CarolCooks2…Week 3…in my Kitchen…made from scratch…Fresh Tomato Sauce…

Every Thursday I will show you how easy it is to replicate a processed food in your own kitchen…not only are most recipes easy to replicate but they make far more … are much more cost-effective …Who doesn’t like 3 for the price of one?

I am also really trying to get over the message that we should first and foremost be counting chemicals in our foods, not calories or cost…I was going say count the sugar, salt and fat but we all know how important they are to our health and well being and that we should be aware of government guidelines but it seems the chemicals in our foods ..don’t quite carry the same importance for many…

Many illnesses/diseases are proven to be a direct result of the food and drinks we consume…I would much prefer to change my diet than pop a pill or three… Highly processed foods consumed in excess are known to have consequences for our health and our families health…

I am noticing when doing research the word “likely” crops up very frequently as in “likely safe”…and most times more than once in the same sentence…I don’t like it! It makes me uneasy…

Tomato Sauce:

This sauce is ideal as a base for pasta sauces, a pizza, a panini, stuffed peppers, a cocktail sauce it can be used anywhere where you use tomato sauce I keep a pot in the fridge and freeze portions…

I first started making this when my kids were small the reason with 6 kids to feed and two adults imagine how many jars of pasta/tomato sauce I would need to buy and cart home every month… it made sense to make my own plus I worked full time so it meant that once a month I would have a big cooking weekend and make enough for the month which saved me time and money it also most importantly cut down quite substantially the amount of salt and sugar that my family was eating as processed sauces are known to be high in sugars and sodium…A win-win situation.

If it all got too much then half a cup of tomato sauce just don’t use one with meat in…mixed with 1.5-3 oz of vodka …well one BM is not enough …lol…Lime juice, horseradish and a shot of pickle juice… equal 2 Bloody Mary’s…Ahhhhhh

Need a quick vinaigrette then combine a spoonful of tomato sauce with a 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup good olive oil, fresh basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk everything together and drizzle over your lunch or dinner.

Tomato Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 4 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 4 cups peeled and quartered tomatoes (5 to 6 tomatoes)
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato paste/puree.
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or 3 times the amount if using fresh oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil or twice the amount if fresh
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1-2 bay leaves

Let’s Cook!

Grease a baking sheet and place tomatoes skin side down then lightly coat the peppers and onions in olive oil and place on the baking tray also throw the unpeeled garlic into the tray…Pop it in your preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before peeling the skin should come away quite easily.

When the tomatoes and peppers are roasted heat your pan and add a little olive oil add the onions and cook without growing when just softened add the garlic and cook for a few minutes then add roasted tomatoes and pepper with all the other ingredients, cover with a lid and turn down to a really low simmer and cook for about 45-60 minutes stirring occasionally.

Remove the bay leaves.

I like to roast my tomatoes and also add a red bell pepper but you can add the tomatoes raw and cook just the same if you don’t have fresh tomatoes then I have used the same ingredients and used tinned tomatoes and cooked them down to make a nice thick sauce. It is quite easy to double this recipe if you want to make and freeze some…if you feel it is a little chunky if you are making a cocktail sauce for example just give your portion a little whizz in a small blender…Play with it and adjust to your taste as that is what food is all about taste…your taste…x

While doing my research I came across an article on what foods you should always buy rather than make at home…among those foods was bread, peanut butter, beer? a strange thing to have on an article on what not to make at home…even I don’t make wine or beer…I was however quite pleased with the comments especially regarding bread and peanut butter… most people disagreed with the writer who didn’t respond at all I will add… it didn’t take into account chemicals, preservatives, sugars, salt, fats, the volume of what you can make versus the gms in a jar or packet it was more promotion of all the gadgets you would need to buy…and costings and comparisons were based on the cheapest foods which are known to be the least healthy.

I am not a gadget person and I do know what it is like to work, bring up children and all the other chores which go with running a household but this is where planning and batch cooking comes in…I just feel we need to encourage people to cook from scratch and not put up barriers…I don’t use a bread maker my mother did in later years, either way, is ok but not essential to have a bread maker… a tin or self-shaping works fine…

BUT it did make me wonder what are the barriers as to why more people don’t cook from scratch…Your thoughts? It would be interesting …I need a stats person…

Thank you for reading this post I hope you enjoy this new series…if you cook from scratch and have some tips to share please leave a comment I would love to hear from you…Love Carol x

49 thoughts on “CarolCooks2…Week 3…in my Kitchen…made from scratch…Fresh Tomato Sauce…”

  1. Pingback: CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…1st March-6th March 2021…#Recipes, Whimsy, Music and Lifestyle Changes | Retired? No one told me!

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      My thoughts exactly as to who was the sponsor…Yes, I had three and met Alan after my first husband passed away he had two as his wife had also passed away and we had one…6 and yes a lot of washing, cooking and running about whilst working full time studying for my banking exams and then law….But they survived as did I and all work extremely hard and have done very well as I am sure yours will…parents who lead by example seem to have kids who do the same and no one said it was easy but it is doable x

      Liked by 1 person

  7. koolkosherkitchen

    I have always made my own tomato sauce, since in Russia we didn’t have commercially produced one. I tasted the commercial one when I came here, and it had a strange aftertaste to me. That ended the experiment.
    As to making beer at home, it has become a huge trend among young people.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen

    I love that you led with the most important – count chemicals first, not calories or cost. To me, that is the starting point. Real whole foods don’t equipped with preservatives and additives, and organic ones don’t carry the toxic chemicals that conventionally grown foods are saturated with. As to why more folks don’t cook from scratch? Many answers, some people were not taught how to cook growing up so they lack the confidence and skills and think of cooking as almost voodoo. I know some of my students thought that steaming a vegetable was magic. They would learn how to make a white sauce in a few minutes and thought they had become the greatest cook in the world!
    Sadly, many people are so distracted by their social media that they simply look for the fastest way to put “food” in their families as possible, I know a few of them, can’t get off the tablet. Gosh, I sound like a crotchety old woman!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Not at all you sound just like me Dorothy I wish schools would lead with lessons on how to grow , cook proper food and teach children how to integrate it into their lives…I was lucky I grew up in a family of farmers and gamekeepers and home cooks I understand that is not the case now but schools need to adjust and bring more physical education as well kids learn better if they are getting daily exercise. So you can this crotchety old ladies club if you like Dorothy… haha x

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen

        LOL! The schools are trying with a lot of this stuff, little gardens on the playgrounds and cooking lessons. Some kids have never seen a fresh vegetable, don’t know what a potato looks like. Some of my grandkids friends have done some cooking in my kitchen and they also feel like it is magic. What? A waffle doesn’t come out of a package in the freezer?

        Liked by 1 person

      2. CarolCooks2 Post author

        I know I think the world wanted advancement so quickly and forgot what is important and we are seeing the results the good thing is many are learning new skills because of covid-19 and the shortages which is a plus 🙂 x

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  11. Jim Borden

    I used to make my own tomato sauce, but that was probably 35 years ago.

    I think there are two basic reasons why I don’t cook from scratch – lack of confidence (which your posts certainly help to alleviate), and the concern with how much time it takes versus just picking up things at the store…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Hi Jim I see your point but sometimes we have to decided what is important to us and find the time…I don’t spend hours in the kitchen I plan…Start small and your confidence will grow and if you make mistakes that’s fine some of mine are epic..still edible and some are only fit for the bin…haha but trust me not everything turns out hunky dory the first time or even the second …. …you have a head start having made it before…:) x

      Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Roasting gives it that extra rich flavour, Janet it is so worth doing …hopefully we will all have some visitors soon if not a Bloody Mary or two will help while the hours away 🙂 x

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  13. beetleypete

    I buy ready-made passatta, and check on the label for additives. Some brands do add sugar, so it is always worth checking. Or we could just use your recipe! 🙂
    Best wishes, Pete. x

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      You could, Pete… it’s good to check labels but any more than 3 ingredients and it goes back on the shelf plus most of the writing is so small I can’t read it anyway…sigh…:) x

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Sharon

    I think people are just flat out making a living and just too tired to go home and grow their own food and prepare their own sauces but I am a big believer in accepting less work and getting satisfaction and the health benefit from growing and processing your own foods.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      I understand but I had a big family which was why I used to spend 1 weekend a month just cooking sauces and portions of food which then took the pressure of me during the month…Obbviously it is up to the individual as to how much they can or can’t do but it saves not only time but money and trust me I don’t spend all day in the kitchen 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Sharon

    Yep makes me nervous too and it is so easy to make your own. Love the suggestion for the vinaigrette.

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