Tomato Paste

This week I thought I would highlight “tomato paste.” I have heard quite a few people ask what to do with the rest of the can of tomato paste when all you need is a tablespoon or two in a recipe. One thing I have done in the past is to measure out tablespoonfuls of what is left in the can and freeze them on a cookie sheet and then seal them in a resealable bag or with you FoodSaver. Another thing you can do is buy it in the tube - - Yes, Van’s IGA carries Tomato Paste in a Tube. It is on the top shelf above the canned tomatoes.

Cranberry Beef Stew

1/3 cup Shallots - thinly sliced
1 Clove garlic - minced or pressed
8 ounce Small mushrooms - cut into quarters
2 cup Fresh or frozen cranberries unthawed
1 Dry bay leaf
2 3/4 To 3 lb beef round tip - lean boneless, cut-into 1-inch cubes or rump may also be used
1/3 cup All-purpose flour
1 T Brown sugar - firmly packed
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Dry thyme
3/4 cup Dry red wine
1/3 cup Beef broth
1/4 cup Madeira or cream sherry
2 T Tomato paste
2 T Cornstarch - blend with:
2 tablespoons cold water
Salt
Parsley - chopped
In a 3-quart or larger electric slow cooker, combine shallots, garlic, mushrooms, cranberries, and bay leaf. Coat beef cubes with flour, then add to cooker and sprinkle with sugar, pepper, and thyme. In a small bowl, mix wine, broth, Madeira, and tomato paste; pour over beef mixture. Cover and cook at low setting until beef is very tender when pierced (8 to 9 hours).
Blend cornstarch mixture into stew. Increase cooker heat setting to high; cover and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times, until sauce is thickened (about 20 more minutes). Season to taste with salt; sprinkle with parsley. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Left-Handed Chili

2 lb Lean beef - (stew meat, round, or something similar), cut into 1/4 inch chunks or run through your butchers’ chili blade
1 lb Sweet Italian sausage - casing removed
2 Ttb Lard - bacon drippings or cooking oil
1 large Onion - chopped
2 Cloves garlic - minced
2 T To 1/4 cup Hungarian Sweet Paprika - if you have a problem with capsicum, I’d start with the smaller amount and work up
1 T Ground cumin
2 T Mexican oregano, crushed (if you can’t get Mexican oregano, substitute Italian oregano, but cut the quantity in half
1 t Coriander seed - (not the fresh spice), ground
1 12-oz can beer
2 Beef bouillon cubes
2 T Tomato paste
2 Heaping Tablespoons of masa or cornmeal water -as needed
salt
WHITE pepper to taste
Melt the lard in a large, heavy pot. Add the beef and sausage, and cook until about half done. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are transparent, and the meat is nicely browned. Add the dry spices, and cook, stirring, until they develop a fragrance.
IMPORTANT -- do not drain off the fat at this point. We’ll get rid of it later, but it is a flavor carrier, and needed for a while.
Add the tomato paste, beef bouillon cubes, and beer, and enough water to barely cover the mixture. Cover, and simmer on lowest possible heat, until the meat is tender (2-3 hours). Stir frequently, and add additional water or beer as needed to keep the mixture from burning.
At this point, and in an ideal world, you would refrigerate the chili overnight to develop flavors and let the excess fat rise to the top. If you absolutely can’t wait, skim off as much fat as possible from the surface of the mixture. If you have developed the virtue of patience, lift the fat off the mixture and return the pot to the fire, bringing it up to a slow simmer before continuing.
Mix the masa or cornmeal with an equal quantity of water, and add to the mixture. Stir, and simmer another half hour or so, stirring frequently, and adding additional liquid if the mixture seems too thick.
Adjust the seasonings, adding salt (for my taste it shouldn’t need much) and white pepper (which doesn’t contain capsicum, but will give the chili a bit of a “bite”) to taste.
If you absolutely must have beans in your chili, please, please, cook them separately, according to your favorite recipe, and spoon them into the bowl, then spoon the chili on top of ‘em and mix.

Whole Stuffed Cabbage

2 (14-1/2 oz) can Whole tomatoes - drain, chopped
6 ounce Tomato paste
1 T Brown sugar
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
3 1/2 lbs Cabbage
1/4 lbs Ground chuck
1 small Onion - chopped
3/4 t Salt
1 Clove garlic - minced
1/4 t Pepper
1 c. Long-grain rice - cooked
3/4 c. Water
1) Combine tomatoes and next 3 ingredients; set aside.
2) Remove and discard any tough outer leaves from cabbage. Carefully pull 2 large leaves from cabbage and set aside.
3) Cut out stem and inner leaves, leaving a 1” thick shell. Set cabbage shell aside. Discard stem and chop inner leaves, reserving 1 cup. Set aside remaining chopped inner leaves for another use.
4) Combine 1 cup reserved chopped cabbage, ground chuck and next 4 ingredients in a large Dutch oven.
5) Cook over med-high heat 15 minutes or until cabbage is tender, stirring often. Drain and return meat mixture to pan. Stir in 1 cup tomato mixture and rice. Fill cabbage shell with mixture and cover with reserved leaves, securing with wooden picks.
6) Place in a slow cooker, add remaining tomato mixture and 3/4 c water.
7) Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours. Remove and discard wooden picks.

Brown Cider Gravy

2 t. Olive Oil
1 lb. reserved turkey pieces and bones from breast carcass
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 T. tomato paste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups low-salt fat free chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh sage
2 - 3 t. apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown bones in oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven coated with nonstick spray, turning to brown all sides, about 15 minutes. Add vegetables, garlic, and tomato paste; saute 8 - 10 minutes. Sprinkle in flour to coat vegetables.
Deglaze with broth, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and add herbs. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises. Strain the gravy into a saucepan. Finish with vinegar to taste, salt, and pepper. Makes: 3 Cups ✍ Print this post