Asparagus Dressing

This is a simple Hollandaise-style dressing to serve with cooked asparagus. I roasted my asparagus at 425 degrees (tossed with olive oil and salt, pepper, and garlic salt first) for about 10 minutes. Older/thicker asparagus would need a bit more time. Asparagus can be served at room temperature when prepared like this. Recipe is from The Recipe Box Project and was typed on an old typewriter by PW (I think).

Asparagus Dressing

~from my grandmother's recipe box

1 T. vinegar
3 T. vegetable or canola or other neutral oil
yolk of one hard-boiled egg, mashed
1 t. Dijon mustard
Roasted asparagus

Mix dressing ingredients together, whisking until emulsified. Drizzle over cooked asparagus.

~Makes almost half a cup, enough for a couple pounds of asparagus.

Recipe card typed on an old typewriter

Green Tomatillo Salsa

YUMMY!! This is almost as easy as the Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa I posted last week. The main difference is that you have to chop up a few more ingredients. My finished version was a little thinner than I was expecting. Next time, I think I'll puree the solid ingredients (using a slotted spoon) and add water as needed. I had all the fresh ingredients I needed from the Colvins! I'm assuming this could be frozen as well.

Green Tomatillo Salsa
~based on this all recipes version

• 1 box tomatillos (~1 1/4 pounds), husked, rinsed, and chopped
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 green cayenne, stemmed, seeded, and chopped*
• 3 T. cilantro leaves
• heaping 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1/2 t. cumin
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 2 c. water
• juice of one lime

1. Combine everything but lime in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tomatillos are soft (10-15 minutes).
2. Let cool slightly. Using a slotted spoon, transfer solids to food processor. Add about half the water/liquid. Puree. Add more liquid as needed for desired consistency. Squeeze lime juice into salsa and stir.

~Makes about 2-3 cups

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

I don't have a picture of the final product, I'm afraid, but this is very refreshing to eat and lovely to look at. Most tomatillo salsas are cooked, so the tomatillos lose their bright green color. Not so in this recipe. They stay their lovely light green hue. This is crunchy with a burst of flavor; it's also quick to make. Good with fish, chips, as an edible garnish.... I've been bringing home tomatillos and chilies from the Colvins, and this recipe uses both! Note: canned/frozen tomatillos will not work as well because they won't be crisp.

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa
~From How to Cook Everything, 10th ann edition

• 2 medium poblano or other mild fresh green chiles (use spicier chilies if you like heat)
• 1 pound tomatillos*
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 t. minced garlic
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 T. lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

*we get about 1 1/2 pounds in our CSA box, and this recipe could easily scale up if you have a similar amount at home to use up

1. Husk and rinse the tomatillos. Chop into bite-size pieces. Remove stems and seeds from chiles and mince.
2. Combine all ingredients together and stir. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a couple of days.

~Makes 2 cups

Easy Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa

A quick search online shows many "roasted tomatillo" salsa recipes, and, frankly, they all look too labor intensive for this busy momma. Roasting as the first step is an automatic turn-off right now. I just don't have the time. One of the reasons I enjoyed the chili we made last week using our tomatillos is that it was a simple matter of roughly chopping said tomatillos and dumping them in the pot. But I do love me some salsa verde, and tomatillos are a key ingredient.

Thankfully, the latest cookbook I've received to review is a book full of Tex Mex recipes, and it has a tomatillo salsa recipe perfect for my crazy lifestyle--and the perfect recipe to multiply and freeze! (You could probably can it, too, but I don't know how to tell you to do that as far as timing/processing might work.) I've adapted it to work with the amount of tomatillos I get in my CSA box from the Colvins. I also used Colvin onions and garlic! Seriously, folks, this is an easy peasy recipe. It's also not terribly spicy, despite the chipotles in it.

Easy Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa
~slightly adapted from The Homesick Texan's Family Table

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos
• 2 small onions
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3 cups water
• 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
• salt to taste

1. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse the sticky residue off. Remove the small core and slice the fruits in half.
2. Peel onions and garlic cloves.
3. Dump tomatillos, onions, and garlic into a medium-sized pot along with the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Let cool enough to puree.
5. Using a slotted spoon, put cooked tomatillos, onions, and garlic into a food processor or blender. Puree along with the chipotle chilies, adding some of the cooking water if needed to get the consistency you want.
6. Salt to taste (salt definitely helps, so don't be too shy with it).
7. Use right away, keep in the fridge for about a week, or freeze.

~Makes 4-5 cups.

Fruit Compote

My husband is in charge of Sunday night dinners, and he always comes up with something amazing! Breakfast is a familiar theme, and this week he made pumpkin waffles (from a delicious Trader Joe's mix) topped with a fruit compote and a touch of whipped cream. YUM. YUM. YUM. Here's his fruit compote, based largely on one from myrecipes.com.

Fruit Compote

• 2-3 apples, chopped (and cored)
• 1 can pear halves or slices in light syrup, drained and chopped
• 1/2-1 cup frozen berries, any combo*
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 t. cinnamon**
• generous pinch ground cloves**
• generous pinch ground nutmeg**
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 2-3 T. vanilla*

*depending on tartness of berries (and we think cranberries would also be good), you may want to use less lemon juice or omit altogether

**this makes a fairly spicy mix; if you have sensitive palates in the house, you may want to use less

1. Stir together all ingredients except pears and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for a few minutes (3-4). Add pears and continue to simmer until desired tenderness. Berries will nearly disintegrate and turn the sauce purple!
2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. May be served hot or cold. Excellent warm over waffles!

~Makes enough for 6 servings of waffles ☺.

Curried Black Bean Hummus

This is the way my friend Alondra makes her black bean hummus. There's no tahini in it which makes it a little cheaper than regular hummus--and you might have all the ingredients already on hand! I don't like regular hummus with plain ol' carrot sticks, but the curry kick in this is delicious with veggies!! Try it.

~recipe from allrecipes.com

• 1 cup canned black beans, drained
• 1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Place black beans, garbanzo beans, olive oil, lemon juice, yogurt, water, and garlic into the bowl of a blender. Season with curry powder, salt, and pepper. Cover and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

~Makes about 2 cups

Herb Veggie Dip (aka Ranch)

We love us some Ranch dressing around here: the kids call it "white ketchup." And, while they aren't brand specific or anything, the homemade stuff usually doesn't pass muster.... until now! My 6-year-old helped me make this, and she pronounced it better than the usual stuff. She ate LOTS of veggies dunked in this delicious dip.

I like that it's mayo/yogurt because I usually have yogurt on  hand (as opposed to buttermilk). It also makes just a cup--easier to use up before it goes bad. I used fresh chives and parsley because, amazingly, they survived last night's snowfall. If you need to sub in dried herbs for the fresh, use 1 teaspoon instead of the tablespoon called for. I used everything listed, but the recipe says you can mix and match or use them all.

~from Simply in Season

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise (I used lowfat)
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt (I used lowfat)*
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 T. fresh dill, chopped
• 1 T. fresh chives, chopped
• 1 T. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 1 t. celery seed
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. paprika

*for a thicker dip, drain about a cup of yogurt for a few hours in a cheesecloth or coffee filter-lined colander and use 1/2 cup of the thicker yogurt.

Mix mayo and yogurt and salt together. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Let chill for an hour (if you can wait that long!) and serve with fresh vegetables.

~Makes about a cup

Classic Brown Stir-Fry Sauce

This is that sauce you find on such dishes as beef (or chicken) and broccoli. I leave out the sesame oil because I don't like it (and I thought the sauce tasted wonderful without it!). Chinese rice cooking wine can be acquired at an Asian grocery store and will last nearly forever; you can substitute dry sherry otherwise. Oyster sauce and hoisin sauce can be found in most large supermarkets; store in fridge after opening. Sub this for stir-fry sauce called for in a recipe or just add it to the end after you've stir-fried meat/veggies. Stir/cook until thickened. It's quick and will give you that wonderful Chinese takeout flavor with a fraction of the cost and sodium!

~From America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

• 1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 c. Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
• 3 T. oyster sauce or hoisin sauce
• 1 T. low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 t. cornstarch
• 1 t. toasted sesame oil (see note)

Whisk all ingredients together and use as directed!

Makes about 1 cup.

Cranberry Fruit Relish

This is a refreshing holiday treat that a friend of Carrie's made. It's simple to make, but make it a couple of days ahead of time to let flavors "marry." It's a nice, bright red color.

• 1 whole apple, cored
• 1 whole pear, cored
• 1 whole orange, seeds removed but peel left on
• 1 bag cranberries
• 2/3-1 c. sugar

Cut fruit into chunks and put all ingredients in food processor (or blender). Process until desired consistency (well-chopped to pureed, depending upon desired use). Start with smaller amount of sugar and add to taste (if your apple is tart, for instance, you may need more).

Uses: with meats, on cream cheese as an appetizer, mixed with vanilla or plain yogurt, to top ice cream, by itself....

Beer Marinade

It's described aptly in my cookbook as "a pungent mixture for broiling, grilling, and roasting." We marinated some beef chuck cubes for kebabs and they were terrific! Marinade can be made ahead of time.

Recipe from Joy of Cooking, 1997 edition

• 1 1/2 c. beer
• 1/4 c. orange marmalade
• 1 T. dry mustard
• 1 t. ground mustard (can also use 1 T. minced fresh)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 t. sugar or honey

Mix together thoroughly, making sure you use a big bowl (the beer can foam up with the addition of the spices). Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Marinate cubed meat for 2-3 hours, steaks for several hours to 1 day, and roasts for a day.

Makes 2 cups

Easy Strawberry Sauce

This sauce is a terrific use for fresh strawberries--if your berries aren't quite as ripe or sweet as you'd like, simply adjust the sugar and/or lemon juice after pureeing. This is not a syrup; it has a much fresher, cleaner taste. My kids LOVE it. The sauce keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator and is good over ice cream or pancakes especially.

From Joy of Cooking, 1997 edition

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled, or 12-oz. dry pack frozen strawberries

3 T. sugar

1 T. lemon juice

Puree all ingredients in a blender. Taste and adjust sugar or lemon juice if necessary.

Honey-Herb Vinaigrette

This delightful, mild vinaigrette is easy to whip up if you have the herbed vinegar on hand (see below). It would be great in place of my Basic Salad Dressing or on top of any simple green salad.

Recipe from Gardener's Community Cookbook

• 1/4 c. Herbed Vinegar (see below)
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1 T. honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and whisk. Use right away or store in a covered container for a few days in the refrigerator.

Makes 3/4 cup

Herbed Vinegar

this is very easy and worth a try--it sounds VERY weird, but it's quite good.

• 1 T. chopped shallot
• 1 T. chopped fresh chives
• 1 T. chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 T. chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 T. dried summer savory
• 3 small bay leaves
• 2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 1/4 t. grated nutmeg
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 4 c. distilled white vinegar

1. Combine all ingredients in a quart Mason jar.
2. Heat the vinegar to almost boiling (190 degrees) and pour into the jar. Cool to room temperature then seal securely. Let stand at room temperature for 8-10 days, shaking jar once a day.
3. Strain into a clean bottle/jar and store at room temperature. Make sure your stopper/lid is not metal because it will react with the vinegar.

Keeps 6 months or so

Green Ketchup

This is amazingly good: complex, sweet, tangy, faintly spicy. It reminds me of a good BBQ sauce. I have to confess to adding a few drops of food coloring.... If something's called "Green Ketchup," it should be green, right? This takes a while, but isn't that labor intensive; most of the time you just walk by and stir the pot.

Green Ketchup

Recipe from How to Cook Everything, 10th ann. edition

• 2 T. pickling spices
• 3/4 c. cider vinegar
• 2 T. neutral oil (canola, corn, etc.)
• 4 cups cored, chopped green tomatoes
• 2 cups peeled, cored, chopped tart green apples
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. water
• salt, to taste (I used very little)
• cayenne, to taste

1. Heat the pickling spice and the vinegar in a nonreactive saucepan until almost boiling. Put it aside to steep (for at least 45 minutes--but you won't need it for that amount of time, even if you proceed right away with the recipe).
2. Heat the oil in large pot over medium high heat; when hot, add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft (about 10 minutes). Add the tomatoes, apples, and water; stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking. Adjust heat so the mixture bubbles gently and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 45 minutes, being careful not to let the tomato stick to the bottom and burn.
3. Strain the vinegar and stir it into the tomato mixture along with the sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper (I added just a touch--you can always add more at the end!). Continue cooking for another 45 minutes or so. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree. Taste, adjust seasonings, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze.

Makes about 1 quart

Green Tomato Relish

I'm still at it: working with my 10+ pounds of green tomatoes. This recipe is a real winner; it's technically a "relish" but tastes much more like a "salsa" (what's the difference, anyway?). If you don't have any green tomatoes, then you're out of luck. I'm going to have to make another batch following the recipe as originally written (my notes are below); I think I'll like it even better than my accidental changes.

Green Tomato Relish

Recipe from Farmgirl Fare.

• 2 pounds green tomatoes, cored and chopped (I use a combo of Romas and Mr. Stripeys)
• 1 pound white or yellow onions (I left out--oops...it would be even better!)
• 3/4 pound sweet peppers (I used yellow)
• 1/2 pound tart cooking apples, cored and chopped (I used a pound)
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 T. kosher or sea salt
• 4 jalapeno peppers, cored, seeded if desired, and finaly chopped
• 2 T. chopped cilantro
• 1 t. ground cumin

1. Combine the tomatoes, onions, peppers, apples, garlic, vinegar, and salt in a large, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about an hour.
2. Stir in the jalapenos, cilantro, and cumin and simmer for 5 more minutes.
3. Carefully puree the mixture using an immersion blender (ideal) or in batches in a traditional blender until still somewhat chunky.
4. In canning, return the pureed relish to a boil, then ladle the hot mixture into hot, sterilized jar, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Store in a cool, dark place. You can also freeze this mixture.

Makes 3 pints

Carrie's Strawberry Jam

Carrie lives in a small town that has a strawberry festival every year. They grow tons of strawberries! She's learned to make great strawberry jam--freeze it or can it. (I realize this posting is way past strawberry season--file it away in your memory for next May!)

2 pounds strawberries, hulled

4 cups sugar (less if your berries are really sweet)

1/4 cup lemon juice

Stir all in a LARGE pot over low heat until sugar dissolves (jam can really splatter, so keep hot pads handy to stir and make sure it's a deep pot). Once sugar dissolves, raise heat to high and stir frequently until the jam has reached 220 degrees. If it seems to be taking a while, you can always take a spoon which you thought to stick in the freezer before starting your jam (!), stick it in the jam, pull it out, and see how the jam cools/sets on the spoon. Alternately, stick a plate in the freezer before starting your jam. Spread some jam on the plate. If you can draw a line through it and it starts to run back together, it's done.

Makes ? pints--I can't remember!

Basic (Cooked) Salsa

Homemade salsa was my first exposure to canning--about 10 or 12 years ago. My friend Barb introduced me to the joys of this experience, cheerfully donating most of the produce from her own garden. I wish so much I still had her recipe because it was amazing!!! It even had basil in it which was a nice touch. Below is the recipe I used this year; it's a wonderful, fresh-tasting, basic recipe. Remember to always follow instructions and measurements when canning to ensure the food will be safe to eat. Do not change proportions; you may switch out herbs or reduce hot peppers only.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 12th edition

• 7 pounds tomatoes (20 medium all-purpose; more if you use romas)
• 3 c. green peppers, any combination of the following (listed in order of heat): bell peppers, Anaheim, poblanos, hot bananas
• 1/3 c. hot chili peppers (jalapenos, serranos, etc.)
• 2 c. coarsely chopped onion
• 1/2 c. snipped fresh cilantro or parsley
• 1 c. vinegar
• 1/2 c. tomato paste
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. pepper

1. Chop, chop! Chop all tomatoes, removing stem end and any bad spots. No need to peel and seed for this recipe (of course, if you hate skin, feel free to peel tomatoes). Let tomatoes drain in a colander for 30 minutes or so (or just cook them longer).
2. Seed and chop all peppers; if using hot peppers, make sure you wear gloves or wash your hands. I never wear gloves, and my hands are on fire right now as I type....
3. Place drained tomatoes in an 8-quart pot. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or till thick and chunky; stir frequently. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat.
4. To Can: Ladle salsa into hot, sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process in a boiling-water bath for 35 minutes (start timing when water begins to boil).
5. To Freeze: Place the pot in a sink filled with ice water; stir mixture to help it cool. Spoon into wide-top freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal, label, and freeze up to 6 months.

Makes 4 pints

Note: I like my salsa a bit sweeter than this recipe, so I stir in a spoonful of sugar to a new jar when I open it. You can also add more heat to individual jars when you open them by adding an extra chipotle pepper or jalapeno pepper or cayenne pepper or.....

Jalapeno Jelly

Jalapeno Jelly is a tradition in my Texan family. In fact, the original recipe only gets shared with those married or born into my dad's family...seriously, folks. My mom had to be married to my dad before she got the secret recipe. But, I've found another good recipe that uses fresh jalapenos (our secret one uses bottled). Enjoy! (We serve it over cream cheese to use as a dip for crackers.) These make great Christmas gifts by the way....

Recipe from two nearly identical ones at allrecipes.com and Cooks.com

• 1 c. chopped bell pepper
• 1/2 c. chopped jalapeno peppers (about 5+)
• 5 c. white sugar
• 1 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1 (6-oz.) container liquid pectin (supposedly Certo is best)

1. Remove stems and seeds from peppers (wear gloves!!!). Pulse peppers and vinegar in a blender until desired fineness is reached (this version isn't strained, so mince them up nice and small if you don't want bits in the final product).
2. In a 5-quart pot over high heat, combine pepper-vinegar mixture and sugar. Bring to a rolling boil; boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
   
3. Stirring constantly, add the pectin and 5-8 drops green food coloring. Let mixture continue to cool for 2 more minutes. Stir for 1 minute.
4. Pour into hot, sterilized jars and top with sterilized lids. Secure lids with bands and process in boiling water bath 15 minutes. Allow jars to cool slowly on a towel, creating a vacuum seal. (You'll hear a "pop.")

Makes 6 half-pints.

Homemade Jam/Jelly

My sister (Carrie), my mother, and my grandmother have all made jam and jelly before. Carrie's specialty is strawberry jam. My grandmother made this yummy grape jelly (different from Concord grape jelly) when I was growing up. My mom makes my dad's family's famous jalapeno jelly (they're from Texas after all; you only get the secret recipe after entering the family via birth or marriage). Well, I decided to join the long jelly- and jam-making tradition and make blackberry jam.

I picked a whopping 7 1/2 pounds of blackberries at a local farm in about 30 minutes. I really, really, really like blackberry products--jam, cobbler, etc. I made 2 batches of jam (18 half-pint jars) and still had plenty to freeze for a couple of cobblers.

In this process, I learned a few things about homemade jellies/jams that I thought I'd pass on to other novices.

1. Have EVERYTHING ready to go when you start. This is especially important if you have young children at home--you won't be able to stop for a few minutes, so choose your timing carefully. This includes having jars sterilized and ready to go, sugar measured and ready to go, fruit crushed and ready to go, etc.

2. It's easy!

3. You'll need sugar, pectin, and fruit for most jams. Jelly can be made with fruit juice--either store bought or from fruit you've got on hand.

4. It's yummy!

5. Follow directions exactly! Canning is more science than art; you want to avoid any potential harm from not canning correctly. You also need to make sure you use the right amounts of sugar, fruit, and pectin (if needed) or the jelly/jam won't "set." Canning isn't hard--it's just important not to skimp on timing and such.

In case you're headed off to a big sale at the grocery or a pick-your-own farm and are wondering how much fruit you'll need for jam or jelly, here's a list of suggested amounts (these are from the instructions in the sure-jell (pectin) and seem to be similar to most recipes I've looked at--they're all for 1 pkg pectin):

Blackberries: 8 cups (2 quarts)
Blueberries: 1-1 1/2 quarts
Strawberries: 2-2 1/2 quarts
Raspberries: 2 quarts (for jam)
Apple jelly: 5 pounds or 7 cups juice
Peaches: 3 pounds
Pears: 3 pounds
Apricots: 3 1/2 pounds

Homemade Ketchup

I know I've probably just lumped myself firmly into the "granola" camp with the title of this post alone, but you need to hear me out. We don't go through much ketchup in this house (our condiment of choice, even for the kids, is barbecue sauce--aahh.... the food of the gods, especially Sticky Fingers sauce. Mmmmm....on fries, baked potatoes, hamburgers, chicken, pork chops, and, of course, pulled pork. But I digress).

I was whipping up Crock-Pot Stuffed Peppers one morning and realized to my chagrin that we were out of ketchup (this is after I've already assembled the entire thing)! We only buy little bottles as it is, but this was a tragedy! Crock pot meals are supposed to be easy, thrown together in the morning, and done with for the day. Thankfully, I remembered seeing this recipe on the web at one point--you know what they say: necessity is the mother of invention. So, undaunted, I decided I would whip it up. Better than nothing, right?

I might be truly converted to homemade ketchup. This was a SNAP to make, and I nearly always have these ingredients on hand. Way more complex tasting than storebought ketchup (and certainly cheaper). It reminded me of a really good meatloaf glaze/topping. I'm going to tweak the spices and sugar--it's a touch sweet for my tastes and my "pinches" were a little generous; however, it's incredibly yummy and makes the store bought stuff taste very fake. You must try it! Ketchup freezes fine, so you could even whip up a bigger batch and just freeze some.

The recipe and all accompanying information below are copied from Hillbilly Housewife (a great resource; click here for the recipe link).

• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup tap water (depending on desired consistency, I like it with 1/3 cup)
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch cloves
• 1 pinch allspice
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

This is simplicity itself. In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients with a wire whisk. Blend well. Scrape the mixture into a pint-sized, resealable container. Chill overnight, to blend the flavors. Use wherever ketchup is desired.

To reduce the sodium content simply omit the salt.

To reduce the sugar content replace the brown sugar with 1-teaspoon molasses and 1/4 cup granulated Splenda.

Regular ketchup is chock full of sugar, salt, preservatives and all sorts of things you probably don't want to think much about. Low Sugar and Low Salt ketchups cost $3 for a small bottle. With this recipe you can make 12 ounces for less than 50¢. It tastes best after the seasonings have a chance to blend, but it can be used right away in a pinch. It tastes very good too, similar to regular ketchup only fresher tasting, and not so cloying and oversweet.

This recipe, created by me personally [the Hillbilly Housewife], has become quite popular on the web. Folks have copied it, altered it slightly, usually using 1/4 cup water instead of 1/3 cup, and many cooks have discovered just how tasty it is. One of the nice things about creating a popular recipe is that when you release it on the net, it grows wings and develops a life of it's own.

Makes 12 ounces.