Recipe: Lucky Red Sweet & Sour Sauce

If you've taken my online class "Luscious," you either experimented with, or heard about, the Sweet & Sour Chicken, and the Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Meatballs. Both recipes are always classroom favorites. My recipe for sweet & sour is a unique blend of pineapple and tomato paste, which gives it terrific flavor. Because I use tomato paste to thicken the sauce, the final product isn't translucent. For years, students have been asking me to develop a sweet & sour sauce that's as good as the version in the course -- but glossy and translucent, instead of opaque.

Years ago, I had an interesting conversation with a woman from China, who told me that her grandmother once told her that the red color in sweet & sour sauce was traditionally from beet juice. So, I started with a can of sliced beets...and this translucent, deep red sauce is the result. It's not cloyingly sweet, and it has a wonderfully fresh, balanced flavor.

I'm posting it today in honor of Chinese New Year, which is celebrated on January 31st this year. In Chinese tradition, the color red is considered lucky, which is why red is often used in Chinese New Year decorations. Red foods are served on Chinese New Year for this reason, too. Whether you intend to celebrate Chinese New Year or not, this recipe makes a terrific accompaniment to grilled chicken, meatballs, or steamed veggies and rice. Enjoy!

Lucky Red Sweet & Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 (14-ounce) can reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
3/4 cup beet juice OR 1 (14-ounce) can sliced beets (see Cook's Notes)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic (or three garlic cloves, peeled and minced)

Directions:

Combine cornstarch and broth in a jar with a lid, and shake until cornstarch dissolves. Pour mixture into a saucepan, and heat over medium-high heat. Add beet juice, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar substitute, and garlic, and stir frequently until mixture reaches a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Cook's Notes: Beet juice is enjoying popularity as a health food, so you may be able to find it at your grocery store, drugstore, or online. If not, you'll find that a 14-ounce can of sliced beets contains roughly 3/4 cup beet juice. If you choose canned beets, make sure you choose beets that are not pickled! -- this will give your sauce an off-flavor.

If you use canned beets, the leftover beets make a colorful addition to green salads. Or, use beets as the base for a cold veggie salad. Quarter the beets and combine with a 14-ounce can of drained green beans, drizzle with balsamic dressing, and add a sprinkle of feta cheese. You can either chill the salad for a few hours until it's cold, or store the canned veggies in the fridge so it'll be ready to go as soon as you prepare it.