Five-Minute Homemade Cocktail Sauce ♥ Recipe

Today's homemade dip recipe: Homemade cocktail sauce, made with just a few pantry ingredients. Perfect for vegetables or cold shrimp.

"Dear Heinz Ketchup,

Please, will you make my life easier?

You see, I take a lot of guff for your regular appearance on my table. You’re the stuff of my childhood and I really don’t want to give you up. Eggs, macaroni and cheese, hashed browns and of course burgers and ‘ dogs, they’re just not the same without your cute little red squiggle. And I might get away with it, truly, if you were just a retro indulgence.

But please, I can’t defend the fact that your third ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. (You make this public, why not make it go away?!!) And oh yes, I’m well aware that not everyone believes that high fructose corn syrup is a trouble-maker. But the thing is, I work really hard to eat low on the food chain. If you’d just please return to the ketchup basics (you know, tomatoes, vinegar, plus a tiny touch of sweetness and those special Heinz ketchup spices) then I could proudly make room for you on my table, rather than sneaking in a squirt or two during the dead of night.

Your faithful ketchup lover,

Alanna, the ketchup veggie evangelist"

---

I'm sticking with ketchup, if only because it makes this very tasty homemade cocktail sauce, saving both money for my pocket and space in my fridge. This sauce practically threw itself together and was as good as any I've had in forever. On Day One it was perfect as a fresh veggie dip, on Day Two, we used it as shrimp cocktail sauce.

So I'll never buy cocktail sauce again and -- except for that ketchup thing -- neither should anyone else!

FIVE-MINUTE COCKTAIL SAUCE

Hands-on time: 5 minutes (really 3 minutes but that just seems like showing off, so I'm sticking with 5)
Time to table: 5 minutes (but does improve if left to rest for 24 hours)
Makes 2/3 cup (easily doubled or halved)

1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise (Hellman's is my one-n-only mayo)
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cayenne pepper to taste plus a sprinkle for the top

Stir together. Serve with fresh-cut carrots, celery, cucumbers and other vegetables or with cold shrimp.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Tablespoon: 29Cal; 2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 169mg Sodium; 4g Carb; 0g Fiber; 3g Sugar; 0g Protein; Weight Watchers 0 points (2 tablespoons = 1 point)

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from my new favorite party cookbook, the 1972 Southern Living Party Cookbook, full of make-ahead recipes made with nearly all whole ingredients

MORE VEGETABLE DIPS & SPREADS
~ Baba Ganoush ~
~ Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries with Horseradish Sauce ~
~ Homemade Onion Dip ~
~ Almonnaise - Vegan Mayonnaise Recipe ~

~ more dips and spreads ~
~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

---

PRINT JUST A RECIPE! Now you can print a recipe without wasting ink and paper on the header and sidebar. Here's how.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

---

Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2009