In our recipes section we’ve been showing you how to make your own condiments.  In this post we’ll tell you reasons why you might want to follow our recipes!

Of course, we all have our favorite condiments. We keep buying the same ones because, well, they are our favorites. But how many of us skip reading the ingredients or nutrition labels. Most!  Why?  Because we are busy and we probably don’t actually want to see what’s really in there.

If we’re not happy with the ingredients we find printed on the label, does that mean we have to give up eating tartar sauce, ketchup, or mayonnaise in order to eat healthy? Perhaps not. Let’s take a look at some of the well-loved condiments found in most kitchens, and a few alternatives so we can continue to enjoy our favorite condiments without quite so much guilt:

Ketchup

This is one of those convenience foods that everyone knows is unhealthy, but everybody loves. We dip our fries, cover our hamburgers, and drown our meatloaf in ketchup. Can we choose something else? Yes. Most ketchup is made with a base of tomato paste. Thin a can of tomato paste with a little water and apple cider vinegar, mix in some sprinkles of dry mustard, cumin, cinnamon, and salt until you get the consistency and taste you like. Keep this in the refrigerator for the next time you get the urge for ketchup. Of course, you can add as much salt and sugar as you like; the object is that YOU get to decide how much. You are also eliminating the preservatives and high fructose corn syrup.

Mayonnaise

Here’s another all time favorite convenience food. If we mix it into our macaroni salads and slather it on our sandwiches, we know what we’re eating; and it’s not healthy for us. Yes, you can buy low fat varieties, but you’re still left with sugars and preservatives. How can you easily grab a substitute? With a few simple ingredients including yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, and egg, you can create a mayonnaise that is tasty and healthier. Keep it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator and enjoy it without sabotaging your healthy diet.

Yellow Mustard

What’s a healthier alternative for yellow mustard? This is actually a trick question since yellow mustard right out of the jar or squeeze bottle is just about as healthy as you can get in a condiment. Fat free, gluten free, virtually no sugar or salt, this is one condiment you can eat in good conscience. As a matter of fact, consider switching sandwich spreads from mayonnaise to yellow mustard.

Cocktail Sauce

When the second ingredient in a packaged food is high fructose corn syrup, you know you’re off to a bad start. This condiment is supposed to be tangy, spicy, and a tiny bit sweet. You can mix together a simple sauce with ingredients you probably already have, minus the corn syrup. Just whisk together a blend of tomato paste, horseradish, and garlic. Sweeten it with a drop of molasses, and add tangy flavor with lemon juice and white vinegar. You can skip ingesting almost a quarter of a day’s allowance worth of salt, in addition to skipping all the preservatives. Keep a bottle of this in your refrigerator and you’ll never miss the additives one bit.

Tartar Sauce

This condiment is all about a nice tangy flavor. But, do you need all those calories and fat to get good taste? Even if you limit your serving to two tablespoons, depending on the brand of tartar sauce, you are ingesting around 130 calories just from fat. So, you want tangy flavor without all the fat? Try yogurt. Leave yogurt draining overnight through cheesecloth in a container in the refrigerator. To make tartar sauce, mix some relish or pickles, chopped fine, and flavorings like dried mustard, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper into the thickened yogurt. Adjust the flavorings to your liking and enjoy with your favorite grilled fish.

Taco Sauce

This is a relative newcomer in the condiment regulars, but it’s becoming more and more popular, what with people making more tacos, wraps, and huevos rancheros at home. Jarred taco sauce tends to be high in sodium, but relatively low in calories. This is a condiment that you can probably make a bit healthier, but it may not be worth the effort. However, once you get a good recipe together for taco sauce, you can tweak it a tiny bit to make great salsas as well. A simple taco sauce would include ingredients like tomato paste, vinegar, onion, green chilies, paprika, garlic, and lemon juice. Add a little sweetness if you like with a drizzle of honey.

Reaching for condiments is such a habit for most of us, we never think twice. We all have our favorites, and that’s where the problem usually starts. With a few simple recipes made from ingredients you have handy, you can create condiments just as tasty as the prepackaged kinds, only healthier, and maybe even better.

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This is traditionally served as a dipping sauce for cold shrimp, but is nice with any fish. You can also use this sauce as a shrimp or fish marinade before cooking.

Ritz Cocktail Sauce

• 2 cups chili sauce
• 2 cups tomato paste
• 1/4 cup spicy mustard
• 1/2 cup horseradish
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup dill pickle relish, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco
• salt to taste
• dash cayenne

1.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk vigorously until blended well.

2.  Refrigerate in tightly sealed jar until needed.

*This mixture will keep in refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks.

Healthy Choices Tarter Sauce

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 TBSP olive oil mayonnaise
• 1 medium Kosher dill pickle, finely chopped
• 2 TBSP finely chopped red onion
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1.  Put all the ingredients in a glass bowl and whisk together to combine. Mixture should be nice and smooth.

2.  Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Ketchup Your Way

• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed down
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp allspice

1.  Put all ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan.

2.  Place on burner and set on low.

3.  Simmer slowly for about 45 to 55 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture will reduce and thicken.

4.  When mixture looks and tastes right to you (adjust seasonings if desired), remove from burner and allow to cool slightly.

5.  Pour ketchup into clean jars and let it cool completely; then put on tight fitting lids.

*Keep in refrigerator. Ketchup will need to be stirred or shaken up before each use.

I hope you’re enjoying my series on homemade condiments!  Most of them are a great as emergency substitutes or (as is the case of this one) to keep on hand instead of the store-bought kind.

Homemade Dijon Mustard

• 2 cups dry white wine
• 1 small onion, chopped coarse
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped in half
• 4 ounces dry mustard
• 2 TBSP honey
• 1 TBSP vegetable oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 drops hot sauce

1. Place wine, onion, and garlic in small saucepan and heat on medium high heat until mixture just comes to a boil; then, turn heat to low and simmer slowly for 5 minutes.

2.  Remove from heat and pour through strainer into a large saucepan and set aside to cool.

3.  When wine mixture has cooled, set it back on the burner on low heat and slowly start adding mustard to saucepan, whisking constantly.

4.  When mustard is all incorporated and smooth, start adding the remaining ingredients, whisking constantly.

5.  Continue heating all ingredients together over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture gets thick.

Store in glass jars with tight lid in the refrigerator.

This mustard is best after it has chilled for several days.

After chatting in length about the Acai Berry the other day, I thought it would be fun to post a couple recipes using this unique berry. 

Berry-Nice Acai Berry Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups acai berry pulp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

Add butter and sugar in mixing bowl, with hand or stationary mixer, mix on medium-high speed until creamed together and fluffy.

Add eggs and beat until incorporated well.

In a sifter or sieve, sift the cake flour and baking powder together into a separate bowl.

With mixer running, slowly add the flour-baking powder mix to the creamed mixture in bowl.

Slowly pour in milk, continuing to let mixer run until everything is combined; turn off mixer.

With a rubber spatula or spoon, fold the acai berry pulp into the mixture, until combined well.

Spoon mixture into the muffin liners, filling each muffin cup about 2/3 full.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until just starting to get golden around the edges and toothpick comes out dry when inserted into center.

Blue-Razzy Acai Berry Slushie

1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup low fat yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup acai berry juice
1 tsp wheat germ or flaxseed
1 cup ice cubes

Place all slushie ingredients in blender, then with blender on high speed, start adding ice cubes until desired consistency. Serve immediately in tall, chilled glasses. This is a nutritious and delicious breakfast, lunch, or pick-me-up drink.

Do you have a favorite Acai Berry Recipe to share? 

Christine Steendahl
”The Menu Mom”

Transform Everyday Fast Meals Into Healthy Meals

The average American eats six convenience foods daily. If it is fast, edible and requires little-to-no preparation or clean-up, people will go out of their way to get to it, just to save a little time. If you are a family on-the-go, you understand the importance of convenience food. The faster, the better.

The thought of “convenience food” usually paints mental images like the ones seen in advertisements today. Cars pulling in and out of drive-thru lanes, stopping in for a quick taquito at the local gas station, or even the dreaded “quick snack” vending machines at work. The fact is, there is a healthier way to eat while still keeping the same convenient mindset. Let’s examine some of the healthiest convenience foods you can enjoy at each meal so you can stay healthy while on-the-go:

Breakfast

Many studies show breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. By skipping breakfast, your metabolism never gets up to speed and you feel like you are ten seconds behind (or more) for the rest of the day. But, breakfast is one of the most-skipped meals due to the inevitable rush to get out the door. Who’s got time to make eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, hash-browns, and all those goodies? Instead, breakfast for many often consists of a processed block of dough and powdered sugar, simply because it’s more convenient. The biggest meal of the day doesn’t have to come in a greasy paper bag.

Why not start the morning off right with a breakfast burrito? Three minutes in the microwave, ding, and you are dining in style with a good amount of fiber and protein and not all the empty calories. Or, plan ahead and make pancakes or waffles and freeze them. There are hundreds of recipes from whole grain to low-carb to gluten free. Warm them up in a toaster or skillet, add peanut butter and banana slices, and you have a well rounded breakfast in just minutes.

Fruit and cereal bars are also wonderfully healthy, convenient breakfast foods. Grab a banana, an apple, and a cereal bar, and head out the door. The fruit is packaged by mother nature and ready to travel. And don’t forget a cup of milk or juice. Throw that fruit and milk in a blender and you have a delicious, healthy breakfast in a mug. If sitting down to a full course breakfast doesn’t fit with your morning’s schedule, that’s alright; you’ve got a healthy meal on the run with these few simple foods.

Lunch

In the healthy, convenience food arena, lunch is typically boring. A salad. Why not spice up your lunchtime with some instant couscous with tuna and whole wheat crackers? You get a healthy meal with protein, omega-3s, and fiber. Or, how about a bean, cheese and rice burrito? Quick to heat up and packed full of fiber and protein, it is the perfect lunch for the active adult. The fiber will keep you full and the protein will give you the energy to make it through the day.

For a bigger lunch, spring for a salad with vinaigrette dressing – hold the cheese and croutons. Your local grocery store will most likely have packaged salads in a great selection to satisfy any lunch craving. Put a couple slices of grilled chicken on top and you have a filling meal that will carry you the rest of the day.

If you prefer a light lunch, try yogurt with frozen fruit; a rich source of calcium, protein, and antioxidants. You can even mix this lunch up before you leave home, throw it in your refrigerator at work, and the fruit will thaw in the yogurt and be ready for you to enjoy at lunchtime.

Snack

It is amazing how far a handful of trail mix will go. Not only is it convenient to grab and go, but it is full of healthy foods such as nuts and dried fruits. If your snack needs a little more ‘umph,’ you can try some carrots with hummus, tabbouleh salad or even a couple stuffed grape leaves.

The idea behind your afternoon snack is to give you a little boost through the midday blahs. Choosing a snack that picks you up instead of weighing you down is the smart thing to do. You can make your own trail mix, veggie and dip, or fruit plate so you control the ingredients and the nutrients they provide. These smart snacks will help you zip through the rest of the day.

Dinner

The last meal of the day should be comforting, nutritious, and filling. While it is usually not a great idea to go to bed on a full stomach, a hearty dinner is a great way to end the day. Using a can of clear broth or stock to make soup or stew is a great choice for healthy and convenient meals. A simple soup made with mixed frozen vegetables and brown rice in a pot of broth is just as convenient as opening a can of prepared soup.

You can crank up the nutrition while keeping the convenience by adding a can of black beans to the soup. Corn gives soup or stew a great crunch while mushrooms or garbanzo beans round out the meal and add extra nutrition. In other words, you don’t have to stand over the stove for hours simmering soup for it to be delicious and nutritious; a few cans can make a meal.

There are many canned options that are now offered in low sodium, reduced fat, and no sugar varieties. The healthier choices now available have taken away the unhealthy aspect of opening up a can of something for dinner, and don’t we just love that convenience!

Convenience food does not have to mean drive-thru or gas station. Finding healthy convenience foods for families on-the-go is not a difficult task. Grabbing a simple banana is convenient; putting two cans together can be healthy if you buy the right cans. Finding the healthiest convenience foods is simple if you look around your home and read the labels before you buy.

Yum!  A summertime (or anytime) scrumptious treat -  Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches!  What could possibly make them better?  Homemade mayonnaise, of course!  Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Mayonnaise

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 to 2 TBSP white vinegar

1.  In a glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt, and mustard until light and frothy.

2.  Put one drop of oil in bowl and whisk vigorously; then put in another drop and whisk vigorously again. Keep adding oil one drop at a time, whisking all the time, until mixture thickens.

3.  Continue drizzling in oil at a slow stream, whisking continuously, until oil is all incorporated and mixture is emulsified.

4.  Next, whisk in vinegar until well blended; start with 1 tablespoon and add more if needed to get the consistency you want.

5.  Pour into a tightly sealed jar and store in refrigerator until needed.

This will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

You see Acai Berry products much more frequently today, boasting health benefits that tempt many; but what exactly is an Acai Berry?  What do they taste like?  Are they worth trying?  Let’s take a look today and maybe the information presented will help you decide if this fruit is right for you.

Acai berry, pronounced [ah-SIGH-ee] is probably one of the most highly disputed fruits of the current day. Let’s take a deeper dive into this amazing little fruit and find out exactly where it came from, some possible health benefits, and a few ways to incorporate this fruit into your diet.

What is it?
Acai berry is a small reddish, purple fruit, resembling a stretched out grape. These berries are found on the Brazilian wild palmberry tree, native to Central and South America. There have been numerous studies done on the health benefits of these berries, but a majority of them have been focused on the antioxidant activity which could help prevent certain diseases.

History
Acai has been around for thousands of years, but was not introduced to the western world until the mid 1990’s. First used by the tribes of the Amazon jungle as a cure for various ailments, acai berries soon made a home in the Americas. It didn’t take long for westerners to believe in the tremendous health properties credited to this tasty fruit.

Where Does it Come From?
The acaí berries can be found on a palm tree with a long thin trunk. The berries would be grouped in clusters that look like little blue bottles hanging in between ribbon-like leaves. Traditionally, the acai berries would have to be picked by hand. The tribe’s men would shimmy up the tree and cut the branches from the top of a palm tree laden with acai berries. The harvest would then be brought back to the women of the village to pluck and prepare.

Health Benefits
The health benefits are where most of the debate on acai is concerned. Some studies show there are no greater health benefits from eating acai berries than similar fruits, berries, and vegetables. However, other studies claim to prove the antioxidant levels are much higher. Even if acai berries are only on an equal footing with other fresh produce in providing a defense against free radicals, they would be worth considering when eating a healthy diet.

Acai contains powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins and flavonoids. These two antioxidants help defend the body against life’s stressors. They also play a role in defending the body against free radicals. Free radicals are harmful byproducts either introduced to the body as toxins from the outside environment or produced by the body from the remnants of processed foods and other internal pollutants. By lessening the destructive power of free radicals, antioxidants may help reduce the risk of some diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.

Fun Fact
Anthocyanin is Greek for ‘blue flower.’ These antioxidants are what give the acai berries and juice the reddish, purple, and blue hues. Many fruits which contain these deep, rich pigments, like blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries, are extremely high in antioxidant properties.

How to Eat
Acai berries can be consumed in a number of different ways. Some people prefer them raw as acai na tigela – literally translated as ‘acai in a bowl’. Others prefer to drink the sweet juice, sometimes as part of a smoothie. Straight up, acai juice is similar to drinking grape juice.

Acai berries are a great addition to salads, especially when combined with slivers of toasted almonds and crumbles of soft goat cheese. Due to the natural pH of the juice, acai is also great at tenderizing meat and makes an excellent marinade for beef and lamb. Another trend emerging from the acai world is wine made from the berries. The list will grow as more and more people find out about this fabulous super food.

No matter how you get your acai fix, you will enjoy the new flavor profile on your palate and the added antioxidants in your diet couldn’t hurt either. You can pick up some frozen berries or a bottle of juice to give it a try.  If you do, let me know what you think!

Tune in later this week for a couple recipes featuring this unique fruit. 

Christine
”The Menu Mom”