Calling foodies: spaghetti sauce

[celticdragonfly]

So I've been reading various things in one of my email lists on the Eeeevils of high fructose corn syrup. I'd been thinking for some time it was NOT a good thing, this is a large part of why I canned my own strawberry jam for the family. The more I have been reading the more I'd like to get less of it in our diets. Not that I'm going to go on a diet as such - sounds like you can get a lot of benefit just getting away from the HFCS and onto more regular sugar.

So thinking of various and sundry foods that have a lot in it, and one of the things I was thinking of tonight is that I've been wanting for some time to make my own spaghetti sauce. Usually for us spaghetti means the stuff out of the jar, cook ground beef and add it, maybe a little merlot, handful of minced onion, some minced garlic if I have it. Really, that simple.

I would like to get away from the stuff out of the jar. So I want to get recommendations for what to make, proportions and such. Tomato sauce, tomato paste, etc., it's all a blur to me. It has to be SIMPLE. No, really, I know some of the foodies on my list, simpler than that. (I'm here because I've already rejected the stuff in the traditional cookbooks I've been given as overcomplex) We don't care for chunks-o-tomato, and Karl won't eat mushrooms, sigh. I'm wondering if we're going to need to add sugar so that it will taste right to us, since there IS so much HFCS in the stuff-outa-the-jar. Perhaps that's something I could slowly tone down over time.

My concern with doing it with the cans-o-tomato-whatever is that I also hear a lot of complains about "commercially canned veggies have way way too much salt!" But I really don't know if I want to learn to can my own tomato-sauce. From what kattelyn told me, it sounds like I'd need BUSHELS of tomatos for a few pints. Yeek.

Comments

[verybigjen.livejournal.com]

Now this is a BULK recipe we eat it a lot so it's easier to make ONE big batch every couple months - You can reduce the amounts.

I will make a batch and it will give me 9-11 3 cup bowls that I freeze. TWnety minutes you have dinner.

You will need a food processor to do it right and I have a I think 18 quart pot I make this in.

My husband was absolutely shocked that it had carrots in it, he loves this sauce and he's a serious meat eater. Everyone who has had this is just bowled over, and some beg me for a frozen bowl of sauce to take home.

It's a Bolognese ragu.

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TWO Industrial cans of spagetti sauce (I use dei fratelli from Costco or the like) or as many ounces in jarred sauce (I ONLY use the all natural, and do not get a chunky version, just a nice smooth if not thin spagetti sauce)

1 large can of chicken broth
or equivialant mix of broth and red wine

1/5 pounds carrots and 1 pound onions (both chopped extremely fine - think couscous size - in Food Proc.)

3 pounds ground beef (or a mix of ground/pork/veal) Brown and run in food processor to grind up fine. (use some of the chicken broth to help the prcesssor grind it if needed)
-- dont' use ground turkey, you really need the flavor.

half quart of heavy cream (you can use milk, but NOT skim.) Cream is not a watery... and adds a better soothness.

Add more fresh garlic, pepper, basil, rosemary...

You can add chopped black olives, or green peppers if you want, but try it this way firsy, it's also just as easy to add that stuff later and cook it on the stove a bit again too.

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Add all this into a BIG pot, you will have to mix it all really well. It will be very loose at first. Turn on very low heat. You will need to stir i t often (every 10-20 min), and stir up the solids that will settle to keep it from scorching. I use a timer to remind me and a wisk to stir it all up, it really helps more than a spoon.

You will want to cook this about 2.5 to 3 hours. The contents of the pot should have reduced a few inches. and your wisk will stand up in it.

If you dont cook it long enough when you pour ot over spagetti it will have some excess water pool, it's okay if you does this just cook it longer, or if already frozen just cook it on a stove a bit beofre serving.

LET SAUCE COOL BEFORE FREEZING!
Use Gladware in the bare miniumum size you want to serve up. Plan about 1/4 cup of airspace for cooking.

One quart zip locks work great and thats what i've used mostly (measure and fill, leave NO air) LAY FLAT to freeze. Use knife to cut off bag and then put the sauce-sickle in a microwave bowl, nuke 10 min, serve.

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Preparatiton after freezing:

I find freezing it into gladware or ziplock bags (no air!) into 3 cups portions works great (works out to two 1/2 LARGE portions or three normal ones).

I start the the pasta water to boil, and when the noodles go in I put the frozen sauce inthe mocrowave for 10 minutes. It's a fabulous 20 minute dinner.

The sauce is fabulous for everything due it being thick and fine, and because of the ground meat and veg it clings to the noodles, and he meat doesn't push out to the edges - great for spagetti which usually shuns most thick sauce, good over chiken, perfect for lasagna... great with meatballs... you name it. Even godo as a dip for bread or cheese sticks. It really is very adaptable.