Tuesday Timesaver: Baby-Friendly, Fresh Tomato Sauce in 15 Minutes

August 2, 2011 at 10:07 am , by Heather Morgan Shott

We dig fresh tomatoes in our household and now is the best time to enjoy them:  Peak season for harvesting tomatoes in most areas is late July to early September. Mason enjoys raw tomatoes chopped and drizzled with olive oil so I thought he would enjoy tomato sauce on veggies or pasta, or as a base for chicken and brown rice mixed together. I wanted something very simple so I tried out the Fresh Tomato Sauce published in the August issue of Better Homes and Gardens (I’m the magazine’s senior digital food editor but I didn’t develop the recipe). I liked that the recipe only has 5 ingredients — that way if Mason didn’t like it I wouldn’t feel like I had wasted a lot of money on groceries. It’s also fast to make; you can cook it in 3 minutes in your microwave or 5 t0 7 on your stovetop. I made one batch of plain sauce and a second batch with veggies. You’ll find the basic recipe and veggie mix-ins below. Mason loved both variations — hope your babe enjoys it too. Let us know what you think. Share your top tomato sauce recipe, or dish on your babe’s fave way to eat tomatoes!

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
3 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. packed brown sugar (optional)
1 tsp grated ginger (optional)

To add veggies:
1/4 cup each of chopped spinach, shredded carrot, and shredded zucchini

Directions

Place tomatoes, onion, and ginger in microwave-safe bowl; sprinkle with vinegar and brown sugar. Cover loosely. Micro-cook on high (100% power) for 3 minutes or until skins burst and tomatoes are soft, stirring once. (Stovetop directions:  Simmer 5 to 7 minutes in a medium saucepan or until skins burst and tomatoes are soft.) Serve warm or chilled.