Today I feel flat. The weather is cool. It rains and stops and rains again. Too cold and windy for the beach. Too wet and miserable for a long, meandering walk.

For lunch, I felt like comfort food! It seemed like the perfect time to make a batch of homemade tomato sauce. Tomato sauce makes chips just a little more scrumptious. Store bought versions contain vinegar, added sugars and different types of preservatives. I make my own. I like it sweet without added sugars, a little zesty without the vinegar and simple made from living, wholesome food. If you start the sauce first and while it simmers, prepare the potatoes and bake them, both the sauce and fries are done about the same time.

Tomato Sauce 

Ingredients

300 grams organic tomato paste

1 large red onion, peeled, sliced and chopped

10 organic sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced (dried, not in oil)

2 cups homemade soup stock (no oil or salt added) or filtered water

juice of 1/2 lime or lemon

6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tbs homemade mustard 

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 large bay leaf

Method

Peel and chop the onion.  Add the onion to a skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on a medium to low heat covered.  If the onions stick, add a little soup stock.  Add the crushed garlic, dried tomatoes, soup stock, tomato paste, lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic, cinnamon, bayleaf and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and naturally sweetened.  Add any salt, pepper or raw honey/fresh dates if needed.  .Remove the bayleaf and transfer to a blender and run on high for 2 minutes.  

While the tomato sauce simmers, fill a medium sized pot with water and place two small  to medium sized jars without their lids in the pot.  Cover and bring to a boil.   Boil for about 5 minutes.  Remove the jars with tongs, emptying out all the water and placing on the counter to air dry.  Be sure not to touch the inside of the jars.  Turn the heat off and place the lids in the hot water.  Remove after several minutes and place on the counter, inside facing up to air dry.  

Spoon the blended tomato sauce into the hot jars and seal the lids.  Leav e on the counter until they are room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator.  If unopened they will keep for several months.  Once opened, use with in two weeks..  

If you do not want to sterilise jars, you can freeze small portions for later use.

The best part of making my own tomato sauce and chips (for a recipe on making baked chips, go to blog dated 28 January 2022 titled, ‘A scrumptious dinner? Try Chips Dipped In Roasted Tomato Red Pepper Sauce.’) is feeling satiated and happy afterwards. When I eat chips fried in oil, I immediately regret my decision; my gut and tummy send signals of discomfort for several hours afterwards! Eating whole foods makes me feel good.