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.