Marinara Spaghetti Sauce - for preserving

This recipe is for bottled spaghetti sauce, from our cousin, Amy Whitford

12 C blended tomatoes (cored, blended in the blender; save some out to make more chunky)

Bring to a boil, let simmer for one hour, then add:

5 6oz cans tomato paste
3 yellow onions, chopped or pureed
3 bay leaves
3 tsp oregano
1 tsp fennel seed
1 T basil
2 1/2 T salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder or fresh equivalent (be generous w/garlic!)
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C sugar

Let simmer two more hours, then place in clean prepared bottles, leaving one-inch headspace. To each bottle, add 1 tsp lemon juice per quart or 1/2 tsp per pint. Place canning lids and rings on top.

Place hot bottles of sauce in a canning pan of boiling hot water (so the bottles don't crack,) with water covering the lids and process: 

Pints - 30 minutes
Quarts - 40 minutes

My Favorite Minestrone

Image from this website

1 lb sausage, browned and drained
1 quart water
1 can consomme
3-5 large carrots, cut large
3 stalks celery, cut large
1/2 tsp basil leaf
1 tsp oregano
1 1/2 quarts tomatoes
3 onions, cut large
1 T parsley
1 can tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced

Simmer the above 8-10 hours (in slow cooker). Add 1 can cut green beans and 1 can red kidney beans. Simmer 1 hour. Add 1 cup macaroni, cook until macaroni is done, about 10 minutes. Sugar and salt to taste. Sprinkle individual bowls with Parmesan cheese.

This is a very forgiving recipe. You can mix up the ingredients. I personally like to use acini do pepe for the pasta so that we don't get big bites of pasta. I like to add 2-3 C sliced cabbage at the end with the pasta. You can even make it up in less than an hour if that's the time you have, but the longer the ingredients simmer together, the better they'll taste! The consomme is delicious, but you can switch that out with beef broth if that's all you have. A perfect fall recipe. YUM!

Marvelous Minestrone

From Brenda Stott, one of our former neighbors

2 C onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 C cabbage, finely shredded
2 C carrots, finely diced
1 C green beans, cut
2 potatoes, cubed
2 C zucchini, chopped
4 oz can sliced mushrooms
2 C stewed tomatoes
3 T parsley
1 T basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
2 C tomato juice
4 C beef broth
1 C kidney beans, cooked
3/4 C macaroni
1/3 C raw barley

Saute onions until clear. Combine garlic, cabbage, carrots, green beans, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and tomatoes in a large pot. Add onion. Cook 10 minutes. Add parsley, basil, rosemary, tomato juice and beef broth. Cook 10 minutes. Puree 1/2 cup kidney beans in blender. Add to soup. Add remaining whole kidney beans. Boil. reduce heat. Simmer 25 minutes. Add macaroni and barley, cook for 15 minutes.

Deep-Dish Pizza

(From my Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1983 edition, but I've modified it slightly, of course, knowing me...)

1 lb hamburger (sometimes I'll add a little sausage or bacon for flavor)
Pizza Dough (see recipe here)
1 can (16 oz) whole tomatoes (or used diced) drained (I never drain it)
1 Tbsp instant minced onion
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder (or crushed garlic clove)
1 small green pepper
1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 oz) (I usually also add a little shredded cheddar cheese for color & flavor)

Cook and stir hamburger until light brown; drain. Prepare Pizza Dough. Mix tomatoes, onion, oregano, salt, the pepper and garlic powder; break up tomatoes with fork.

Press dough evenly on bottom and halfway up sides of greased oblong baking dish, 13x9x2 inhes. Sprinkle hamburger over dough. Spoon sauce over hamburger; top with green pepper, mushrooms and cheese. Cook in 425 degree oven until cheese is light brown, 20-25 minutes. 8 servings.

Pizza Dough

(From my Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1983 edition.)

1 pkg active dry yeast or 1½ tsp Saf-Insant yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2½ cups all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water (if it’s active.) Stir in remaining ingredients; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Let rest about 5 minutes.  (I've started adding italian spices to the dough, 1 tsp each garlic, basil, oregano, for added flavor - mmm!)

For pizza - Roll out on pizza pan and top with favorite pizza toppings or make bread sticks. Bake for about 18 mins in 425° oven.

For deep dish pizza - See the recipe here.

My addition: For bread sticks - Spread with melted butter, grated mozzarella cheese and little salt, bake 10+ minutes at 425°.

Roasted Chicken, Onion and Rosemary Pizza

(Recipe is from Pampered Chef)

1 pizza crust dough
2 C cooked chicken, coarsely chopped
1 C red onion, sliced
1/4 C fresh parsley, snipped
2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 t dried rosemary leaves or 1 T fresh rosemary
1/2 t salt
1/4 t coarsely ground pepper
1 pkg (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place dough in center of 15" Round Baking Stone.  Roll out using Dough and Pizza Roller to within 1/2 inch of edge.  Coarsely chop chicken using Food Chopper.  Slice red onion into 1/4 inch thick slices using 5" Utility Knife.  Snip parsley with Kitchen Shears.  In 4-Qt. Colander Bowl toss chicken, onion, parsley, olive oil, garlic pressed with Garlic Press, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese.  Spread chicken mixture over dough to within 1/2 inch of edge.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake 18-22 min. or until golden brown.  Let stand 10 min on Nonstick Cooling Rack.  Cut into squares or wedges with Pizza Cutter; serve using Large Serving Spatula.

Printable version here.