The Best Spaghetti Sauce Today I am sharing the process I use now for processing tomatoes into tomato sauce (original NCHFP recipe calls this "spaghetti sauce without meat.") I take my tomatoes, wash and core them. I then place them chopped in half or quarters into a large roasting pan, single layer and roast in the oven at 425 until soft & skins are blistering, stir occasionally to prevent sticking/scorching (about 30-40 minutes,) I let the tomatoes cool down enough for me to handle and then I run them through my Food Mill which then removes the skins and seeds (its often been debated if the seeds being left in a sauce would contribute to a bitter taste, I do agree that in some tomatoes - this can be the case so, I now remove all the seeds and skins before saucing.) On the stove top, saute your onions, garlic, celery or peppers, and mushrooms (if desired) in vegetable oil until tender. Combine sauteed vegetables with tomatoes and add remainder of spices, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered, until the initial volume is reduced by nearly one-half (I use two large stock pots and cook down for about 9 hours. Remember to stir frequently to avoid burning.) Once cooked down, I combine the two pots into one, check for seasonings/taste one last time, and get ready to Pressure Can *this is a Pressure Can only recipe. Please remember too - that you cannot increase the proportions of onions, peppers, fresh garlic or mushrooms in this sauce (its a safety issue). I do like adding in a little bit of dried sweet basil into my sauce (dried spices are a 'free' item that you can adjust to suit your own taste.) Fill jars, leaving 1-inch headspace
Yield: 9 pints or approx 5 quarts Ingredients: 30 lbs tomatoes 1 cup chopped onions 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chopped celery or green pepper 1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced (optional) 4-1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp oregano 4 tbsp minced parsley 2 tsp black pepper 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup vegetable oil *for sauteing Recipe by: NCHFP Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home Kitchen Note: Don't toss those tomato skins! Dehydrate them and powder them! See this link to Serious Eats on the "How-To" (click link) www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/08/tomato-powder-from-tomato-skins.html
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Turkey Tetrazzini Casserole Ingredients: 1 package (7 ounces) spaghetti, noodles broken in half 2-3 cups cubed/shredded cooked turkey 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted 1 large onion, chopped 2 Tbs butter 1 can sliced water-chestnuts 3/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup milk 1 jar (2 ounces) chopped pimentos, drained 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2-3 Roma tomatoes, sliced fresh or dried parsley Sliced mushrooms, optional Diced roasted red peppers, optional Directions: Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Transfer to a large bowl. In a skillet add butter and chopped onion, sauté approx 5 mins until onion is tender. In a large bowl add turkey, 1/2 the cheese, soup, water-chestnuts, sour cream, milk, pimentos, mix until combined then add in the onion and spaghetti noodles - fold all together and spoon into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Salt & Pepper to taste. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 of cheese. Place tomato slices over top of casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35 minutes or until heated through. I do turn on the broiler for 5 mins and let the cheese brown a bit. Sprinkle parsley over top when out of oven. Let stand for 5 mins. then serve. Recipe and Photo by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home What can I say, I love my spaghetti. It's even better with a nice meatball. I love mixing the veal and pork as it give it a nice flavor. I sometimes blend: pork, veal and ground beef (depends on what I have on hand) I also like baking them instead of pan frying in oil. Baking give them a nice little 'crusty' coating on the outside and tender on the inside. Enjoy! Diane Italian Meatballs with Spaghetti Ingredients: 2 slices white sandwich bread, stale 1/3 cup cold milk 3/4 pound ground pork 1/2 pound ground veal 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 medium onion, grated (about 1/4 cup) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large egg, beaten Pepper to taste 3/4 pound of cooked pasta, your choice. Pulse bread into crumbs in a food processor. In a small bowl toss the bread crumbs with milk mix with fork a bit. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, pork, veal, Parmesan, parsley, salt, onion, garlic, and egg and mix until combined. Season the meat mixture with pepper. Using your hands, gently form the meat mixture into 12 slightly larger than golf ball-sized balls. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, lay out meatballs on foil and bake at 375 for approx 25-30 mins (turning halfway thru cook time) When done - add to sauce or serve on the side. Prepare your choice of pasta. ***************** Diane's Texas SuperSweet 100 Tomato Sauce Ingredients: 2 1/2 Pounds Super Sweet 100 Tomatoes 1 6 oz can tomato paste 1 Large onion, chopped 2 Tbs dried oregano 3 Tbs Fresh Basil 1 Tbs minced garlic 2 Bay Leaves Salt to taste 1/2 Cup Lemon Juice Directions: Pulse tomatoes in Cuisenart, I do not peel tomatoes. they are so small and sweet, I don't mind some seeds either... Transfer to large saucepan, add remaining ingredients and bring to medium heat, then lower to simmer, low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove Bay leaves when done. Store in fridge until ready to use (cannot be water bath canned unless you add at least 1/2 Cup lemon juice, it does not alter the taste.) Can be used for pizza sauce, pasta sauce, sub topping and any dish that needs a great tomato topping! *Note: If you like adding other veggies to your sauce, chop and add along with everything in sauce pan - this will also probably push the final product to over a complete quart - I did not add any extra veggies. *Add a bit more tomato paste to thicken sauce or add a slurry of cornstarch and water (I didn't need to do this) *Stores in refrigerator 1-2 weeks Meatball Recipe: adapted from FoodNetwork Sauce Recipe & Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home ************************ I wanted to make a nice chicken parm with no frills, just straight forward and simple - I found a great recipe from Rachel Ray and made it - I love the way this turned out - it's a winner! I will also be making/canning the pomodoro sauce with my garden fresh tomatoes as they roll in! Enjoy ~ Diane Chicken Parmigiana with Spaghetti Ingredients: *** For the pomodoro sauce: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped Salt 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock 2 cans Italian tomatoes (28-32 ounces each) A few leaves of basil, torn **** For the chicken: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 ounces each), rib meat removed Salt and pepper 1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs 1 cup panko breadcrumbs 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus some for garnish 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped 1 tablespoon thyme, finely chopped 1 teaspoon granulated onion (1/3 palmful) 1 teaspoon granulated garlic 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest Flour, for dredging 2 large eggs, beaten Olive or canola oil for shallow frying A few leaves of basil 1 pound thin spaghetti Serves 4 Directions: For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the butter and melt, then add the onion and garlic. Season with salt and cook, partially covered, until very soft. Add the stock, then the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Stir in the basil; reduce the heat and simmer the sauce gently for 20-30 minutes, partially covered, stirring occasionally. Adjust the salt, to taste. Tip: For a thinner sauce or to stretch the yield, add 2 cups tomato passata or puree. Cut into the fat, rounded side of each chicken breast to butterfly them open. Place the chicken in baggies or between plastic and gently pound them into very thin, large cutlets. Season with salt and pepper on each side. Combine both breadcrumbs with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano, herbs, granulated onion and garlic, and lemon zest. Line up three dishes to dredge the cutlets; one with flour, one with the egg and one with the herbed breadcrumbs. Pre-heat the oven to 200°F and place a metal rack on a baking sheet to keep the cutlets warm while preparing them in batches. Heat a shallow layer of oil (1/8-1/4-inch) in a very large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Heat the tomato sauce and bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente. While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta cooks, coat the chicken cutlets in flour and shake off the excess; drop them in the egg and drain the excess and then coat them evenly in the breadcrumb mixture. Shallow fry the cutlets one or two at a time for 3 minutes on each side. Keep the finished cutlets warm in oven as you finish the rest. To serve, place a large cutlet on a plate and top with a ladle of sauce, some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and garnish with a basil leaf. (I let the broiler melt cheese over tops of cutlets) Drain the pasta and return it to the pot (add a pat of butter if you like). Toss with half the red sauce. Serve the pasta in shallow bowls topped with more sauce and some grated cheese. The pasta may be served as a first course or as a side dish to the chicken. Recipe by: Rachel Ray Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home This dish feeds a crowd and not only extremely tasty but, very filling! I served this with a side salad and garlic bread and it was a huge hit. I got this recipe from my husbands cousin too! She made it for one of our Family Reunions in Kansas and I just loved it! So glad she shared her recipe and that I made it - Enjoy ~ Diane Spicy Chicken Spaghetti Ingredients: 3/4 lb. spaghetti, uncooked 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 3/4 lb. (12 oz.) Velveeta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained 1 can (4 oz.) mushroom pieces and stems, drained *optional 1/3 cup milk Directions: Preheat oven to 350ºF Cook spaghetti as directed on package, omitting salt. MEANWHILE, cook and stir chicken in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray or with 2 Tbs butter, melted on medium-high heat 8 to 10 min. or until done. Add remaining ingredients; cook and stir 5 min. or until Velveeta is completely melted and mixture is well blended. DRAIN spaghetti. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon into 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until heated through. **Note: If your guests like a little extra heat, fire up their taste buds by preparing this creamy, zesty recipe with RO*TEL Hot Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies and Velveeta Jalapeno. Recipe by: Kraft Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home |