimes I make this into a one-dish meal. See note from Liz:

I brown a lb. of very lowfat (98% fat free)ground beef or ground turkey breast with the onions, garlic, green pepper and celery. Drain that when the meat is brown and then add the tomatoes and finish with the rest of the seasonings. ½ cup is a serving, which I now put over rice spaghetti or rice sticks (noodles). I also like my marinara sauce chunky, so I do not chop the veggies very fine. Also, I cook 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced as I’m cooking the other veggies.



Homemade Worchestershire Sauce

· ½ cup apple cider vinegar
· 2 Tbsp soy sauce substitute (salt fee) (See recipe below)
· 2 Tbsp water
· 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar Twin
· ¼ tsp ground ginger
· ¼ tsp dry mustard
· ¼ tsp onion powder
· ¼ tsp garlic powder
· 1/8 tsp cinnamon
· 1/8 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for 1 minute. Let cool. Store in refrigerator. Shake well before using. Makes approx ¾ cup


Soy Sauce Substitute
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From member wellsweb: I found this on www.lowsodiumcooking.com


· 2 tbsp sodium free beef bouillon (use Herb-OX very low sodium packets)
· 2 tsp red wine vinegar
· 1 tsp Splenda
· Afew drops maple extract
· 1/8 tsp ground ginger
· dash black pepper
· dash garlic powder
· 3/4 cup water

In small sauce pan, combine and boil gently uncovered about 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup. Store in refrigerator. Stir before using.

Mushroom Sauce (from Liz Maxson)
Ingredients:

· 1 lb. small white mushrooms, sliced
· 1 lg. onion sliced very thin
· 4-5 cloves garlic, minced.
· 1 cup NSA chicken broth or white wine
· 1 tsp. Mrs. Dash (your choice)
· 1/8 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated is best!!)
· 2 tsp. arrowroot

Directions:

Sauté mushroom slices, onion slices and minced garlic in small amount of chicken broth, until mushrooms are tender and onion is clear. Add remaining chicken broth, Mrs. Dash, and nutmeg. Stir well. Add arrowroot and stir constantly until thickened. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Serve over beef, chicken, turkey, or pork. May also be mixed in with cooked rice for a mushroom rice side dish.

Taco Seasoning Mix

· 1/4 cup dried minced onion
· 1/4 cup chili powder
· 1 tbsp dried minced garlic
· 1 tbsp ground cumin
· 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
· 2 tsp beef bouillon granules (Wyler's sodium free)
· 1-1/2 tsp dried oregano

Recipe
Mix together and grind into powder. Store in airtight container up to one year.

Add to sodium free tomato sauce as topper (chicken, rice, potato)
Add to ground turkey breast (chili, meatloaf)

Catalina Salad Dressing

· 1 cup Splenda
· dash paprika
· 1/2 tsp. chili powder
· 1/2 tsp. celery seed
· 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
· 1 small onion, grated
· 1/2 cup vinegar
· 2/3 cup ketchup (see below – choose one)

Place all ingredients into blender and mix. Store in jar in refrigerator.
Note: This is a remake of a Catalina dressing recipe, omitting the salt and oil. It won’t have quite the same flavor, but will be close.

Tomato Ketchup

One can tomato paste (No salt added)
1/8 green pepper Very very finely minced
1 ½ tsp onion powder
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Thin with water to a ketchup consistency
Add splenda to desired sweetness

Hawaiian Sweet and Sour Sauce
From member Before6

· 8 oz NSA tomato sauce
· 6 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
· 1/4 cup white vinegar
· 3 tbsp Splenda (Original recipe called for 1 Tbsp., but I like it really sweet. Liz)
· 3 tsp arrowroot powder

Combine and cook over heat, stirring, until thickened. Do not boil. Serve over browned meatballs or chicken.

Poetic Kiss' Italian Sauce

From member Poetic Kiss: My Italian bones were aching for some real authentic Italian, particularly spaghetti sauce. So, I have created an original...what I and 10 of my friends think is a real taste of Italy.

· 14.5 oz canned no salt added diced tomatoes
· 2-8 oz cans no salt added tomato sauce
· 1/8 cup minced onion
· 1-1/2 tsp basil
· 1 tsp oregano
· 1 bay leaf
· 1-1/4 tsp fresh minced garlic
· 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
· 1/4 cup red wine (Burgundy is good)
· 1/2 tsp crushed red chili (the chili you sprinkle on pizza)
· 1 tsp onion powder
· 1/4 tsp Mrs. Dash
· 1/4 cup sliced portabello mushrooms (optional)

Put all ingredients into saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to just simmer. Continue to simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, letting flavors blend and sauce thicken. The longer you simmer, the thicker the sauce will get.

Serving idea: Sprinkle 1/2 cup cooked spaghetti squash, rice sticks (oriental foods) or rice spaghetti (specialty food stores) with 2 oz seasoned cooked ground turkey or beef. Cover with 1 ladle of sauce.

HOT SAUCE (emaxson)

Ingredients
· 4-5 dried red peppers (the little finger sized ones); more if you want it really hot – I used 10
· 6 cloves of garlic
· 1 onion, chopped coarsely
· 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
· 2 cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
· Juice of 2 limes
· 2 tsp. Splenda

Directions:
Remove stems from dried peppers. Toss into blender and chop. Add remaining ingredients and process until thoroughly mixed. Makes slightly more than 1 quart. Refrigerate. Should be used within a week.

Sweet and Sour Sauce from Lynn P.

· 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (I used organic)
· 1 Tablespoon brown sugar twin or to taste
· 1/2 teaspoon rosemary (I crushed mine in a mortar)
· 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
· 1/4 teaspoon pepper (I used red pepper flakes, I like it spicy)


I mixed all ingredients in the crockpot and placed the meat in it and let it cook until the meat is done. I thought about trying it with rice or chicken, maybe next time.