Author: DeeDee

By CCH Dietitian Mona Van Wart – I loved making this tomato ketchup. I thought it was really fun to do and the end product was fantastic . As I was making the ketchup,it took me back to my childhood when I was a little girl helping my Mom process vegetables from our gardens.

I do not use ketchup as a condiment, but I do have a couple of favorite recipes of my mother’s that uses ketchup as the main ingredient for the sauce. I decided instead of freezing the ketchup as I originally had planned I would make those recipes and then portion and freeze the end products for my lunches.

A pdf version of the recipe can be found on the Health Eating page or by clicking here.

Ingredients

6 pounds tomatoes (about 12 large tomatoes)

½ cup brown sugar

¾ cup onion (finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup cider vinegar

½ cup balsamic vinegar (I chose the kind that had 0 mgs. Sodium)

Cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Wash tomatoes.
3. Halve the tomatoes, drizzle some olive oil over them, and place on 1-2 baking pans.
4. Roast for 20 minutes or until they are soft and wrinkled looking, but not burnt.
5. Let the tomatoes cool, and then transfer them to a blender or food processor and puree until they are smooth.  Process in small batches.
6. In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, warm the sugar, keeping it moving with a spoon, for about a minute.
7. Add the onion, garlic and the pureed roasted tomatoes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Add the three kinds of vinegar and continue to cook for another 30 minutes or until reduced by two-thirds.  The ketchup should be thick.
9. Remove from heat and season to taste with the cayenne pepper, if desired.
10. Strain the ketchup through a mesh strainer into a glass or stainless steel bowl. 
11. To cool the ketchup, fill a large stockpot about halfway with a mixture of half ice, half water, and submerge the container in the ice bath to chill.  The ice-water level should come most of the way up the outside of the container, but don’t let any water into the ketchup. 
12. Stir the ketchup occasionally until the temperature reaches 70°F on a thermometer.
13. Then remove the container from the ice bath, cover and transfer to the refrigerator where it will keep for 3-5 days.
14. Ketchup can be frozen in small freezer bags or containers, or I read that it can be put in ice cube trays and then put them in a freezer container.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)

1 serving = 1 Tbsp       Calories: 8      Fat: 0 g      Carbs: 2 g      Protein: <1 g      Sodium: <1 g

(Comparison – Store bought ketchup)

1 serving = 1 Tbsp       Calories: 19      Fat: 0 g     Carbs: 4.5 g     Protein: <1 g     Sodium: 154 mgs

I tried a new recipe last night. I thought it was very good. These are the ingredients ready  for Chicken and Grapefruit Stir Fry. A pdf version of the recipe can be found on the Health Eating page or by clicking here.

Ingredients

1 grapefruit, peeled

1# pineapple chunks in unsweetened pineapple juice

¼ cup cornstarch

2 tsp. sodium reduced, soy sauce

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1# boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut across the grain into slices

1 cup snow peas, trimmed

4 scallions, sliced diagonally

Directions

Peel the grapefruit and cut into sections, holding the fruit over a small bowl to catch the juice.  Drain the pineapple well, reserving the juice.  Put the pineapple juice and grapefruit juice into a measuring cup and add enough water to equal 2 cups.  Add the cornstarch and soy sauce and stir until smooth.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the garlic and chicken. Cook until internal temperature of 165°F. (around 8-10 minutes). Add the snow peas and cornstarch mixture; stir-fry until the sauce thickens and boils.  Add the grapefruit, pineapple, and scallions; stir-fry until heated through.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: 1 cup

Calories: 165   Carbohydrates: 20 grams    Protein: 14 grams

Fat:  3 grams      Cholesterol: 31 mgs.          Dietary Fiber:  3 grams

Sodium:  82 mgs.

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