Easy Weeknight Dinners

This post is brought to you by Ball® Fresh Preserving Products by Newell Brands

Ahhhhh, tomato season… You’re finally here! When I was a little girl, tacos were not tacos if they weren’t topped with diced tomatoes, a sandwich simply could not be a true sandwich without a slice of tomato inside and don’t even get me started on burgers. You either love them or hate them but, I’m firmly in the LOVE those beautiful tomatoes camp. I was recently introduced to a simple Roasted Garlic and Roma tomato sauce recipe from Ball® Fresh Preserving that I have been dying to try. I knew it was going to be a GREAT base for my favorite Israeli Shakshuka dish and boy was I right. Come to learn how to make this fabulous sauce for your family. 

How to Know if Your Recipe is Safe for Preserving

You know what excites me about this sauce? I know exactly what has been added to it because I made it myself. I’ve cut sugar out of my diet and I’ve been blown away about how much sugar is added to most commercially prepared tomato sauces. It really gives me peace of mind when I make things from scratch using tested recipes from Ball® Canning.  When you use official recipes from Ball® you know that they have the highest standards for food safety and if followed to the “T”,  you will have a great end product. You can find all kinds of recipes on their website plus, they have several books that cover the ins & outs of preserving available on their site, Amazon, and other book retailers.  When it comes to things like preserving, you don’t want to take chances with recipes that have not been tested and approved. They can make your family terribly sick. Stay safe, and stick with the leaders in the preserving industry, Ball® Fresh Preserving.

Sauce Making Day

To me, canning is a social activity. When we would can as kids the whole family would gather in the kitchen with the music turned up and we would spend the entire day canning batch after batch of peaches, pears, elderberry jam & crabapple jelly. Sometimes, my Mom’s friends would come over and spend the day working the fruit and enjoying some girl talk.

I knew that when I was going to make this sauce, I wanted to invite a friend over so that we could work together and enjoy some idle chit-chat. That’s the real secret ingredient to anything preserved. Not only are you preserving the food but, you are also preserving precious memories!

Funny enough, my friend’s name is also Heather and together we make quite the crew. Heather and I grabbed our supplies and prepared to start, “Sauce Day!” Here is what you will need to have a successful sauce day yourself.

• A nice clean kitchen – this is a must when canning. Because of the nature of preserving and the fact that the food will be stored unrefrigerated for up to a year, you must have a good clean working space sat you don’t risk introducing unwanted bacteria into your sauce.
• Ball® canning jars – This recipe calls for quart jars and I opted for my new favorite quart sized Sharing Jars. 

• Water Bath Canner – This sauce uses the type of canning method called water bath canning. Therefore you will need some type of water bath to process your jars of sauce.  If you have a gas stove top or an electric stove stop that has the electric coils, you will be able to use a large pot with a rack and a lid to process your jars of sauce. 
• Important: If you have a glass top electric range, 
  • • • First check with the manufacture of the stove.

i.      If it’s safe for home canning then,

1. • • 1. Ensure that your canner has a completely flat bottom that comes in contact with the heating element.
       2. Ensure that the canner does not exceed the burner by more than one inch around.
       3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFUyaBFrcYU

ii.      If not, then you will need to use the Electric Water Bath Canner.

• Clean towels – This is a must when canning. You will be using towels to set your processed jars on and for wiping the rims of your jars. Not to mention keeping your hands tidy during the prep process. Have a good supply of clean cotton and terry cloth kitchen towels on hand for sauce day.
• Canning tools – These are the must-have tools when canning,
• Jar Funnel: Place in mouth of the jar to fill without spilling
• Jar Lifter: Safely lift jars out of hot water with the green gripping end
• Bubble Remover & Headspace Tool: Slide into the side of filled jar to release air bubbles and measure headspace

• Roasting supplies – for this recipe we will be roasting our garlic and tomatoes before we get started so, there are a few items that you will need for that,
  • baking sheets
  • parchment paper
  • aluminum foil

Roasted Garlic & Roma Tomato Sauce Recipe 

Roasted Garlic & Roma Tomato Sauce Recipe

Ball® Fresh Preserving

Roasting tomatoes and garlic brings out a sweet smokiness, adding a deep, rich flavor dynamic to your sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 1 hr 40 mins

Cuisine Italian

Servings 3 32 oz. Jars

Ingredients

  

• 10 lbs roma tomatoes rinsed
• 3 small whole heads of garlic
• 2 med onions diced small (about 1 cup)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano minced
• 2 tbsp fresh basil minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• Ball® Citric Acid or bottled lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Roast tomatoes, in batches, on a grill or under a broiler until skins begin to wrinkle and blacken slightly, turning to roast on all sides. Repeat with remaining tomatoes. Place finished tomatoes in a large bowl.
  
• Cover bowl of tomatoes tightly with plastic wrap. Let tomatoes steam and cool until they are easy to handle. 
  
• Remove peel and core tomatoes. Slice each one in half and remove seeds; dice into 1-inch chunks. Place diced tomatoes, and any collected juices, into a large saucepan.
  
• Slice top portion off the heads of garlic, revealing the cloves below, drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil over cloves in each head. 
  
• Wrap garlic tightly in aluminum foil and place top side down on the grill with tomatoes; grill until soft, about 30 minutes. Or, roast in a 350° oven for 60 minutes.
  
• Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready to use, do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
• Remove roasted garlic by squeezing the softened heads of garlic allowing the cloves to pop out. Combine garlic, onions, herbs, salt, and pepper with tomatoes. Cook over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.
  
• Add ½ teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons lemon juice to a hot jar; ladle hot sauce into a hot jar 
  
• leaving a ½ inch headspace. 
  
• Remove air bubbles. 
  
• Wipe jar rim. 
  
• Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
  
• Process jars 40 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat, remove lid, let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed.
  

Keyword homemade tomato sauce, Preserving tomato sauce

How to Use your AAAMAZING Sauce

Now, here’s the fun part… Cooking with your fantastic sauce. First off, I should have doubled the recipe on sauce day. The recipe makes approximately 3 quarts of sauce. Mine really only made 2 quarts and a pint.  After I sent one quart home with my friend, I only had 1 quart and 1 pint to use. Note to self,  always make 2-3 batches when making this great sauce.

Also, this is a GREAT gift for the holidays, housewarming, new baby… The list goes on and on. I LOVE the new Ball® Sharing Jars, they are so elegant and designed perfectly for adding a ribbon or gift tag right at the top, I adore them!

This sauce would be fantastic on its own just over some pasta but, I thought it would be perfect for Shakshuka! 

Shakshuka is a wonderful recipe that I was introduced to while traveling in Israel.  It is a very common dish there served any time of day. It’s a scrumptious tomato sauce filled with all kinds of earthy spices, herbs, onions & peppers. You top it off with some eggs and then serve right out of the pan with flatbread or a good crusty loaf of bread.  This is the Shakshuka that we ate in Jaffa, Israel and the fun outdoor restaurant where we enjoyed this dish.   

With the Roasted Garlic and Roma Tomato Sauce as our starting point, it already has the tomatoes, onions, garlic & herbs, all we need to add is the all-important spices & some peppers.   

Shakshuka

Heather

This simple Israeli dish served with bread will soon become a favorite in your home. It's easy to prepare for any time of the day and packs all kinds of amazing flavor!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 8 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 28 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup diced sweet peppers
• salt & pepper
• 5 eggs

Instructions

 

• In a medium to large oven safe sauté pan over medium-high heat, add your olive oil & spices. 
  
• Let your spices bloom for about 30 seconds then add your diced peppers, let the peppers cook down for a few minutes until nice and soft.
• Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. 
• Add the roasted garlic and roma tomato sauce and stir to combine. Let this mixture come to a nice simmer.
• Add 5-6 eggs and cover with a lid until the eggs are set to your desired taste. 
  
• Traditionally they are pretty soft, but it's up to you. Serve with a nice loaf of bread or pita.
  

Keyword eggs, shakshuka