Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti Sauce
Al’s Spaghetti Sauce


If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.


FYI - If you make this recipe to save money and/or time - it will do neither. It will give you the satisfaction of making a great homemade product. Truly a labor of love.

Ingredients:

2 - 28oz cans Dei Fratelli Chopped Italian Tomatoes
1 - 28oz can Dei Fratelli Diced Tomatoes
2 - 15oz cans Dei Fratelli Tomato Sauce
1 - 12oz can Everyday Essentials Tomato Paste
1 - Medium Sized fresh tomato (optional - had one on hand)
2 - Cups Cherry Tomatoes - halved (optional - had some on hand)
1 - Large (or 2 Medium) White Onion - diced
1 - 8oz package of Mushrooms - diced
2 to 3 - Medium sized Zucchinis
2 to 3 - Medium sized Yellow Squash
2 - Medium sized carrots - peeled and fine grated.
Minced garlic (you decide how much)
Penzey’s Dried Oregano
Fresh Thyme (stripped from stem)
Fresh Basil (several leaves fine chopped)
Salt & Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 - lbs Ground Chuck.

The ingredients used above will fill a 7QT pot. Scale your batch accordingly. We freeze measured amounts of sauce in a container - enough for 3-4 servings.

Directions:

Place a 7QT pot on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pot. Add carrot, 1/2 of diced onion, zucchini, squash, 1/3 of diced mushrooms, and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, & oregano. Stir.

Sauté until veggies are tender (about 5 - 10 minutes). You might have to add more EVOO during sauté time. Onions will start caramelize. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Add about a teaspoon of fresh thyme and tablespoon of fresh basil.

Add all tomato products and 1/3 of diced mushrooms to pot. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce to a texture of your liking. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a screen and stir often. The goal is to reduce the water content and concentrate the tomato mixture. This process will take 2 to 3 (or more) hours. Place a teaspoon of the sauce on a plate to see how much liquid spreads out from the edges. I don’t like much water in my sauce, so there’s very little. Season to taste with salt and pepper after it’s done reducing. Salting too much before reduction will also concentrate the salt. Add a sprinkle of dried oregano and more fresh thyme if you like. Stir

While tomato/veggie mixture is reducing, brown the ground chuck.

In another pan sauté the remaining diced onions, remaining diced mushrooms, and some garlic until soft. Salt & Pepper to taste.

Add ground chuck. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle of dried oregano. Break up and stir. Drain excess grease. If you are freezing the entire batch - allow to cool before adding to sauce. If you plan to use the sauce right away - add meat to sauce if it’s reduced to your liking.

Cool before freezer packaging. Fill sink with enough cold water ice to reach 1/2 up the sauce pot when placed into sink. Stir every few minutes.

Seasoned Vegetable Medley with Shrimp




Seasoned Vegetable Medley with Sauteed Shrimp

This veggie dish has become a favorite in our house. I make a large batch so I can have left overs. I like to make an omelet with these veggies.

This dish is all about timing. You don't want the shrimp to get done first and get cold. You don't want to leave the veggies in the pan waiting for the shrimp to get done.

The veggies will cook at different rates; you can help adjust for that by paying attention to piece size. Cauliflower and carrots tends to take longer to cook due to their density. I like to have a bit larger pieces of cauliflower, so those go in first. I try to keep the carrot slices about 1/4" thick. Broccoli, squash, and zucchini cook pretty quickly - keep a close eye on them so they don't turn to mush.

I tend to like my veggies on the crunchy side, so adjust the cooking times to suit your tastes.

If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.



Veggie Ingredients:

Cauliflower
Carrots
Broccoli
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
1/2 lemon - quartered
Grass Fed Butter
Olive Oil
Granulated garlic (Penzey's)
Granulated onion (Penzey's)
Tuscan Sunset (Penzey's)
Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Shrimp Ingredients:

1 lb raw, peeled, devained, and cleaned shrimp
Olive Oil
Granulated garlic (Penzey's)
Granulated onion (Penzey's)
Forward (Penzey's) Adds a bit of heat and spice
Salt & fresh ground pepper


Directions:

Place shrimp on a plate.
Season shrimp with garlic, onion, Foward, salt & pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Mix well.
Set aside while working on the veggies

Cut veggies into bite sized pieces. Place large saute pan on medium high heat.
Add olive oil to pan. Add cauliflower. Stir.

Squeeze lemon pieces over cauliflower and add lemon pieces in the pan.
Add splashes of water to create steam. When water has evaporated, add a bit more. Do this through out the entire cooking process.

Lightly season with granulated garlic, onion, Tuscan Sunset, salt and pepper.
Stir. Allow cauliflower to saute/steam for about 2 - 3 minutes.

Heat another saute pan for shrimp.

Add carrots - lightly season - stir - add a bit more water - stir for 3 - 4 minutes.

Add a bit of olive oil and shrimp to other saute pan. Stir.

Add broccoli - lightly season - stir - add a bit more water - stir for 1 - 2 minutes.

Stir shrimp

Add squash and zucchini - lightly season - stir - add a bit more water - stir for 1 - 2 minutes.

Remove shrimp pan from heat. Shrimp should be pink.

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter to veggies. Stir while melting.
Taste and add additional seasoning if needed.
Remove the lemon pieces.

Plate the veggies, top with shrimp.


Until the next good eats - cook well and be well.

Al