One Base, Four Meals

Nutritionist Patricia Greenberg shows how to use one basic recipe to create several meals that cut down on time spent in the kitchen.

Tomato-Sauce Base

This basic sauce, which can be doubled or tripled easily, can be frozen. Ladle into one- quart containers and freeze. To thaw, place a container in the refrigerator a day before you want to use it.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried rosemary
one 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Sauté onions in olive oil. Add the carrots and celery. Cook veggies until they sweat, and then add the garlic and seasonings. Add the tomatoes next, mixing well. To enhance the flavor, let the mixture sit for about an hour before using.

Tomato Soup/Vegetable Soup/One-Dish Supper

Combine a ladleful of base mixture with stock (canned, any flavor), making it as thin or thick as you prefer. Adding chopped vegetables and more stock turns the mixture into vegetable soup. To make the soup a complete meal, in addition to the vegetables, add canned beans with their liquid. Add pasta, and you have classic minestrone. At any point along the way you can freeze the mixture.

Chicken Cacciatore

Bake a chicken breast at 350 for 30 minutes. Purée a ladleful of base mixture in a food processor, and spoon over the cooked chicken. This also works with baked fish like salmon.