I'm so embarrassed. I can't for the life of me figure out how I missed posting this amazing recipe when I loved it so much and had it two or three times in a two-week period. Mollie Katzen's Eat, Drink and Weigh Less is all about making your meals as healthy as possible, which means skipping the fried Eggplant Parmesan. Although it messed up my jelly roll pan a bit (But do you really want your kitchenware to look unused?), this recipe went far in keeping the flavor and minimizing the fat.
Recipe for Simple Tomato Sauce
Blend one can diced tomatoes (mostly drained), two cloves garlic, and dehydrated basil in mini food processor until garlic is chopped. Add salt and/or fresh black pepper to taste. Heat in heavy sauce pan over medium low heat if necessary.
My husband gave me a massage a few weeks back as a birthday present. While I was enjoying the pampering and assistance relaxing since I was still recovering from the very recent delivery, my folks came over and made me dinner.
1 large can whole tomatoes, drained (I prefer Muir Glen for best flavor
2 cloves garlic
1 large handful dried basil, crushed
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
Combine all ingredients in a food processor. I have a small food processor and made two rounds. Chop to desired consistency. Some people prefer chunkier tomatoes. Dump sauce into a sauce pan and heat on low-medium. Stir to keep it from boiling over.
Note: Because the tomatoes were already salted, I left salt out of the recipe. You may want to add some salt if you have no-salt tomatoes. Or, you may want to try the sauce without any salt. You just might be surprised that you don't miss it.
Another Note: If you're of the non-wasteful type, do what I did and freeze the tomato juice. You'd be surprised what recipes call for it, and you'll already have it on hand! For example, when cooking beans from scratch, replace some of the water with some tomato juice. It increases the flavor. Or add it to broth in a soup.
Not only do I write a blog, but I read blogs. It's a great way to learn what other people are looking for when it comes to food and to try to help them out if I have answers. I had read a couple blogs about these things called Johnson's Buddies. They are little green bars with soap in them that fit perfectly in childrens' hands and lather quickly teaching them how to wash. They seem popular among moms, and I purchased one once because I was collecting a bunch of $1 items to go in a big blanket to give to a girl at the office.