Loaded Tomato Sauce

I got drawn into the whole "Deceptively Delicious" cooking method when the cookbook came out from Mrs. Seinfield. I have to admit that I haven't cared for too many of the recipes I've found in the book, but the method has changed my thought process as to what I use to sweeten, thicken, and add to a recipe. The best application of this is a basic tomato sauce that I use for everything (spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, etc).

One could start with fresh tomatoes and I'm sure that it would taste wonderful. I don't have that kind of time, and it could be cost prohibitive in the lands of long winters. So I opt for the industrial size cans of tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. This really is a texture preference. I like the mix of the two. The crushed gives it a fresh taste more like a marinara and a homemade touch. If you prefer a smoother finished sauce like a canned spaghetti sauce, I'd suggest sticking with just the tomato sauce.


In a REALLY large stock pot I pour in the tomatoes. In the spring/summer/fall I'll add fresh herbs from my herb gardens (oregano, rosemary, parsley, & thyme). Winter batches get dried herbs simply as a cost measure.

What I load the sauce with really depends on what I have on hand. Usually I have purees* of carrot, peppers, sweet potatoes, and spinach to add to the tomato. The carrot and sweet potato adds a sweetness. The sweet potatoes add a thickness to the sauce. The spinach is excellent for you and I never make it without it. The peppers are personal preference. I like the flavor of red peppers the best, but will use whatever I have. A bit of ground sausage or turkey works nicely with this.

The balance of the sauce is completely personal preference. I like my sauce a bit on the sweeter side. Therefore I'll add more of the sweet potato and carrot purees. To balance out the sweetness with acid, I add a bit of vinegar. A bit of sugar or honey can be added if you get a bit too much vinegar in there (which never happens to me ;)

Let it simmer for about 1/2 hour to let the flavors meld together. It's a big batch so use some, can/freeze some, or give some away.

Best Estimate on Recipe (really depends on flavor of purees and preferences)
1 lg can (105 oz) Crushed Tomato
1 lg can (105 oz) Tomato Sauce
1 - 1 1/2 c Carrots Puree
1 1/2 c Sweet Potato Puree
3/4 c Spinach Puree
3/4 c Pepper Puree
1/2 c Fresh Parsley, diced
1/4 c Fresh Rosemary, chopped small
1/3 c Fresh Oregano, diced
1 T Fresh Thyme
2 T Garlic, minced
1 sm onion, diced small
2 t Sea Salt
2-3 T White Wine Vinegar
1 t Black Pepper
Sugar or Honey to taste

* To Make a Puree
Steam the veggies until they are soft. Puree in blender or food processor. Add small amount of steaming water to puree until smooth consistency is reached. I measure my purees into usable amounts into snack size ziploc bags or freezer containers to freeze until needed. For spinach, buy a box of frozen diced spinach, thaw and drain water off before blending (much cheaper and easier than fresh without a taste difference).

New Direction for Frugal Feasts

THE COST OF MOVING
I'm sad to report that there isn't an Aldi's in North Dakota. I've settled in an area where groceries are a bit more expensive than my previous home in Michigan in addition to losing my cost savings grocery store. I'll have to work harder with sales and coupons to keep our feasts as frugal as before.

That said, it is still possible to eat well without breaking the bank. My new location will simply become a test of this premise. I still may refer to Aldi pricing, and that has to do with the products that moved with me. When those are gone, I'll keep the pricing at just what I am paying currently.

FREEZER MEALS
I'm also going to start some cooking adventures in freezer meals. One day a month I'll devote to cooking multiple meals ahead of time, freezing them for later. I use to be in a meal swap group that did this. My friend talks about her monthly meal cooking club. Until I get established and meet people with similar taste and food and frugality, I'll be going it on my own.

HEALTH
Finally, I've been researching, learning, and finding out more about natural, organic, and preservative free foods. As a family we are going to be moving to more of a whole foods diet (cutting out premixed items, packaged/process foods) with a focus on health and wellness. I want to eat foods that are good for me as well as good tasting.

For us that will mean buying sides of beef and pork again (once we get settled) so we can control content, source, prices and most importantly taste. The taste blows away what you can buy at the supermarket, particularly in ground beef.

So that's it. I'm excited to delve into all of these projects, one bite at a time of course.

Caramel Shortbread Squares

These are oh-my goodness good from allrecipes.com and go perfectly with a cup of coffee (or tea if you prefer). Make them to share because a little bit goes a long way, but they are addictive. Made these as teacher gifts before to have them tell me after the holidays that their family had fought over them!

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
***
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
***
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, and flour until evenly crumbly. Press into a 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
3. In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes (Be careful not to burn). Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (warm or cool). Cool until it is firm. (hard to spread chocolate if it isn't completely cool)
   
4. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill. Cut into 1 inch squares. These need to be small because they are so rich.

TOTAL COST: $3.80
Flour $.25 (Aldi)
Sugar $.10 (Aldi)
Butter $1.20 (Aldi or Meijer)
Brown Sugar $.25 (Aldi)
Sweetened Milk $.75 (Aldi)
Chocolate $1.25 (Aldi)
Corn Syrup - from stock

Settling In

We made out trip to North Dakota safely and as soon as I can find my pots and pans (and the rest of the kitchen stuff) I'll be whipping up some fun new recipes to try. Hope you are having a great day.

We interuppt this blog...

... to move to another state. I'll be back next week with more recipes and favorites - as soon as I find all my pots, pans, and food.

Dried Fruit Salad

This salad got whipped together for a family dinner with whatever I had in my cupboards and it turned out remarkably well. I'll make this one again.

3 Hearts of Romaine, chopped
1/3 c Sunflower Seeds
1/2 c Golden Raisins
1/2 c Dried Cranberries

Dressing:
Wisk together
1 T Poppy seeds
1/2 c White Sugar
2 t Minced onion
1/4 t Paprika
1/4 c White wine vinegar
1/4 c Cider vinegar
1/2 c Canola oil

Spinach Artichoke Dip

My mother-in-law makes this dip and I love it. It's not as greasy as many restaurant versions. Gonna make myself a round of this to munch on for the Super Bowl.

Combine:
4 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 c Mayo
1/2 Knorr Vegetable Soup package

Stir in:
6 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded
5 oz Frozen spinach (1/2 pkg), thawed and drained
7 oz Artichoke hearts, chopped

Spread into baking dish and sprinkle with 1/4 c Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with blue tortilla chips.

TOTAL COSTS: $5.80
Cream Cheese - $.50 (Aldi)
Mayo - $.25 (Aldi)
Soup Pkg - $.75
Mozzarella - $1.00 (Aldi)
Spinach - $.50 (Meijer)
Artichokes - $2.50
Parmesan - $.30 (Aldi)