Savoury Apple Gravy (gluten free, vegan, low sodium)

Savoury Apple Gravy (gluten free, vegan, low sodium)

There is something about gravy that pulls together a meal. Slathered over mashed potatoes, a hot sandwich, fries, Yorkshire pudding... At times, gravy melts into the background of flavours, an extension of an entree. This savoury apple gravy is no subtle sidekick, but its own festive taste with chunky spiced apples and onions. Make from scratch it in minutes!


4 medium apples, such as McIntosh, Empire, Cortland or Braeburn
1 large red onion

1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
1 tsp tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt or lite salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
2 tbsp red wine or vinegar

Peel and slice the apples and onion.

In a cold sauce pot or sautee pan, stir together the oil, tapioca flour, spices, molasses and wine or vinegar. Heat the mixture until the tapioca flour melts, and add the apples and onions. Cook on low to medium heat for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. If needed, add water, a tablespoon at a time until the gravy is the preferred texture.

Serve hot!



Savoury Apple Gravy and Taters.





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Salsa Verde Fresca (gluten free, vegan)

Salsa Verde Fresca (gluten free, vegan)

G-man has been asking for days and days to try a new idea. I have to tell you that if he keeps his love for food and new creations he has a future as a great chef. His latest was Carrot Tacos. He wanted to make whole wheat soft tortillas and fill them with shredded carrots and sour cream. Crunchy and sweet, they were pretty good! Stealthy Dad and I jazzed up the grown-up version with Salsa Verde Fresca made with fresh tomatillos and peppers from our garden.

Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo) is customarily made with tomatoes, chiles, onions and seasoning. Our Salsa Fresca Verde used tomatillos in place of tomatoes. (Tomatillos are similar to tomatoes in flavour, but look like big gooseberries.) To keep it sweet for the kids, we replaced the usual white onion with leeks, and chopped up sweet peppers instead of hot chiles.

For one cup:

1/2 cup finely chopped tomatillos
1/4 cup chopped sweet peppers
1/4 cup chopped leeks or green onions
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8-1/4 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp oregano
1 finely chopped jalapeño pepper, optional

Mix everything together, wait a few minutes for the flavours to mingle, and enjoy!



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Sweet Sesame Dressing (gluten free, vegan, low sodium)

Sweet Sesame Salad

Spring might finally be here. How about a fresh, crisp salad? When cutting back on sodium, salad dressing can be your undoing because a serving of of store-bought can contain 300mg of sodium or more. This version contains under 15mg, even if you drown your greens in it. You will not miss the salt because homemade Sweet Sesame Dressing is rich and flavourful. Mix it up in minutes for a restaurant-style salad at home.

To dress four to six entree-sized salads, mix together, stirring well after each addition:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp sesame seeds (raw or toasted)

Drizzle over your salad and toss. Our plates contained baby romaine, sugar snap peas, raw shredded cabbage, sliced carrots, and mushrooms with a sprinkling of raw sesame seeds for garnish. (Store any unused dressing in the fridge for a couple of days.)



I shared this post with weekly link-ups, where bloggers share natural recipes and homestead tips:  Wildcrafting Wednesday,  Simple Lives Thursday, the Homestead Barn Hop,  Fight Back! Friday and Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.


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Honey Mustard Dressing

Honey Mustard Dressing

"Quick," I called out to Stealthy Dad. "Find me a recipe for honey mustard dressing!" He came up with a lovely looking mustard dressing by Alton Brown, who has never failed us before. I stood before the cupboard as he listed off ingredients... Check, nope, not that, we could that instead... Our result is far from the pictured original, but was quite tasty!

For about half a cup:

1/4 cup vinegar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp dry mustard
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt of your choice
1/4 tsp dill weed
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Mix the ingredients together in a glass measuring cup. Microwave for a minute, and stir well again. Serve right away as a dip, or chill to use as a salad dressing.


I shared this recipe with Meatless Mondays and Make Your Own Monday.


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Fiesta Hummus (gluten free, vegan)

Fiesta Hummus

It all started with the limes. Fresh, ripe, organic limes were hiding in our fridge, waiting for a purpose. We did not have any tequila... Somewhere along a long train of thought, the limes picked up garbanzos, olive oil, tahini, and chili peppers. Garlic, paprika, and coriander joined the party. It was Fiesta Hummus!

2 cups cooked garbanzos (chick peas)
1/2 cup tahini
2 limes, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp cilantro
1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp salt (omit if you used canned garbanzos)
1 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves peeled, fresh garlic
1 tsp paprika
4oz can green chilies (or two cans, to taste)

Blend the ingredients together. Serve with warm tortillas or grilled pitas.



I shared this post with Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,  Real Food Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.


www.stealthymom.com

All-Purpose Tomato Sauce

All-Purpose Tomato Sauce

Last summer, I came across a great buy on tomatoes at the farmer's market. Some became pizza sauce, some became pasta sauce, and some were simply peeled, popped into ziplocks and frozen. We gobbled up all of little eight-ounce containers of pizza sauce rather quickly, since we eat pizza at least every week. The pasta sauce was also eaten up. We came to the last of the tomatoes in the freezer, about six quarts' worth, so I decided to make an all-purpose, plain tomato sauce with it. That way it could be seasoned up for pasta, pizza, or even homemade BBQ sauce.

To prepare 10-12 pounds (5-6 quarts) of fresh or frozen tomatoes...

Blend them up whole. The post originally had instructions to peel the tomatoes. Skip it and just blend them up whole. Just be sure to wash them and cut off any bad parts first.

Simmer in your crock pot until reduced.  There is no need to add water; just put the lid on, turn on the crock pot and walk away. For a ten-pound batch, all day (or night) on high is just right.

(If your tomatoes did not all fit in, blend up and add more as the sauce reduces.)

Blend the Sauce Again.  Even though the tomatoes were blended, the sauce will get lumpy as it cooks. Allow the sauce to cool, then blend it again, batch by batch.

[Season. I left this batch plain to be seasoned as needed. If you intend to use the sauce for pasta, you can add sauteed onions, peppers, carrots, or mushrooms at this point. You can also add oregano, marjoram, basil, garlic... Remember that the sauce will reduce so if you plan to add salt wait until you have the final volume.]

Portion and freeze. If you are using plastic containers, cool the sauce down first. Don't ask me what I know about melting plastic containers with hot sauce because I will admit to nothing. I find eight-ounce portions to be just right. If you are making enchiladas or lasagna, you can take out and thaw as many as you need.

Thaw as needed. For spaghetti, saute carrots, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and fresh garlic in olive oil. You can add ground grassfed beef or a bit of romano or parmesan cheese, too. Season with oregano, marjoram, basil, parsley, and garlic as you wish, then add the plain tomato sauce and simmer as long as you have time for. Salt as needed.

For pizza, pour the sauce over the prepared crust and sprinkle seasonings right over top before adding other toppings. Oregano and basil, garlic, onion powder... Sometimes we blend up plain tomato sauce with spinach to make Monster Pizza.

I shared this post with these natural food link-ups:  Meatless Mondays, Real Food 101, Make Your Own Monday!  Monday Mania, Fat Tuesday,  Real Food Wednesday, and Simple Lives Thursday.

www.stealthymom.com

Blue Cheese Dressing (gluten free)

Blue Cheese Dressing

Blue Cheese Dressing is ridiculously easy to make. There are dozens of variations out there, but we like to keep it simple:

1 cup plain yogurt (It is hard to find truly plain yogurt in the store, so we make our own.)
1/4 to 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles, depending how strong or subtle you wish your dressing to be
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Mix the ingredients together, taking care to break up most of the blue cheese crumbles. Enjoy.



For more natural food recipes, check out these recipe shares: Monday Mania, Make Your Own! Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,  Tasty Tuesday, and Healthy 2Day.

Fool Ranch Dressing (gluten free, low sodium)

Fool Ranch Dressing (bowl by DBennett Pottery)

To any label reader, finding ranch dressing without monosodium glutamate can mean standing in the grocery store aisle for a long, long time. Fool Ranch Dressing has a short ingredients list and is ready in minutes.

1 cup plain yogurt*
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp parmesan cheese powder (optional, makes the dressing cheesy and adds texture.)

Mix them up in a small bowl. That's all folks, show is over. Go home and enjoy your salad...

* We make our own yogurt, since plain yogurt can be hard to find. Our local store sells "fat free" yogurt, but I cannot call it "plain" since it contains gelatin and other thickeners. It is super easy to make your own and is worth the effort.


This post was shared with Meatless Mondays,  Make Your Own! Monday, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,  Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways,  Tutorial Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Full Plate Thursday,  Simple Lives Thursday,  Fight Back! Friday and the Living Well Blog Hop.


www.stealthymom.com

No-Tell Cheese Dip (gluten free)

No-Tell Cheese Dip

A favorite on game day is a steaming crock of processed cheese dip. Okay, okay, I can admit that a certain velvety cheese, the one that can be stored at room temperature as long as a twinkie, melts easily into something that is yummy on nachos. It also has some magic property that keeps it from curdling when you add tomatoes and chopped chilis. (Is that what is inside a Stretch Armstrong?)

In the interest of sodium reduction, I made a similar dip to the famous favorite that is quick and easy. Sharp cheddar cheese contrasts with tangy tomatoes and chilis. Ready in minutes, it pairs perfectly with corn tortilla chips. If you make too much, you can use it for Mini Pizzas.

Raspberry Vinaigrette (vegan, low sodium)

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Raspberry vinaigrette has been my favorite for a long, long time. Toss a handful of leaves in a bowl, some raisins, maybe some peanuts, shreds of cheddar, sunflower seeds and whatever else there may be around. No matter what is in the salad bowl, raspberry vinaigrette makes it taste like candy. I read the label on the bottle in my fridge; that stuff is candy! The first ingredient on the list was high fructose corn syrup, followed by soybean oil. Some have canola, too. Raspberry juice was way down the list. I just had to make my own using real food ingredients.

You will be surprised how simple it can be to make this sweet, tangy salad dressing yourself with ingredients you might already have around your kitchen. This recipe will make just enough to fill a empty molasses bottle:

1 cup frozen raspberries
3/8 cup vinegar
3/8 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil

Pour boiling water into the clean molasses bottle, put the lid on and invert. This extra step will make sure it is really, really clean before adding an oil-based dressing. Let it stand for a few minutes, then pour out the water, keeping the bottle and lid inverted on the dish rack to dry.

In a glass dish, microwave the raspberries just enough to warm them. Place a strainer over a glass measuring cup. With a spatula, work the pulp and juice of the berries through the strainer. Be sure t o scrape the bottom of the strainer for the pulp that collects, too. Once you have little more than a couple tablespoons of seeds in the strainer, pour the vinegar through. Add the oil and maple syrup to the dressing.

Pour the dressing into the clean bottle, put the lid on and shake it to mix. Store it in the fridge.

[As this dressing contains oil, it is safer to store it in the fridge than on the counter. Flavoured oils look pretty on the counter but can be a perfect environment for the growth of Clostridium bolulinum, the bacteria that causes botulism. ]

I shared this recipe at Make Your Own Mondays , Real Food Wednesdays ,  Simple Lives Thursdays,  and the Weekend Whatever,  Fight Back Friday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Summer Salad Sundays,  Friday Food Flicks and Empty Your Archives- Salad Collection.

www.stealthymom.com

Garden-Fresh Tomato Sauce in January

Garden-Fresh Tomato sauce in January

Last night we ate whole wheat spaghetti with garden-fresh tomato sauce, thanks to our local farmer's market.  I bought forty pounds of tomatoes in August to make sauce for the winter. Most of it became pizza sauce, frozen in 6 oz servings. One crock pot full became traditional spaghetti sauce to freeze for future meals.

As it warmed up in a pan, I was taken back to those summer days when our home filled with the aroma of tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, celery and onions sauteed with a touch of olive oil. Basil, oregano, garlic... There was a touch of red wine. I must have opened up a bottle and shared it with the crock pot, cheers to the long winter ahead.


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Homemade Barbecue Sauce (low sodium)

Chicken baked in Homemade BBQ Sauce

A great kitchen staple for quick meals and entertaining is barbecue sauce. At this very moment, someone is slow-cooking ribs in barbecue sauce in a crock pot, and someone else is preparing little smokies or meat balls for an office pot-luck.  Ready-made sauces from the store are so easy, but very high in sodium. Here is a recipe for a quick barbecue sauce to use for cooking meats and chicken.

(The pictured dish is chicken, covered in Homemade Barbecue Sauce then baked for 45 minutes at 350F. How simple can you get?)


For half a cup of sauce, stir together:

1 8 oz can unsalted tomato sauce or frozen homemade sauce
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper

For variety, try:

• 1/2 tsp sesame oil + 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp "curry powder"
• red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in place of the white vinegar

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For more homemade versions of store-bought foods, visit Make Your Own Mondays.