Dutch Oven Cooking--Chuckwagon Steak

CHUCKWAGON STEAK

Hi everyone! I know, I've been absent again. The good news is that my youtube channel has been doing well with my cooking vids. And I've made a lot of new friends and discovered new communities there in farming, gardening, mechanics, cooking, homesteading, outdoors stuff etc. I'll include links to my FB page at the bottom that has a lot more fresh content, and intsagram as well, also on google+.

The bad news was my dad had some major health issues that sidelined the family for about 2 months. But thanks be to God, he is doing well and everyone is back on track. Just postponed some of the stuff we like to do like this blog.

We got a used camper last year and have it up on my folks farm. This works great for going up more to visit and help them out, and also we can take our pets and do some neat thing around there as they live in an awesome area. So, I am doing my best to get more dutch oven cooking in. This last trip, I did my chuckwagon steak over charcol for dinner. The recipe is mine for the past 30+ yrs. You can do this with about a dozen coals, or you can put your DO in the oven, LOL.

I used a chuck steak here, which is always a bit tougher, but a nice big sirloin or london broil would be good as well, pieced out. After the coals were ready, I added my DO to heat up with a little olive oil. When it was hot, I added 2 large sliced onions and a clove of garlic to saute.

Then I added my chunks of beef with montreal seasoning to be seared on each side to seal in the moisture while cooking.

After the pieces were seared, I added my sauce. 

Sauce---

1 C Ketchup

1/3 C spicy brown mustard

1/4 C honey

1/2 C brown sugar

1 tbs cajun seasoning

1 tbs chili powder

You don't need to add any water to this, enough moisture cooks out from the steak and cooking/bakeing.

It took about 45 minutes in the DO over the coals. It's about the same if you put this in the oven at 375F degrees for about the same time for roughly a 2-3lb piece of meat.

This was it when done, I served it up with tossed salads and parsleyed potatoes. It was very yummy, and it usually is a crowd pleaser. 

Helga's Pennsylvania Cooking Channel on Youtube-

www.youtube.com/c/PennsylvaniacookingBlogspot

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Some Dutch Oven Cooking

This past weekend, me and some of my friends tried to horse camp at Hickory Creek Wilderness Ranch  http://www.hickorycreekranch.com/    in the Allegheney State Forrest in PA. Gorgeous country in northwestern PA, and the Hickory Creek folks are awesome. Gorgeous campground.

I say we tried, because we got washed out over the weekend. Cold and wind and rain do not make for happy horses pr happy campers. Truly, we didn't want our horses getting sick since they were tie lined. Anyway, Friday was gorgeous and we got some dutch oven cooking in. My friend Jen brought her set up which is the nicest I have ever gotten to use, with a dutch oven table, camp kitchen and all. You can see the start of our set up below--- This was a real treat. My folks were outdoors people, hunting, fishing, trapping, etc. and I grew up loving it as well. We didn't have anything fancy, just our old army issue knapsacks, but we'd go up on the edge of our woods where we had stones for a fire ring, build a fire, and when it died down, we'd take meat and taters and veggies wrapped in foil with butter and bury them in the coals and then go for our hike or whatever, coming back later to a great dinner. I didn't have a tent either, my dad taught me to camp using a canvas tarp and using blow downs or deadfalls to rig up my "tent" area. My mother's father was Seneca Native American and one of the best outdoors man I have ever known. It was a treat to go with him camping! Mike and I used to take the bike and go camping with our tent as well.  I loved all of this. I will admit that now that I am older with more aches and pains, I enjoy glamping more, but I wouldn't trade all those years of doing that for anything.

So, that night I dutch oven cooked our dinner which was  a sweet and spicy cajun chicken and rice dish. It came out awesome and was super easy. I also took along my strawberry spinach salad with poppy seed dressing, my other friend Lynn brought an avocado-tomato-feta salad with balsamic dressing and I brought my chocolate cake with peanut butter icing for dessert. It was too rainy the next morning to dutch cook my  scrapple, baco and apple datch. And after a couple of us got a ride in that morning, the weather got worse and worse and we packed it in later in the afternoon.  :(  This pic below shows the dutch oven cooking and I have the charcoal started that would then go on top.

My friend Jen dishing up supper!

                                                                            Supper!

I showed the Dutch Oven Cook Book above in the first picture, and I suggest if you aren't familiar with dutch oven cooking but want to learn, get that book. The author does it all the time for scout troops etc. and also has a good video series on getting started.  Great resource.  http://www.dutchovencookout.com/  

       I also am going to share below, they make an ap for that!  Available for both Droid and IPhone, this is really handy with no thinking needed! Thanks for showing me, Jen!  The downside is that if you are in the mountains like we were with poor reception, you may not be able to get it.

PEACH CUSTARD PIE

PEACH CUSTARD PIE

Make a lovely and easy peach custard pie! Follow the numbered pictures from start to finish to see it at the steps below along the way.

1 (9 inch) pie shell

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

5 large fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons flour and brown sugar. Sprinkle mixture into bottom of pastry-lined pie pan. 

Arrange peach slices on top of mixture.

In a medium bowl, whisk together evaporated milk and egg. Pour mixture over peaches.

In a medium bowl, mix together white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over top of peaches.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean.

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I used my own home canned brandied peaches, YUM!

In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons flour and brown sugar. Sprinkle mixture into bottom of pastry-lined pie pan. You can see the mixture under the first layer of sliced peaches.

Fill up to 2/3 way with more peaches and arrange peach slices on top of mixture.............

Whisk well 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk, 1 egg, beaten

In a medium bowl, mix together white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over top of peaches.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean.

And success, it's half gone already!

Babka

BABKA

This is an old Polish favorite around here. Good comfort food!

                                                           5 large red potatoes, grated

                                                           1 large onion

                                                           6 strips of good bacon, cut into smaller pieces

                                                           2 tbs bacon fat

                                                           3 eggs

                                                           1 c milk

                                                           salt and pepper

                                                          1/2 C sharp shedded cheese

                                                          1/4 C italian bread crumbs

This always tastes better in cast iron, so used my good old Lodge fry pan.

Fry up the bacon and onion until onion is translucent. Add the bacon fat. 

In a big bowl, whisk up the eggs and milk. Add the shredded potatoes. mix well.

Then add the bacon and onions, fat and all and mix well, adding your salt and pepper to taste. After mixing that all in well, transfer back to the cast iron pan and bake around 30 minutes at 375F.

Here it is going into the oven.................

And here it is all baked and ready to eat!

Passover Dinner--Roast Lamb, Latkes, Braised Red cabbage, Matzoh Ball Soup, Red Beets, Asparagus & Jewish Apple Cake

Passover Dinner--Roast Lamb, Latkes, Braised Red cabbage, Matzoh Ball Soup, Red Beets, Asparagus & Jewish Apple Cake

This Passover was special as my parents came down from NYS to officiate the Passover Seder here. We don't get to do the whole deal every year, so this was a treat with my family. The menu was roast leg of lamb with a maple syrup glaze served with mint jelly on the side, latkes, Mike's Mom's red beets, steamed asparagus, sauteed red cabbage, Matzoh Ball soup, cinnamon apple sauce and Jewish Apple Cake. I did a video of this (I am still learning on the editing parts there, so bear with me, they get better, LOL) and am including the recipes here. If you watch the video, you can see how it's supposed to turn out!

                            ROAST LAMB WITH MAPLE SYRUP

This is so easy and always comes out perfect! Sear lamb roast in a hot pan with a bit of butter and Montreal seasoning. Sear on all sides, transfer to crock pot. (This locks in all the juices so your lamb roast doesn't dry out.)  Pour 1-2 C maple syrup over the lamb depending on size. Add 1 C water. Put crock pot on low and let it cook. I figure it takes about an hour per pound, but it depends partly on whether it is bone in or not etc. When done, the lamb will be literally falling apart, very tender & moist. Dish up and serve with mint jelly on the side.

                                                    LATKES

I fill up my 11 cup food processor with grated potatoes and about 2 onions grated medium. I put that in a big bowel, add a couple of beaten eggs, salt, pepper, chive and garlic, and then a few (around 4) tbs. of flour as a binder. You want the mixture just thick enough to not be runny. I then have a heated fry pan with a little olive oil, and I put dollops in the fry pan, flatten them out and fry until it is golden brown on medium heat, flip, finish frying and then put on plates with paper towels on them. I serve them with a side of sour cream and chives. There is also a nice variation to use with zucchini. Half drained shredded zucchini/half shredded potato, do the rest the same. Delicious! These are a little more mild and sweet.

                                       Sauteed Red Cabbage

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 red cabbage, shredded
1/3 cup white or apple cider vinegar, eyeball it
2 rounded tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon mustard seed
Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and onion and saute 2 minutes. Add cabbage and turn in pan, sauteing it until it wilts, 3 to 5 minutes. Add vinegar to the pan and turn the cabbage in it. Sprinkle sugar over the cabbage and turn again. Season with mustard seed, salt and pepper and reduce heat a bit. Let cabbage continue to cook 10 minutes or until ready to serve, stirring occasionally.

                                            Jewish Apple Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups white sugar 
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
5 teaspoons white sugar

DIRECTIONS--

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 10 inch tube pan. Combine the ground cinnamon and 5 teaspoons of the sugar together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 cups of the sugar. Stir in the vegetable oil, beaten eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Mix well.

Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/2 of the sliced apples and sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter over the top and layer the remaining sliced apples and cinnamon sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 70 to 90 minutes.

Video of the Meal---- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZicqEea7mc8

Pennsylvania Cooking is now on YouTube!

Well, guys, after suggestions from several people, including my other half, friends and family, I have entered the YouTube foray with my own channel where you can come along with me while I make my family's favorites along with specializing in PA Dutch and Coal Region recipes. Now, you'll also get to come along with me to the local festivals and fairs, farm, garden and whatever else goes along with all this, LOL. Cooking wild game will also be included. One video will be on PA MEATS alone, featuring scrapple, soupies, hog maw (stuffed pig's stomach), city chicken (hint--contains no chicken), etc. Another will be on Pot Pie vs Meat Pie.

If you are looking for super perky rainbows and unicorn farts like those terrible Skittles commercials, or high end food (which I do love) like a nice ceviche or a stunning amuse bouche, this isn't the channel for you. If you are looking for a glimpse of the food and history of Central and Northeastern PA and how to make them along with some snarky and at times somewhat sarcastic commentary, this may be more your speed. I am not a chef or professional cook. I have my own ideas and hacks, but learn something new everyday in technique and execution. I have been cooking and baking since I was 7 and now I am.....let's just leave it at middle aged, LOL.  Of course, the first rule is, it has to taste good!

To those that have read this blog for a while, if you want to see some of the recipes demonstrated, just let me know. I'll be doing a vid also on condiments and salad dressings. As always, I try to keep to local sourced produce and proteins and advocate for organic, heirloom, heritage foods and small farm sustainability.

Check out my channel, and please subscribe! Helga's Pennsylvania Cooking on YouTube and also on Facebook. I check all comments and answer as well. Thanks to all who have read over the years for your support, and also to some of the YoutTube mechanics who helped light a fire under my sizable rear to make this project and idea a reality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf8qtzwyOzE

DANDELION with Hot Bacon Dressing

                                          DANDELION with Hot Bacon Dressing

I know, I know. I have been woefully absent. Unbelievably, I've been missed! So, to get us back on track, here is a traditional spring dish here.

Springtime means dandelion greens with hot bacon dressing! We often do these as ham and dandelion suppers, making it with ham and boiled potatoes. Some people don't care for the greens and use lettuce, but dandelion greens are yummy and very good for you, a natural detoxifer.

Hot Bacon Dressing

Cook 1 pound of bacon, set aside

1 tbs flour
1 egg
a little water
(mix those 3)

Save bacon fat and mix in 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
3 tbs dark vinegar
Then add 1st mix above.

Heat the cup of water and slowly mix in with cooked crumbled bacon.

Shoofly Cake

Shoofly Cake and Pie are about PA Dutch as you can get. The cake is easy to make and nice because it's also eggless. 

As to the name and where it came from, how did these pies/cakes get their name? The most logical explanation seems to be that the sweet ingredients attracted flies when the pies were cooling. The cooks had to "shoo" the flies away, hence the name shoofly pie.

Another story claims that this is really a French recipe, and that the crumb topping of the pie resembled the surface of the cauliflower, which is "cheux-fleur" in French. This was eventually pronounced as shoofly. Locals have a little problem with that explanation, and most of us have never seen this pie served up in the fine restaurants of Paris.

No less an authority on things Pennsylvania Dutch than John Joseph Stoudt states clearly that shoofly pies "are soundly Pennsylvanian, made in the earlier days with sorghum, later with molasses, and with brown rather than granulated sugar." Phyllis Pellman Good, in her book Amish Cooking, feels that these pies may have been common because "this hybrid cake within a pie shell" faired better in the old style bake ovens after the bread had been baked. With modern kitchen stoves, temperatures could be controlled and the more standard, lighter pies developed.

Warm shoofly cake right from the oven....mmmmm.

Shoofly Cake-

Crumbs--
4 C Flour
2 C sugar
1 C shortening
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon

Take one cup and set aside for top of cake.

Mix-

2 C hot water
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 C baking molasses

Mix together and add the crumbs. Mix well and pour into greased and floured 9 x 11 pan Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top and bake for 45 minutes at 350.

Shoofly Pie-

Mix for crumbs: (reserving ½ cup for topping)

2/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon solid shortening
1 cup flour

Filling:

1 cup molasses (good and thick)
¾ cup boiling water
1 egg beaten
1 Teaspoon baking soda

Combine soda with boiling water, then add egg and syrup. Add crumb mixture (this will be lumpy). Pour into unbaked pie crust and cover with reserved crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes (until firm). When cut into, the bottom may be "wet." This is okay, and is called a "wet bottom shoo fly pie."

The Chicken Chick

One of the blogs I like following is The Chicken Chick. Take a visit, especially if you fancy all thing chickens and eggs! It's worth the visit and so are the blog hops!

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/12/clever-chicks-blog-hop-118-with-3.html

Apple Dumplings and Peanut Brittle for Christmas

Apples are always plentiful this time of year, and this is a favorite way to eat them. Apples differ in variety in that some are better suited to eating fresh, others for cooking and baking, cider, and others for preserving. My #1 favorite apple for pies and dumplings is a Macintosh. Excellent flavor, and it cooks/bakes up tender without being mushy or too crunchy. Winesaps come in for a close second.

If you are interested in learning about apples and the best for each purpose, there is a whole science behind it. http://pocketchangegourmet.com/the-definitive-guide-to-apples-and-their-uses/

                                                                           Apple Dumplings

 Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

1/3 cup cold water

8 medium tart apples, peeled and cored

8 teaspoons butter

9 teaspoons cinnamon-sugar, divided

SAUCE:

1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter, cubed

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide into eight portions. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350°. Roll each portion of dough between two lightly floured sheets of waxed paper into a 7-in. square. Place an apple on each square. Place 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon cinnamon-sugar in the center of each apple.

Gently bring up corners of pastry to each center; pinch edges to seal. If desired, cut out apple leaves and stems from dough scraps; attach to dumplings with water. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar.

In a large saucepan, combine sauce ingredients. Bring just to a boil, stirring until blended. Pour over apples.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until apples are tender and pastry is golden brown, basting occasionally with sauce. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream a la mode, my favorite!

Another holiday favorite is peanut brittle and this is so easy, you'll wonder why you didn't make it before. All done in the microwave.

                                                                      Peanut Brittle

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup salted peanuts

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Butter a cookie sheet. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a 2 quart glass bowl and microwave on high 4 minutes. Stir in peanuts and microwave on high 3 1/2 minutes more, then stir in butter and vanilla and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.

Stir in baking soda until light and foamy. Pour onto cookie sheet and spread thin. Cool completely and break into pieces and serve.

Hanukkah!

This week is the Festival of Lights. While I don't have much time to devote to it this year while working, we still observe and celebrate. For those that would like to know more about this special week and why it is important,

visit http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/What-Is-Hanukkah.htm

My silver tree of life menorah had an untimely accident so this piece above acted in its place this year. I always want lamb for this celebration, as I do Passover. So, Hanukkah dinner this year was Montreal seasoned lamb shank chops with mint jelly, latkes, red beets, spinach with a pinch of vinegar and salt, cinnamon applesauce, and a bottle of Bully Hill's Sweet Walter Red wine. Red velvet cheesecake served as dessert. If you look back through the archives, you will find numerous Hanukkah recipes I've posted for this time of year. Sadly, I didn't have time to make my apple cake or kugel this year.

 Tomorrow I will make matzo ball soup, which I think should just be a staple for the season, period. Nothing spells comfort food like matzo ball soup!

                                                             Matzo Ball Soup!

Ingredients

Chicken Soup:

1 (5 or 6 pound) hen

2 large celery stalks with leaves, chopped

2 large carrots, sliced in big chunks

1 onion, quartered

3 sprigs parsley

3 sprigs fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Matzoh Balls:

4 eggs, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons chicken fat (from the above soup)

1 cup matzoh meal

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup hot water

12 cups salted water

Directions

Wash the chicken with water and place in pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off bubbling foam as it forms. Add celery, carrots, onion, herbs, salt and pepper and simmer, half-covered at lower heat, for at least 45 minutes, until the chicken seems done. The chicken will come away easily from the bone. Pour soup through strainer to get a clear broth. Let cool. When broth has completely cooled, skim off the fat and save for the matzoh balls.

In a mixing bowl, mix together 4 eggs and 4 tablespoons chicken fat. Stir in the matzoh meal and salt. Add 1/4 hot water. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Form the matzoh dough into balls the size of walnuts. Bring the salted water to a boil. Add the matzoh balls, cover, and cook for 20 minutes (don't even peek!). Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Remove matzoh balls from hot water with a slotted spoon and add to the simmering chicken broth just a few minutes before serving.

Note: If you are concerned if the oils or other ingredients in these recipes are suitable for Passover, seek non-dairy substitutes or ingredients that are certified kosher for Passover.

Catching up for the Holidays!

I've been AWOL again. Work/life balance isn't the best at this time of year but I still love and enjoy it.  As some of you know, I love to decorate for the holidays, although I didn't have time to go all out this year. So here is a small tour. This is one of the nicest trees I've had in a long time, a nice concolor fir tree. The smell is amazing! While no fancy tablescapes this year, at least it feels like home.

 My poor Nativity set is hiding underneath the coffee table due to rambunctious dogs!

 The angel topper is special to me this year as I found her for $3 at a flea market shop and she is just the very angel I have been searching for for years. I wanted an angel but thought most looked so cheesy. But this one is perfect for me!

 Many thanks to my best friend for gifting me with this lovely Morgan horse garden stake. I love it so much, I worked it into my porch decorating!

 I decorate my dining room chandelier every year as well, it's too good of an opportunity to miss!

Salad Dressings

Since it the time of year for salads as well as all that other produce coming out of the garden, thought I'd share some favorites around here. I've included a home made pizza sauce recipe at the bottom, I'll devote another blog entry to tomatoes.

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This can be used as a sauce for dipping or salad dressing....for the dressing, add a little more orange juice. 

Honey Mustard Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey 
2 tablespoons yellow mustard 
1 tablespoon lemon juice or juice from 1/2 lemon 
Horseradish, to taste 
2 tablespoons orange juice (more or less as needed)

Combine all ingredients except orange juice; stir well. Thin to pouring consistency for dressing or dipping consistency for dips with orange juice. Cover and chill for 2 or 3 hours.

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This is one of our favorite salad dressings. I usually triple up the batch as mike loves it. I toss this with spinach and strawberries also, best ever salad!

Poppyseed Dressing

Ingredients 1/3 cup olive oil  1/4 cup sugar  3 tablespoons white or balsamic vinegar  2 tablespoons sesame seeds  1 tablespoon poppy seeds  1 tablespoon chopped onion  1/4 teaspoon paprika  1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Throw it all in a blender.
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Celery Seed Dressing

Here is another we like and I make, celery seed dressing.


1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 of an onion, grated (recipe did not stipulate size of onion)
1/3 cup vinegar

1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon celery seed

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Here is a really yummy creamy balsamic vinegar dressing for your summer salads.

Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon chives, minced
1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin
salt
fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Whisk balsamic vinegar, chives, parsley, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and sugar together.
Add olive oil while whisking until all the oil is incorporated.
Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Refrigerate until needed.

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Pizza Sauce Recipe

Homemade Pizza Sauce is an easy, yet super delicious recipe to take your pizza night to the next level! Make this pizza sauce up to a week before and you'll always be ready for friends!

Author: Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch

Serves: 2 cups

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ½ medium onion, finely diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

Instructions

1. Drizzle olive oil into 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent and tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, cayenne pepper, and dried oregano. Cook for about 1 minute to release flavors.

1. Pour in tomatoes, tomato paste, and add salt, sugar, and black pepper. Stir well to combine. Add fresh oregano. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent any sticking or burning.

1. Remove from heat and use immediately or allow to cool before storing in an airtight container for up to one week.

Notes

If your pizza sauce seems a bit chunky, you can use an immersion blender or regular blender to make it rich and creamy.