You Say Tomato. . .

I really like recipes that use convenient amounts of ingredients. The whole can of tomato paste, not 3 tablespoons. A whole pint of cream, not 1 1/3 cups. Don’t leave me stranded with a quarter of a box of pasta, please. It makes me crazy. So, with that in mind, I’ll give you my basic tomato sauce. It uses whole amounts and is also a fantastic way to use up any little odd amounts of things you have hanging around. That 2/3 cup of cream you have languishing around your fridge? Tip it in before you serve this sauce. Those three carrots you have left that are feeling neglected? Chop ‘em finely and add them in with the onions. Got a handful of leftover pot roast still sitting around? Pop it in with the tomatoes and simmer it into submission.

Basic Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium onions, chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped finely

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon kosher salt

freshly ground pepper to taste (I use a LOT)

1 can of tomato paste

Two 28oz cans of ground or crushed tomatoes (or whole peeled tomatoes run through your food processor)

1-2 cups of water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

 

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium low heat.

Add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté until tender.

Stir in the oregano, salt & pepper, and tomato paste. (I like to add it now because it mixes nicely with the onions and I don’t end up chasing a glob of paste around my sauce later!)

Cook for another minute, then add the tomatoes. Then I rinse the cans down with a little water to get every last bit of tomato and dump that slurry in. Hence the vague amount of water. If your sauce is still looking a bit thick you can just add a bit more water.

Stir in the sugar and balsamic vinegar.

Bring the sauce up to a boil, then lower the heat and keep the sauce to a simmer.

Simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

Enjoy!

Appedinner? Dinnatizers?

I'm joining Cheri at It's So Very Cheri for a fun blog party. She is hosting Celebrate the Holidays and is looking for great fall decor and tasty treats. 

My kids love it when I make lots of little things for dinner. I guess it's like going to a buffet, plus the food is all their size. Serve it up with a big salad and it's a fun change from regular ole dinner. This round of appetizers is a little old school, but super yummy!

I'm always amazed how the same handful of ingredients can be transformed into such different dishes. It seems like everything I make in the winter months starts with diced onion and garlic sauteing in oil. When I made this round of appetizers I had all the ingredients prepped and each dish shared several components with another dish, yet they all taste unique.

Crab Cakes

1/2 an onion, finely chopped
3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
4- 6 tablespoons of butter
1 pound of crab meat, picked over
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
splash of hot sauce
2 tablespoons parsely, minced

In a skillet over medium low heat melt 3 tablespoons of the butter.
Cook the onion and celery until tender.
Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in crab and bread crumbs.
In a small bowl, mix the mayo, Old Bay, worchestershire sauce, hot sauce, parsley and salt and pepper.
Stir mayo mixture into crab mixture and combine well.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper and form crab mixture into 3 inch round cakes.
Chill for at least an hour.
Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Cook the crabcakes in batches, about 3 minutes per side.
Enjoy!


Zucchini Boats

8 zucchinis, halved lengthwise
1/2 pound sausage
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 an onion, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
3 stalks of celery, chopped finely
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 cup panko
1/2 mozzarella, shredded
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons parsely, minced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage.
Drain on a paper towel lined plate.
Meanwhile, using a small spoon, seed the zucchinis.
Place the zucchinis on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 10 minutes, until they just start to get tender.
In another skillet, melt the butter.
Saute the onion, garlic, celery and zucchini, um, guts.
When tender, remove to a medium bowl.
Add the sausage, mayo, panko, mozzarella, tomatoes and parsley, and mix well.
When the zucchini are ready, spoon the mixture into the boats.
Bake for another 10 - 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

24 ounces white button mushrooms, washed and stems removed and finely chopped
1/2 pound hot breakfast sausage (or Italian sausage)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool.
Add onions and garlic to the same skillet with a little of the sausage drippings. 

Saute over medium low heat until tender.

Pour in chicken stock to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate.
Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese, egg yolk and parmesan cheese.
Add cooled sausage and onion mixture. 

Stuff mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a mound over the top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

I had quite a bit of the mushroom filling left over, so I warmed it up tossed it will some pasta and a little cream the next night for dinner. Yum!

Now head on over to Cheri's to see all the other Fall fun!

Linguine Carbonara

This is one of my favorite go-to dinners when I am tired/lazy. I always have a couple of packages of the super thin cut pancetta that Wal*Mart carries stashed in my freezer and there are always eggs in my fridge. I think this pasta comes in second place on my kids' list of favorite food. (Mac 'n cheese being number one.)

Linguine Carbonara

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, minced
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 pound fresh linguine
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan, at room temperature

Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and pancetta and cook until the onions are translucent and the pancetta is beginning to crisp.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to package directions until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Drain pasta in a colander (reserve a small amount of the cooking liquid in a small bowl) and return pasta to the pot.
Return the pot to the heat and add the reserved pancetta and onion mixture.
Stir over high heat until pasta is coated with the pancetta mixture.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream and add to the pasta, along with the parmesan.
Remove the pot from the heat and toss the pasta until it is well-coated.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
If needed, add a bit of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to help toss the pasta if it is dry.
Serve immediately.

Asian Noodle Salad

I have sort of an unhealthy obsession with Pike Place Farmer's Market in Seattle. It is absolutely one of my favorite places in the world. I have spent countless hours there, shopping, eating, being entertained. When my brother and his fiancee (now his lovely wife) lived a few blocks away from the market I nearly died of jealousy! A friend of mine once complained to me that going to Pike Place will nickel and dime you to death. In my eyes, that's sort of the point of going! I mean, I can count on one hand the times I've eaten a sit-down meal there. I go to Pike Place to nibble. Usually I get a couple of mini-donuts at The Daily Dozen, a mocha at Local Color, sometimes a landjager at Don and Joe's, a bit of cheese at Beecher's, etc, etc, etc. This recipe came from this fantastic shop. And this is one of the coolest gifts ever! Did I mention my birthday is tomorrow? Hint, hint. (Just kidding!) (Sorta.) (Ok, not really.)

Asian Noodle Salad

1 pound dry vermicelli
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1-2 teaspoons Olio Buon Gustaio (or your favorite olive oil)
3 tablespoons Aceto Balsamico (or your favorite balsamic vinegar)
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 cup scallions, cut on bias
a handful of cilantro, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add pasta and salt the water.
Whisk together oil, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar.
When the pasta is done drain it and chill with cold water.
In a large bowl stir the pasta and sauce together.
Top with toasted seeds, scallions and your herbs.

You can serve immediately, but it is SO awesome if you let it sit in the fridge overnight! It's also a great dish to toss in whatever lonely vegetable you have hanging around.