Marinara Sauce

Next week I am going to be making a few things that use marinara sauce, so today I threw together this super-simple recipe. I portioned it into zip-top bags to put in the freezer until I need to use it.

Marinara Sauce

Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste.

Makes about 2 quarts (8 cups)

Island Bean Burgers with Caribbean-Style Creole Sauce

One of my favorite go-to cookbooks is Donna Klein's Vegan Italiano. It's filled with delicious recipes that are healthy, inexpensive and easy to make. When I saw that she had a new cookbook out, The Tropical Vegan Kitchen, I immediately checked it out from the library.
Last night I tried my first recipe from it - Island Bean Burgers with Caribbean-Style Creole Sauce. Although I have tried many bean burger recipes before, and liked them, I never thought I'd classify one as an "Oh, my God!" recipe. But that is exactly what I exclaimed when I took my first bite of this. The burgers themselves were very good, but the sauce just took them over to fantastic! Seriously. I'm already looking forward to making them again.
I had them with roasted sweet potato wedges... which I dipped into the extra sauce, of course! Yum!

Island Bean Burgers with Caribbean-Style Creole Sauce
The Tropical Vegan Kitchen, Donna Klein

For a spicier burger, add a dash of hot pepper sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the bean mixture before cooking.

1 cup rinsed and drained canned black beans

1 cup cooked brown rice, preferably warm

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon peanut oil (I used canola)

4 hamburger buns, preferably whole wheat

Caribbean-Style Creole Sauce (recipe follows)

In a large bowl, mix together the beans, rice, onion, ketchup, chili powder, oregano, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined. Mash well with a potato masher. Divide mixture into 4 balls. With wet hands, form each ball into an even patty.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Place each patty inside a hamburger bun and serve at once, passing the Creole sauce separately.

4 servings

Caribbean-Style Creole Sauce

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup tomato ketchup

1/4 cup water

1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or more to taste

1 teaspoon molasses

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or more to taste (I used sriracha - Thai hot chili sauce)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add the parsley and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in the ketchup, water, vinegar, lime juice, molasses, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remover from heat and let cool to room temperature. Mixture can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Makes about 1 cup

Pasta with Roasted Pepper Pesto

This was so good! The combination of smoky roasted red peppers and sweet sun-dried tomatoes, with just the teeniest hint of spice from the cayenne, worked so well together. We all loved it, and the kids want to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow :)

The only change I made was to use regular pasta because I did not have multigrain.

Multigrain Pasta with Roasted Pepper Pesto

Kosher by Design Lightens Up, Susie Fishbein

1 small head roasted garlic (see note at bottom)

3 red bell peppers

6 sun-dried tomato halves

2 teaspoons pine nuts

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 (14.5-ounce box multigrain rotini pasta (such as Barilla Plus)

Preheat broiler.

Cut peppers in half and discard the seeds. Place on a jelly-roll pan, skin-side-up, and broil until skin is blackened. Place in a sealed zip-top bag. When cool enough to handle, remove from bag and slip the skins off.

Place the prepared peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, olive oil, vinegar, water, basil, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and the roasted garlic cloves into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse to form a thick sauce.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and immediately transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the pesto and toss to combine. Serve hot or at room temperature.

6 servings

*To roast garlic: Slice off top 3/4 inch of a head of garlic to expose the cloves. Spray with cooking spray, or drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and bake at 350F until golden, fragrant and soft, about 45-60 minutes.

Barbecue Chicken with Mustard Glaze

Sorry - I'm a little behind in my posting.

I made this chicken about a week and a half ago, and it was fantastic and very easy. I can't wait to make this one again!

Barbecue Chicken with Mustard Glaze

Cooking Light

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
8 (6-ounce) skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
Cooking spray

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Combine ketchup and next 3 ingredients (through mustard) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken thighs. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 12 minutes. Turn chicken over. Brush with half of ketchup mixture; cook 12 minutes. Turn chicken over. Brush with remaining ketchup mixture; cook 2 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°.

4 servings

Pasta with Pomodoro Sauce

Dinner really doesn't get much easier than this!

Pasta with Pomodoro Sauce

Cooking light

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup finely sliced fresh basil

8 cups hot cooked penne (about 1 pound uncooked)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly (do not brown). Stir in pepper, salt, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 7 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in basil. Serve over pasta.

6 servings

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

I don't usually follow a recipe when I make meat sauce, but I thought I'd give this one a try. I'm glad I did, because I really liked it. And it's a great recipe to throw together when you're short on time.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Cooking Light

12 ounces uncooked spaghetti
3/4 pound ground sirloin
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 (26-ounce) bottle low-fat spaghetti sauce

2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk (I used soy milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

While pasta cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain beef, and set aside.

Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add wine; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.

Stir in beef and spaghetti sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the milk, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce over pasta.

6 servings

Pizza Sauce

Tonight I made pizza for dinner. I kept it simple with a plain cheese topping, but I used this sauce recipe. I doubled it and put half of it in the freezer to use another time.

Basic Pizza Sauce

Cooking Light

This makes a chunky sauce; if you prefer a smoother consistency, you can puree the sauce in a food processor with one tablespoon water. Make-ahead tip: Prepare the sauce a day or two ahead and refrigerate it, or make a double batch and freeze the extra for up to one month.

Cooking spray
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds. Add tomato paste, oregano, pepper, and tomatoes. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; stir in basil and vinegar. Cool.
Note: Nutritional analysis is for 1 1/3 cups Basic Pizza Sauce.
Spicy Pizza Sauce Variation: Add 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper with the oregano and black pepper; omit basil.

Yield: 1 1/3 cups.

Barbecue Sauce

This sauce is great. It comes together in just a few minutes, and it's so much better than the stuff in a bottle!

Barbecue Sauce

Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup ketchup

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 5 to 7 minutes.

Blueberry-Balsamic Barbecue Chicken

I love making homemade barbecue sauces, and this one did not disappoint! I sprinkled some boneless, skinless chicken thighs with some kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and then cooked them under the broiler, brushing with the sauce at the very end of cooking. Served with rice pilaf and roasted green beans, it was a fabulous dinner.

Blueberry-Balsamic Barbecue Sauce

Cooking Light

2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove from heat; cool. Place blueberry mixture in a blender; process until smooth.

Almond Rice Pilaf

Cooking Light

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups basmati rice, uncooked

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add rice; saute 1 minute. Add wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. Add salt and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in lemon juice and almonds.

8 servings