Tomato Sauce with Veggie Puree

INGREDIENTS

•1 tablespoon olive oil

•1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced

•1 medium carrot

•1 stalk celery

•1 small onion, diced

•2 cloves garlic, minced

•1 tablespoon tomato paste

•2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Sauté until veggies are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.

2. Add the tomatoes, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat, puree with an immersion hand blender (or in a regular blender) until almost smooth.

4. Return sauce to the heat and simmer until thick, 10-20 minutes. The longer you simmer this sauce the thicker and more flavorful it will become. You can simmer up to 2 hours. It makes 4 cups.

From www.weelicious.com. You can add sauteed ground beef and red wine too. 



IMPORTANT NOTE: Making a puree from carrots, zucchini, squash and sweet potato, frozen onto ice cube trays is so practical. Once frozen, you can empty the trays into a Ziploc and use the veggies whenever appropriate.
I DON'T believe in tricking toddlers into eating veggies. I also would NOT count whatever veggies you add into their food without them knowing, as a veggie "they eat".
If you don't know you are eating it, then it doesn't count long term.
So the way I would use these is either throwing some veggie cubes into a soup or sauce or having your toddler consciously add them to a smoothie they are helping you make, telling them they are adding  the "magic healthy carrot cubes" that will help them grow big and strong.
Good luck, be truthful, be the person you want them to be...