One Healthy Way to Prepare for a Storm: Make Sauce! Read on for a Free Recipe…

I was just thinking a couple of weeks ago how lucky we were this fall that we didn’t get hit with a big storm or Hurricane like last year and previous years here in the Northeastern United States. Then, I was sitting in Detroit airport this past Tuesday waiting for my flight home and I caught a glimpse of the national weather forecast which was talking about an impending storm. Oops, I guess I jinxed us all--just kidding :)

I normally don’t pay attention to the weather forecasts, because they are often wrong. Even when they are accurate, whether or not I pay attention to it or freak out about it won’t change anything so I’d rather not put myself and the people around me through the stress.

I’m trying to keep that same attitude this time with the onslaught of Hurricane Sandy mixed with other weird weather patterns and the full moon, causing the now not-so-affectionately termed “Frankenstorm”.  Again, freaking out won’t change anything that may or may not occur with this storm, but it is necessary to prepare. Fortunately, Chef Joe is on the case. He knows all about survival situations and is really practical in most situations. I asked him for some specific ways I could help and he sent me on a couple of errands—fill up the gas cans, get some canned foods (and a can opener, since we really don’t use canned goods anymore!), water, batteries, etc.

The canned foods got me thinking about canning in general. 

This tried and true method of preserving food has been around for generations but is hardly done anymore. There are several types of canning jars and a few different canning methods. Canning jars are available at many large chain stores, as well as some hardware stores and health food stores. 

They are quite user-friendly, reusable, and store well. While it might be more convenient to get pre-canned foods to prepare for a storm, you can also make your own soups, sauces, stews, chili, and other home-cooked, healthy foods and store them in canning jars for use if the power goes out. I decided today to make a big pot of sauce, because it is also a really good idea to stock up on easy-to-prepare foods like pasta in emergency situations.

Many people have visions of old Italian grandmothers cooking vats of tomato sauce for hours on a Sunday afternoon, but truthfully, it doesn’t take that long. Mine was done in about 40 minutes and is now cooling. I had some mushrooms and Marsala wine on hand, so I decided to make one of my favorite sauces, my Mushroom Marsala Marinara sauce. This is a vegan sauce, although it can certainly be used to add flavor to meat dishes, and cooks up quickly.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, minced
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8 oz of mushrooms, minced—I prefer mixed ones or cremini mushrooms but any variety will do.
• 3 carrots, minced
• 3 stalks of celery, minced
• ¼ cup Marsala cooking wine
• 1 or 2 tsps of grapeseed or coconut oil to keep your veggies from sticking to the pan
• 2 jars or cans (preferably BPA-free ones) of crushed tomatoes (this is the quick and easy way—using whole, peeled tomatoes is more time consuming--we're going for convenience with this recipe!)
• 3 tsps of dried parsley (add another tsp if you are using fresh—you can add some basil too)
• Sea or pink Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Saute your onions, mushrooms, and garlic in the oil over a medium to high flame. Stir often to prevent sticking and burning. Once the mushrooms are brown and the onions are translucent, add in your carrots and celery. 

Saute for a few minutes until they are soft, and then lower the flame and add your Marsala.

Allow this mixture to reduce until the alcohol cooks out—you will be able to tell by the smell. Add your salt and pepper, tomatoes, and parsley and raise the flame back to medium. Stir the mixture, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer (this is when you can still see small bubbles in the middle of the sauce on a very low flame—not just the sides) and cover. Let your sauce simmer for a few minutes, turn off, and let cool to room temperature.

This is so much more flavorful and healthy than premade canned foods which are likely full of sodium and other additives. Don't forget that homemade foods also contain the RDA of one of the most important nutrients of all...especially during a storm...Vitamin L (Love, of course :) 

Once your sauce is cool, it is safe to add it to your pre-sterilized jars (you can do this while the sauce is cooking), and follow the instructions that accompany your jars to preserve your sauce.

If you are new to canning, or home food preservation, check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s website for some great tips and important precautions.

We will enjoy this sauce atop organic, pasture-raised chicken and steamed kale tonight for dinner.

Cooking during times of panic is a great way to keep calm and provide nourishment and stability to those around you. To everyone in Frankenstorm’s path: be prepared, and be smart but do not panic! Stay safe everyone.