Yogurt Fruit Salad

I saw this recipe on Pinterest originally HERE

Delicious, refreshing and low fat!! 

It's not the prettiest "salad" but it sure is nummy… savoring every bite

Yogurt Fruit Salad
2 6 oz containers yogurt (orange cream)
8 oz light cool whip
2 small cans of mandarine oranges (drained)
1 large can of pineapple tidbits (drained)

Mix everything together and chill before serving.

Salmon Steak & Steamed Veg

If you haven't noticed - I reference things I've bought at Costco so often that I really should be getting paid for it:)

2 more Costco products - you can find these same products at any store - I just happened to get mine there.

This meal is 422 calories - seriously...
Salmon Steak & Steamed Veg

1 Salmon Steak (click HERE for easy, quick, amazing salmon)
2 cups steamed veg (I always buy Kirklands stir fry blend - it has something for all of us)

Follow directions for salmon steak per link above
Follow directions on the back of the package of veg you have. If you don't know how to steam vegetables - email me and I'll post a tutorial.

ENJOY!

Creamy Avocado and White Bean Wrap

Oh yeah babe - this was good. AND this huge wrap is only 346 calories!! I just had a baby 2 months ago and I am gettin back on the skinny train. For my information - and yours if you are interested - I am going to try to add nutrition information at the bottom of the recipe...

Creamy Avocado and White Bean Wrap

2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, (or 1 tsp dried chipotle powder and a dash of vinegar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced red onion
4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat wraps, or tortillas

Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine.

Mash beans and avocado in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in cheese and onion.

To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage-carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.

Nutrition
Per serving: 346 calories; 17 g fat ( 4 g sat , 9 g mono ); 15 mg cholesterol; 44 g carbohydrates; 12 g protein; 13 g fiber; 462 mg sodium; 491 mg potassium.

*Next time I make these I think I’ll add a bit more chipotle in adobo to kick up the spice factor (and I’m not a huge fan of heat).

**Since I am a big advocate of having my kids eat what my husband and I eat (who wants to be a short order cook?) I made a few changes to how I served these. I thought the slaw was a little tart for my kids (ages 9,7 &4) so, I sprinkled a little sugar on top of their slaw. Considering how healthy these are - I don't feel the least bit bad about that:) I also didn't mix the cheese in with the avocado bean mixture b/c my son isn't a fan of 'cold cheese.'

Asian Noodle Salad

This is a recipe I got from Jamie Oliver. He is such a fantastic chef and has such an amazing culinary point of view. I watched the 1st season of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution last year and (although it is on hiatus until June) have watched every episode from season 2. I can't wait to see how the season ends. If you haven't already, please link HERE and sign his petition that states "I support the Food Revolution. America's kids need better foods at school and better health prospects. We need to keep cooking skills alive." There are also links to watch episodes, recipes, and to get involved in your community.

My husband went on a hard core 4 hour mountain bike ride and was star-ving when he walked through the door. He said "I feel like a BIG STEAK and a baked potato for dinner" when I informed him that dinner was ready and sitting in the fridge, he looked a bit disappointed - but the great guy that he is - sounded positive and thanked me for making a great dinner (when he didn't even know what was for dinner yet).

I plated this nutritious, healthy, veg filled delightfulness for all of us and we sat down to eat. Huband's comments were "this is so good" "this is so refreshing" "this really hit the spot" and the kids loved it too.

Delicious, filling AND vegetarian too!

Asian Noodle Salad - Jamie Oliver
16 oz. linguine, cooked according to package directions, rinsed & cooled*
½ head Sliced Napa Cabbage
½ head Sliced Purple Cabbage
½ bag Baby Spinach
Red Bell Pepper, bite sized
Yellow Bell Pepper, bite sized
Orange Bell Pepper, bite sized
1 bag/can (drained and rinsed) bean sprouts
Cilantro, chopped to taste**
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 cucumbers sliced
Cashews, lightly toasted***

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
8 T EVOO
8 T Soy Sauce
2 T Sesame Oil
⅓ c Brown Sugar
3 T Fresh Ginger****
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Jalapenos, seeded, de-ribbed and minced

Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on a platter.

I only mentioned my husbands predisposition and comments b/c they just kept coming. He probably thanked me for dinner (average 3 x a night) 10 times. Not like - "thanks for dinner." Like - pulled me aside (several times), kissed me and thanked me for making dinner. This recipe was very, very different than the tastes we usually have for dinner - but it was so delicious and different - it was really a refreshing change.

*I used/love Barilla PLUS Multigrain Pasta with Omega 3 – or you could use whole wheat pasta as well
**Hubs has a serious aversion to cilantro – so I omitted it tonight
***I didn’t have cashews on hand so I used sliced almonds instead
****Hubs & I have an aversion to ginger – also omitted tonight

I actually cut this recipe in half and it was still A TON OF FOOD! I could def get a dinner and a lunch for the fam out of 1/2 this recipe.

Black Bean Salad

This is one of my FAVORITE FAT FREE SALADS!!! I love it!

Black Bean Salad – Guy Fieri
2 cans black beans, drained, about 30 ounces
1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar*
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch ground cumin

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.

*I don't use sherry vinegar regularly, so I substitute it with red wine vinegar - you could even use apple cider vinegar.

Sweet Jasmine Rice Update

A month ago or so we had dinner with my friend Jenny's family. She asked me to bring a side - I brought my Sweet Jasmine Rice. Her boys are 13 and 10 and are pretty picky eaters. They absolutely LOVED this rice.
She called me last night to ask for the recipe - she said her boys had been begging her to make this rice. I called her a few hours later for something else and she told me that she made the rice with Splenda instead of sugar (her hubs is trying to watch what he eats) and said "we didn't even notice the difference" she also added green onions and red and green peppers.

Don't you just love variety?? Next time I make this rice I'll def try Splenda - hmmmm... and maybe brown rice to make it even healthier!

Chickpea Salad with Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing

I saw this recipe on Delish - they also gave nutrition facts - 90 calories per serving 2 grams of fat and 14 grams of fiber - all that and...well...Delish!
Chickpea Salad

1 can(s) chickpeas, rinsed
3 cup(s) cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 cup(s) grape tomatoes, halved (or cherry tomatoes)
1/4 cup(s) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup(s) red onion, diced
1/2 cup(s) Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing, recipe follows
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, onion, dressing and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix until coated.

Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing
1 small shallot, peeled
3/4 cup(s) nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoon(s) buttermilk powder
2 tablespoon(s) white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup(s) nonfat milk
1 tablespoon(s) fresh dill, chopped
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper

With the food processor running, add shallot through the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder and vinegar. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes. Pour in milk while the processor is running. Scrape down the sides, add dill, salt and pepper and process until combined.

*I didn't have red onion, so I used yellow

**I also didn't have feta - wish I did!

Runnin' UTE Tailgate Chili

I got this recipe from my sister - who won a chili cookoff with the original recipe!

I have tweaked it a bit so that it's a bit healthier - and so that I could rename it!! It is so freakin' good...
It's another one of those easy peasy - even your kids can do most of the work recipes (my girls are only 5 and 2!)

The ingredient list is a long one - but they are basics - you probably have all the ingredients in your house right now!!

Running UTE Tailgate Chili

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

1 lb hot chicken sausage (italian style)

2 15 oz cans kidney beans, rinsed

2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (with juice)

2 15 oz cans Rotel (mild with tomatoes and green chilies - with juice)

1 large yellow onion, diced

15 oz can tomato sauce

6 oz can tomato paste

4 oz can diced green chilis (or more if you'd like)

diced celery (as much as you'd like)

diced carrots (as much as you'd like)

4 cubes beef bouillon (or the equivelent)

1/4 c chili powder

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 T minced garlic

1 T dried oregano

1 t dried basil

1 t salt

1 t pepper

1 t cayenne pepper

1 t paprika

3 t white sugar

In a large stock pot cook the ground turkey and the chicken sausage until evenly browned. Pour all of your canned items in. Add all seasonings and stir to blend. Cover and simmer over low het for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Top with sour cream and shredded cheese!

*If you want to crank up the heat, use Rotel with tomatoes and green chilis instead of diced tomatoes

Black Bean Soup

I found this recipe on an article by MSN titled "Cheap and Low Calorie Dinners" and it lives up to it - you honestly can't get cheaper (it serves 6-8 good sized servings), all the ingredients are low cal, low or zero fat and all that good fiber and nutrition you get just from the black beans? You gotta be kiddin' me!

Black Bean Soup
1 tablespoon(s) canola oil (I used EVOO - habit)
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon(s) chili powder
1 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
3 can(s) (15-ounce) black beans, rinsed
3 cup(s) water
1/2 cup(s) prepared salsa (like Pace)
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1 tablespoon(s) lime juice
4 tablespoon(s) reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add beans, water, salsa, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice.

Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree (use caution when pureeing hot liquids). Stir the puree back into the saucepan. Serve garnished with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.

*My kids are skinny little bugs so I served this soup to them with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.

My husband ate it without any additions and slurped it up.


Hope you love it!

Julia Child's Spice Cake

NO EGGS AND NO MILK!!
*This pic has cream cheese frosting - the perfect accompaniment to spice cake...
*You can also make this a 'diet' item if you eat it just plain - or dust it lightly with confectioners sugar...
My friend, and co-author of this book, Dawn has a copy of Julia Child’s “The Joy of Cooking.” Ever since I borrowed it last year and started ‘reading’ it (because it is a read! She takes you there – she is so comprehensive about every aspect of every recipe you can’t help but get caught up in it all… (loved Julie & Julia by the way)

Anyway – Dawn is well aware of my kids allergies and while perusing the book one day called me and said that she found a cake recipe that didn’t have eggs (or milk)! I was surprised – but a bit put off when she listed the ingredients. It’s called “Mystery Cake”

I don’t know about you – but I would NEVER eat something with the word mystery in it – it reminds me of that episode of FRIENDS where Rachel makes trifle with ground beef – bleck…

Back to the matter at hand – the cake. It is a spice cake – from scratch. My husbands favorite kind of cake is spice cake – so he was a good judge for this recipe. He liked it and so did the rest of us! For sanity purposes I am going to re-name it…

Julia Child’s Spice Cake
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
½ t ground nutmeg
½ t ground cloves
½ t salt
Beat in a large bowl at high speed until light and fluffy:
¼ c butter
1 c sugar
On low speed, beat in the four mixture in 3 parts, alternating with:
10 oz can condensed cream of tomato soup
In two parts, beating until smooth, beat in:
1 c chopped walnuts or pecans
1 c raisins
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack.
Dust with confectioners’ sugar
Or Frost with Cream Cheese frosting

*For this bundt cake – I doubled the recipe.
**Also, I couldn’t find cream of tomato – so I used regular tomato soup and I eliminated the pecans and raisins too...

White Bean Chicken Chili

This is one of Rachael Ray's Top Ten downloaded recipes of 2009 - it def deserves that title!
This recipe is so simple that my 5 & 2 year old girls made it - by themselves!! I literally got out the ingredients, opened all the cans and they took it from there... They were very proud of themselves - and since we split it with another family - they were extra excited to have so many people taste the fruits of their labor! *Makess approx. 10 dinner sized helpings.

White Bean Chicken Chili
1 32-ounce box chicken stock
3 cans white beans, left undrained
5 cups cooked chicken, rotisserie or boiled (I used canned chicken)
1 16-ounce jar salsa (I used 2 cans of Rotel b/c someone ate all the salsa!)
1 8-ounce block pepper jack cheese, grated
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Black or white pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely crushed corn chips (if you like your chili thicker)
Sour cream, for garnish

Place all ingredients except the corn chips in a crockpot. Cook on high until the cheese is melted (about 1 - 1 1/2 hours).
Chili may also be cooked on the stovetop over medium-high heat until cheese is melted.
When the chili is ready, add the crushed corn chips, if using, and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Garnish with more chips, cheese and/or sour cream and serve.

*To make this 'diet' skip the tortilla chips and use non-fat sour cream.

So Good You'll Never Guess It's Good For You - Dip

With many people trying to start the new year in a healthier way - I have decided to add another LABEL - it'll be a "Diet" section - for all healthy or low fat recipes - I hope we get a bunch going!
I know that is a long name - but there are so many versions of 7 layer dips that I wanted this to catch your attention!!!

I decided to make a LOW FAT, FIBER FILLED awesome SuperBowl/party snack dip - so that everyone can snack during the game!

I made this for lunch today and didn't tell my husband that it was uber healthy. After he finished he said - man - what did you put in that - it's the best layer dip I've had!

So Good You'll Never Guess It's Good For You - Dip

1 can Refried Beans (uncooked) 0 fat

1 can Black Beans (drained and rinsed) 0 fat

1 can Pinto Beans (drained and rinsed) 0 fat

Fat Free Plain Yogurt (or you could use fat free sour cream) 0 fat

Salsa (not fresh) 0 fat

Lettuce (shredded) 0 fat

Weight Watchers Mexican Shredded Blend Cheese (5 g fat per serving)

Cayenne Powder

Black Pepper

Salt

In a casserole dish, spread refried beans on the entire bottom of the dish. Then sprinkle the black and pinto beans evenly over that. Eyeball the yogurt or sour cream and spread over the beans. Sprinkle yogurt with cayenne & black pepper & salt (if needed). Eyeball the salsa as well - spread over the yogurt. Layer lettuce and cheese (if using). Refrigerate until use. Serve with baked chips, reduced fat tortilla chips, whole wheat tortillas (burrito style - yum!) or whatever you can think of!!

*I would've also added a layer of diced green onions - but I didn't have any...

My New Fav Ingredient - ROTEL

Yes, it's true. Rotel. Where has this lovely ingredient been my whole life?? 2 of the most simple, fast, easy recipes I have made with Rotel this week...

Queso
16 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 can Rotel (medium or hot - based on preference)

Microwave ingredients for 3 minutes. Stir and microwave again for 3 minutes. Done.

I returned from a bike ride to find my hubs and his friend watching the NFL playoffs. I whipped up the Queso and both men were in heaven. Hubs friend, Mike (who is a huge fan of hot/spicy food) commented on the spice and flavor of my dip (I used Rotel HOT). He's not a real foodie - which made me watching him devour this Queso even more rewarding. Mike's wife came over and the first thing he said was "you have to try this dip" she was also impressed (and she IS a foodie) they were all shocked when I told them what was in it. Minimal effort - maximum taste points!

Black Bean and Rotel

1 can of Black beans

1 can of Rotel

Cook black beans in microwave (as per directions on the can) 3 minutes. Add rotel. Done.

I have eaten this both in a burrito and as a side dish. Super delish - and it's high in fiber and low fat!

Thank you Rotel. I will be finding more ways to use you - you rock!

*AND - my friend just told me that the capsaisan in hot peppers has just as much Vitamin C as an orange - so not only is Rotel delicious and low fat - but a great source of Vitamin C!!

Steamed Asparagus

My husband and I have always been big fans of steamed asparagus. I made it last night and much to my surprise - the kids liked it too! My 6 year old and 5 year old both asked for seconds! Super easy

Steamed Asparagus
Asparagus
EVOO
Salt
Pepper

The amounts depend on how much you are going to cook. Break the woody stalks off of the asparagus (if you have never done this - they easily yield and you want to break them approx. 3" above the bottom.) Add your EVOO to a saute pan over medium heat. Add asparagus, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let steam for 8 - 10 minutes - depending on your preference. Try not to check on them too much - every time you open the lid, you let out the steam. Just let the steam do the work and shake the pan a few times so the asparagus gets evenly cooked.

Tortilla Soup

This is one of my cheats - and it's a good un'
Tortilla Soup

Bear Creek Tortilla Dry Soup Mix

1 can black beans

1 can corn

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil. Whisk in soup mix. Add black beans and corn. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Put the soup in individual serving bowls and add sour cream and shredded cheese. Serve with tortilla chips!

You could also add shredded chicken

*Make this 'diet' by using non-fat sour cream and reduced fat cheese

Crock Pot Chicken & Salsa Delite!

I am planning my weekly menu and just perused the site to see whether or not I've posted my "go to" mexican chicken. I did post it - but under a weird Title here so I am reposting it where it can easily be found...

This recipe is my go to for mexican. I am sure you all have this recipe - but it's so good - it's worth mentioning. I got this recipe from my friend Jen - who made it every single Sunday. She'd put everything in the crock - go to church and when they got home they were ready to eat!

Crock Pot Chicken & Salsa Delite!
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (as many as you need)
Salsa (not fresh - I use Pace)
Sour cream

Add all ingredients in your crock pot. I don't use measurements because I just eyeball it - and I really like sour cream. *Just make sure the chicken is mostly covered in the 'sauce' and you'll be fine.
Cook on low for 5 hours. When it's done, shred the chicken and serve. We use this in everything! Burritos, tacos, on nachos, on taco salad - the possibilities are endless!!

*Make this 'diet' by using non-fat sour cream and reduced fat cheese

Egg Salad Sammies

I have no idea why I am craving eggs so much lately - but I am. Maybe my body needs more protein? Anyway...

I made these sandwiches for lunch today - yumma.

Egg Salad Sammies
6 eggs
1/3 c mayo
1/4 c red onion, diced
2 t mustard (I like dijon)
1 T minced dill
Kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Put eggs in sauce pan and cover with cool tap water. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Drain then fill the stock pot with cold water and ice to stop the cooking process. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. Peel - I have found that the easiest way to peel a hard boiled egg is to tap the small pointed end to break the shell then break the shell off under running water. Use an egg slicer or a food processor but make sure you don't break up the eggs too much. Combine all other ingredients and serve on good bread.

*Make this a 'diet' food by using reduced fat or low fat mayo - and remember that eggs are an eggcellent source of protien!

Hatch Green Chilis

The town of Hatch, New Mexico has been known as the "Chile Capitol of the World" for over 200 years. Hatch is about 3 hours from here. Every year around this time they have a "Chile Festival" we've been hearing stories about people that travel down to the festival, buy chiles by the box load and have them roasted there. On the way home, there are caravans of people on the side of the road having little fiestas and enjoying the chiles they just bought. The smell of the chile's are so overwhelming that they just can't make it the whole way home without eating some:)

I have always had a 'when in Rome' attitude - so when they started selling boxes of Hatch Chiles at our local grocery store - I bought one (30 freakin' pounds of chiles) it is such a big deal here that the grocery store will actually roast them for you on the spot...

This box was over flowing with chiles
This is what they look like after being roasted. You leave them in this plastic bag to let them 'sweat' for an hour or so.

We called my hubs good friend who is a Master Chile Dude and has been for the last 40 years to ask advice on what to do next. He advised us to put 5 -8 of them in Ziploc baggies and freeze them. Then, when we are ready to use them, just stick the bag in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes and they are ready to go. YUM.

I am not a chile person - well, let me rephrase. I wasn't a chile person. I wanted to have some peeled and diced b/c I am making an AWESOME recipe with them tonight.

The chiles we didn't freeze went into the sink filled with cold water. When you pull them out, the skin practically falls off. Then we diced them and left the seeds in (this being my first time doing this I got the MILD chiles - to be on the safe side)

We couldn't resist the aroma. We pulled out some tortillas, spread them with cream cheese and sprinkled chilis on top - then we just rolled it up, cut it into bite sized pieces and went to town.

Man oh man these are good. Stay tuned for one (of the very many) recipes I am going to make with these babies!

Choppin' Broccoli

I went to Costco over the weekend and bought a boat load of veggies. While I was unloading all the food Sweetness said - "are you having a party while I'm out of town?" Shoot! I forgot that he'd be gone all week. What to do...

I know better than to try and force feed 3 pounds of broccoli to my sweet children - but I hate to waste food! The solution? Blanching. My friend Dawn actually reminded me of this long lost treasure...

First - you get a large pot of water boiling. Put the broccoli in the boiling water and 'blanche' for 2 to 3 minutes.

Then, straight from the boiling water into an ice bath they go (use a slotted spoon to transfer them) Wait until the broccoli is cooled, and drain them.

At this point, you can set them aside until you are ready to eat. To reheat, just stick them in a saute pan with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) salt and pepper for about 1 -2 minutes - just so they are heated through.

Blanching ensures crisp cooked veggies instead of that mush...

OR, if you are like me and are trying to extend the life of your broccoli - put the cooled broccoli in a ziploc or air tight container - stick it in the freezer and it will keep for up to 12 months!

*I got all this information from my Barefoot Contessa Cookbook - I love that lady!

Home Made Hot Sauce

I have a cayenne plant in my back yard that is on fire - pun totally intended. When we planted the garden - my husband insisted we plant cayenne and jalapeno peppers. Now that they are ready to pick - I had no idea what to do with the cayennes - especially that many of them!
I decided to make hot sauce. It was really easy and the hot sauce turned out great - and I am not a hot sauce kinda girl. I found the recipe here.

Home Made Hot Sauce
1 or two handfuls of cayenne peppers
Apple cider vinegar
Tomato paste
Lemon juice (optional)
Kosher or Sea Salt

Remove stems and caps from peppers and chop into 1 inch lengths
Place into a saucepan and add enough vinegar to just cover the peppers
Simmer covered for 30 minutes, until the peppers are extremely tender
Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Place peppers and vinegar into a food processor and process until smooth (I LOVE my immersion blender!!)
Taste on a starchy carb (corn chip, bread, rice) or a cucumber slice
Add salt to taste
Add tomato paste for sweetness as well as to temper the heat to your desired taste
Add lemon juice if desired

Tomorrow at the store, I'm going to pick up some buffalo wings - and we'll whip us up some hot sauce n' wings!! Stay tuned...

*I am chicken, so I added 1/2 can of tomato paste before tasting it. I ended up using the whole can of tomato paste and about 1 T of lemon juice. It has good heat - but isn't scorching hot.
**Have a glass of cold milk nearby just in case. If you are like me - you'll need it. It has been scientifically proven that milk is the best thing to curb heat:)