Monday, September 8, 2008

Cooking With Ketchup!

The most popular condiment in North America is breaking away from its reputation as a mere topping, thanks to recent gourmet ketchup innovations by Wholemato™ (www.wholemato.com ). Over the past year, Wholemato has launched Original Organic Agave Ketchup and Spicy Organic Agave Ketchup to the delight of customers that are craving healthier options that feature a splash of fun culinary creativity. Today, the company is announcing new Wholemato Recipe Bookmarks that inspire people to “think outside the bottle.”

Colorful New Wholemato Bookmarks Feature Fun & Easy Recipes
The Wholemato Recipe Bookmarks feature delicious new takes on old classics, including Wholemato Chili, Wholemato Chicken & Sausage with Peppers, Wholemato Creole Sloppy Joes, and more. Three quick and easy recipes are listed below. Perfect for flagging cookbook pages in the kitchen, the Wholemato Recipe Bookmarks are available by sending a request to info@wholemato.com.

Wholemato Spicy Organic Agave Ketchup and Wholemato Original Organic Agave Ketchup combine the rich flavor of premium ripe organic tomatoes with an artistic blend of spices and agave nectar - a natural sweetener that is one of the hottest culinary trends in the healthy food marketplace. The Spicy variety, the newest version, provides a zing described as a medium on the ‘heat’ index, due to the hot jalapeno peppers in the sauce. In addition to their robust flavor, these innovative Agave Ketchups also have a remarkable mouth-feel and a nice viscosity for cooking that is not experienced with other ketchups.

Agave is a natural sweetener comprised primarily of fructose. Therefore, it is sweeter to the taste buds – yet it does not adversely impact blood glucose and insulin. So, while it is a delightful sweetener for everyone, it is particularly ideal for the millions of diabetics and parents of hyperactive children that have concerns regarding the glycemic levels in their food. Wholemato Organic Agave Ketchups are gluten-free, and they have been certified as Low-Glycemic for Diabetics by the Glycemic Research Institute due to their remarkable low score on the glycemic index.

The Agave Ketchups are offered in a premium glass bottle, which provides comfort to the growing number of people concerned about chemicals that may leach from plastic bottles. The suggested retail price for the Original is $4.99, and the Spicy is $5.49. They are widely available at Whole Foods Markets and hundreds of chain and independent retailers across the U.S. Wholemato is a family-owned business that is committed to enhancing the health of customers and supporting sustainable organic agriculture.

WHOLEMATO™ CHILI

Protein: 8 oz. Tempeh or 16 oz. of ground protein of choice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Half of a large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 – 8 oz. can organic tomato sauce
One-half Cup Wholemato™ Organic Agave ketchup
One-half Cup water
One-half Cup vegetable broth (you can use all water if you prefer)
1 tsp. smoked paprika
One-half tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. chili powder
One-eighth tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Sea salt to taste
One-half tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1 can black beans (or any other bean preferred) drained and rinsed

In a deep sided braising skillet or 2 and one-half quart saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add Protein and sauté over medium high heat until it begins to brown nicely. Add diced onions and cook for 5 minutes (being careful not to let brown). Next add the garlic and stir together for a few minutes. Add the next 10 ingredients, bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more broth or water if needed. Finally, add the drained and rinsed beans and cook another 10 minutes to allow all the flavors to mix. If desired, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and/or hot peppers.

WHOLEMATO™ CREOLE SLOPPY JOES

Protein: 8 oz. Tempeh or 16 oz. of ground protein of choice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Small yellow onion, finely diced
Small green pepper cored, seeded and finely diced
4 ribs celery, cleaned and dried, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 Cup Wholemato™ Organic Agave Ketchup
2 Tbsp. mustard
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Agave nectar
1 tsp. paprika
One-half tsp. Ground cloves
Sea salt to taste
One-half tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste. One-half tsp. Cayenne pepper, ground, if you want it spicy

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and celery. Cook approximately 10 minutes. Add garlic. Cook another 3 minutes. Add protein and cook 6 – 8 minutes or until browned. Add next 6 ingredients and cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently until thick and dark – up to 30 minutes.

Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper as desired, and stir together another 5 minutes. Serve on toasted buns or Kaiser rolls.

WHOLEMATO™ CHICKEN & SAUSAGE WITH PEPPERS

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips lengthwise
One-quarter pound cooked Italian sausage, sweet or hot, sliced on the diagonal
8 oz. yellow onion cut lengthwise into thin strips
8 oz. sweet peppers (mixed green, red & yellow). Cut lengthwise into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 – 14.5 oz. can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
One-half Cup Wholemato™ Organic Agave Ketchup
One-half tsp. freshly ground black pepper
One-half tsp. sea salt, or to taste
One and one-half tsp. dried oregano (rub between palms)
One-half tsp. dried crushed red pepper (if desired)

For Garnish:
One-quarter Cup fresh flat parsley, chopped
One-quarter Cup fresh basil, chopped

In large sauté pan, heat olive oil. Add chicken strips (if they are dry they will brown better), and sauté over medium high heat until they begin to brown. Once browned, add sausage (if using), onion and peppers and cook together 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and toss; then add next 5 ingredients (or 6 if using the crushed red pepper). Cook together 15 minutes and remove from heat. Garnish as desired.

Serve over pasta; on a hoagie roll; in a pita pocket; or in a tortilla. It is also delicious served on top of a bed of chopped romaine lettuce.

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