I’m going thru all the little notes I’ve been writing the last couple weeks (it’s getting deep) and there are a few that I wanted to share with you all.
First, someone a few weeks ago wanted a recipe for a winter taco sauce using ingredients after the fresh veggies are gone. I’ve been making one for years, but lost the recipe, I thought. Found it the other day…in the darn book, Journey Home, for heaven’s sake. I’ve searched but can’t remember the exact words to search for, so don’t know if it was here or one of the other 2 forums I visit (not as often as this one!). If it was here, here is the recipe –
I love taco sauce on just about any food in the world. Here is a recipe to make up in the winter and can for the months you can’t make fresh salsa and sauces. The recipe is a combination of so many ingredient changes over the years that I’m sure you will add or delete as your family likes also. Just have fun with it.
Winter Taco Sauce
Approximately 10 cups tomatoes – use a good quality canned tomato
2 large onions, rough chop
6-8 jalapeno or Serrano peppers, rough chop (don’t remove seeds)
6 large cloves garlic, rough chop
12 ozs. tomato paste
1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 T. salt
1 T. dry mustard
1 tsp. dried basil
1 T. black pepper
1/2 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. cayenne
Cornstarch: mix some with cold water and add to sauce towards end of cooking time if sauce is too thin for you – it will thicken a little after it has been canned and cooled. Each year you will have a different consistency because of the tomatoes
Put the tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic in a processor and mince finely or chop by hand.
Combine all the ingredients in a large soup pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 4 hours without a lid. Check for consistency you want and if needed, add some of the cornstarch mixture to your liking.
Fill sterilized jars with the sauce and process in a water bath for 25 minutes.
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Next, remember the cast iron griddles a few of us bought a couple years ago?
I used to have pizza tiles, but got rid of them somewhere along the time. While testing pizzas in the oven baking method, I wanted to try a couple different ways and equipment, so I drug this out and used it. It’s wonderful for baking a pizza – put it in the oven as you turn it on and it gets good and hot. I’ll be using this a lot when I don’t want to brave the elements to grill.
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Lastly, I just have to brag about Roy for a minute. I’m so proud of his ability to do just about any remodeling we get into our heads. We’ve been kicking around buying another trailer just a little longer than what we have – getting around the easy chairs without moving them to get into the bedroom was impossible, plus they took up so much room around the door, in and out. Also, I really missed the laundry shoot that I had in the 5th wheels – don’t like the basket in the tub that has to be moved all the time.
One Saturday we took our wine out to the trailer and debated spending all the money we knew was in store for us and decided we really did not want to commit to that. So…here’s the result of our wine-drinking afternoon.
The push out had a table and built in benches, so Roy ripped that all out and here is what’s there now –
Where the chairs were, he built a desk type counter that wraps around with storage and a great computer area and a fold up eating table.
The folding chairs will be replaced with some comfortable small stools of some sort – we’re going to take our time to find just what will fit.
AND, in the bedroom, he took out two drawers that were virtually useless and made a door for it and I have a hamper for dirty clothes!! It’s just great.
So, we didn’t have to spend much money at all and it’s so open in there now. We’re going over to the Port Townsend Sunday and Monday to test it all out. He really does beautiful work, doesn’t he?
First, someone a few weeks ago wanted a recipe for a winter taco sauce using ingredients after the fresh veggies are gone. I’ve been making one for years, but lost the recipe, I thought. Found it the other day…in the darn book, Journey Home, for heaven’s sake. I’ve searched but can’t remember the exact words to search for, so don’t know if it was here or one of the other 2 forums I visit (not as often as this one!). If it was here, here is the recipe –
I love taco sauce on just about any food in the world. Here is a recipe to make up in the winter and can for the months you can’t make fresh salsa and sauces. The recipe is a combination of so many ingredient changes over the years that I’m sure you will add or delete as your family likes also. Just have fun with it.
Winter Taco Sauce
Approximately 10 cups tomatoes – use a good quality canned tomato
2 large onions, rough chop
6-8 jalapeno or Serrano peppers, rough chop (don’t remove seeds)
6 large cloves garlic, rough chop
12 ozs. tomato paste
1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 T. salt
1 T. dry mustard
1 tsp. dried basil
1 T. black pepper
1/2 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. cayenne
Cornstarch: mix some with cold water and add to sauce towards end of cooking time if sauce is too thin for you – it will thicken a little after it has been canned and cooled. Each year you will have a different consistency because of the tomatoes
Put the tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic in a processor and mince finely or chop by hand.
Combine all the ingredients in a large soup pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 4 hours without a lid. Check for consistency you want and if needed, add some of the cornstarch mixture to your liking.
Fill sterilized jars with the sauce and process in a water bath for 25 minutes.
---
Next, remember the cast iron griddles a few of us bought a couple years ago?
I used to have pizza tiles, but got rid of them somewhere along the time. While testing pizzas in the oven baking method, I wanted to try a couple different ways and equipment, so I drug this out and used it. It’s wonderful for baking a pizza – put it in the oven as you turn it on and it gets good and hot. I’ll be using this a lot when I don’t want to brave the elements to grill.
----
Lastly, I just have to brag about Roy for a minute. I’m so proud of his ability to do just about any remodeling we get into our heads. We’ve been kicking around buying another trailer just a little longer than what we have – getting around the easy chairs without moving them to get into the bedroom was impossible, plus they took up so much room around the door, in and out. Also, I really missed the laundry shoot that I had in the 5th wheels – don’t like the basket in the tub that has to be moved all the time.
One Saturday we took our wine out to the trailer and debated spending all the money we knew was in store for us and decided we really did not want to commit to that. So…here’s the result of our wine-drinking afternoon.
The push out had a table and built in benches, so Roy ripped that all out and here is what’s there now –
Where the chairs were, he built a desk type counter that wraps around with storage and a great computer area and a fold up eating table.
The folding chairs will be replaced with some comfortable small stools of some sort – we’re going to take our time to find just what will fit.
AND, in the bedroom, he took out two drawers that were virtually useless and made a door for it and I have a hamper for dirty clothes!! It’s just great.
So, we didn’t have to spend much money at all and it’s so open in there now. We’re going over to the Port Townsend Sunday and Monday to test it all out. He really does beautiful work, doesn’t he?
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
www.achefsjourney.com