For easy meal preparation during the week,  my mom, Lucy, taught me to prepare a large pot of  Marinara or Meat sauce on Sunday or over the weekend.  Divide into smaller containers, keep one in the fridge and freeze the rest. You will be set for at least two meals during the week. Marinara or Meat sauce, both become a good base start to any meal. Ladle over your favorite pasta or rice, make chicken or eggplant parmesan!  Make a meat sauce with homemade meatballs and you have another meal! Serve any of the above with a leafy green salad. Tomato sauce is rich in the carotenoid lycopene, a powerful antioxidant shown to be protective against prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease (use low sodium varieties if watching your salt intake).

Ingredients: 

Tomato Puree      3- 28 ounce cans

Garlic cloves         3 medium cloves,  chopped with knife or garlic press

Olive Oil                    4ounces

Basil, Fresh               1/4 cup of fresh leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes     Optional. about 1/4 teaspoon or to taste

In a  6 quart pot brown garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Slowly add in the tomato puree being careful that hot oil does not skeet. Simmer over low to medium heat. Add fresh basil leaves and red pepper. Continue to stir periodically as it bubbles heat  over low heat for about an hour.