The LAST Tomato Sauce You’ll Ever Use…

That is a little impending doom-ish. I just mean it’s the last way you’ll ever make a ragu, marinara, chili, pasta sauce, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, whatever sauce…. Ever! There’s no easier or tastier way to start this out. Trust me, if you scan back into my blog, you’ll see I’ve done everything from using cans to calling it “roasted” when nothing was roasted. See?

It’s lunacy. I mean, I love to see my progress, as a home chef, through this blog. I wouldn’t dare call myself a “chef” or use the word in reference to myself if I didn’t look back at my processes and grow in my cooking and my ways of eating. We shouldn’t stay stagnant in the way’s that we eat. We should evolve. Always evolve.

I went from filling giant pots with boxes of chopped tomatoes, peppers, onions and celery, just to end up with a sauce I was pleased with, in taste, but not in consistency or versatility.

This, I can truly say, is my most versatile, easiest sauce.

I’m proud of it’s simplicity and while I’d never claim originality, I only hope to light the way for others who did things the way I use to, and show them that opening a can isn’t the easiest option. That taking the time, on a day that allows, and planning for meals ahead, makes a world of difference in the way you feel, the way you cook and the meals you make.

 

There’s about as many ways to make this as you’d like. The point of the blog is really, the technique. The roasting. It cooks, but without annihilating. Like my aforementioned post. Which basically, if you cook the marinara, ragu, sauce, or whatever you want to call it, as you’re making it, thoroughly, then when you cook it in a dish later, it’s being pummeled with heat. The nutritional content is null and the taste is void. Avoid the noid. Wait, what?

Anyway, it’s just TOO much. This way, I feel like the tomatoes break down, just enough. The charred skin of the veggies is a welcome addition to all dishes I use this in, so I don’t de-skin or seed. I like my foods whole. I use this in chili, jambalaya and other things I don’t have links to, yet…

INGREDIENTS:

4lbs of Roma tomatoes, stem scars removed. Really, whatever’s on sale, because I get these for either 2 or 3 lbs for $.99.
2 white onions, quartered.
2-3 heads of garlic. I love garlic, and I pile it on.
2 big red bells, half’d.
4 stalks of celery, sliced thin, but not too thin, set aside for later.
1 tbs salt

I don’t season it with oregano and basil, like I would a pasta sauce. I don’t season it any particular way, except for a little salt and pepper. I add seasonings to the dish that I’m adding THIS to, so that the taste doesn’t change or morph in the freezer. It just stays it’s basic ingredients.

Use a metal baking dish, NOT like I did in this photo, or a tin foil, disposable baking dish, again, NOT like I did in this photo, to roast your veggies, everything except the celery, which, while this is roasting, can be sautee’d up on the side with a bit of olive oil, or if you’re a baddie like me, some bacon grease. Because, well, duh. It’s BACON GREASE.

*********I have to post a warning here, about Pyrex. Apparently, it’s happened before, so says the internet. But, I usually roast veggies in my 90 year old grandmothers hand me down Pyrex dish. I line it in tin foil and roast away, under the broiler, to my hearts content. Not during this dinner, but during a dinner I had after this was posted, I was roasting green chiles, took the dish out to flip the chile and the dish exploded all over. I was cut, really badly and needed stitches. Which I did not go get, I finished dinner because a friend of ours was fresh off hiking the Appalachian Trail and “trail-doctored” me up and after 4 hours and a house full of blood, dinner resumed. I now use tinfoil, disposable baking dishes. Lesson learned. Don’t cut your foot off like me. We bartenders needs the feets.**************

Now that’s done, let’s…

This next step is, really, really hard.

Bag, tag and freeze.

Simple.

I also make a red onion version, that I’ll make a lesser version of, when tomatoes go crazy on sale, that I use just for turkey pastas and shrimp pastas that’s a bit sweeter, due to that red onion. Either way, yum.

Do you still buy sauce out of the jar? If not, what was your motivation to stop and make your own?

Baked Mac N’ Ham

No, this is not good for you. Nor is it low in calories, vegan, vegetarian or gluten free. This, is just plain ole comfort food. Because life is meant to be lived. Sure, you may fit into your skinniest jeans, but do you want to look back on a life of sad salads and fruit-ish smoothies, peppered with the stalks of nutrient rich weeds? I think not. But, that’s the Southern woman that raised me talking. Honey.

This dish is totally freezable, making it pretty easy. Sure, the sauce is roux based, but when made in bulk, it’s not that bad.

Ingredients & Directions: No exact measurements here, it depends how much you want to make and most of this is eyeballing anyway. I’ll amend with measurements…. Maybe? About a pound of shells and two cups of ham works for this recipe, using a large casserole dish.

Cooked and diced ham, I buy the big ass hams when they’re on sale, I use everything including the bone. For more on this click here.
Shells, cooked al dente and drained
Grated extra sharp cheddar cheese about 2 cups
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of garlic powder or minced garlic

For the sauce: It’s a roux, so you’re going to start with some butter and flour over medium to medium-high heat. Equal parts butter and flour, so if you’re starting with 2 tbsp of butter, use about 2 tbsp of flour. Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and keep it moving until it’s just started to have a hint of goldenness to it. If you’ve got fresh garlic, add it now, incorporating it fully. Garlic powder can be added with the flour initially.

Add milk 2% and about 1-2 cups, whisking until it’s fully incorporated into the flour mixture and there are no lumps.

Whisk almost continuously, until milk starts to simmer and roll a low boil. Adding the cheddar cheese and whisking to mix it fully. In addition, about another cup of milk, whisking and boiling to reduce. Keep in mind that the sauce reduces slowly and not much volume is lost, so however much milk you add, is about how much sauce you’re going to get. Reduction is only about 1/5 total.

Mix pasta, sauce and ham in a large casserole dish. Cover with crushed ritz crackers or bread crumbs, whatever kind of crumbles you’ve got, but a nice crunch on top is key! I like to add a little cayenne kick on top too.

Bake, uncovered at 350 until bubbly and brown, serve with a crusty bread or a fresh salad!

Enjoy!

Meatball 101

I love pasta. Who doesn’t? And at any quality restaurant here in Scottsdale, a pasta addiction will break the bank. Fortunately, I figured out how to hack many of my favorite dishes as well as create my own. And what’s easier than a meatball?

Mainstream meatballs are often all beef, fatty beasts, riddled with Lord knows what if you’re buying the pre-cooked, freezer babies that are every college kids bff. (“I’ll boil the water, you microwave the balls, we’re getting fancy tonight!” –Said no one, ever.) But a good meatball? Well, that’s just a fine art.

Let’s get to the balls, shall we?

I use to make all turkey meatballs… But they’re a little plain for my taste, so whenever I find a good quality, spicy Italian sausage on sale, I grab a pound or two and make some meatballs. Turkey can usually be found for pretty cheap, although this new brand from Smart and Final has me a little creeped, because I can’t find shit about it online. “Where’s the turkey from?” “Idk, I just found it on the shelf!” Yum….?

Anyhoo, creep turkey aside…

I like my two kinds of meats, turkey’s for the bulk, the spicy sausage for the flavor. I use granulated onion and garlic, because once frozen, those two ingredients, diced and mixed into the balls, would be gross, I feel. Loss of moisture, transfers of moisture upon cooking, random moisture where there shouldn’t be moisture… What a gross word. So, granulated is the way to go.

Use whatever kind of Italian seasoning you want, a mix of oregano, basil and thyme kind of work universally for me. Basil can get overpowering as HELL, so go lightly.

I use eggs and breadcrumbs, just like in my turkey burgers, to keep things together. Turkey can tend to fall apart when cooked, so breadcrumbs and egg act like a glue when they’re cooked, to hold everything together. Meatloaf magic, your mom knows all about it…

There’s really no exact science to the ingredients. Usually one egg does the trick per two pounds of meat or so. A large handful of bread crumbs is usually sufficient as well, if your meatballs won’t form well and are sticking to your hands, which turkey tends to do, add more breadcrumbs until it’s easier to work with. Seasonings are really just to taste, but I use about a table spoon of each herb, a teaspoon or two of black pepper, granulated garlic and onion and just a pinch of salt.

Since I freeze mine, I use a cookie sheet with foil or wax paper so that I can freeze these bad boys then throw them into a bag.

Mix all your ingredients with your hands, but wash them first, please.

Form yo balls, plop them down, freeze them.

To reheat, just thaw them and either boil them in a tasty marinara or bake them in the oven, which is what I did in the photo above. Either way, they’re perfect, every time.

Class dismissed.

Baked Ziti

I figured this would be a fitting post to follow my homemade marinara, since it’s what makes this dish SUPER easy and delicious.

All I do is set a portion of sauce out to thaw over night, and it’s ready to go the next day!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of sauce, following the recipe in the link above
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 box of pasta, I use rigatoni or penne
1 lb of your favorite sausage, I use Isernio's brand because they make chicken sausage, which we LOVE
1 small tub of ricotta, mixed with an egg
Mozzarella and parmesan for topping

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the pasta, drain it and distribute it evenly into a baking dish.

Cook the sausage, add the pepper and cook until soft, then add the thawed sauce, or whatever sauce you choose to use…

Combine everything in the baking dish, mixing in scoops of ricotta as you go.

Top with mozzarella and parmesan and bake at 350 until bubbly and melted!

Enjoy!

Red Pepper & Chicken Sausage Linguini

I have received SO many compliments on my homemade sauce. The baby has loved this since I started him on solid foods. It’s delicious and is, hands down, as healthy as you can get!

This sauce, freezes really well. So, make a huge batch and portion it out for things like spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan, lasagna, or this!

So, let’s get started!

Ingredients:

(If you’re going to make a large batch to freeze, double your veggies, at LEAST. This makes enough for the 3 of us to eat and have leftovers for a day or 2. But, since everybody loves it, so it goes quickly! If you like a thicker sauce, that will “stick” to your noodles, add a small can of tomato paste. I would recommend adding it to the sauce you intend to use in lasagna so it holds together better, or if you are using small pasta, like a bowtie pasta.)
10 Roma tomatoes, you don’t have to use Roma tomatoes, they are just my favorite.
1 Large yellow onion
2 Large bell peppers
4 Cloves garlic
Thyme
Oregano
Rosemary
Basil
Pinch of Sea Salt & sugar
Olive Oil
Isernio’s Hot Italian Chicken Sausage, AMAZING brand, I’ve mentioned it before. Find it here.
1 Pkg Whole wheat linguini

Directions:
Chop all the veggies. I don’t peel my tomatoes, so I chop them smaller than everything else. In a LARGE skillet, brown the sausage over medium high heat. It’s okay if it sticks and burns a little. Since it’s chicken, it doesn’t really render much fat while cooking, but it all works out, trust me. Drizzle a good amount of olive oil into the pan and add the onion and garlic, cooking over medium heat until onion starts to become translucent.
Add the bell peppers and herbs, cooking over medium high heat until the peppers get a little soft. Add the tomatoes and cook simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes. Uncover cook an additional 20 minutes or until the sauce reduces to your liking. Salt and sugar to taste. Don’t forget this part. Tomato sauce from the jar has a lot of salt, so if you taste this sauce without salt and sugar, you’ll be pretty shocked.

If you’re making a large batch and don’t have a big enough pan, or are busy and like to make use of your crock pot, you can always stop after your onions are cooked and add everything to a large crock pot. Cook on low as long as you’d like. It really can’t over-cook!
I hope this is as big of a hit for you as it is for me! It’s always good to have a pasta sauce recipe ready to go (and in the freezer) if you ever get unexpected guests for dinner. And, I’ve always found people just appreciate food that’s made from scratch, a little bit more…. And that makes me happy.

Enjoy!

Basic Mac N’ Cheese

I’m going to do a few recipe posts in a row because I had my first attempt at “freezer-meal-ing” this morning and although I’m pleased with my results, it’s all in the, “reheat and eat” test to see if all REALLY went well.
I wanted to give it a try before we move because things will be a bit tighter then and a failed meal wouldn’t mean a ruined night…. Yet.

So this is my most basic Mac N’ Cheese. I thought it best to try it out as a freezer meal, so my instructions will head towards the freezer but a few small changes and you’re headed towards the oven.

Ingredients:

1 Lb large elbow macaroni, (when I can find it I use whole wheat pasta, but the supply at the grocery store had been thinning out and I’m afraid they’re not carrying it anymore) cooked al dente, rinsed and drained (I cook any pasta with a couple of table spoons of extra virgin olive oil, a generous sprinkle of garlic salt and a teaspoon of Oregano. It gives it a good flavor but doesn’t overpower it.)
12 Oz Velveeta cheese, cut into large cubes
3 C shredded Colby Jack and Pepper Jack cheese
1.5 C low fat buttermilk
1.5 C low fat milk
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs all purpose flour
1 Package crushed Ritz crackers
1 C parmesan cheese
Black pepper
Rosemary

Directions:

If you are planning on freezing this for later, line a couple loaf pans with a strip of plastic wrap on the bottom followed by completely lining the dish with foil. I don’t like the thought of using aluminum baking pans every time and I think it wastes space, so this technique works. The plastic wrap strip gives you little handles to pop the MacBrick out of the dish once it’s frozen so you don’t rip the foil trying to get it out.

Now separate the cooked pasta between the two dishes evenly and sprinkle a little less than a cup of the shredded cheese over the pasta. Toss so the cheese gets all the way to the bottom.

Pasta and shredded cheese in 4x8 loaf pans.

Now for the sauce, if you’re familiar with making a roux, you’ve got this. This is the hardest part because it requires your undivided attention as there is a small window between cooking the flour and burning it! In a medium sauce pan melt the butter completely. Add the flour and reduce the heat to low, using a whisk to mix. Keep the mixture moving and make sure it doesn’t burn. Once it starts to turn a golden brown and the flour is cooked, slowly add the buttermilk while mixing with the whisk. Make sure everything is mixed together well and there are no clumps, it should be getting very thick, keep it moving and don’t let it burn! Next add the milk slowly and whisk until smooth turning the heat up to medium low. Keep whisking until it starts to simmer and then start adding the Velveeta, just one handful at a time until the last is melted. Keep it moving, if your burn it now, I’m telling you from experience, the defeat is haunting. Once it’s all mixed and melted add the remaining shredded cheese, turn off the heat and mix. Add rosemary and black pepper and whisk one last time, REALLY well. Finally remove from heat and pour a glass of wine. You deserve it.

Next, simply pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, then using a big spoon, press down so the cheesy goodness gets all the way to the bottom. Cover the top with parmesan cheese (this keeps the crackers from getting soggy) and cover with a thick later of the crackers. Pop in the oven at 350 for about 30 min or until golden brown and bubbly!

If you’re freezing, stop before the parmesan. Just pop the loaf pans in the freezer for a couple of hours until they’re firm. Once they’re frozen, pull them out of the pans and put in a gallon sized freezer bag with the date. When you’re read to reheat, remove the foil from the MacBrick and put it back in the dish you froze it in. Cover with the parmesan and crackers and put in the oven at 400 until it’s golden brown and bubbly.

I serve this with my Baby Ray's chicken (recipe to follow), pork chops, ribs, fried chicken... Anything, mac and cheese goes with it all.... Again, mix-in’s are endless. Broccoli, ham, spinach, shredded chicken and frozen peas…. But if you get creative, let me know what you did so I can give it a try too!