Tomato Paste

Canned tomato sauces are one of the worst sources of BPA exposure, as the acidity in the tomato causes the chemical to leach into your food more so than other canned products.

You no longer need to bake or simmer your tomatoes for 4+ hours to make tomato paste. Here is a little shortcut!

Ingredients:

1 lb of very ripe tomatoes
1/4 bell pepper
1 tsp of sea salt
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
olive oil

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 250 F
• Using a blender of food processor, blend the first 4 ingredients together.
• Transfer to a saucepan,  bring to a boil and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes.
• Using an almond milk bag strain the tomato paste removing the excess fluid.
• Transfer tomato paste to a sterilized glass jar and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Cover with olive oil and store in the refrigerator

Tips: To extend its shelf life make sure that the tomato paste is always covered by the olive oil and replenish as needed.
Each pound of tomatoes makes about 3/4 cup of tomato paste will last several months if it’s only handled with clean utensils.

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Dairy-Free Pesto

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the ratios on this one; if you want it creamier add more macadamia nuts, if you eat dairy you can replace the nutritional yeast with parmesan cheese or omit it all together, for a stronger taste use more basil.

It is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, but to simplify things I’ll just use a blender.

Ingredients:

1 cup of basil leaves,  packed
1 cup of pine nuts
1/2 cup of macadamia nuts
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup of olive oil
Salt to taste

 Preparation:

• Blend all ingredients until desired consistency.
• Use as a dipping sauce or over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.

Date Paste

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All the controversy about sweeteners often confuses me. One day something is considered a healthy alternative to sugar, and the next day it’s considered brain damaging, toxin filled, cancer causing, liver enlarging, etc. Even the so-called experts can’t agree on this subject. So I decided to use this date paste as my sweetener. Granted it still contains natural sugars, but while studies currently seem to point towards Stevia being the healthiest sweetener, I am not ready to make the switch yet. I am waiting for more research and frankly I just can’t get past the after-taste of it.

While dates are not a low glycemic food there are packed with nutrients,fiber, and anti-oxidants. According to Organic Facts they contain healthy fats, iron, copper, calcium, sulphur, potassium, phosphorous, manganese and magnesium which are advantageous for health. It is said that consumption of one date daily is necessary for a balanced and healthy diet. Dates help in fighting constipation, intestinal disorders, heart problems, sexual weakness, diarrhea and abdominal cancer.

This date paste is great over pancakes, for sweetening drinks or baking as a replacement for honey or agave. Add cinnamon and spices to make a fruit dip. For other recipe ideas using date paste, click here.

Ingredients:

1 cup of dry dates, packed (about 25 deglet dates)
1 cup of water.

Preparation:

• In a medium bowl soak the dates in the water for about an hour. If you have a high power blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtech you may skip this step.
• Transfer all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks