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Kitchen Stewardship

Balancing God's Gifts…One Baby Step at a Time

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How to Reverse Engineer a Recipe for Real Food Quality

January 26th, 2010 · 40 Comments · Do It Yourself, Upgraded Nutrition

tomato soup I used to loooove getting the Kraft Food and Family magazine, chock full of simple, tasty recipes that I could peruse and add to my menu plans.  Lately, though, I’m disheartened.  So many of the recipes have processed foods in them already (which makes sense, since it’s published by a food processing company, but still).  I figure, if I’m going to the trouble of cooking homemade foods instead of buying something in a box in the freezer section, why settle for additives, pseudo-foods, chemicals and other “junk” I don’t want my family eating?

Trouble is, I missed my old recipes.  We had some stand-bys that everyone loved that I just couldn’t get myself to make anymore.  When I started looking at the ingredients in things like onion soup mix, creamed canned soups and even pre-seasoned Italian tomatoes, I thought two things:

1.  I don’t want to eat all these “foods” I can’t pronounce.
2.  I bet I could make this taste just as good.  Maybe better.

With promises of make-from-scratch recipes next week for things that come completely in a box or bottle (crackers, for example), here’s my best shot at Reverse Food Engineering 101!

The Basic Method

Got a recipe with undesirable packaged food?  You can probably make it even better yourself.  Grab the recipe and ingredients and get to work:

  1. Read the ingredients on the packaged food you’re trying to avoid.
  2. Ignore all the words you don’t understand. For real.  They’re not in your kitchen anyway.
  3. Figure out the main body – is it a liquid oil, a creamy base, dried vegetables, or what?  Use olive oil for liquids, homemade cream of soup or yogurt for creamy stuff, and the real thing for dried veggies (as a general rule). onion soup mix
  4. What spices are going on?  Take your best guess at what would taste good in the dish if you’re not sure.
  5. Corn syrup, High fructose corn syrup, or any other ingredient that ends in “-ose” are just sweeteners.  Generally they’re included to enhance flavor, mask the lack of taste, replace some deleted fats, or as a preservative.  The only time you need to bother adding sweetener back in is in the first instance.  Many say tomatoes are enhanced by a teaspoon of sugar (try molasses!), for example.
  6. Keep the overall recipe you’re making in mind. This especially comes into play with things like bouillon cubes.  They work together with something else in your recipe (usually water), so to substitute, you need to take into account the finished product and adjust accordingly.
  7. Don’t be afraid to fail. Most of the time, you get to taste what you’re making before you serve it.  That’s the beauty of cooking over baking – you can add ingredients right up until the end and no one will know.  It’s definitely an art, not a science.
  8. The charts below might help you, especially if you feel like more of a scientist than an artist!
Main Dishes: Casseroles and Stovetop Meals

It’s a common complaint that so many casseroles call for one or more undesirable ingredients, especially the cream of {x} canned soup.  Luckily, all processed food either starts with something you have in your kitchen or is trying to mimic the real thing.  You can make any processed recipe without the processed stuff, I promise!

Ingredient Substitutions References
Cream of {x} soup Homemade 1.  Tammy’s Recipes
2.  Kitchen Stewardship’s
Ketchup Homemade is okay, but for many recipes just use tomato sauce and a smidge of sweetener of your choice I did it very successfully in my Homemade Hamburger Helper.
Mayo/Miracle Whip Homemade (my version coming next week!) or, depending on the recipe, sour cream or homemade yogurt with some add-ins See my reverse engineering substitution in this chicken casserole recipe.
Tomato soup I just use tomato sauce in my chili, and it’s just great. I don’t have a can to reverse engineer.  What’s in there?
Bouillon cubes/powder The goal is broth.  Use your homemade stock.  1 tsp. or one cube bouillon is usually one cup broth.  Delete one cup water and add 1 cup broth. You can also find some non-MSG stock base options at places like Penzey’s Spices.
Dry onion soup mix Onions.  Salt.  A little molasses.  Fresh garlic or garlic powder. Most of the time, soup mix just adds flavor, so all you need is the real thing.  I did it for my hubs’ fav meal, Pepper Steak.
Ranch dressing mix I haven’t tried this in my taco soup recipe yet, but I would just use the spices in my homemade ranch dressing and add a little sour cream or yogurt and see what happened!
Italian Seasoned Tomatoes Avoid the sugar or corn syrup often added by using the real thing.  Fresh garlic tastes so much better! My recipe for homemade Italian diced tomatoes, toward the end of the recipe post.
Pre-mixed spices Generally, these should be okay unless there’s MSG involved. Search for voluminous homemade options on the web.
BBQ sauce Homemade Haven’t tackled this yet!  Ideas?

UPDATE:  I forgot to include “chili hot beans” in a can.  My sub is 1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans, 1/2 can tomato paste and a tsp-Tbs of chili powder, depending on how “hot” your “hot” is!

UPDATE:  Also see the comments for some discussion/ideas for homemade biscuit/baking mix in a box.

What am I missing? I know there are other boxes, cans and bags called for in tons of recipes, but I’ve been doing Real Food long enough that I’ve forgotten.  I’ll update the post with ideas from the comments if you all have something you want me to tackle.  :)

Don’t forget the other examples of recipes I’ve already upgraded to real food at the Monday Mission post from this week, including some main dishes and quickbreads.

Quickbreads and Muffins

pumpkin muffins two With baking, it’s usually not so much getting rid of processed ingredients but in making sure your ingredients are as healthy as possible. You can try:

  • Cutting the sugar by 1/4 cup at a time.  No sugar is good for you, but if you’re going to have some, have less.  (Baby steps!)
  • Using honey instead of sugar.  3/4 cup honey = 1 cup sugar.  When you sub honey, reduce liquid by 1/4 cup per cup sugar you delete.  I’m sure maple syrup is about the same.
  • Subbing half whole wheat, or even 100% whole wheat.  Quick breads are very forgiving in this area!  I like “white whole wheat”, sold under King Arthur’s brand (and others, but KA is fairly easy to find).  It has a flavor and texture more like all-purpose white flour.
  • If you are looking for a “soaked grain” muffin recipe, I’m working on one, hopefully successful by February when we tackle grains more in depth.  I’ll teach you how to adapt regular recipes (when possible) for soaking at that time.  Sarah also has a soaked grain oatmeal cranberry muffin that we enjoyed.
  • Liquid oils:  Instead of corn or canola, try melted butter or coconut oil.
  • Solid fats: Instead of shortening or margarine, use butter, coconut oil, lard or non-hydrogenated palm shortening (oh yes, a review and giveaway of palm shortening coming soon!).
  • Choose recipes that have some redeeming ingredients, like zucchini or pumpkin breads.
  • Making Amish friendship bread?  It tastes just as good without the pudding mix.  You can add flavor with cocoa, vanilla, real bananas, etc.
Cookies and Desserts

chocolate chip cookies 2 Many of the tips for adapting quickbread recipes will also work with some desserts.  It’s when you have a cake mix + cool whip + something else recipe that was your old favorite that real foodies run into trouble.  My fruit pizza is an example of a total revamping/remodeling of a recipe.  For healthy whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, I just had to find the *right* recipe.

Some dessert tips:

  • Find dessert recipes that have redeeming qualities, too, like pumpkin, healthy fats, coconut, nuts, etc.
  • You can cut sugar, but not much.  Cookies will flatten too much (I think?) with too little sugar.
  • You can always try whole wheat flour or other whole grains.
  • Use real whipping cream for cool whip.
  • Make yogurt cheese for cream cheese-based recipes.
  • I don’t see many soaked cookie recipes.  I had a total fail on my first attempt at soaked cookies, but I might be willing to try again!  I’ll let you know when I do.  I’m also planning to share the fail soon.
  • Let yourself live a little;)   Enjoy it in moderation as long as it doesn’t make you feel terrible!
Hot Cocoa

A few people mentioned that they need a substitute for powdered hot cocoa.  As you might expect, powdered cocoa is powdered milk, cocoa, sweetener, and fillers.  You can use real milk, cocoa, sweetener, and a spoon.  Here are some recipes I’ve been collecting, for I, too, am a “real cocoa” virgin as of this winter (we still have packets in our cupboard, because this stuff does take longer, but it’s worth it!):

Darn it.  Now I want to go make some hot chocolate.  !!  We’ve been using Kelly’s (more or less) this winter.  Yum-O!

Will Travel, With Food: An Idea in Need of Motivation

After the overwhelming wish of so many of you for healthy snacks and food on the go during the PlanetBox giveaway, I’m pondering something.  I have a boatload (well, maybe just a generous handful) of recipes for snacks and desserts that I can only post one at a time or so.  Last fall, I set a goal for myself to publish an eBook by my blogoversary, February 19th!  I had been thinking I wouldn’t make it, but maybe I’m inspired to at least get started now.  Two eBook ideas:

  • Real Food On the Go:  Lunches and Snacks without Packages
  • Healthy-ish and Healthy-ER Desserts, Real Food Style

Would you spend a couple bucks ($3-5) for either one of these ideas? I imagine they’d go 15-25 pages or so with at least 10 new recipes and the ever-popular practical tips for time-saving and budget-friendliness.  There.  That’s my R&D marketing attempt.  ;)   Thanks for any feedback or peer pressure to get started that you can give!

Got an Example?

If you’ve reverse engineered a skillet dish that would pass the husband review board as a substitute for hamburger (or chicken or tuna) helper, please link up this Thursday at the one-pot meals carnival!  It will be so interesting to see how other people manage this process, so any insight into your thinking as you created the recipe, if it’s yours, would be marvelous.  Here’s my treatise on How to Feed a Husband Real Food.

Note: I added a “Print-Friendly” button to Kitchen Stewardship posts.  You’ll find it at the very bottom.  It will give you the option of isolating the text without all the sidebar mess if there’s a post or recipe you’d like to print!

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Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

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Hungry for more? Related posts:

  1. Monday Mission: Healthy Upgrades – Real Food Recipe Renditions
  2. Recipe Connection: Pepper Steak (a Real Food Rendition of Hubby’s Favorite Meal)
  3. Real Food, Real Moms: Working to Feed a Family, Freezer Style
  4. Real Food, Real Moms: What if I Work Outside the Home?
  5. Real Food Wednesday: The Ultimate Traditional Real Food

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40 Comments so far ↓

  • Michelle

    Here’s my favorite recipe for homemade BBQ sauce — it’s delicious!

    http://picky-palate.com/2008/09/04/slide-on-over/

    It calls for a little brown sugar (which isn’t ideal) but after reading your ideas for substitutions, I may play around with it. Thanks so much — this article was really helpful!

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Kristen

    This must be the year for leaving packaged foods behind. Although my pantry is still has some in it, I am hoping to learn to make many of them from scratch. I can’t wait to see what you post next week.
    Kristen´s last blog ..Shrimp Creole: Recipes from Long Ago My ComLuv Profile

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  • Cindy B

    I was getting ready to say, BBQ sauce should be easy if you’re already making your own ketchup – I see Michelle has the same idea. If you want to cut the brown sugar, you could probably substitute molasses, or maybe even a little maple syrup? I would probably add in some minced garlic & onion as well.

    As for the Amish friendship bread, the starter was making it rounds here about 6 months ago and I found a wonderful recipe on AllRecipes.com that called for using chopped apples, nuts, & cinnamon in lieu of the pudding mix.

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Jennifer

    It is like that cooking show Semi-Homemade or something along those lines. Where she takes processed ingredients to “cook from scratch” a meal. I am with you, trying to get rid of all the boxes and cans in my house and not replacing them.

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Susie's Homemade

    This post is EXTREMELY useful!! I booked marked it! Thanks for helping us with the cooking tackle:-)

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Megan

    Here’s a link to a substitute for can of tomato soup. It’s so easy and delicious on it’s own for an easy lunch or dinner (with grilled cheese, of course!) You can leave out the balsamic if you’re adding it to recipes:

    http://greeninapinkworld.blogspot.com/2009/02/tomato-soup-with-balsamic-vinegar.html
    Megan´s last blog ..Sourdough Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

    Katie Reply:

    Megan,
    Thanks so much! Hopefully either this one or the one Alison left will help Mary out! :) Katie

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Sara @ ThrivingMama

    This is for all those who want a Real Hot Chocolate. Make up the syrup in a batch and keep it in your fridge. You can mix the recipe to the chocolate richness you prefer by adding more chocolate and less sugar. Add the syrup to milk of your choice (dairy, soy, rice, etc), heat it up and enjoy! Add whipped cream for an extra treat. I’m so spoiled now that I can’t order cocoa or use packets and enjoy it anymore! http://bit.ly/chocsyrup
    Sara @ ThrivingMama´s last blog ..Mommy-Made-It Monday: More Soft Baby Shoes My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Morgan Conner

    I would buy an e-book in that price range. I want the portable lunches and snacks. If we are at home, I have no trouble finding healthy foods but if we are running errands, fast food calls our name. For tomato soup-I have found several healthy tomato soup recipes online. I make a big pot, then freeze it in smaller jars so we have a quick lunch that does not come out of a can!
    Morgan Conner´s last blog ..Upcoming Appointments My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Diana

    For onion soup mix, it works great to saute the onion in olive oil before adding it, and add some pepper in with the other spices. My hubby and I love it this way :)

    [Reply to this comment]

  • DarcyLee

    I have some of Tammy’s cream of chicken soup in my freezer right now that I’ve completely forgotten about. I need to use it up. I have a long ways to go with making my own mixes and substitutions ( I don’t know if I will ever make my own ketchup or mayonnaise) but I remember the first “baby” step I ever took and that was from-scratch cakes and frostings. That was huge in my family.
    DarcyLee´s last blog ..Sunday Scripture My ComLuv Profile

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  • Mary

    Campbell tomato soup ingredients: tomato puree (water, tomato paste), high fructose corn syrup, wheat flour, water, salt, potassium chloride, flavoring, citric acid, lower sodium natural sea salt, ascorbic acid(vitamin C), monopotassium phosphate.
    They claim no added colors or artificial flavors, no msg added, no saturated fat, no cholesterol

    I wonder what “flavoring” is?! It’s probably the secret ingredient that sets Campbell’s apart from other brands.

    [Reply to this comment]

    Katie Reply:

    Mary,
    Hmmmm…unfortunately, it could be a “spice” that is another name for MSG. I wonder if they can get away with using one of the many look-alikes and still say “no MSG” because they don’t actually use “monosodium glutamate”? Did you check out the tomato soup recipe Alison left here? With the right sspices and a little thickener (maybe cream?), we should be able to hit this one! :) Katie

    [Reply to this comment]

    Mary Reply:

    I found a couple of other tomato soup recipes to add to the “try me” list. This one (sorry, I don’t know how to make it an active link) http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/u–4071/homemade-tomato-soup.asp called for evaporated milk, whole milk and butter. It is simple, but the evaporated milk would add a different flavor from fresh milk.
    This one http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/homemade-tomato-soup-recipe/index.html has us roasting the canned tomatoes to add flavor. It also calls for celery, onion, garlic, carrot, basil, bay leaf…and chicken broth. The chicken broth takes it out of the meat-free category which is sometimes my goal, but it seems like it has enough sources to carry the flavor using water or milk in its place.

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Sheila

    About bouillon cubes — I discovered the hard way that there’s usually more to them than just stock. I use Herb-Ox, which is very flavorful and salty — so to replace it with stock, you usually have to reduce the stock, add a good deal of salt, and add other spices to make it taste right. The salt is key: I tried to make a lemon-chicken egg drop soup (the most delicious soup in the world) and didn’t realize the sourness of the lemon was supposed to be counteracted by the saltiness of the chicken bouillon. Without the salt, it’s almost inedible! Other additions that are helpful to correct the seasonings when using stock are garlic and onion. Sometimes I add soy sauce as well — it adds color, saltiness, and flavor. (Of course, you have to make sure *that’s* MSG-free!)
    Sheila´s last blog ..My first venison stew — and my first cooking photoblog My ComLuv Profile

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    Katie Reply:

    Sheila,
    Good to know! For tammy’s recipes white sauce, the spices she adds do great to off set the lack of bouillon. Thanks for the tips! :) Katie

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Meghan

    I’ve also found that stevia works really well for hot chocolate. I heat up our raw milk (not a lot, so it’s definitely more like warm chocolate), add some raw cocoa powder, and then stevia. It’s great because you can actually taste it as you go along, so it’s pretty easy to figure out how much stevia to add. (Which is why, I guess, that the other main thing that I use stevia for is homemade ice cream – you can also keep tasting the recipe for appropriate sweetness before you put it in your ice cream maker.)

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Alison @ Hospitality Haven

    Thanks for your insight! I make homemade condensed tomato soup, and here’s my link to it: http://alison.blogsome.com/2010/01/13/108/
    I also make homemade ranch dressing: http://alison.blogsome.com/2009/04/16/salad-dressings/

    And I have made BBQ sauce following some of these recipes: http://alison.blogsome.com/2009/04/16/salad-dressings/

    However, my easiest way for making BBQ sauce is simply ketchup, some brown sugar, a bit of mustard, and some worcestershire sauce, and a dash of garlic or onion powder. Mix, taste, and go from there! Works like a charm!

    [Reply to this comment]

    Katie Reply:

    Alison,
    Thank you for the resource links! You def. added depth to this post! :) Katie

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Tara Rison

    I would definitely purchase the Real Food On the Go e-book.
    Tara Rison´s last blog ..What We Are Eating: Week Four My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Lynn

    Regarding bouillon, I haven’t tried it, but the 101 Cookbooks blog just featured a recipe for homemade vegetable bouillon that looks super easy:

    http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/homemade-bouillon-recipe.html

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Lenetta @ Nettacow

    I’ll be linking. :>) The “why didn’t I think of that?!?” for me was using molasses in tomato stuff instead of sugar. I can’t wait to experiment with that! It’ll add some flavor depth, too.
    Lenetta @ Nettacow´s last blog ..Link Roundup – Will The Sun Ever Shine Again? Edition My ComLuv Profile

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    Lenetta @ Nettacow Reply:

    Linked. Thanks!
    Lenetta @ Nettacow´s last blog ..Saving Searches on eBay My ComLuv Profile

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  • Cara @ Health Home and Happiness
    Twitter: healthhomehappy

    The reverse engineering is a great concept. I’ve found that with a homemade cream sauce I can make most casseroles that call for cream-of-whatever soup. And a heavy hand with real sea salt gives us needed iodine and flavor, but no MSG or industrial salt.
    Cara @ Health Home and Happiness´s last blog ..Homemade Onion Soup My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

  • melissa

    Great post Katie!

    I would be interested in the ebooks, especially about on the go snacks and lunches!

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Paula

    Robert St. John, a Southern Cook, Writer and Restauranteur wrote a book called, Deep South Staples, or, How to Survive in a Southern Kitchen without a Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup!
    I think he uses a mushroom bechamel sauce which sounds easy and could be nourishing!
    Paula´s last blog ..bed and bath My ComLuv Profile

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  • Wendy
    Twitter: 1artsychick

    this is really cool! Thanks, I’m going to be refering to this page often. And I need to look around your blog a bit more too.
    I’m learning so much today!
    Wendy´s last blog ..Boccoli Cheese Soup My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

  • karen

    Tammy’s homemade cream of soup is a winner. We love it. It’s not that much work and you already have all the ingredients! I freeze it 2 cups per ziplock.

    [Reply to this comment]

  • cindi

    What a great post! I have been doing a few f these things for years. But I’m always up for using less processed food “stuff.” Thanks.
    cindi´s last blog ..About the Giveaway….and Kim’s Giveaway My ComLuv Profile

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  • Lisa@blessedwithgrace

    As always, a post full of helpful and important information and links. Thanks for linking to TMMT.
    Lisa@blessedwithgrace´s last blog ..Tempt My Tummy Tuesday… Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder My ComLuv Profile

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  • Anne

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for the print friendly button. I’ve been wishing that you had one when I attempted to block just a recipe only to discover that I got all the side bar stuff. I did preview before print and was able to catch it before actually printing it out.

    Also, I love how you bulleted and alphabetized all your topics in the left margin. Makes it so much easier to find past posts.

    I would buy an e-book — I think. But would I have to buy an e-book reader or could I read it and save it on my computer — and print out if I wanted? I’m not very up on this technology.

    I’ve been curious about a homemade version of the “original pancake and baking mix” — will not name it. I sent you a recipe, Katie, for zucchini & potato pancakes, but after reading your blogs, I can see that you probably would not want to use this flour product. The ingredients: enriched flour (bleached — a no-no), partially hydrogenated soybean &/or cottonseed oil (a no-no), leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate (enhh), monocalcium phosphate, dextrose and salt. I suppose wheat flour, baking powder (?), but in what proportions? Substitute the oil with EVOO? but how would one keep it from staying wet for storage? And I just noticed on the box that I was to refrigerate after opening to maintain freshness. Oops — into the fridge it will go.

    [Reply to this comment]

    Katie Reply:

    Anne,
    That is a good question! I knew there were some “big dogs” I was missing in this list. For some purposes, I would just use homemade biscuit dough, but you’re right – there are many recipes that call for (ahem) baking mix on its own. I’m guessing a good fat to use would be coconut oil as it is shelf stable and solid. I used to make a homemade biscuit mix that used shortening (gasp) and you basically just mixed up all the dry ingredients, cut in the fat and left it in a large container, then added the milk when you wanted biscuits, but you could use it for pancakes or waffles, too.

    Here’s one from the More-With-Less Cookbook:
    10 c. flour (can use 1/3 whole wheat)
    6 T. baking powder
    1 ½ T. salt
    1 ½ tsp. cream of tartar
    ¼ c. sugar (bet you could skip it)
    Cut in 2 c. fat (try butter or coconut oil, depending on if you have cold storge or shelf storage).

    I wonder how it would work with 100% white whole wheat?

    For biscuits: 1 1/2 cup mix, 1/3 cup milk. 10 mins at 450 degrees.

    For pancakes: Beat 1 c. milk, 1 egg. Add 1 1/2 cups mix.

    Maybe that’s a start! :) Katie

    [Reply to this comment]

    Anne Reply:

    Thanks for the info. Having some proportions to work with helps. I have a recipe from SavorySpiceShop.com for homemade baking powder: 1/2 cup cream of tartar and 1/4 cup baking soda. I wonder if the extra cream of tartar in the biscuit mix recipe would be needed. Something to experiment with.

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Jana

    This is a FANTASTIC post! I cannot thank you enough for going to all the trouble of creating this go-to guide. Huge help!!!

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Jana

    Would totally buy and e-book! Thanks again!

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Lanie

    Thank you so much for posting this! I love to make casseroles and crockpot recipes for my family, but can’t stand the thought of feeding them canned “cream of” soups. Blah!

    I linked to this post in my Friday Favorites! ~Lanie
    Lanie´s last blog ..Friday Favorites (Jan. 29, 2010) My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

    Katie Reply:

    Thanks, Lanie!
    Welcome aboard! :) Katie

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Rachel

    Great post!

    I learned about tomato sauce from my stepmother (who does not add sugar to it). I add about a teaspoon to a tablespoon (depending on how much sauce I am making) of dry sherry or some other cheap alcohol to mine. After letting it boil for a little while, something about the booze makes the sauce taste like it has sun-dried tomatoes in it. And considering that what I use has a low alcohol content to start with, most of that alcohol boils off, and I used very little of it, the dish isn’t boozy at all. Of course, if your household does not use alcohol at all, this tip is completely useless.

    About tomato soup, I use Mollie Katzen’s basic recipe (from Enchanted Broccoli Forest). Combine one 28 oz can of stewed tomatoes with a little honey and some cream cheese. Season to taste. I takes all of ten minutes to prepare and tastes soooooo much better than store bought. And I buy salt-free canned goods, so the sodium content is negligible.

    [Reply to this comment]

  • Rachel

    Here’s what I do instead of bullion:
    http://trialanderrorhomeec.blogspot.com/2009/03/stock-pots.html

    And it’s plenty flavorful without any salt.
    Rachel´s last blog ..KTT-Inventory Management My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply to this comment]

  • kolfinnas korner

    Amazing! I’m glad I stopped by. I will be spending sometime browsing as I too am trying to cut processed foods and bad for you ingredients. Not doing too bad, but sometimes it’s hard.
    kolfinnas korner´s last blog ..Kitchen Tip Tuesday — Kitchen Recycling My ComLuv Profile

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