Homemade Roasted Tomato Sauce

This is one of my favorite things to cook, period. But for those of you who need a specific recipe... sorry, I don't have one. This sauce is the epitome of my "taste as you go cooking." Here in this post today, I wrote roughly what I would usually do for a basic tomato herb sauce.

Like I said, this is the basic tomato sauce, but I like to mix it up depending on the day and what veggies I have around. It is really fun to get creative and add in some roasted red peppers or mushrooms when you have those available!

This sauce is quick and great on noodles for an easy dinner with a side salad. BUT this sauce has great flavor and picks up other flavors really well. I love using this sauce on grilled chicken with a slice of melted cheese...almost like chicken parmesan except faster, easier, and without the extra mess or extra calories of breading and frying the chicken. It freezes and thaws great, too.

When I first started making this in college I was only cooking for myself. I would make a whole batch of it, and freeze it in little mason jars or Tupperware. The stuff thaws well and tastes great up to 6 months later (probably longer, just never makes it that long before I eat it all)! I've used it on eggplant Parmesan, too, and it was a huge hit with my boyfriend's family.

I've thought too about making it into a base of a tomato or roasted red pepper soup... I'll have to let you know if that works out. Let me know if you try it first and tips for success!

Basic ingredient list:

• 2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes
• 1/2 White or Yellow Onion
• Garlic (~5 cloves)
• Fresh Herbs of Choice (basil, rosemary, thyme and oregano are all good) 
• If you don't have fresh herbs around, you can also use dried  italian seasoning or herbs de Provence
• Red pepper flakes (just a pinch)
• Red wine (~1/4 cup drizzled)
• Balsamic vinegar  (a little drizzle maybe a tablespoon or two)
• I usually do EITHER red wine OR balsamic... could do both I guess, just may be a little acidic
• Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan Cheese

Here's how it goes:

1. Rinse and dump: the cherry tomatoes into roasting pan or cookie sheet. Just make sure it has a little edge at least so things don't roll away into the bottom of your oven
2. Chop and dump: roughly chop your onion, smash the garlic cloves (don't need to chop), and chop fresh herbs and throw them all into your pan. If you're going to add red peppers or mushrooms or anything else at this point, just rough chop and throw it all in!
3. Drizzle and shake: drizzle some olive oil, red wine or balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and shake it all around to coat them a little
4. Roast in oven and do something else for a while: I usually roast them for ~30-45 min at 350 degrees. Just till the veggies are tender and the tomatoes are popping open
5. Blend it and Taste it: This is where I get to use my little rocket blender, or my boyfriends mom's awesome ninja blender... anything with blades and buttons will work. Pour all the stuff from the pan into the blender including all the juice. Blend it all up and add olive oil until it's the right consistency for you. I usually blend in some freshly graded Parmesan cheese at this point. Taste it and add whatever else you want. 
6. EAT IT

1. Need ideas: noodles, chicken, baked tilapia or other white fish, roasted vegetables, spaghetti squash, dipping sauce for appetizers, eggplant Parmesan, with a spoon. 

Really simple, really quick, really delicious.

Let me know what yummy combinations you've come up with!

Vegetarian Enchiladas (So good you won't miss the meat)

First off I want to say: Yes, I'm aware that these are not the most appetizing pictures. I didn't take them right away, this is a left-over enchilada after the microwave... and all I really wanted to do was eat it, so I didn't bother with getting good pictures. SO there it is. The cheesy blob of deliciousness that is the vegetarian enchilada!

This is another of the recipes I cooked for my PBL group in med school. I doubled this recipe and made about 23 enchiladas. This obviously tuned out to be way too many for 8 people, but they were great left over, and they were easy to make!

Now, Ben is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I don't mean that he isn't adventurous (because he'll try anything), or that he doesn't like vegetables (he even likes broccoli... yuck), but... he does LOVE his meat. So I knew it was a big complement when he told me "These couldn't have been any better, even with meat in them."

Without further delay: Veggie Enchiladas

Enchilada Filling

• ~ 2 cups cooked brown rice 
• Usually a little less, I use the 5 minute instant brown rice and the servings work out so it's slightly less than 2 cups once cooked, which is perfect. I find 2 cups to be a little too much rice
• 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1/2 white onion sliced up into strips or roughly chopped
• One red pepper, one yellow pepper, one green pepper sliced into strips (not too long)
• Some Grocery stores have the frozen pepper mix-about 16 oz bags work great for this! Less cutting for you!
• Fresh Baby Spinach... I use about 1/2 a bag for a single recipe
• 1 packet taco seasoning (~2 Tbl.)
• 3/4 cup salsa

Saute the onion and peppers for a minute or two just to soften them, or defrost them if they are frozen. Mix the rice, peppers, onion, beans, salsa, and taco seasoning all together in a pot, or a pan with tall sides and stir together. Stir in the spinach and let it cook just until the spinach is barely wilted. Filling is done!

Fill your 6 inch flour tortillas with the filling and put in your baking dish. Usually fills about 12 tortillas of this size (maybe 10, I tend to over-fill my enchiladas)

Enchilada Sauce

• 2 Tbl. vegetable oil
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 2 Tbl. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 tsp garlic powder (or to taste, if you like more)
• Tiny little pinch cayenne pepper if you like a little heat-JUST  A LITTLE! You don't want to overpower the delicious filling
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

I don't like canned enchilada sauce, and this is super easy so I use it. If you're cool with canned or you have your favorite brand of enchilada sauce, by all means go for it, if it saves a little time. But, really, this cooks up in just a few minutes while you're making the filling.

Just warm the vegetable oil over medium heat, add in the flour and chili powder to cook for a couple minutes (2-4 min). Add in all the other ingredients and stir well to mix it all. Bring it to a boil and then simmer over medium heat for about 10 min until it thickens up a little. It won't get very thick, but it's enchilada sauce, you don't want it super thick.

Once your filling is done and your enchiladas are all rolled up, pour the sauce over top. Top it with some cheese, I like the shredded white Mexican cheese blend. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until all warmed through, cheese is melty and sauce is bubbling!

They really are delicious, and super easy. Actually, I didn't even think about it till afterward, but they are pretty darn healthy too. Lots of veggies, very little fat (omit the cheese if you're REALLY worried... but, that just doesn't happen with me)!

Tikka Masala

For those of you who know me, you know that I found out in October that I'm allergic to chicken and eggs. Yes, I know... they are (were) staples in my diet on a daily basis! SO it's been an interesting adjustment period.

One of the Cardiologists that lectured us, recently, reminded us that "the less legs it has, the better!" Obviously, since he is a cardiologist, many of his patients need to control their weight and cholesterol. He uses this method to help them figure out what they can eat! Pretty intuitive. The less legs it has, the better.

Maybe a visual aid would help:

Cows and pigs are worse than chickens which are worse than fish (mutant ones with legs don't count). And, obviously, vegetables can't grow legs so they are the best of all!

Some of you may also know that as a young child I had high cholesterol because I pretty much refused to eat anything except fried mozzarella and chicken strips. I had to see a dietitian and everything. From then on it was reduced fat wheat thins and fat free string cheese only!

So regrettably, I am informed enough to know that I can't just swap out my 10 meals a week that consisted of chicken for beef. This transition period to a meat-less; egg-less diet consisted of plenty of cheating and lots of whining, but I'm officially there and doing well... and eating a whole lot of turkey!

Anyway, if you're just looking for the recipe, here it is! This is a great recipe. I'll definitely be making it again! I'ts not near as difficult as it looks, just lots of spices. Marinade meat overnight, cut up veggies as you grill meat, mix all together, voila! 

Chicken (or Turkey in my case) Marinade

1 cup yogurt

1 Tbl. lemon juice

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbl. minced fresh ginger

2 tsp. salt

3 boneless chicken breasts (or same amount of turkey), cut into bite-sized pieces (about 12 oz meat, total)

4 long skewers for grilling

Needs to marinate for at least an hour, even better if it marinates over night,  so plan ahead a little bit!

Tikka Masala Sauce

2 Tbl. butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 tsp. ground cumin

4 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. salt 

16 oz. tomato sauce

14 oz can coconut milk (I used light)

Other stuff to put in the dish

1 red bell pepper coarsely chopped

1 large white onion coarsely chopped
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (depending on your desire for spice)
1 small zucchini, sliced into, thin half circles
1 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

This dish can easily be made vegetarian by doing tofu with the chicken/turkey marinade! You could also omit the meat and just use more vegetables, although the meat marinade adds a lot of flavor.

What to do for the meat

• In a large bowl, mix all marinade ingredients together. Stir in the turkey, cover, and refrigerate over night. 
• Skewer the meat onto the wooden rods and grill over high heat for 4-5 min on each side
• Set aside until ready to add it into the sauce

What to do for the Sauce

• Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat
• Saute the garlic, jalapeno, onion, pepper, and other vegetables for a couple minutes
• Season with the cumin, paprika, and salt. 
• Stir in the tomato sauce and coconut milk
• Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens up a bit (15 minutes)
• Add in the grilled turkey and simmer on low for another 15 minutes or so
• The meat marinade actually adds a lot of flavor and spice, so don't add extra cayenne or anything until after you've mixed in the meat
• With 5 min or so remaining, stir in a few tablespoons of fresh cilantro

Serve with white rice (I like jasmine rice) and top with more fresh cilantro!

Stop taking pictures and eat already!!!

Let me know how it works out for you. Also let me know if you have any egg-less breakfast casserole recipes!

French Onion Soup

I remember the exact moment that I fell in love with french onion soup. I was 9 years old on vacation with my family to Hilton Head, South Carolina. It was a great trip, in general, we rode bikes along the beach, learned how to dig up conch shells, built racecars in the sand, and ate at some magnificent restaurants.

It was at one of these great restaurants where I discovered the best french onion soup, ever. If you ever get out that direction, Cafe at Wexford is fantastic, and the french onion soup is the one that won over my heart forever. Since then I have been comparing every french onion soup to that one. Most are good, many are great, and a few have come close to matching the perfection, but none just yet.

I have not given up on my quest to find one just as good as that first french onion soup. So recently I figured maybe I can make one that is just as good. I don't know that I'm quite there, yet, but either way this recipe is a keeper.

French Onion Soup
4 Tbl. Butter
1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
3 Large White Onions, thinly sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
42 oz. Low Sodium Beef Broth
28 oz. Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 cup Red Wine (approximate)
2-3 Tbl. Worcestershire Sauce
4 Sprigs Fresh Parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme (+ another 2 Tbl. chopped)
1-2 bay leafs
2 Tbl. Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Thickly sliced French Bread
Sliced Gruyere cheese for melting on top
Shredded Asiago cheese for melting on top

In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the thinly sliced onions and the garlic. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft and caramelized. They almost start falling apart at this point (yum!).

Add in the beef and chicken broth, red wine, and worcestershire into the pot. I usually only add about half of the wine and Worcestershire now, because I like to add in some here and some there as I taste as I go. Allows me to get it just like I like it! Add in the bundle of parsley, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs, whole (you'll fish them out later). Simmer this over medium heat for about 20 min.

Remove the whole sprigs of herbs and add about another 2 Tbl. of fresh chopped thyme and stir in. Reduce the heat and add in the balsamic vinegar (usually only 1 Tbl. at a time, to see how the flavor is doing.) Now you can add salt and pepper to taste, also. A tip I learned the hard way: you never want to add salt until you are almost done cooking the soup. If you add it to your liking, and then continue cooking it down and reducing liquid off, it will end up much more concentrated and will taste a lot saltier than you anticipated.

Cut up your french bread and cheese (and eat a little for an appetizer!) Toast the french bread on both sides under a broiler, or in a toaster oven. Fill your oven safe bowls or crocks with hot soup, top with toasty bread, sliced Gruyere and Asiago cheese. Eeat any cheese that falls onto the counter, and place the bowls under the broiler until the top is melted, golden, bubbly, toasty, and perfect.

Devour immediately... but to avoid burning your tongue, I guess you should wait a minute before putting a huge cheesy chunk in your mouth. I'm not a patient person, though... so I burn my tongue nearly every time...WORTH IT!

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