I make loads of this and keep in frozen at almost all times. My kids love it, even Miss Picky. They have no idea what's in it. It's just spaghetti sauce. (Award Mom Points here.)
We eat in on Pasta, Spaghetti Squash, Pizza, as a dip for a fresh loaf of crusty bread, dip for Calzones, etc. etc. etc......Love it!
This month, I'm providing while wheat rotini noodles. You can serve it simply with the sauce and pasta. If you'd like to try something different, line a baking dish with foil and spray heavily with cooking spray. Mix slightly undercooked pasta and sauce together and place in baking dish. Top with your choice of cheese and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.
Veggie Marinara
1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 onions -- chopped
4 garlic gloves -- chopped
3-4 celery stalks including leafy tops -- chopped
1/2 of large bag of frozen spinach -- drained, or large bunch of fresh spinach
--washed and roughly chopped
(optional -- Kale - roughly chopped, Broccoli Rabe -- roughly chopped, Eggplant - cooked and roughly chopped, Red Pepper -- chopped finely (can add a little spice - go easy)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 bay leaves
2 - 32 ounce canned crushed tomatoes
1 bunch fresh parsley
fresh basil - to taste (optional)
Heat oil in large pot. Add onions and garlic and saute' until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 of the salt and pepper and cook until the veggies are soft. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer on low heat uncovered. for 60-90 minutes. It's done when the sauce has thickened. Remove bay leaves. Add spinach and simmer for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat and blend using an immersion blender. (This is optional -- it really hides the veggies. You can leave it chunky if you'd like.) Add fresh parsley and basil and simmer for 3-5 minute more. Serve any way you like red sauce.
Freezer directions: Cool to room temperature and freeze in large freezer bag. To prepare, defrost in fridge overnight. Boil pasta according to directions. Warm sauce in saucepan or microwave. Top pasta with sauce. Add cheese if desired. Serve warm.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Salmon with Rosemary and Lemon in Foil
This is one of our favorite ways to eat Salmon...and we eat Salmon A LOT.....It's an Emeril recipe I found on foodtv.com. I make this recipe whenever I'm trying to convert non-fish eaters. It's has about a 90% conversion success rate!
* 1 whole side salmon, scaled, with skin, pin bones removed (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
* 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 lemon, very thinly sliced
* 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Rinse salmon fillet under cold running water and pat dry. Cut a piece of foil long and wide enough to encase the salmon when folded over the center and folded up on the ends. Position the foil on a large baking sheet and place the salmon in the center of the foil, skin side down. Sprinkle the salmon with the salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place the lemon slices over the fish fillet along with the sliced onion and garlic slivers. Drizzle the fillet evenly with the olive oil and fold the edges of the foil up over the salmon and crimp to seal. Fold the edges together on both ends to create an airtight package.
Bake the salmon for 15 minutes, or until just cooked through but still moist. Serve immediately, using a large metal spatula to portion fish. Serve some of the accumulated juices spooned over the fish.
Freezer directions: Make just as directed but double wrap in foil before placing in freezer. Let defrost in refrigerator. Takes at least 24-36 hours if the Salmon is thick. Place on baking sheet and cook as directed.
I like to serve this with a green salad or some saute'd sugar snap peas.
* 1 whole side salmon, scaled, with skin, pin bones removed (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
* 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 lemon, very thinly sliced
* 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Rinse salmon fillet under cold running water and pat dry. Cut a piece of foil long and wide enough to encase the salmon when folded over the center and folded up on the ends. Position the foil on a large baking sheet and place the salmon in the center of the foil, skin side down. Sprinkle the salmon with the salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place the lemon slices over the fish fillet along with the sliced onion and garlic slivers. Drizzle the fillet evenly with the olive oil and fold the edges of the foil up over the salmon and crimp to seal. Fold the edges together on both ends to create an airtight package.
Bake the salmon for 15 minutes, or until just cooked through but still moist. Serve immediately, using a large metal spatula to portion fish. Serve some of the accumulated juices spooned over the fish.
Freezer directions: Make just as directed but double wrap in foil before placing in freezer. Let defrost in refrigerator. Takes at least 24-36 hours if the Salmon is thick. Place on baking sheet and cook as directed.
I like to serve this with a green salad or some saute'd sugar snap peas.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Corn Chowder
Remember when you were a kid and mom or grandma served mashed potatoes with white cream gravy and corn for dinner? Did you ever mix the corn and potatoes and gravy together? Come on....you know you did. I lived for to it. My mom served this almost every Sunday, usual with Roast Beef or Corn-Flake-Encrusted Chicken. As soon as "Amen" was said, I would carefully start mixing the corn into the gravy, and then into the potatoes. Slowly, methodically...aiming for just the right ratio. Mmmmmmm....Pardon me while I wipe the drool off of my chin and the tear from my eye.
This is my grown up version. I have no idea where I first found the recipe. I think I tore it from a magazine or newspaper. I've tweaked it and changed it a bit over the years and have ended up with this. It tastes so much like that cream gravy-potato-corn combo of my youth, with the grown up zing of the basil and a little tomato to brighten in all. It's also nice, light, and healthy since it's made with skim milk and thickened with the potato.
Corn Chowder
6 ears Fresh Sweet Corn (Note: You could also use 3 cups of frozen kernal corn)
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I like to mix half and half)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
1-2 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 cups skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/3 inch dice
1 medium sized onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
4 medium sized ripe tomatoes (I like to use roma tomatoes)
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
Cut the corn from the cob and set aside. Simmer cobs, broth, and garlic in a pot, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Discard cobs and garlic. Stir in the potatoes and half of the corn. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Using a blender or immersion blender (One of my favorite kitchen items!!) blend until smooth (or leave a little chunky, your call.) Return to the pan, stir in the milk, salt and pepper and set aside. (Not over heat.)
In a saute pan, cook the bacon over low heat until the fat renders, about 6-8 minutes. Add onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved soup mixture and remaining corn and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the tomatoes and basil. Stir and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Serve with more fresh basil sprinkled on top. Serve with a nice crusty load of sourdough bread.
Serves: 6-8
Freezer Instructions: Prepare as above. Let cool then freeze in large freezer bag or other container. Let defrost in refrigerator overnight. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the milk for curdling or scalding. Serve with sourdough bread (or in a sourdough bread bowl) with thinly sliced fresh basil sprinkled on top.
Note: Check the salt and pepper and adjust to taste while reheating. I have found that the seasoning level seems to change with freezing for this recipe, usually getting stronger. I wonder if it's the potatoes/potato starch?? I don't overly season prior to freezing then add more salt/pepper afterwards.
Another Note: You can absolutely substitute soy milk for the milk. I use the original. Don't use the vanilla (did this accidentally once -- not good at all.)
This is my grown up version. I have no idea where I first found the recipe. I think I tore it from a magazine or newspaper. I've tweaked it and changed it a bit over the years and have ended up with this. It tastes so much like that cream gravy-potato-corn combo of my youth, with the grown up zing of the basil and a little tomato to brighten in all. It's also nice, light, and healthy since it's made with skim milk and thickened with the potato.
Corn Chowder
6 ears Fresh Sweet Corn (Note: You could also use 3 cups of frozen kernal corn)
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I like to mix half and half)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
1-2 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 cups skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/3 inch dice
1 medium sized onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
4 medium sized ripe tomatoes (I like to use roma tomatoes)
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
Cut the corn from the cob and set aside. Simmer cobs, broth, and garlic in a pot, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Discard cobs and garlic. Stir in the potatoes and half of the corn. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Using a blender or immersion blender (One of my favorite kitchen items!!) blend until smooth (or leave a little chunky, your call.) Return to the pan, stir in the milk, salt and pepper and set aside. (Not over heat.)
In a saute pan, cook the bacon over low heat until the fat renders, about 6-8 minutes. Add onion and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved soup mixture and remaining corn and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the tomatoes and basil. Stir and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Serve with more fresh basil sprinkled on top. Serve with a nice crusty load of sourdough bread.
Serves: 6-8
Freezer Instructions: Prepare as above. Let cool then freeze in large freezer bag or other container. Let defrost in refrigerator overnight. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the milk for curdling or scalding. Serve with sourdough bread (or in a sourdough bread bowl) with thinly sliced fresh basil sprinkled on top.
Note: Check the salt and pepper and adjust to taste while reheating. I have found that the seasoning level seems to change with freezing for this recipe, usually getting stronger. I wonder if it's the potatoes/potato starch?? I don't overly season prior to freezing then add more salt/pepper afterwards.
Another Note: You can absolutely substitute soy milk for the milk. I use the original. Don't use the vanilla (did this accidentally once -- not good at all.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)