Marinara #4 - Light & Saucy

It's summer.
Sometimes eating a big steaming bowl of pasta in the summer doesn't sound so good.
Especially when it's 106°.
Like it is here.

But what if you could have some swuass that's light?
Just enough to cover your weirdly shaped pasta but not overly-hearty?
That's the ticket I say!

Ingredients:
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp. chopped garlic (I used two large cloves)
2 tbsp. olive oil
6 cups of chopped tomatoes (or fill up your 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup 3 times)
1 tsp. of salt

How to:

Heat up a large stock pot and add olive oil.  Add chopped onions and garlic, and saute until the onions start to become translucent.  Add tomatoes and cook at a low to medium temperature, stirring frequently until the tomatoes cook down (I also use my wooden spoon to smash the tomatoes against the sides of the pot, speeding up the process).  Once the tomatoes are cooked down, pour everything into the blender and blend until smooth.  Stir in salt to taste.  Eat now or freeze for later.

Enjoy!

P.S.  I'll have to share the recipe for those there turkey zucchini meatballs someday too!

**I shared this recipe on the following sites, click the links for more tasty recipes!
The Healthy Home Economist
New Life on a Homestead
Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
My Sweet & Savory
Beyer Beware
Delightfully Dowling
Simply Sugar & Gluten Free
All the Small Stuff
Real Food Forager
Growing Home
Kelly the Kitchen Kop
The Tasty Alternative
The Kings Court IV
Gluten Free Homemaker
This Chick Cooks
Lady Behind the Curtain
It's a Keeper
Frugal Follies
Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Miz Helen's Country Kitchen
Pennywise Platter

Pinspiration! Recipe Find - Goat Cheese, Lemon, Arugula & Pea Pasta

Pinterest is becoming my new go to spot for recipes.

I think it might be easier to find stuff there than doing a Google search.

Really.

Here is one I came across the other day - 

Goat Cheese, Lemon, Arugula & Pea Pasta

 

Yum, right?

I grabbed what I needed and decided to try it out.

The Scoop - This was super easy to make.  It will definitely be a go-to recipe for when I want to make something tasty in a little bit of time.  I also have never thought of throwing peas into the pasta water so this is another idea I'm sure to copy in other recipes.

The Verdict - The pasta was rich and creamy with a nice lemon flavor; the arugula and peas added a nice contrast.  The goat cheese makes a really thick coating on the pasta - I tasted it and immediately said "it's like adult mac and cheese".

The Fix - Not that it really needs fixing, but.  If you're a goat cheese eater you know how thick and creamy it is.  Both The Cyclist & I agreed that this dish would be nicely balanced with the addition of something salty - he said prosciutto, I said spicy turkey sausage; either one will do. Also, I might add a bit of milk to the mix, just to cut the thickness quality of the melted goat cheese.

Mentionables - I'm not sure if adding more lemon might also cut the goat cheese thickness.  I'm also not sure if the lemon flavor would be lost by adding prosciutto or spicy turkey sausage (that would be a shame, the lemon flavor is really good).  A dry white wine would be really good with this.

Here is my finished product...

Bon Appetite!

Marinara #2 - Da Super Basil

Circa late 90's when I was working for a very big military insurance company, we got new computers.  For some time there was a debate over whether or not we would get "the Internet" at our work stations.  I say "the Internet" in quotations because back then it was new and curious.  They were worried we would waste our work time "surfing the web".  Us?  No!  Of course not.

Riiighhht.

One of the first videos I ever got was of Super Greg Da Numba One.

Super Greg is of course Sacha Baron Cohen of Ali G & Borat fame.

But back then, nobody knew who he was unless you knew Super Greg.

The original video that I saw had awesomeness of him posing by his rad red sedan...

...oh the memories!

In fact, I named my first post after Super Greg.

He is pure awesomeness people!  At its finest.

Anyway, are you wondering what this has to do with marinara?

So am I.

In honor of Super Greg, I have named Marinara #2 "Da Super Basil".

Cause' it's super and has a lot of basil.

Here we go!

Garlic much?

4-6 cloves depending on how garlicious you are....

mince it...

How about a carrot?

Don't tell The Cyclist.

He thinks it's weird to put carrot in marinara.

Even though it's pretty standard.

And a nice way to add sweetness without adding extra sugar.

Chop it.

Yellow onion?

Yes please!

Chop it.

I had some red onion, so I chopped it up too....

Meanwhile this guy is waiting.
Just waiting.

Waiting for something to drop.

Don't tell his Dad or he'll be busted for being in the kitchen.

Heat up your big ole' sauce pot...

...once it's hot add some olive oil.

3 tablespoons.

BTW, do you like that artsy tablespoon?

Apparently that's what happens when cheap stuff gets too hot in the dishwasher.

Awesome.

Then throw your garlic, onion & carrot in and saute....

I was wondering....

I'm not.

I'm intrigued by them though.

I used Shady Lady tomatoes for this batch because I got a big ole' bag of them for cheap at the Farmer's Market.

*note lone green tomato

I had 2 vine-ripened guys left in my fridge...

...so I used them too.

Surprisingly, those Shady Ladies looked great on the inside...

(is there a lesson here?)

Remember that green tomato from above?

Here is what it looked like on the inside....

I didn't use it.  Not much flava.

Add all your chopped tomatoes to the garlic/onion/carrot mix and cook em' down...

Meanwhile, since it's finally Fall in Northern California,

go and cut all the remaining basil off of your plants....

...it's Da Super Basil, remember?

2 cups of basil leaves....

Add them to your cooking tomatoes....

...while you're at it, you might as well use up the rest of your Dorot basil too.

I had 4 cubes (4 teaspoons) left.

I used it all.

Once everything is nice and cooked down, throw it in the blender...

Viola!

The finished product,

a super hearty super basil marinara....

Yum!
Entire recipe is below and available on Tasty Kitchen.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
4-6 cloves garlic, minced 1 regular sized carrot, chopped 1 small onion, chopped (yellow or red) 3 tablespoons of olive oil 5 tomatoes, chopped (I used 3 shady ladies & 2 vine ripened, it equaled about 6 cups) 2 cups of basil leaves, loosely packed 2 teaspoons sea salt 10 shakes/turns cracked black pepper 1 tablespoon of dry basil 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
How to:
Mince garlic.  Chop onions & carrots.  Chop tomatoes. Heat large saucepan.  Once hot, add olive oil, garlic, onions & carrots.  Saute until soft. Reduce heat to low.  Add tomatoes and cook until they are breaking down. Add basil leaves and continue to stir until they wilt. Add sea salt, cracked black pepper, dry basil & Italian seasoning, stir. Pour everything into the blender and blend.
This made about 40oz of swauss.
**I've shared this recipe at the following sites - follow the links for more great and tasty recipe ideas.
Kelly The Kitchen Kop - Real Food Wednesdays The Kings Court IV - What's Cooking Wednesday The Gluten Free Homemaker - Gluten Free Wednesday The Tasty Alternative - Allergy Free Wednesday This Chick Cooks - Whole Food Wednesdays Dining with Debbie - What's on the menu Wednesday Lady Behind the Curtain - Cast Party Wednesday Food Renegade - Fight Back Friday ann kroeker.  writer.  - Food on Friday's Food Trip Friday Real Food Freaks - Freaky Friday The Healthy Home Economist - Monday Mania New Life on a Homestead - Monday's Homestead Barnhop Simply Sugar & Gluten Free - Slightly Indulgent Tuesday's All the Small Stuff - Tuesday's At The Table Real Food Forager - Fat Tuesday Growing Home - Teach Me Tuesday It's a Keeper - It's a Keeper Thursday Frugal Follies - Frugal Food Thursday Cybele Pascal - Allergy Friendly Friday Life as Mom - Frugal Friday Balancing Beauty & Bedlam - Tasty Tuesday Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms - Melt in Your Mouth Monday My Sweet & Savory - My Meatless Monday Hey What's for dinner Mom - Just Another Meatless Monday Midnight Maniac - Meatless Monday's

Marinara #1 - Roma tomato, roasted red pepper & basil

Pinterest visitors!  Hello, I have 3 other scratch marinara recipes, you can find them here!  Thanks for visiting!

So.  I've been whining about finding a marinara recipe with NO CANNED INGREDIENTS.  I am not a hater of canned goods, but I figure if I'm making my own sauce, it shouldn't have canned junk in it, or I may as well just buy a jar of marinara.

Anyway, I was really surprised that most of the recipes I found called for canned tomato sauce or canned tomatoes.  Boo!  So I decided to make my own.  I consulted the experts:  Ironmom, sister Beezelbum and sister Mush.  I imagined things in my mind.  I fell in love with roasted red peppers.  And then I went for it.

I bought this big ole' bag of Roma tomatoes at the Yolo Fruit Stand.

They are not perfect, but that is OK because I cooked them down.

I used 8 of them.

I only cut out the ends and chopped them.

I did not seed or peel them.

I am not Sam I am.

What is swuaas with out garlic?

6 cloves minced.

The yellow onion was also present.

1 small yellow onion, chopped.

Of course, due to my love affair with Roasted Red Peppers (don't tell The Cyclist), I had to add one of these to the mix.....

So, pre-heat your oven for roasting that pepper.

I followed these instructions (just the roasting part & I only used 1 pepper) from How Sweet It Is.

Then, heat up a big pot to a medium temp....

(I just used my pasta pot and took the strainer out)

...and add some olive oil....

...add in your garlic and onion and saute them for a bit until they start to soften...

....then throw in your chopped tomatoes...

...cook at a low-medium heat...

Now.  My basil plants still have some leaves, but they are looking a little shabby...

...so I used this stuff instead.

It is Dorot Chopped Basil and you can buy it at Trader Joe's.

They have other seasonings too, including garlic.

They all come in the little pop out trays and are super convenient to have in your freezer.

The basil is fresh tasting and good.

Disclaimer: Dorat is not paying me or giving me products.  I just like it.

I used 4 cubes which is equal to 4 teaspoons.

I also threw in a bay leaf.

Photo: simplyorganic.com

I forgot to take a picture of it, so you get the file photo above.

I also threw in salt, pepper, sugar, garlic pepper, sea salt and dry oregano.

You know what these look like, right?

I hope so.

This is me in the kitchen.  

Ignore the giant tub of Wheat Thins at my side.
I may or may not have been using them to taste test my swuaas.

If you did not believe that my kitchen is Mad Men Circa 1956, check out this side-by-side comparison:

Ooohhh, the similarities are eerie!

Betty Draper is a way better dresser, but she should lose that cancer stick!

Moving on.

You should be stirring your tomatoes...

Stir...

...stir...

....stir....

OK, you get it.

Keep those tomatoes on medium-low heat and keep cooking them down.

Eventually, after roasting and steaming, your red peppers should be ready...

Yum.

As I peeled my peppers (like Peter Piper.  wait.  he picked peppers.)...

OK, as I peeled my peppers I threw them in the tomato mix.

Once I was done I took the whole thing and threw it in the blender...

...I probably should have removed the Bay Leaf, but I forgot, so it got blended up too.

Nobody died.

After everything was blended....

....viola!

I then attempted to take several artsy shots of my swuaas, none of which I'm particularly thrilled with. The photo editing was fun though...










I think this one is my favorite....

I made this after dinner, so it sat for a night in the fridge before we had it...

All in all, it was good! It is a tad sweet, which I like.  It had a nice flavor and none of that canned taste. The Roasted Red Pepper added to the thickness and the flavor. The basil was present but not overpowering.
So, as far as the title "Marinara #1", I am planning to do a series of different sauces over time. I am especially nervous about #5 because I feel like it needs to be as famous as Chanel No. 5 or something. This is an example of my mind at work.  My apologies. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe for Marinara #1!
Recipe as follows & at Tasty Kitchen.
Marinara #1 - Roma tomato, roasted red pepper & basil
Ingredients: 8 Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped 1 Medium yellow onion, chopped 6 Cloves garlic, minced 1 Red pepper, cored and roasted 4 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Dashes of salt 2 Dashes of fresh ground pepper 1 Bay leaf 4 Teaspoons fresh basil, chopped or 4 frozen Dorat basil cubes 1 Teaspoon oregano 1/2 Teaspoon garlic pepper 2 Teaspoons sea salt 2 Tablespoons sugar
How To: Chop tomatoes and onions. Mice garlic. Begin process of roasting the red pepper using How Sweet It Is instructions below.  Use 1 red pepper.
To roast peppers: remove core and seeds from peppers and slice into pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and preheat the broiler in your oven. Place under the broiler skin-side up until skins are completely charred and black – this took about 10 minutes for me but will depend on your oven. Just check every 2 minutes or so. Immediately remove peppers from oven and using kitchen tongs, quickly place them in a ziplock bag then seal it. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.
After you put your pepper in the oven... Heat large pot on burner to medium heat. Add olive oil. Add onions and garlic and saute until softened. Add tomatoes. Reduce heat to low-medium temperature. Add all seasoning and continue to stir frequently. Once the red pepper is done roasting and steaming, peel the skin as directed and add it to the sauce mixture. Dump entire sauce mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until the sauce is smooth with no tomato or pepper chunks. Jar it or serve it!
The end!   **I've shared this recipe at the following sites - follow the links for more great and tasty recipe ideas. The Tasty Alternative - Allergy Free Wednesdays  Kelly the Kitchen Kop - Real Food Wednesdays 
The Nourishing Gourmet - Pennywise Platter Thursdays 
Food Renegade - Fight Back Friday
Cybele Pascal - Allergy Friendly Friday
Ann Kroeker.  Writer.  - Food on Friday
Food Trip Friday
Real Food Freaks - Freaky Friday
The Healthy Home Economist - Monday Mania
I'm an Organizing Junkie - Menu Plan Monday
11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven - Homemaker Monday
New Life on a Homestead - Homestead Barn Hop
Simply Sugar & Gluten Free - Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
All the Small Stuff - Tuesday's at the Table
Real Food Forager - Fat Tuesday
Growing Home - Teach Me Tuesday
Everyday Tastes - It's a Keeper Thursday
Frugal Follies - Frugal Food Thursday
Life as Mom - Frugal Friday
Around My Family Table - Feed Your Soul
Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms - Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Beauty & Bedlam - Tasty Tuesday
The Kings Court IV - What's Cooking Wednesday
The Gluten Free Homemaker - Gluten-Free Wednesday
This Chick Cooks - Whole Foods Wednesday
Dining With Debbie - What's on the Menu Wednesday
Lady Behind the Curtain - Cast Party Wednesday
My Sweet and Savory - My Meatless Monday's
Hey What's for Dinner Mom? - Just Another Meatless Monday
Midnight Maniac Meatless Monday