Going Fishin', Day One - Gettin' Saucy

So a few weeks ago on my Facebook page, I had someone request some ideas for recipes that would be quick and easy - and hearty - to take on a fishing trip. I thought and thought about some stuff, got some ideas, scrapped some ideas...and came up with some stuff I think you fishermen will really like!

One of the easiest things I know how to make is pasta sauce. The plus side is that it freezes beautifully so you can make it in advance and keep it for a quick, easy meal. I love cooking some pasta, mixing it in with the sauce, putting it in containers and freezing individual portions. It's perfect when you have as lazy weekend where you don't feel like cooking but want something that's not fast food. Just pop it in the microwave and there ya go.

For years, I have seen a friend of mine on Facebook talking about making The Pioneer Woman's spaghetti sauce. So the last time I made sauce, curiosity got the best of me, so I went to her site and looked up her recipe. I figured, what the heck, I have been making mine the same way for so many years that perhaps it was time to try a new recipe. When I got to the website, I smiled and chuckled a little to myself because our recipes were really very similar!

So really, it takes no time at all. First, go grab a green pepper and an onion. Then grab a pound of ground beef and some garlic.Chop the pepper and onion and add it to the skillet with the ground beef (or turkey or Italian sausage if that's your taste). If you have raw garlic, chop 3 or 4 cloves and add it to the mix. Just so everyone knows:  I am lazy. I used the pre-chopped kind that comes in a jar.

I feel no shame. Sometimes, it's bad enough peeling onions.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over top and brown all of that together until the beef is done. It doesn't matter if the veggies are still crunchy, because they will soften as the sauce simmers. Drain the fat off and put it in a large sauce pot.

I'm not Italian. Not even a little part of me. I'm German, Irish, Scottish and French (also known as mutt), but no Italian. I'd  like to pretend that I have a sweet little Italian grandmother hidden away somewhere, and she will pop out and show me how to make her secret sauce from the Old Country...but yeah...not going to happen. That's why I use canned tomato sauce and a jar of pre-made spaghetti sauce as my base. Again, no shame in my game. I usually use a big jar of sauce, and about 24 ounces of canned tomato sauce.

Once that's all mixed together, I add about a tablespoon each of oregano, basil, garlic powder and sugar. Then about a half a tablespoon of thyme. I eyeball all of these in the palm of my hand. and may even add more as the sauce cooks, so make sure you add to your personal taste!

The last thing I add is about a tablespoon of tomato paste. The one thing about tomato paste that has always bugged me is that I never use much of it once I open the can. So now I measure out one tablespoon increments and wrap them in plastic wrap. Then I freeze them. Every time I make sauce, I just plop one of the frozen tablespoons of tomato paste in there, and there's no waste! I have also seen people freeze it in ice cube trays and put them in a Ziploc once frozen. That's too much work for me...plus I don't want to wash anything I don't have to. Heh.

Now stir that all together, cover and let it simmer on low for a few hours. Make sure to stir every now and then so it doesn't stick, and so the tomato paste gets mixed in well once it thaws if you use it frozen.

I'm starting to be sorry I talked my husband into going out to eat tonight, because my kitchen smells SO good right now. I could eat a bowl of just the sauce with garlic bread and be happy. I don't even need the pasta.

For travel:
Cook up some pasta, drain it and rinse it in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain it again and add some sauce to it. Throw it in a Ziploc and toss it in the cooler. When you're ready to eat, just heat up a pan on your portable stove and warm it right up. Just a tip: go a little heavy on the sauce to noodle ratio, because the pasta will continue to absorb moisture for a bit.
Enjoy!