Bolognese Sauce

Source: Pappardelle with Bolognese
Yield: Approximately 10 cups

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots - peeled, minced
2 stalks celery - minced
2 cloves garlic - minced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms - minced
1 onion - minced
6 ounces tomato paste
1/2 bottle red wine
2 pounds ground beef
water
salt/pepper
1 pound pappardelle pasta

Heat olive oil in a large, deep sided pan over a medium-high flame. A heavy-duty, enamel stock pot is good for this. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the veggies (carrots through onion) and saute for 20-25 minutes, until soft and tender.

Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper and brown. Once the beef is fully cooked, add the tomato paste. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the wine. Allow the sauce to cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Check seasoning and add additional salt and pepper as required.

Add water to cover the sauce by 1 inch. Simmer on low, stirring as necessary. Continue to cook on low heat for at least 1 hour, adding additional water if needed. Flavor will improve if allowed to cook for 2-3 additional hours.

Prepare pasta according to package directions, serve with bolognese sauce.

Homemade Taco Sauce

Yield: 5 8oz Jars
Source: Canning Homemade/Better Homes and Gardens

1 quart tomato sauce
1 T cumin
2 poblano peppers
2 jalapeño peppers
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
4 T sugar
1 T kosher salt
2 dried ancho chilies, seeded and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 t lime juice
1/4 c white vinegar

Using the recipe in the link above, make tomato sauce. Work through step 4, reducing by a third for a thinner sauce. If you want to break this process up, make the tomato sauce the day before and refrigerate overnight.

Bring tomato sauce to a boil in a large stainless steel, enameled or nonstick pot. After 2 minutes, reduce to a simmer.

Preheat broiler. Place peppers, onions and garlic in a single layer in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 8 to 10 minutes rotating peppers until skins are lightly charred on all sides. Move charred peppers to a paper bag or covered dish and allow to steam for 10-15 minutes. Add onions and garlic to simmering tomato sauce.

Once peppers have cooled, remove skins, seed and chop. Add peppers to tomato sauce. Add sugar, salt, and dried chilies to tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Increase heat and return to a boil, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, process until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing liquid through and scraping the inside of the sieve with a rubber spatula, discard solids. Return strained mixture to the large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer sauce, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened  and reduced to about 4 cups. Stir in lime juice and vinegar.

Ladle hot sauce into hot, sterilized half pint jars, leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids. Processed filled jars in water bath canner  for 35 minutes (start timing when water returns to a boil). Remove jars and cool overnight. Makes 5 half pints.