Cooking Class: Part II

When the girls wanted to make lasagna as part of the cooking class, I decided we would learn two things:  how to make a marinara sauce (instead of using a jar) and how to layer a lasagna.  That way, they could use those two skills to make different kinds of pasta and to make variations on a traditional lasagna.  We made two pans at once so there was lots of hands on layering for everybody.  Here's a link to the lasagna on this blog which we used as a base recipe, just with a homemade sauce:  Lasagna

The second lesson in "sauce" was the homemade salsa.  I'll do a pico de gallo or black bean salsa sometimes, but a smooth basic salsa is something I basically never do.  Living in an urban area with Trader Joe's and Sprouts within a mile of me, I have lots of great salsa on hand all the time.  It was good to make a batch and realize how easy and satisfying it is to make your own.  We sliced corn tortillas with a pizza slicer and baked them to make our own chips too!  My husband split the batch of salsa in half and since we didn't have a jalapeño, he sautéed some red pepper flakes in olive oil until crispy and added that mixture to his half to make a spicy salsa.  Yum!

Both of these recipes were chosen for being "kid-friendly" in terms of the cooking method and the taste.  When you're building sauces around canned tomatoes, I think the quality of the canned tomatoes matters.  I spent a little more and bought a little higher quality than I might for other types of recipes.  Let me know what your kids are cooking!

Basic Marinara Sauce (makes about 3 cups)

1 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can tomatoes (I used whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1 T dried Italian seasoning (can substitute fresh herbs)

In a large pot, saute the onion in the olive oil until the onion is translucent.  Add the garlic and saute about one minute more.  Add the tomatoes and crush them with your hands or against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon as you add them.  Add the seasonings and stir.

Bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf.

Easy Blender Salsa (makes about 4 cups)

1 (15oz) can fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles (with liquid)
1 (15oz) can petite diced tomatoes (with liquid)
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1.5 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 lime, juiced
1/3 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

Add all ingredients to a blender (works best if you do it in the order they're listed).  If you have a food processor, that would work as well.

Pulse to combine then blend on medium speed, gradually increasing until high speed until texture is nearly smooth.

Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.