Really Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce

May 1, 2013 · 31 Comments

Really Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce

My kids are a bit weird.

They have never been ‘tomato sauce kids’! They are practically un-Australian, I know!

Lots of kids though do eat a lot of tomato sauce.

Once the tomatoes have been heavily processed and mixed in with a heap of additives, sugar, salt and questionable oils they can no longer really be called a vegetable!

Sure, you can make your own ‘proper’ tomato sauce and I have done (the thermomix makes it pretty easy). I just find sterilizing all those bottles a little time-consuming! Quirky Cooking has an ace recipe if you want to try it out.

Anyway, this is my quick version of tomato sauce. Make a small amount. Store it in the fridge. Use within four to five days or freeze. No need to sterilize bottles. But do give them a good wash in hot soapy water!

The slow roasting brings out the beautiful flavours and makes it sweet.

We use it alongside meats for added flavour but it also makes a great easy meal by throwing some over the top of some chicken and whacking it in the oven to bake.

You can also use it on pizza, tossed through pasta, as a dipping sauce……. anything really!

It also tastes good with other veges added in like capsicum and zucchini, but keep the tomatoes as the main ingredient or it won’t be that nice red colour.

(We don’t want to freak the kids out tooooo much!)

Okay, so this is what you need:

Tomatoes (try to source some organic or pesticide free ones from a farmer’s market)

Red onion

Garlic

Balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Fresh herbs ( I like basil but whatever you have is fine)

Tiny sprinkle of rapadura sugar (optional)

Tiny sprinkle of pink himalayan salt

Tiny sprinkle of cracked black pepper

I don’t have exact measurements – you really don’t need them.

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Give your tomatoes a good wash and halve them.

Cut the red onion into wedges.

Whack in a baking dish with the garlic cloves (unpeeled).

Drizzle over the balsamic and olive oil.

Sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper.

Chuck into the oven on a low temperature – about 160°C for about one hour.

Let it cool down a little.

Squeeze the garlic out of their skins.

Chuck everything into your thermomix/blender/food processor.

Chuck in your fresh herbs.

Whizz. Taste and check for seasonings.

Slurp it into a bottle or jar.

Keep in the fridge or freeze portions.

Do you like tomato sauce? Do your kids eat it?

Tomato Noodle Soup

April 7, 2012 · 12 Comments

This is one of those great recipes for lazy Sunday nights or the times you haven’t been shopping or the times the budget is a bit stretched. It uses foods you probably already have in the pantry and is still very nutritious and tasty.

Tomato Noodle Soup

Vital Stats: Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Vegetarian, Vegan

So, this is what you need:

2 tspn macadamia oil

2 cloves crushed organic garlic

2 x 410g cans Spiral organic diced tomatoes

1 tbs organic tomato paste

1 tspn dried Italian herbs

4 cups/1 litre chicken bone broth or vegetable stock

250g thin uncooked organic spaghetti or gluten free spaghetti

1 organic zucchini (optional)

fresh herbs and fresh parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Okay, so this is how you do it:

In a large pot, slurp the oil. Then grate in the organic garlic (or use Spiral organic garlic in a jar) and cook for one minute on a low heat. Get the garlic pong off your hands by rubbing them vigorously on your stainless steel sink.

Next, fling in the diced tomatoes – use Spiral Organic tomatoes as there is no BPA plastic lining the can. Then chuck in the tomato paste, herbs and the stock or broth. Stir and bring to the boil.

Now this bit is optional, but I like to feel virtuous by adding green stuff! Grate in one zucchini. You could also use this opportunity for a bit of a fridge clean out and throw in any leftover veges instead!

Add the spaghetti and cook for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Go and put your feet up, get a kid to stir it occasionally to make sure it doesn’t catch on the bottom. If you want some protein, you could add any cooked leftover meat or a tin of tuna now and heat through.

Serve with some fresh herbs, cracked pepper and fresh grated parmesan cheese on top (not the packet stuff please!). It makes about 4-6 portions, depending on how big you like your serves. It works well next day for lunch too.

Now, a word about tinned or canned food and BPA.

It’s not good. Most people are aware of the dangers of BPA or bisphenol A as it has been pretty topical lately. You can read more here. It’s something I have been very careful of and have taken steps to remove it completely from our home.

Take a look inside the can next time you open one. Is the lining plastic? Good chances are it contains BPA and the BPA has leached into your food! I can only find one brand of organic tomatoes that do not contain BPA and that is Spiral Organic. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anyone in my area that stocks it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and the kids like it too. Remember to come back and tell me how it was!

Update: I have had some great feedback on this recipe via Facebook. Here is what other mums have to say:

* Melissa says “I made your tomato & noodle soup for dinner tonight. It was yum! M loved it too, & when I could get I (aka Miss I don’t like soup) to have some she said it was nice.”

* Peta says “Tomato Noodle Soup was AMAZING!!! It was the nicest soup I have eaten in AGES!! My Miss 2 LOVED it and Master 4 devoured half my soup while waiting for his noodles to cool! He has also re-named it in our house-hold as “Christmas Soup” because it has the red tomatoes and green zucchini!! Thanks once again :)”

How to Save your Family from Fast Food !

February 1, 2012 · 11 Comments

I don’t reaaaallly have to tell you how bad fast food is, do I? Well, I will anyway….. it’s loaded with fat, sugar, salt and artificial stuff galore. It’s not the kind of food you want your family to be eating on a regular basis.

I know, I know…… there are days when cooking a meal just seems the last straw after a huge, messy day. But trust me, your body will thank you for it… no fast food hangover the next day. Your wallet will be happy too.

So, I have got some REALLY easy, I mean RIDICULOUSLY easy ideas to save you from the fast food trap. I am not reinventing the wheel here… some of them are nothing new. There are plenty of things lurking in the pantry that can give your families a nourishing meal with minimum effort expended.

PANTRY STAPLES

TOMATO NOODLE SOUP : Try this super quick Tomato Noodle Soup using pantry staples!

TUNA COUSCOUS: Grab a can of tuna (in springwater and dolphin friendly) and some couscous (organic wholewheat or corn for the GF people) from the pantry. Raid the fridge for salad ingredients – onion/shallots, tomato, capsicum, cucumber, carrot, etc. Pour couscous into a stainless steel or glass bowl. Boil kettle and pour just enough water over the couscous to cover, maybe a tiny bit over. Cover with teatowel. Meanwhile, quickly chop up some salad into small dice. Add veges to couscous and then mix in a tin of tuna and a good grind of salt and pepper. Any fresh herbs you may have can be added too or use a sprinkle of dried. Serve. Eat.

VEGE PASTA : Grab from the pantry a bag of organic wholemeal pasta (or GF pasta) and a jar of organic pasta sauce (Jensens make a nice one). Cook pasta while you sit down for ten minutes (boil water in the kettle and put into the saucepan for even quicker set up). Dump in the jar of sauce, stir around. Add whatever leftover veges or meat happen to be floating around in the fridge or a can of tuna from the pantry. Heat. Serve with some fresh parmesan cheese on top (not the packet stuff please). Serve. Eat.

BEANS N TOAST : Grab a can of organic baked beans and a couple of slices of good quality bread. Chuck beans in saucepan and heat. Make toast. Add beans to toast and sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve. Eat.

FRIDGE PICNIC: Assemble artistically on a platter any of the following : leftover cooked meat, hard boiled eggs, cheese, fruit, salad veges, additive free crackers, chutney or pickles, dried fruit, nuts. Serve. Eat with fingers. One plate to wash up. BONUS!

POACHED EGG on TOAST: Get a large frypan, fill half with boiling water from the kettle, drop in some egg rings, drop your organic eggs into the egg rings and put the lid on. Take them out when they are just done to your liking. Spread slices of good quality bread with organic avocado and top with egg. Add a good grind of salt and pepper. If you have any tomato and spinach to hand, heat and eat that too.

SUPERMARKET RUN:

You are on your way home from work and the fast food joint is calling your name….. set your GPS and detour immediately to the nearest supermarket!

*Grab some organic meat and a bag or box of pre-cut salad and a punnet of cherry tomatoes. When you get home, grill the meat, chuck the salad and tomatoes in a bowl. Throw away any dressing that has come with the salad. While the meat is grilling, add some olive oil and vinegar, mustard, garlic and seasonings to a jar and shake. Pour over salad. Eat.

*Grab a packet of noodles (choose additive free ones), a packet of pre-cut stirfry strips of any meat you like and a bag of pre-cut stirfry vegetables. Go home, chuck it all in the wok with some coconut oil, grate in some garlic and ginger. Splash in some soy sauce or tamari. Eat.

LEFTOVERS :

Also known in our house as freezer-free-for-all ! Build up a stash of frozen meals. Whenever you cook, make extra. Curries, spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne, mince patties, whatever. Some frozen, organic Australian vegetables (no sauces etc) are also handy to get some veges on the side. Name and date the containers and you will always have a nutritious meal on hand to save you from fast food!

So, there you have it, a few ideas to get you started. I would love you add your own ideas in the comment section !

I think you should print this list out. Keep it near the takeaway menus! 😉