Simple Tomato Sauce

Oops!  Forgot to put the garlic in the shot. 

There are so many different ways to concoct this based on what I have on hand that it's challenging to write down.  It's the first thing that turned out delicious consistently with no outside recipe in hand.  It's the dumbed down friend of my all time favorite red sauce recipe--Marcella Hazan's Ragu alla Bolognese.  I believe the proscuitto and cream laden original recipe is from one of her renowned cookbooks.  Mine is a photocopy about 5"x3" that may or may not have come with the food processor my parents got when I was a baby.  Still works just fine.

Maybe you do, but I don't usually have prosciutto, heavy cream, or the time and energy to spend on the food processor.  If your family (or picky kid) prefers smoother sauce, feel free to use the food processor.  Have fun washing it afterwards.  This adaptation is an easy everyday meal.  My pickier kid slurps it up with the chunks of veggies.  He is actually why I started making it instead of falling back on a jar of premade here and there.  He will not touch jarred sauce, even organic and/or reduced sodium, not even for the fun of noodles.  There are some other things he refuses to eat that are extremely processed, kind of like the canary in a mine.  Of course, he'll knock you down for goldfish, marshmallows, and dye-loaded frosting.  

It's also dinner for tomorrow.  We have a busy day that will last well into the afternoon.  I'm not usually one to plan ahead that well, but I had the time and ingredients today.  It also gets better as it sits.  Just leave it in the pot, let it cool, refrigerate, and pull out to reheat in the original pot. 

Are you noticing a theme here?  Minimizing dish washing!

4 carrots peeled and finely chopped
3 stalks celery finely chopped
1 large or 2 regular onions finely chopped
5-8 garlic cloves (We go through a lot of garlic) smashed then minced or peeled and grated on a microplane.

Lots of veggies, but they cook down well.

Smashed, skins still on.

1/3-1/2 cup wine (red or white will do, though the original recipe calls for white), or 1/2 cup any stock (preferably homemade) + 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 lb. ground meat--turkey, beef, venison, chicken, some blend of any of these with sausage shucked from casings)
1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I have not gone so far as to put up my own tomatoes, but a food mill is on my ultimate kitchen tools list)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (we love fire-roasted)
1 6 oz can tomato paste (just in case your sauce doesn't thicken and you like a more stew-like sauce)

Italian seasoning
Nutmeg
Salt & pepper
Olive oil (or bacon grease, ghee, or tallow if you are all into the paleo thing and worried about rancid oils from heat)
Butter

In a large pot (perferably an enameled cast iron dutch oven) heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter over medium high heat.  Once the foam on the butter subsides, add the carrots, celery, onion, and ground meat.  Cook, stirring frequently until veggies are tender and meat is almost cooked through.  This is easiest to tell with beef or venison.  Toss garlic with salt & pepper plus 3-4 dashes of nutmeg on top and give it a quick turn around the pot, maybe 1 minute of constant stirring as garlic burns easily.

Like that hunk 'o turkey?

Excuse my poor exposure here.  Still getting to know the new camera and took these in a hurry.

Add wine and turn heat to high.  Stir constantly until liquid is evaporated almost completely.

It was seriously purple when I first poured in the wine!

When there is little to no liquid, add crushed and diced tomatoes plus a palm full or heaping tablespoon of Italian seasoning.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low or low, cover and cook for about 30 minutes.  Maybe stir 2-3 times and replace the lid. 

Again, operator error with the camera.  You get the idea.

Cook uncovered for 15-30 minutes more until slightly reduced and deep red in color.  Add water if it looks too thick for your liking or that can of tomato paste if it looks to thin.  Adjust seasoning if needed.  You could always leave out the dried herbs and add some fresh basil on top before serving.  Sadly, my basil is defunct.

Thick with all the flavors well "married" and ready to eat.

Soaked Bean Chili

It's that time of day when I'm either prepping what I can of the pre-planned dinner or scrambling to thaw what I've decided to throw together.  This means I have to have a fairly decent stock of basic items.  Tonight we are having Paleo Almond Chicken Tenders (if my chicken breasts thaw in time), baked sweet potatoes, and something green that has yet to be decided.  They are delicious, require a few ingredients, and both kids like them.  This is somewhat miraculous.

Spaghetti is my other last-minute fallback.  Will eats spaghetti like he has not eaten for days.  He is my pickier kid.  He eats lots of things, but not lots of dinner-type things if that makes sense.  Soup and casseroles are two of the biggies on his "no" list.  This makes dinner challenging.  Isabelle will wolf down just about anything.

I couple of weeks ago, I decided to try chili on top of spaghetti noodles.  I'm not the first to make Mexican spaghetti.  He always loves to help cook, so we made it together, and he ate it!  I think he may have even enjoyed it!

The basic ingredients and cooking techniques for chili are just like that of spaghetti--one big pot, meat, onion, bell pepper, tomato--the spices and add-ins are where it gets different.  Onion, bell pepper, various canned tomatoes, frozen veggies, and frozen meat are all basics for me.  I can find all organic, the cans are BPA-free, and I can send Frank on a big trip to the commissary monthly to keep my pantry and freezer stocked without opening a vein at Publix.  I can also order any organic spice that I need from the awesome Frontier co-op that a friend runs.  Avoiding GMOs, eating organic foods, and eating fresh foods when and where you can and can afford does truly make a difference in your overall health.

One thumbs up

Another thumbs up

I hope your kid's plate will look like this

1. 1 pound grass-fed ground beef (optional: 1-1/2 pound of your favorite sausage, casings removed.  I had chorizo from Fresh Market.)
2. 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
3. 1 large onion, finely chopped
4. 3-5 (or more for me!) cloves of garlic, grated on a microplane or smashed then minced
5. 1 can of crushed tomatoes
6. 1 can of tomato sauce 
7. 1 can tomato paste
8.  1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into about 1 inch chunks
9. 2 cups soaked, precooked kidney beans (soak for 12-24 hours and cook.  This makes the beans no big deal on your tummy and increases nutrient absorption)
10. 1 10-oz package frozen corn (one can drained or 1 1/2c fresh may be substituted) 
11. 1 tsp salt
12. 2 tsp cumin
13. 2 tsp chili powder

In a large pot or dutch oven (you cannot beat enameled cast iron!), cook ingredients 1-3 over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until the meat is no longer pink and the veggies are tender.  Do NOT drain off the liquid.  This is both good for you and flavorful.  If it's organic and grass-fed, I do not waste a drop!

Add the garlic, ingredients 11-13, and give a quick stir.  Garlic burns easily, so have your tomatoes open and ready to pour in as soon as you give the garlic and spices a turn around the pot.

Add ingredients 5-7 to the pot ans stir until well combined.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low so that bubbles still break occasionally.  This is a simmer.

Add ingredients 8-10 and stir gently.  This is why you needed to use a big pot.  Cover and forget about it for about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.  You may stir occasionally, but leave it alone for the most part.

Just after removing the lid

After about 30 minutes, uncover and taste-test.  Adjust seasonings to your liking and add a splash or water or stock if you like a soupier chili.  Let it simmer and cook down for at least 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  It will get darker red and the sweet potato will get tender. 

 

See how much darker red and chunkier it gets?

 Enjoy, and top with avocado, sour cream, creme fraiche (I'm all about those cultures!), whatever you like.  If you don't want or need to put it on top of noodles, serve it with cornbread of course.  Does that even need saying?  We like the Pioneer Woman's Skillet Cornbread, though I make a few tweaks, including using bacon grease instead of shortening.  Get a copy of Nourishing Traditions.  It'll change your mind about animal fats and health.