Notes:
A delicious way to preserve a bountiful harvest of tomatoes.

Servings: up to 4 per

Ingredients:
-Tomatoes- any kind and any amount but the key is to dry the same variety together, cut in similar wedges so they dry evenly. Varieties that have worked well are Garden Peaches, Pusta Kolox, Cherokee Purple, Zapotecs and Black Krim. The Romas dry quicker but don't have as much flavor.
-Container of olive oil
-sea salt in a grinder
-one tomato can make up to 4 servings depending on the size.

Directions:
Heat oven at lowest setting, usually 200 degrees. Take some olive oil and generously grease a large cookie sheet that has sides at least half an inch to catch any juices that may form.
Cut out stem of tomato and slice tomatoes in wedges about 1/2 inch wide. Arrange in tight rows on the tray, edges touching. They will shrink considerably and can handle it. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt then put in the oven. Varieties such as Romas will dry quicker, taking about 3-4 hours. Juicier varieties (and tastier) can take as long as 6 to 12 hours.

Some varieties will produce a lot of juice. To speed drying pour off juice in bowl or glass container. I like to save the juice for reductions in stir fry's or pasta.

Remove from oven and with spatula place in medium sized bowl and press gently down. Add enough olive oil to cover. Allow to cool completely then place in sandwich size ziplock bags. Flatten and remove air from bags. If using within a week put them in the fridge. If saving longer place in the freezer. Great as an alternative to sausage or pepperoni on pizza. Also good in pasta dishes and salads.

Submitted by:
Theresa

Notes:
Great for sandwiches, a spread on any protein, in soup…. let the imagination go…. 

My boyfriend thought we were in a restaurant when I made this spread for our chicken sandwich. YUM.

 This is a pretty traditional recipe, but I just thought it needed some zing…. the lemony kind. 

Servings: 4-8

Ingredients:
1 cup stuffed of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4-6 walnut halves
1-2 garlic cloves chopped
juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor or blender (which I use) and blend until well mixed. Store extra in fridge in a glass jar or glass container.

Submitted by:
Jennifer

Notes:
Marinara sauces cost a fortune so I want to try to make my own ones. Here is a bunch of recipes I found! Obviously, using no calt ingredients will reduce salt!

Servings: 20

Ingredients:
Please, see below for each recipe

Directions:
Basic Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe
1 can (28 oz) Italian Plum Tomatoes (Undrained)
3 Garlic Cloves (Minced)
1/4 cup Tomato Paste
1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Basil (Dry)
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
Place the olive oil in a large pan and warm to medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until garlic is slightly brown. Then, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bring the sauce to a slow boil then reduce the heat to low. Let the marinara sauce simmer for about 10 minutes and you are done. Serve the sauce immediately or let it cool to room temperature and place it the refrigerator. You could also freeze this sauce for later use.

This homemade marinara sauce recipe takes very well to being reheated but you should let it warm back up to room temperature before doing so. You may need to add a little bit of water to the sauce to prevent it from becoming too thick.

This next homemade marinara recipe is for a basic crock pot marinara sauce. This recipe is probably the simplest to make of all the homemade marinara sauce recipes listed in this article. It requires a crock pot though and a lot of time to cook.

Basic Homemade Crock pot Marinara Sauce Recipe
2 cans (56 oz, total) Crushed Tomatoes
1 Medium Onion (Chopped, Fine)
1 Garlic Clove (Minced)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Salt
Place the olive oil in a small frying pan and warm to medium heat. Add the garlic and onions, cook until onions are slightly tender. Place the crushed tomatoes in a crock pot and, using your hands, mash the tomatoes until the larger chucks are well crushed. If you would like for the marinara sauce to be very smooth. You can run the tomatoes through a blender before placing them in the crock pot.

Now, add the rest of ingredients to the crock pot and stir well. Place the lid on the crock pot can cook on low for about 6 hours. Then you can remove the lid and cook the marinara sauce on high for one additional hour. Be sure you stir the sauce occasionally. If the marinara sauce becomes a little too thick, simply add some water to it towards to end of cooking.

Our next homemade marinara sauce recipe is for a shrimp marinara sauce. This marinara sauce can be served hot or cold but is probably best served cold with hot shrimp fresh off the BBQ. It is also excellent with fried, breaded shrimp.

Homemade Shrimp Marinara Sauce Recipe
1 pound Miniature Shrimp (Shelled, Deveined)
1 can (15 oz) Tomato Sauce
1 can (6 oz) Tomato Paste
2 tbsp Fresh Parsley (Chopped)
1/2 tsp Oregano
1 Garlic Clove (Minced)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Sugar
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Place the olive oil in a large pan and warm to medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until garlic is slightly brown. Add all the ingredients to the pan except for the shrimp. Bring the ingredients to a boil then reduce to low heat. Allow the marinara sauce to simmer for about ten minutes then add the shrimp.

Cook the marinara until the shrimp are tender. This will not take more than a couple of minutes if you are using fresh shrimp. If you are using frozen shrimp to make this marinara, you should expect it to take about about 10 minutes before the shrimp are tender. In either case, make sure you stir the marinara sauce often while it is cooking.

This last homemade marinara recipe is for a smoky mushroom marinara sauce. This marinara is very tasty and can be used to make great burgers. All the homemade marinara sauce recipes listed in this article are good with most types of meat, especially chicken, but this recipe is so good that it goes with just about anything and everything.

Homemade Smoky Mushroom Marinara Sauce Recipe
2 cans (56 oz, total) Roasted Italian Tomatoes (Crushed, Undrained)
2 cans (8 oz) Sliced Mushrooms
3 Garlic Cloves (Minced)
3 tbsp Fresh Basil (Chopped)
2 tbsp Fresh Parsley (Chopped)
2 tbsp Fresh Oregano (Chopped)
2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Place the olive oil in a large pan and warm to medium heat. Add the garlic, mushrooms, basil, oregano and parsley and cook until garlic is slightly brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and allow the marinara to simmer for about 10 minutes.

If you really like mushrooms, try adding an additional can or two of them. This is an especially good tip for when you are planning to use this marinara on burgers. You can also try adding half a teaspoon of thyme and a tablespoon of red wine to this recipe to add some extra flavor.

Submitted by:
Leida

Notes:
Serving size 1 tbsp: Calories: 20 , Saturated Fat: 0 g , Total Fat: 0 g , Carbs: 4 g , Dietary Fiber: 0 g , Protein: 2 g , Cholesterol: 1 mg , Sodium: 62 mg

Servings: 32

Ingredients:
6 cup(s) yogurt, low-fat plain
2 scallion(s) (green onions)
2 tablespoon parsley, fresh
1 tablespoon basil, fresh
1 clove(s) garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground

Directions:
To make 2 cups of yogurt cheese, line a colander with a large cotton towel or double layer of cheesecloth, and place the colander in the sink. Pour in 6 cups low-fat yogurt. Place yogurt still the towel in a bowl after 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours or overnight. Gently squeeze out any remaining liquid. Transfer the yogurt cheese to a separate container. Refrigerate until ready to use. Keeps 1 week. Blend together yogurt cheese, scallions, parsley, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve.
Serving size: 1 tablespoon.
Serve with Toasted whole wheat pita:
Cut pita into wedges and bake at 350 for 10 -12 minutes or until crisp. Additional calories: 140

Submitted by:
Barbara

Notes:
homemade dip that is low in calories you can make as much of this dip as you want

its great for get togethers parties

Servings: 1to 6

Ingredients:
1 jar salsa
1 medium green pepper
1 medium tomato
2 tablespoons of hot sauce (hot or mild )
1 mediun onion

Directions:
combine all in a mediun or large dish stir each thing as you add it add any other spices that you like to it
you can also make your dip the way you like it and add what else you like

Submitted by:
JUDY

Notes:
Fines herbes, a mixture of parsley, chervil, tarragon and chives, is a classic combo in French cooking. The herbs give this simple sauce, which is similar to hollandaise, a delightful lift.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chervil (see Tip)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
Place mayonnaise in a small saucepan. Gradually add broth, whisking until smooth. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until heated through but not bubbling, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, oil, lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, chives, chervil and pepper. Serve warm.

Tip:
Tip: If you don't have fresh chervil, use more fresh parsley instead.
Nutritional Information:

Per tablespoon
Calories 25 kcal
Calories From Protein -
Calories From Carbs -
Calories From Fat -
Carbohydrates 2 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Monosaturated Fat -
Polysaturated Fat -
Protein 0 g
Potassium 8 mg
Sodium 98 mg
Iron -
Cholesterol 0 mg
Folic Acid -

Submitted by:
Wildcat

Notes:
This versatile creamy topping blends the nutritional virtues of yogurt with the luxury of a little whipped cream.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 cup (8 ounces) low-fat or nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions:
Line a sieve or colander with cheesecloth and set over a bowl, leaving at least 1/2-inch clearance from the bottom. (Alternatively, use a coffee filter lined with filter paper.) Spoon in yogurt, cover and let drain in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Discard whey.
Whip cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, if using, and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Fold in drained yogurt.
Nutritional Information:

Per tablespoon
Calories 24 kcal
Calories From Protein -
Calories From Carbs -
Calories From Fat -
Carbohydrates 2 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Fat 1 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Monosaturated Fat -
Polysaturated Fat -
Protein 1 g
Potassium 37 mg
Sodium 11 mg
Iron -
Cholesterol 5 mg
Folic Acid

Submitted by:
Wildcat

Notes:
Powdered green tea blended with sweet whipped cream is a popular parfait topping in Japan, particularly in Kyoto. Here the cream is lightened with low-fat yogurt cheese to make a pretty and delicious topping for poached pears and other desserts.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
cup (8 ounces) low-fat or nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons matcha dissolved in 1 tablespoon very hot water (optional)

Directions:
Line a sieve or colander with cheesecloth and set over a bowl, leaving at least 1/2 inch clearance from the bottom. (Alternatively, use a coffee filter lined with filter paper.) Spoon in yogurt, cover and let drain in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Discard whey.
Whip cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Fold in drained yogurt, along with matcha mixture, if using.
Nutritional Information:

Per tablespoon
Calories 37 kcal
Calories From Protein -
Calories From Carbs -
Calories From Fat -
Carbohydrates 42 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Fat 25 g
Saturated Fat 16 g
Monosaturated Fat -
Polysaturated Fat -
Protein 13 g
Potassium 581 mg
Sodium 184 mg
Iron -
Cholesterol 94 mg
Folic Acid -
Nutritional Bonus:

Per tablespoon
Calcium (45% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv), Selenium (18 dv), Potassium (17% dv).

Submitted by:
Wildcat

Notes:
Best Salad Dressing EVER!!!! I love it!!!! You will too!!!

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon dried onion
1 Teaspoon dry mustard
1 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Teaspoon poppyseeds
1 Cup Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Cidar Vinegar

Directions:
Add all ingridents together and shake up. Then serve.

Submitted by:
Becky

Notes:
Use in place of cream cheese in recipes not requiring cooking

Servings: 16

Ingredients:
1 cup Low Fat cottage cheese, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup margarine

Directions:
Drain cottage cheese well and press against side of sieve if necessary. Place in blender and add margarine. Blend until smooth. Store in fridge.

Makes 1 cup

1 tbsp serving

Calories - 36
Cholesterol - 1mg
Sodium - 102mg
Fat - 3g

Submitted by:
Michelle