I've been noticing lately how easy cooking has become with all of the pre-made items grocery stores offer. Sauces and marinades are bottled and ready for use. Take a few frozen chicken breasts out of the freezer, saute in a pan, add the sauce and voila. Add a vegetable and baked potato and dinner is done! Pestos, hummus, pasta sauce, BBQ sauce, salad dressings - a variety of brands and options on every aisle. Many stores now have meats prepared for you - chicken stuffed with mozzarella, basil, tomato and wrapped in prosciutto, pecan crusted tilapias, rosemary and thyme rubbed lamb chops. My local Wegmans market even has a section in the grocery store where these items are cooked and ready to eat. Convenient? Of course. Inventive? On their part, yes. On your part, no. Affordable? Sometimes, but generally much more if home-made.
Some of my favorite memories growing up are from watching my step-mom, mom, and grandma do their magic in the kitchen. I learned what spices work together, how to properly handle meats, what to do with starches like pasta, potatoes, and rice. Many families feel that they don't have time these days to prepare dinner... I can't imagine not having that hour or so every night sitting at our bar stools or kitchen table catching up on the day together and chatting. Not only was I learning the basics of cooking but we grew a bond that would have never existed if dinner every night was a rushed, store bought, slam down on the table type meal. I'm not going to lie, I definitely take advantage of the convenient food at times but definitely feel that true value comes out of a home cooked meal. A lot of the time we don't even realize we have the means to make sauces or even a whole dish with what is on hand in the cupboard. That $5 sauce or costly pre-marinated chicken breast really wasn't a necessity. Not to mention, home made can taste sooo much better. The other day I took it upon myself to make something as basic as barbecue sauce. I thought for sure it would be the first and last time making it. I have had so many tasty jar sauces that I figured it probably wasn't going to be worth the effort... I was wrong!
For one thing, I already had everything to make the sauce... saved a trip to the store. Already had frozen chicken breasts. The warm, sweet concoction made the meal taste so much more fresh and healthy. The best part was that I had the ability to adjust the taste according to my preference. I took a basic recipe and added a few touches to give it the kick I was looking for. The next time you go grab your keys to get a quick bottle of spaghetti sauce, I challenge you to look through the pantry and fridge first. Have some roma tomatoes laying around? Add some sauteed garlic and onion, basil, splash of red wine laying around... make your own and it will be so worth it! If you aren't feeling confident, go to foodnetwork.com or allrecipes.com and use a basic recipe and feel free to add or subtract ingredients.
My homemade BBQ sauce inspired by Williams-Sonoma
1 sweet onion sauteed
3 cloves garlic minced and sauteed
add 1 1/2 cups ketchup
add 1/2 cup cider vinegar
add 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
add 1/4 cup brown sugar
chili powder
cayenne pepper
Cinnamon
* Saute the first 2 in oil and add the next 4. Use the spices below to flavor. Maple syrup and mustard are some other common ingredients to add to a BBQ sauce. Marinate chicken or use as a sauce over ribs. Goes great with corn and potato salad
* Red Zinfandel is a perfect pairing. A west coast IPA is a great beer to have with the meal also.
Trentadue Red Zinfandel or Green Flash IPA - California's finest!
