Out of pure curiosity, I whipped up some sweet and sour sauce to go over wild rice, pan-fried tofu, chicken strips (for the man), and formerly frozen stir-fry veggies. I had bought some cashews that I was supposed to toast, but I totally forgot in the whirlwind that is my cooking.
The ingredients were fairly simple:
- 2/3 c. orange marmalade
- 1/2 c. ketchup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (though I think I added more)
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
Unfortunately, both the marmalade and ketchup have high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) listed as an ingredient, as do my lovely animal crackers that I like eating. Now, I don't like marmalade (eck!), so I don't eat it. Ketchup -- I usually avoid -- used to have it with eggs and fries but not anymore. And the animal crackers I've learned to enjoy in moderation and stick to one serving or so.
In case you've been hiding under a rock, HFCS, which is popularly in soda and snacks, is NOT good for you. It is another one of those man-made mutations of something that was natural, and it wrecks havoc on your blood sugar, liver, and is the gateway to obesity. For more info, click HERE.
At any rate, here is the resulting dish, with a salsa/guac-ish "relish" for flavor. The dressing for this salad with a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice.
I think they make non-HFCS ketchup now, so that is definitely worth investigating. I've really come a long way in cutting down on this stuff since this hype came out about it. I've really cut down on my consumption of random snacks and candy, and for sure soda.
Don't worry, I mostly cook more healthfully than this, but truth be told, it WAS pretty good. Just gotta make the more natural version next time, requiring the replenishment of the pantry staples I used to make it.
Did you hear that because HFCS has such a bad rep, that they decided to change the name to corn sugar?!
ReplyDeleteSurrre, spend money changing the NAME, not the actual problem! Grr..