Dressings, Sauces & Jams

Amazing Apple Butter

We avoid the addition of sweet cider or juice by releasing the apple’s natural moisture and sugars in a slow cooker. No constant stirring or scorched pans—just set it and forget it, until the aroma fills your house that is!

Amazing Apple Butter
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dressings, Sauces & jams
Makes: 24 Spread portions
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ pounds Granny Smith apples
  • 2 ½ pounds (any variety) red apples
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Directions
  1. Peel, core, and roughly chop all apples before placing in a slow cooker.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, and toss to evenly coat apples.
  3. Set the cooker to low, cover, and let cook for 10 hours, stirring once after 8 hours.
  4. Use an immersion (hand) blender to purée the cooked apples until smooth. You can also do this in a traditional blender or food processor, but it may take 2–3 batches.
  5. For thicker apple butter, transfer the puréed mixture to a sauce pot over medium heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until your desired consistency. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Perfect Portion Amazing Apple Butter

HELPFUL TIP: This makes A LOT of apple butter (about 4 jars), so it is a good idea to freeze ½ of the batch, or give some of the jars as gifts. You could also pressure-seal the jars, but that is only recommended for those who are very familiar with the process.
Serving size: 3 tbsp Calories: 100

 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Read More

Blueberry Cinnamon Jam

The health benefits from eating blueberries are so great that we decided to preserve them as a jam. Fresh berries spoil, but our fantastic jam is always at the ready. Paired with a bright hit of lemon juice and warm cinnamon, this jam is a keeper.

Blueberry Cinnamon Jam
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dressings, Sauces & jams
Makes: 24 Topping portions
Ingredients
  • 4 cups fresh blueberries
  • 2 ¾ cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 (3-ounce) pouch liquid fruit pectin
Directions
  1. Place the blueberries in a food processor, and pulse until mostly smooth.
  2. Transfer the puréed blueberries to a sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and ground cinnamon, and bring to a boil.
  3. Stir the pectin into the blueberry mixture, and let boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  4. Remove from heat, and skim off any foam before transferring to tempered glass jars. Let set, unrefrigerated, for 24–48 hours, or until firm. Once set, store refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
  5. If you would like to preserve this jam for longer-term storage (only recommended for people experienced with canning), you need to work with it while it is still hot. Spoon the hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving a ¼ inch of space at the top of each jar. Tap jars on the counter to remove air bubbles, clean the rims, and secure the lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
Perfect Portion Blueberry Cinnamon Jam

HELPFUL TIP: You can find liquid pectin in the baking aisle of most grocery stores and near the empty canning jars in the kitchen supplies of most big-box retailers.
Serving size: 3 tbsp Calories: 100

 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Read More

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Mona’s Family Favorites: I love making fresh homemade salad dressings. They really add extra flavor, and everyone always notices and wants the recipe. So, here it is! My vinaigrette of fresh raspberries, honey, rosemary, and a hint of Dijon mustard is a refreshing way to dress up a spinach or mixed greens salad. A great vinaigrette is all about balancing the rich oil with the tangy vinegar. Red wine vinegar enhances the fruity and sweet notes of the raspberries. Plus, puréeing raspberries into the vinaigrette adds just enough sweetness. We hit the nail on the head. You’ll be sharing this recipe!

Raspberry Vinaigrette
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dressings, Sauces & jams
Makes: 6 Dressing portions
Ingredients
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
  1. Add all the ingredients, except the olive oil, to a food processor, and pulse in short bursts for 2 minutes to fully purée the raspberries and create a thick dressing.
  2. Add the olive oil to the food processor, a little at a time, processing on low speed to mix it into the dressing. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week. Stir or shake before serving.
Perfect Portion Raspberry Vinaigrette

HELPFUL TIP: Slowly adding the olive oil helps to “emulsify” the dressing by combining the oil with the other ingredients without the water (from the raspberries) and oil separating. If your food processor does not have an opening to drizzle the oil in as it operates, simply transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk the olive oil in by hand.
Serving size: 3 tbsp Calories: 100

 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Read More

Pesto Chicken Skewers with Pesto Sauce

We transform boneless chicken breasts and a variety of vegetables into a scrumptious and colorful appetizer. Our quick, flavor-packed Pesto Sauce (see page 251) is a winning solution to jazzing up these Pesto Chicken Skewers. Serve them as a festive party appetizer or have 2 or 3 skewers as an entrée, served over rice or alongside Crispy Baked Baby Potatoes (see page 170).

Pesto Chicken Skewers with Pesto Sauce
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Entertaining
Makes: 10 Appetizer portions
Ingredients
  • Bamboo skewers
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 yellow squash
  • 1 large zucchini
  • 16 ounces small white (button) mushrooms
  • 1 batch Pesto Sauce, divided (see page 251)
Directions
  1. Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour before preparing (to prevent charring).
  2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat.
  3. Chop the chicken breasts, yellow squash, and zucchini into uniform 1-inch cubes.
  4. Thread a cube of chicken onto a soaked skewer, then a cube of yellow squash, a whole mushroom, and finally a cube of zucchini. Repeat to thread another set of the ingredients on the same skewer. Finally, add a third cube of chicken to top the skewer off. Repeat until you’ve made 10 skewers and you are out of cubed ingredients.
  5. Brush the skewers with ½ of the Pesto Sauce.
  6. Place the pesto skewers on the grill, and cook for 5 minutes. Flip, and cook for an additional 3 minutes on the opposite site, just until the vegetables are tender and slicing into a cube of chicken reveals no pink.
  7. Using a clean brush, brush the remaining ½ of the Pesto Sauce over the cooked skewers before serving.
Perfect Portion Pesto Chicken Skewers

HELPFUL TIP: These can also be cooked under a broiler set to high by placing the oven rack in the second-highest position. Broil for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Serving size: 1 skewer Calories: 100

Pesto Sauce

Pesto is known for being extremely high in fat and calories thanks to the generous amount of oil it contains. We replicate the same balance of bright basil, toasty pine nuts, sharp garlic, and salty Parmesan with only ⅓ of the olive oil. Now, you can enjoy a full serving of pesto pasta without the guilt!

Pesto Chicken Skewers with Pesto Sauce
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dressings, Sauces & jams
Makes: 6 Sauce portions
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Place the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat to toast, shaking the pan to keep them moving, until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer the toasted pine nuts to a food processor.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese, to the food processor, and pulse in short bursts for 2 minutes to finely grate the pine nuts and combine everything into a sauce.
  3. Add the Parmesan cheese to the food processor, and pulse for 15 more seconds, just to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use.
Perfect Portion Pesto Sauce

HELPFUL TIP: Pine nuts can usually be found in a small packet in the baking section of your grocery store. Walnuts or blanched almonds can be used in place of the pine nuts (you should still toast them in step 1); however, the pine nuts really give pesto its classic flavor.
Serving size: 3 tblsp Calories: 100

 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Read More

Avocado Caesar Dressing

Mona’s Family Favorites: I LOVE avocado. It’s one of those healthy ingredients that creates creaminess with less fat than mayonnaise. In this recipe, we used puréed fresh avocado instead of the egg yolk and Parmesan cheese. Not only does the avocado make this dressing thick and creamy, it also adds nutrients, great flavor, and only unsaturated fat! This delicious Avocado Caesar Dressing knocks it out of the park.

Avocado Caesar Dressing
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Makes: 6 Dressing portions
Ingredients
  • 1 medium Haas avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, and chopped
  • ½ cup 2% milk
  • 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
  • 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Place the avocado in a food processor, and process until mostly smooth.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese, and process until smooth and combined.
  3. Fold the Parmesan cheese into the dressing, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Store refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Perfect Portion Avocado Caesar Dressing

HELPFUL TIP: Anchovy paste can often be found in the Italian food aisle, although 2 whole canned anchovies can be used in its place.
Serving size: ¼ cup Calories: 100

 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Read More

100 Calorie Alfredo Sauce

Mona’s Family Favorites: My family LOVES Alfredo sauce, but then again, who doesn’t? To lighten up the traditional combination of heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, I’ve made a simple swap from heavy cream to thickened milk to significantly lower the calories without sacrificing any of the rich, nutty Parmesan. This luscious Alfredo is absolutely off the charts!

100 Calorie Alfredo Sauce
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Makes: 8 Sauce portions
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 ¾ cups 2% milk
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Heat the butter in a sauce pot over medium-high heat, until it has melted.
  2. Whisk the flour and garlic into the butter in the pot, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
  3. Add the milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the pot, and whisk constantly, until the flour and butter mixture has dissolved and the sauce has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat, and stir in Parmesan cheese before serving.
Perfect Portion 100 Calorie Alfredo Sauce

HELPFUL TIP: You want to bring the milk up to a very low simmer without burning or bubbling over, so whisking constantly is extremely important. If the milk begins to bubble up too quickly, temporarily remove the pot from the heat.
Serving size: ¼ cup Calories: 100

 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Read More

Meatballs Marinara & Tuscan Tomato Sauce

Mona’s Family Favorites: It’s so great when you can bring a fantastic vacation memory home with you by preparing a traditional weeknight meal. And even better, this meal is delicious, simple to make, and has a healthy twist! We combine my spinach-packed Tuscan Tomato Sauce with the meatballs for a great blend of protein and greens. By using leaner meat and baking the meatballs, you save on calories without any compromise on flavor. The trick is in the simmering, which makes the meatballs nice and tender. Thanks, Chef Luca! Serve over spaghetti (100 calories per ½ cup cooked).

Meatballs Marinara
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Everyday Meals
Makes: 6 Dinner portions
Ingredients
  • 1 batch Tuscan Tomato Sauce
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 ½ pounds (93%) lean ground beef
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 large egg white, beaten
  • ¼ cup minced yellow onion
  • ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
Directions
  1. Prepare the Tuscan Tomato Sauce according to the recipe’s directions. Cover, and let sit over warm heat.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and spray a large sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to combine all of the remaining ingredients to make the meatball mixture.
  4. Form the meatball mixture into 36 meatballs that are 1 inch tall (about the size of a ping-pong ball). Place on the prepared sheet pan.
  5. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes.
  6. Raise the heat on the tomato sauce to a simmer, and add the baked meatballs into the sauce.
  7. Cover, and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Meatballs Marinara

HELPFUL TIP: Using extra lean (98%) ground turkey in place of the ground beef will lower the calories in this recipe to only 85 calories per 2 meatballs with sauce.
Serving size: 2 meatballs - 3tbsp sauce Calories: 100

Mona’s Family Favorites: This past spring, my family and I took a once-in-a-lifetime cooking class in Montepulciano, in the Tuscan region of Italy. Our chefs and hosts, Luca and Stefania of Villa Poggiano, taught us that the simpler the ingredients, the better the tomato sauce. While we only used a handful of ingredients, including fresh basil and spinach, to make this amazing sauce, the flavors melded into something far more than the sum of its parts. Isn’t that what great cooking is all about? Today, I use this as my go-to sauce for all of my Italian dishes. Delicioso!

Tuscan Tomato Sauce
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dressings, Sauces & jams
Makes: 6 Sauce portions
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28-ounce) can puréed tomatoes
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a stockpot over medium heat. Sauté for 2 minutes, just until garlic is fragrant.
  2. Add the puréed tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
  3. Bring the sauce to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Add the fresh spinach to the sauce, and let cook for 5 additional minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Tuscan Tomato Sauce

HELPFUL TIP: Puréed or crushed San Marzano tomatoes are traditionally used in Italy. You can often find these in cardboard cartons near the canned tomato products in the grocery store. Puréed makes a thick and smooth sauce, while crushed makes a thin and chunky sauce.
Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 100

 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Read More

Blue Ribbon Barbecue Sauce

Store-bought barbecue sauces may be convenient, but they are typically loaded with sugar or corn syrup. We season a rich tomato base with a little molasses, vinegar, and liquid smoke for a standout sauce in a mere 15 minutes.

Blue Ribbon Barbecue Sauce
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dressings, Sauces & jams
Makes: 4 Sauce portions
Ingredients
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup finely diced yellow onion
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (sold near the spices)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. Heat the oil and onions in a saucepot over medium-high heat, and cook until golden brown and softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in all the remaining ingredients, except the salt. Cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, and add salt to taste. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 10 days.
Perfect Portion Blue Ribbon Barbecue Sauce

HELPFUL TIP: This recipe makes 1 ⅓ cups of sauce, about the same amount as a standard bottle of store-bought sauce.
Serving size: ⅓ cup Calories: 100

 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Read More

Title

Go to Top