Recipe Collection Thread (recipe board)

This is a foolproof sauce, kids will love it! My daughter opts for the shovel approach when eating it, but at 18months I'll forgive her for not adhering to normal diningroom etiquette.

Tomato sauce

two tins(400-450g?) of decent Italian toms

one large onion (roughly chopped)

one large carrot (roughly chopped)

one large celery stick (roughly chopped)

one large clove garlic (chopped/squashed)

few fresh basil leaves ( I throw in about 5 or more large ones)

five tbsp of olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

put all ingredients into a medium saucepan and simmer for 30 mins (no lid)
then take off the heat and pureefy? with a hand blender. Then back on to simmer for 15 mins, I would put a lid partially on here to reduce splashes of sauce as it spits & gurgles.
then straight onto a bed of steaming pasta (penne is good)
and lots of parmesan if you like it (my daughter again forgets herself and grabs handfuls , prep school for her!)

and voila !!

sorry, edited to include garlic (oops)

Here's a way of feeding your family luxuriously for three days for hardly any money without appearing to dish up leftovers, thus laying yourself open to mutiny.
Ingredients for Day 1: Cassoulet. Serves 4, with lots to spare.
1 whole pack dried haricot beans, soaked overnight in cold water to cover.
2 onions
2/3 cloves garlic
2 tins tomatoes
1-2 packs pork sausages (use any you like including frozen. The slow cooking transforms even cheapest ones)
1 rasher bacon per person OR leftover diced pork from a joint OR leftover lamb OR 1 tin ham, chopped pork-and-ham, etc.
1 chicken thigh per person, optional.
1-2 heaped tablespoonfuls black treacle OR golden syrup OR brown sugar
1 heaped dessertspoonful any mustard OR Worcestershire sauce
Salt, pepper, 1 tsp. mild dried herbs, not sage.
2 tablespoons Olive oil/butter/dripping
The end of a bottle of wine or cider, optional, or stock, or more water

Method: Drain soaked beans, cover with cold water (NO SALT), bring up to boil; boil until tender. Could be 1-2 hours depending on how elderly your beans are. Do not worry if you haven't soaked them. Simply boil for longer, replenishing water where necessary.
In a large casserole, fry onions/garlic in oil until browned, put on one side, then add chicken joints if using and brown all over, together with bacon/ham/pork.
Replace onions, and add beans and their cooking water, plus tomatoes, chopped. Bring up to a simmer then add treacle/sugar, mustard, herbs, salt and pepper, and wine if using. Try and lift sausages and chicken joints to top of casserole. Slow oven for at least 2-3 hours, covered. Top up with wine/water if looking dry. Season again before serving with fresh crusty bread.
There will be loads left, so divide leftover beans into two portions, putting any remaining sausages/chicken/bacon into one half, and refrigerate.

Day 2: Chili con Carne. To meaty half of remaining beans, add 1-2 dried or fresh chillies and 2 chopped fresh tomatoes. Chop any sausages or chicken left in the casserole. Reheat until bubbling hot, and serve with grated cheese, more chopped fresh tomatoes, and plain boiled rice.

Day 3: Baked Beans on Toast. Heat rest of beans just as they are, adding 1 teaspoonful of tomato puree (optional), and serve on thick fresh toast.

That's half a week of main meals for the price of one. Hope this helps.