One Hour Spaghetti Sauce

I have been using sauce from a jar for several years now, but on New Year's Eve, my very busy friend pulled out some leftover homemade marinara sauce for the mozzarella sticks. I was flabbergasted that she made her own sauce, being as busy as she is. I subconsciously resolved to make my own spaghetti sauce, so I followed her advice, found a recipe with tomato paste and amped it up even more. I know it isn't low FODMAP, but it is something a crave every once in a while. This recipe was adapted from the Kitchen Konfidence website.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

Pinch of red pepper flake, or to taste

3 14.5 oz. cans stewed tomato (I used Kirkland Organic)

2 6 oz. can tomato paste (I used Kirkland Organic)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sugar

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 1/2 pounds cooked brown rice spaghetti, for serving

 

Instructions

1. Warm olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once you see the oil shimmering, add the chopped onion and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and pinch of red pepper flake then continue to sauté until onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.
2. Add stewed tomato, tomato paste, oregano, basil, parsley, sugar, a few pinches of kosher salt and several turns of freshly ground black pepper, stirring to combine. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to low then simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.
3. Serve with pasta!

Lemon Pork Chops

It's getting close to lemon season! We have two lemon trees, so I am always searching for recipes that include whole lemons. This recipe looks delicious!

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Meyer Lemon

Deeper 'n Ever Pie

4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 small turnips, peeled and cubed
2 beets, boiled and cooled
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup grated cheese
2 pie crusts, homemade

Make a crust for a covered pie. Roll out bottom crust and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Put half of the cheese over the bottom crust. Boil potatoes and turnips until cooked; drain. Mash potatoes and turnips together and add 1 Tablespoon butter and 1/2 cup of milk. Put half of this into the pie curst. Sautee onions in a little butter. Mix all the beets and onions together and put on top of the potato and turnip mixture. Then put the rest of potato and turnip mix on and the rest of the cheese. Put the top crust on with an attractive edging and slits so steam can escape. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes until crust is browned. (I do not remember my source, but this is a Redwall Food.)

Gluten Free Lemon Chia Muffins

All things lemon in my household this week inspired me to search for a lemon muffin recipe. I adapted this one from Joy of Baking.

1 1/4 cups Tom Sawyer Gluten Free Flour

3/4 cups buckwheat flour

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda       

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup turbinado sugar       

2 large eggs       

Zest of two lemon

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. 

In a bowl, whisk the flours with the chia seeds, salt, and baking soda. With a hand mixer, beat the coconut oil and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the lemon zest, yogurt, and vanilla extract until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture just until moistened. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Bake for about 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about five minutes before removing from pan.

Lemon Vinaigrette

It's lemon season in Phoenix and I have been scouring the internet for recipes. This one seems to perfectly with my cooking style (creative cooking with staples on hand). I plan to use this as a marinade with chicken, fish, and vegetables. I have adapted the recipe slightly from Martha Stewart.

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a jar. Cover and shake. Add oil and shake again until combined. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Gluten Free Polenta-Tomatilla Casserole

1 tube prepared polenta
15 ounces black beans, drained
15 ounces corn kernels, drained
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 1/2 cups tomatilla salsa
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dice polenta into 1/2 inch cubes. Put the cubes into a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Top with the beans, corn, and half the cheese. In a medium bowl, combine the salsa, cilantro, and yogurt. Pour the mixture over the ingredients in the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes.

*I bought the polenta, beans, and tomatilla salsa at Trader Joe's because they had the best prices in my area and all the items were gluten free. I used frozen corn which I thawed before preparing.

Beef Rouladen

I enjoy a little international food during the holidays, especially when it brings back pleasant memories shared with loved ones. This beef rouladen recipe from Taste of Home was originally shared with me by my aunt. I made it for the family when we hosted a German exchange student. It's pretty simple to make and absolutely delicious! To modify it to be gluten free, I used gluten free Dijon mustard (French's) and gluten free flour (Tom Sawyer).

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/beef-rouladen#.