Cheap Eats- Tomato Sauce!
When I'm not embarking on various food adventures with my culinary partners in crime, I'm a fairly frugal at-home cook. One of my favorite things to make is my own tomato sauce. It's easy to make a bunch at once, it's turbo-versatile, and it freezes well.
My recipe for tomato sauce:
- 1 large (28oz) can of crushed or whole tomatoes in juice/puree
- 1 carrot carrot, diced
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- garlic (as much or as little as you fancy), chopped finely
- spices (parsley oregano, basil) to taste
- olive oil
In a large dutch oven or saucepan, heat up about a quarter cup of olive oil (eyeballed, like most of the things in this recipe). Cook the celery and carrot together with a pinch of salt over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Then add the onion, and cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until everything is soft, and the onions are translucent. Push the vegetation to the edges of the pan, and add a little more oil to the center. In that, cook the garlic for another few minutes, until it's just starting to take color. Then add the tomatoes and spices, stir, and bring everything up to a simmer. Cover the pan, and simmer for at least 45 minutes- but it will only get better from there.
What to do with it?
Poach eggs in about a cup of sauce in a small saucepan. Serve with crusty bread or toast.
Use it as the base for a quick chili- Take a can of black or kidney beans, ¼-½ cup sauce, lots of cumin and chili powder, some hot sauce, and bring it all to a simmer. Then, I crush (or stick-blend) some of the beans to thicken slightly, and cook for another 15 minutes.
Spanish Rice- prepare rice, substituting half the liquid with sauce. Add diced peppers and cumin. Cook normally, being sure to stir often.
What else can you do with it?
Put it on pasta, dummy!