So, I could be tempting fate here but for the first time since Christmas, we’ve had a good run of 5 days without illness (not including an abdominal migraine attack and a bit of man flu). Add to that the fact that it’s half term and the weather forecast is looking OK and you have a very happy me!
If you managed to read yesterday’s post about Miss Frugal you’ll know that I’m having to rethink the food that I include in my meal plans to make sure that there’s no processed meat in anything I cook – which is a harder than it sounds! Quick teas like chicken nuggets or burgers are out unless I make them myself which means it’s not really a quick tea. Sausages are out so I can’t do sausage casseroles or toad in the holes until I find a good local butcher.
Monday – Tuna pasta using the homemade tomato sauce recipe below.
Tuesday – Homemade fish and chips with mushy peas and bread and butter.
Wednesday – Homemade pizza for the kids using the tomato sauce on the base. Mr Frugal doesn’t finish until 8pm tonight so I’ll have my dinner with him when he comes home. I think we’ll Chicken Arriabata pasta using the leftover tomato sauce (sounds posh but really I’m just going to lightly fry some chopped chillis with some chicken and just before it’s done, I’ll add the last of the tomato sauce to the pan and heat it all together. Poured over some pasta it’ll be lovely.
Thursday – I’m going out tonight so I think I might do some pulled pork in the slow cooker so everyone can just help themselves. I’ll pop some potato wedges in the oven to go with it and Master Frugal can have the last of the chicken nuggets from the freezer.
Friday – Slow cooker chicken curry with rice and naan breads.
Saturday – Home made burgers and potato wedges.
I’ve made this recipe loads of times so I kind of just throw everything in without measuring and it’s really forgiving if you put too much or too little of something in (within reason). I measured everything out today and it tasted delicious using the quantities below….
1/2 onion chopped (fine or chunkier depending on your preference)
2-3 cloves of garlic (I use lazy garlic and put a teaspoon and a half in)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tins chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I’ve made it without this in the past and it still tasted lovely)
1 tablespoon dried basil (fresh would work just as well I imagine)
4 tablespoons water
- Fry the garlic and onions lightly in the olive oil until the onions are soft – this gives them a slightly sweeter taste and stops the sauce tasting bitter.
- Then add the rest of the ingredients and gently bring to the boil, stirring as you go along.
- When the mixture is boiling turn the heat right down until the sauce is only just simmering and let it simmer for around 20-30 minutes.
We use it for all sorts – pasta sauce, pizza base, as a topping for chicken wrapped in bacon, mixed with tuna for tuna pasta bake. It’s even nice on potato wedges with some grated cheese on top.
I freeze it in smaller portions so if I want a quick meal, I just pop a portion in the microwave and heat it up while I’m cooking some pasta. It’s like a homemade ready meal equivalent.
