Tomato Sauce - Ulitmate Portion Fix

 GRANDMA’S TOMATO SAUCEO SERVES: 28 (approx. 2 Tbsp. each) 

Prep Time: 40 min.                Cooking Time: 1 hr. 15 min. (minimum) 

CONTAINER EQUIVALENTS (per serving): 1 Green  ½ Gray

- 2 Tbsp. olive oil 

- ¾ cup onion, chopped (approx. 1 medium) 

- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

- 3 oz. tomato paste 

- ¼ cup red wine 

- 2 cans (28-oz. ea.) whole peeled tomatoes, pureed (preferably San Marzano) 

- 2 Tbsp. coconut sugar 1 tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt) 

- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 

- 3 oz. Parmesan (or Parmigiano) cheese rind 

- 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil 

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. 

2. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.

3. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let tomato paste burn. 

4. Add wine; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. 

5. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; gently boil, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. 

6. Add cheese rind; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. 

7. Remove cheese rind. Add basil; mix well. 

RECIPE NOTES: 

• Choosing the right canned tomato can be tricky. Quality definitely matters, but price doesn’t always reflect quality. Look out for tomatoes that appear pale and watery, or taste bland and overly acidic. Let taste be your guide. Also, I always buy whole peeled tomatoes and blend or crush them myself because producers save the best tomatoes for whole canning, and send the lower-quality yield to the grinder. 

• The Parmesan rind is not totally necessary, but it is a great way to add depth to the sauce without much by way of extra calories. I always save the rinds from hard cheeses like Parmesan and pecorino Romano to add to sauces and soups for extra flavor. 

• If cooking the sauce for a long time, to further develop the flavors, add 1 to 2 cups water, ¼ cup at a time, to achieve desired consistency; cook, on very low heat, covered, stirring about every 5 to 10 minutes, for 4 to 6 hours. 

• Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Grilled Basil-Marinated Chicken

Level: Easy
Total: 3 hr 31 min

Prep: 16 min
Inactive: 3 hr
Cook: 15 min

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)

Directions
Whisk together the oil, vinegar, basil, onion, salt, peppercorns, and garlic in a bowl. Transfer the marinade to a gallon-sized sealable plastic bag with the chicken and shake to combine. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.

When ready to cook, build a charcoal fire or preheat gas grill.
Remove chicken from the marinade. Grill the chicken, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a platter and garnish with the basil sprigs.

Sweet and Spicy Chili Glazed Grilled Shrimp

Sweet and Spicy Chili Glazed Grilled Shrimp
From Sonoma Cooking Class

Serves 8 as an appetizer

2 lb raw, shelled, de-veined shrimp
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup hot chili garlic paste
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
Kosher Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 cup Rice bran oil

- Rinse shrimp in cold water and place in a large ziploc bag
- combine garlic, ginger, both chili pastes, honey, lime juice, salt, pepper, and oil in a large bowl.  Whisk thoroughly.  Set aside 1 cup of the marinade.
- Pour remaining mixture over shrimp and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- When ready to cook, thread shrimp onto skewers
- If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 1/2 hour before skewering.  Preheat outdoor grill to medium high. Place all skewers on grill.
- When they've cooked for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, quickly flip them over brush with any remaining marinade that's in the bag.  Cook for another 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, or until opaque and pink.  Shrimp cook extremely quickly and you don't want to overcook them.
- Remove skewers from grill and remove shrimp from skewers and, drizzle with reserved marinade, and squeeze with extra lime if you desire.

Grilled Pineapple with Bourbon Caramel and Lime Zest

Grilled Pineapple with Bourbon Caramel and Lime Zest
From Sonoma Cooking Class

Serves 6
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp lime zest
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 6 wedges

- Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate
- Whisk brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.  Pour sugar mixture into a large re-sealable plastic bag.  Place pineapple wedges in bag and shake to coat each wedge.
- Grill pineapple wedges on the preheated grill.  Serve with Bourbon Caramel.


Bourbon Caramel

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp bourbon
pinch of salt

- Simmer sugar and 1/4 cup water on medium heat, swirling pan NOT stirring for about 15 minutes or until a deep amber color is reached.  Watch closely as not to let it burn.
- Turn off burner and remove from heat and slowly add cream while stirring.  Add pinch of salt and bourbon and place back on still-warm burner for another minute while stirring.
- Transfer to a heat-safe dish or bottle and let cool.

Salsa-Topped Steak

eMeals

Ingredients
1 16 oz pkg frozen garlic Texas Toast
2 lb sirloin steak, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 16 oz container fresh salsa
1 8 oz pkg shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
1 8 oz carton sour cream

Instructions
1.  Bake toast according to package directions.

2.  Meanwhile, lightly season steak with salt and pepper.  Cook steak in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat to desired doneness.  Add salsa; cook, stirring, 3 minutes.

3.  Top toast with steak mixture; sprinkle with cheese, and top with sour cream.

Serve with zucchini

GIngery Orange Chicken

eMeals

Ingredients
2 lb boneless, SKinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup orange marmalade
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 15 oz can mandarin oranges
1 12 oz pkg frozen snow peas

Instructions
1.  Cut chicken in half crosswise, and pound to an even thickness in a zip-loc plastic bag using the heel of your hand or a meat mallet.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.

2.  Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add half of chicken, and cook 4-5 minutes per side or until done.  Remove from skillet, and keep warm.  Repeat with remaining chicken.  This made a lot of smoke in the house, next time try baking the chicken.

3.  Meanwhile, stir together marmalade, cornstarch, lemon juice, and ginger.  Add to skillet with oranges and juice from can.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened.  Return chicken to skillet, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

4.  Steam snow peas according to package directions; stir into chicken mixture.


Serve with Jasmine Rice

Grilled Halloumi and Asparagus over Arugula with Preserved Lemon and Green Garlic Dressing

From Sonoma cooking class

Serves 6

6oz arugula
3/4 lb halloumi
1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 bunch scallions, trimmed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh mint
1 tsp sumac

Prepare a hot grill.  Cut halloumi into 8 to 12 slabs, about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick.  Season asparagus with salt and pepper.  Toss asparagus and halloumi with olive oil.

Grill asparagus until tender and nicely charred, turning occasionally.  Remove and cut into 1 inch pieces on the diagonal.

Grill halloumi, turning occasionally, for 2 to 6 minutes, until grill marks appear.  When you press on the cheese, it should give but it should not be runny.

Remove cheese to the platter with arugula and asparagus, sprinkle cheese with herbs and sumac, and serve over dressed arugula.


Preserved Lemon and Green Garlic Dressing

1 preserved lemon, minced
1 stalk green garlic, minced
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 honey
salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.  Slowly drizzle in olive oil while continuously whisking.  Toss arugula with dressing and serve.

Spicy Lamb Kebobs with Harissa Aioli

From Sonoma cooking class

Harissa Aioli
Makes 1 1/4 cups

1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup rice bran oil
1/2 cup Harissa Sauce

Place the egg and egg yolk in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.  Process until evenly combined, about 10 seconds.

With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin stream, followed by the rice bran oil, until completely combined, about 2 minutes.

Stop the processor, add the harissa sauce, and pulse until thoroughly mixed.  Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then pulse until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Spicy Lamb Kebobs with Harissa Aioli
Makes 12 kebobs

1/4 tsp caraway seeds, ground
1/4 tsp coriander seeds, ground
1/4 tsp cumin seeds, ground
2oz ancho chilies (about 4) stemmed and seeded
1 Tbsp smoked sweet paprika
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

To make the Harissa sauce, put ancho chilies in a heat proof bowl and pour hot water over ancho chilies.  Let cool slightly, then transfer the softened chilies and 2 Tbsp of the soaking liquid to a blender.  Add the ground spices, paprika, lemon juice, the garlic cloves, olive oil and salt.  Puree the harissa until smooth.


Lamb Skewers

1 1/4 lb ground lamb
12 bamboo skewers
olive oil

Place bamboo skewers in shallow dish.  Cover with cold water and let stand at least 1 hour.  Preheat grill (medium-high heat). Drain skewers.

Combine lamb and 1/2 cup of the harissa sauce in large bowl and mix well.  (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.)

Form generous 1/4 cup lamb mixture into 3-inch-long sausage around center of 1 bamboo skewer.  Repeat with remaining lamb mixture and skewers.  Brush lamb kebabs with oil.  Grill kebabs until brown and cooked through, turning frequently, about 12 minutes.  Serve with harissa aioli.

Spring Onion and Pistachio Pesto

From Sonoma cooking class

Makes 3 cups

3 bunches  spring onions, halved

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup toasted pitachios

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 lemon, juiced 

half a bunch of basil

1 cup olive oil

Preheat grill to medium heat

Drizzle onions with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill onions 7-10 minutes, until slightly charred and they are softened, turning once halfway through.

Remove from grill and roughly chop.  Process all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor.  Slowly drizzle in olive oil while machine is running until pesto is creamy.  Check for seasoning.