Papa Kostranos Red Sauce Food

HOMEMADE PIZZA SAUCE (5-MINUTE RECIPE)

Steps:

• Combine all of your ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse together until well combined and blended.
• Cover and refrigerate for the flavors to meld at least 3 hours or store in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks.

CLASSIC RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Puree the tomatoes to a smooth, creamy consistency in a food processor or with an immersion blender. (If you like a more country feel, you can wait and break them up in the pan later with a wooden spoon.)
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. When hot, add the onion and saute 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until you see the color start changing. If you'd like to make the sauce spicy, add the red pepper flakes.
• Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer about 30 minutes. (If you did not puree the tomatoes, use a wooden spoon to break them into pieces while they cook.) Strive for balance in the consistency of the sauce: It has to be fluid, but it should not look overly wet. Add the basil and remove from the heat. Toss with just-cooked pasta.

PAPA RELLENA CON SALSA RANCHERA (STUFFED POTATO WITH SPICY CREOLE SAUCE)

Steps:

• For the potatoes: Start by putting the potatoes in a large pot. Cover with 8 cups cold water and add the salt; the water should taste a little salty. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook until they feel tender when poked with a fork or knife. Drain and then mash, adding the milk and butter. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for at least an hour.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a deep skillet over high heat. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Turn the heat down to medium-high and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the beef and tomato paste, cover and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for about 25 minutes. Remove the lid and stir; the consistency should look like thick chili. Transfer to a pan and spread the mixture out so it cools quickly.
• To assemble: Start by portioning the cooled potato mixture, about 8 ounces or enough to look like an orange when rolled into a ball. Next, take a ball and flatten with your palms while at the same time maintaining a cup shape in one hand. Then, with an ice cream scooper, fill the potato with the meat filling. Close and seal it with both hands. Repeat with all the potato balls. Set up 3 shallow pans, one with the egg wash and the others with the panko. Take a potato ball and put in the egg, then in the fine panko, back into the egg and then in the coarse panko. Once you have breaded them, put them in the refrigerator to firm up, about 30 minutes. Fill a deep pot about halfway with oil and heat to about 350 degrees F. Carefully drop the potato balls in the oil and fry in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with Salsa Ranchera.
• Start by heating a skillet with 5 tablespoons of the olive oil and adding the chiles and whole garlic cloves to toast for a few minutes. Then add the onions, bell peppers, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Then add the fresh tomatoes, tomato puree and stock, and reduce by a third at a low simmer; this takes about 15 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes. Then place in a blender and puree. Heat the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil in another pan. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and add to the pan. Fry the sauce in the hot pan and reduce until thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

PASTA WITH RED SAUCE AND SALMON

Steps:

• Heat oil in large pan over medium heat.
• Add onion; cook 3 minutes.
• Add garlic; cook an additional 2 minutes.
• Add next 6 ingredients; simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (gently to avoid breaking apart salmon).
• Cook pasta while sauce is simmering.
• Add water if sauce becomes too thick.
• Add parsley and basil a couple of minutes before serving.

PAPA KOSTRANO'S RED SAUCE

Steps:

• Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a large stockpot or Dutch oven that was pre-heated over medium-high heat. Add diced veggies. Sprinkle with approximately 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/8 teaspoons black pepper. Cook until veggies start to soften; about 5-7 minutes. If they start to brown, reduce heat to medium-low. Stir frequently.
• Next add the cans of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, minced garlic, fresh herbs, dried herbs and bring to a lazy bubble over medium heat. Once your sauce starts to bubble, add the Parmesan cheese rind (or fresh Parmesan) and the can of tomato paste. Stir well to incorporate the cheese and reduce heat to lowest burner setting.
• Simmer the sauce for 3 hours stirring frequently to prevent burning. (I simmer mine total for at least 6-8 hours.).
• After 3 hours, taste sauce again and adjust the seasonings/herbs.
• Simmer the sauce for another hour. Using an immersion blender, whir the sauce until the pieces of tomato, carrots, onions and celery are blended and as smooth as you can get.
• If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a normal blender, but only blend 2-3 cups at a time, and remove the center of the lid and place a folded kitchen towel over the opening to allow steam to escape, without burning your hand. Hot liquids will cause the cover to blow off and you'll have a tomato-decorated kitchen and burned hands.
• Blend the sauce until it's smooth.
• If you used a Parmesan cheese rind, the immersion blender will whir that into very small pieces, and after it's cooked in the sauce for several hours, those little cheesy bits taste heavenly in the finished sauce.
• You may need to add a little more water once you return the blended sauce back to the sauce pot. The water will cook out; so don't worry if you add too much you can cook it to your desired consistency. I prefer mine a little loose because it thickens up in the fridge.
• Once you've achieved the seasoning level you desire, (this is the point where you would add cooked homemade meatballs) continue to simmer for another 4-6 hours, stirring frequently and taking care to not let any sauce burn on the bottom of the pan.
• Remove the pot from the heat, and let it cool down as much as possible. Cover and refrigerate overnight. If you simply can't wait a day while your sauce does magical things as it chills in the fridge, go ahead and serve it over some pasta.
• Notes.
• Seasoning: Each time you add an element; it is best to taste it for seasoning. Let it simmer/cook for a few minutes, stir well, taste, and then adjust seasonings. You may find you want to add a little more garlic, or another teaspoon of an herb.
• Parmesan Cheese Rinds: I use the rinds to flavor soups and sauces. If you don't happen to have a spare rind sitting around, run to the store and buy a hunk of good Parmesan (please, don't come home with that green canister of grated Parmesan) and toss in 1-2 ounces of Parmesan, either grated or cut into small chunks.
• Acidic Sauce: If your sauce seems very acidic, add a TB of good olive oil or butter and a ¼ to ½ teaspoons of baking soda and stir well. You can also add a teaspoon of sugar if you find your tomatoes are very acidic. The baking soda makes it more alkaline and the sugar cuts the acidity by making it a bit sweeter. Baking soda will cause your sauce to bubble for a bit, so make sure you start with a very low amount and taste after each addition.
• The sauce tastes much better after spending at least 12 hours in the chill chest (fridge)-I try to give it a good 24-36 hours in the fridge before using it for spaghetti or lasagna or shells.