March is National Sauce Month.

The sauce most used in American homes is tomato sauce—for pasta, pizza, eggs, meatloaf, soup base, dipping and so much more.

However, tomato sauce/pasta sauce is one of the biggest sources of hidden added sugar in prepared foods.

Look at the labels of the foods you buy: both the grams of sugar per serving and the serving size.

Check out the sugar in these popular tomato sauces:
For example:

 
And on and on. You can check more brands’ sugar content here.

According to the American Heart Association:

 
That includes not only the sugar you put onto oatmeal and into tea, but the hidden added sugars, which can comprise the majority of sugar grams consumed daily.

Added sugars are those sugars that have been used by the food industry to enhance a food’s flavor. These are processed sugars, compared to the natural sugars in a piece of fruit.

Natural sugars are digested more slowly and help you feel full for longer. Refined (processed sugar) can spike your metabolism stable.

Plus, why add to your 40g of daily sugar when you don’t have to?

That’s why we’re highlighting three pasta sauces for National Sauce Month.

 
There are other sauces out there that meet these criteria. But in our particular supermarket, we don’t find them on the shelf.

Instead, we head to natural foods and specialty foods markets and stock up. And, online ordering!

In alphabetical order, we present:
 
 
JAR GOODS

These are gourmet sauces, in that they can dress the most elegant dishes.

The line was begun by two sisters-in-law. With initial investment of $150, they bottled a family recipe by hand and began to sell at farmers markets and street fairs.

Their grass-roots efforts were a success, and today the line—bottled in a food packaging plant—includes:

 
The Classic Red, Classic Spicy and Vegan Vodka sauces are certified OU Kosher/Pareve. The Vodka sauce contains cream.

Here’s a store locator.

You can also buy directly from the website.

And if you like to bring little gifts to friends and family, these slender jars look great with a bow or ribbon.
 
 
OTAMOT ESSENTIAL SAUCE

Otamot is called Essential Sauce because it sneaks in 10 vegetables and their nutrients. And no one is the wiser.

The main ingredient, of course, is tomato. Otamot is tomato spelled backwards.

Otamot was created by the parent of a picky eater, who set out to create a more nutritious tomato sauce, a food his daughter would eat.

Starting with the concept of tomato sauce, he found a way to add a nutrient boost to meals, including vitamins, minerals and fiber.

The solution: a tomato-based sauce combined with ten other vegetables.

It’s full of flavor, and a great way to sneak in vegetables that the vegetable-averse will never suspect.

But you don’t have to be vegetable-averse to love this sauce: It’s delicious for everyone.

There are three varieties:

 
The sauces are gluten free, no sugar added, Non GMO, USDA Organic, high in fiber, and have 3 grams of protein per serving.

We made it a Top Pick Of The Week (here’s our review).
Check out the website, OtamotFoods.com, for a store locator and online purchase.
 
 
THE JERSEY TOMATO CO.

The brand, made from Jersey tomatoes, has Top Chef Head Judge Tom Colicchio as the brand’s official partner and culinary consultant.

The brand’s emphasis on vine-ripened, garden-fresh taste and naturally healthful attributes.

The sauces are very chunky. Varieties include:

 
The line is certified kosher by KOF-K.

Head to JerseyTomatoCo.com for more information and online sales.
 
 
Are you ready to get saucy?

[1] Jar Goods’ four varieties of tomato sauce (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Jar Goods).

[2] Use it anywhere, including shakshouka: eggs cooked in spicy sauce.

[3] The classic: spaghetti and meatballs.

[4] Otamot: a tomato sauce with 10 additional “hidden” vegetables for more nutrition (photos #4 and #5 © Otamot Foods).

[5] Get creative: Here’s Otamot on tacos.

[6] The Jersey Tomato brand is made from—you guessed it!—Jersey tomatoes (photos #6 and #7 © The Jersey Tomato Co.).

[7] Comfort food!

[1] A hot feta dip, with a bit of honey and thyme (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Murray’s Cheese).

[2] You can serve it with as many accompaniments as you like.

[3] Greek feta cheese. See the footnote* for an eye-opener about feta.

[4] Dried herbs are convenient, but there’s nothing like the flavor and aroma of fresh herbs (photo © Karolina Grabowska | Pexels.

March 25th is Greek Independence Day.

We love Greek food, and always have a selection of mezze in the fridge: babaganoush, feta, hummus, kalamata olives, tabbouleh; cans of grape leaves in the pantry; and pita in the freezer.

So we’re ready for Greek Independence Day, with a bottle of Assyrtiko, a Greek white wine.

The grape is indigenous to the island of Santorini, where it grows in the volcanic-ash-rich soil.

This year, we’re adding this warm, salty-sweet baked feta dip or spread.

The recipe is adapted from one by Murray’s Cheese—our favorite online resource for the best cheeses and accompaniments.

> The History Of Feta Cheese
 
 
RECIPE: BAKED FETA DIP

Prep time is 10 minutes, bake time is 20 minutes.

Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

 
For Serving

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the to 400°F, and preheat the boiler for Step 3 [or use the oven broiler]. Lightly toast the pita bread and transfer the feta to a small ovenproof dish or pan.

2. COVER the feta with olive oil and bake in the oven for about 8 minutes, until the cheese is springy to the touch but not melted. Then remove from the oven. Meanwhile…

3. MELT the honey in the microwave or over a pan of simmering water. When the honey is fluid, spread it over the top of the feta with a pastry brush, and put the feta under the broiler.

4. BROIL the feta until the top of the cheese has browned and begins to bubble. Remove, season to taste with black pepper, garnish with thyme leaves, and serve with the pita and other accompaniments.
 
 
HOW TO STRIP THYME LEAVES

We have a kitchen scissors with a hole at the top of the blades. It’s meant to strip leaves off herbs: Simply pull the sprig through the hole.

But there’s another way: Use your fine-mesh strainer.

Simply pull the end of the thyme stems (photo #4) through a hole (you may have to expend some energy). The leaves will stay in the strainer.

This works with any woody-stem herb: marjoram, oregano, tarragon, thyme and rosemary.

Tip: If you don’t want to throw away the stems, stick them in the freezer.

Both woody and soft herb stems can be used to flavor broths, soups and stocks.
 
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*Surprisingly, say the experts at Murray’s Cheese, only 2% of feta consumed in the U.S. actually comes from Greece, Murray’s sources authentic Greek feta (photo #3): pure sheep’s milk feta, directly from the ancient Greek regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Artisan cheese makers follow the original, millennia-old recipe. The cheese is aged in wooden barrels for sixty days, resulting in a creamy texture and tangy, citric flavor— unparalleled among other fetas. Treat yourself!

March 24th is National Cheesesteak Day, honoring an iconic sandwich from the City of Brotherly Love.

Other cities may have cheesesteak, but the original concept came from Philadelphia in the 1930s.

Here’s the history of the Philly Cheesesteak.

You can also find creative ingredients and recipes to have a cheesesteak party. There’s even a vegan cheesesteak recipe.

Today’s recipe takes the cheesesteak out of the bread, and into a baked potato.

The recipe is from the Idaho Potato Commission. It was created by Kita Roberts of Girl Carnivore.

The baked Idaho® potatoes are topped like a signature Philly cheesesteak: loaded with sautéed peppers and onions, shaved ribeye steak, and a creamy cheesy sauce.

It’s a hearty and delicious or lunch or dinner, with a green salad.
 
 
RECIPE: PHILLY CHEESESTEAK BAKED POTATO

Ingredients For 5 Servings

For The Baked Potato

 
For The Sauce

 
For The Cheesesteak Filling

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Wash and dry the potatoes. Prick the potatoes with a fork several times on all sides. Rub the with oil and a liberal coating of salt.

2. PLACE the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are 210°F internally and easily pierced with a fork. Meanwhile…

3. WHISK 2 tablespoons butter in a small pot over medium heat until melted. Add the flour and whisk until combined. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer.

4. SLOWLY WHISK in the milk, making sure no clumps form. The sauce should be smooth as the milk is whisked in.

5. ADD in the ranch dressing and chives. Stir to combine. Add the cheese, melting a little at a time, until completely incorporated. Remove from the heat, but leave the pot on the stove to keep warm.

6. HEAT a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and pepper and sauté until soft and the onion is translucent and beginning to brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

7. SET the same pan over medium heat add the shaved steak, Worcestershire sauce and steak seasoning. Break up any clumps of meat and spread evenly in the pan, tossing as needed to brown on all sides. The meat will cook quickly.

8. REMOVE from the heat immediately and toss the peppers and onions back into the pan. Stir to combine. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

9. SPLIT each potato down the middle and fluff the inside with a fork. Top with the meat and veggie mixture. Drizzle with the cheese sauce, adding more or less sauce, per your taste. Season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of chives, and serve.
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*You can purchase shaved steak in the meat department. Look for a good blend of marbling in the shaved meat, as it adds flavor. The meat will be paper-thin, so that fat will cook quickly.

Alternatively, you can select a cut like a boneless ribeye and ask the staff at the meat counter to shave it for you. Usually the market is happy to do this.

[1] Philly Cheesesteak Baked Potato (photos #1 and #2 © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] Top view. Kita used Litehouse freeze-dried chives, but we prefer the flavor of fresh chives (photo #3).

[3] Keep fresh chives in the produce drawer and snip them as you need them. See how best to store fresh chives in footnote † (photo © Good Eggs).

[4] Cabot Montery Jack cheese, available at iGourmet (photo © iGourmet).

[5] Grassfed shaved steak, from Hearthstone Farm in Maine (photo © Hearthstone Farm).