Dressing up your pasta sauce

In all honesty, I would probably eat red sauce and pasta every day if I could. It's just one of those things. Maybe growing up with a momma who frequently made fancy Italian foods has something to do with that. I'm not sure. But I am sure that I'm a fan of jarred sauces. Because, let's be honest... who actually has time to make spaghetti sauce? Usually not me. But- you can buy the jarred stuff at the store for pretty cheap, as long as you're not getting some fancy $7 jar of organic, local, hip sauce. (For the record, I still don't think those are worth $7). And all you have to do is dress it up a bit and you have a tasty pot of sauce.

So here are some ideas for dressing up that plain, walmart brand, prego, ragu, whatever you've got.

1. I'm not sure about this, but it seem like the longer you warm up any tomato-y thing, the better it is. So don't microwave it. Put it on the stove, let it heat up for a while.

2. Add stuff! Here are some ideas:
- Fresh basil (on top)
- Half and half or sour cream (creamy sauce)
- Fresh carrots that have been sauteed with garlic, onions, crushed red pepper... or ANYTHING you like.
- Crushed red pepper. You've just gotta add the spice.
- And of course, any kind of meat - ground beef, chicken, shrimp, whatever.
- Zucchini! (already soft and fried in oil)
- Crushed tomatoes (make sure you let them simmer for a while. Or even warm them up on a frying pan before adding them to the sauce.

Basically anything you add will add to the flavor and cover up that weird tomato-y ness that some cheap sauces have. I still don't buy canned sauce though. Definitely stick with the jars.

Oh and of course you need some fun pasta. Some of my favorites are bowties (farfalle), radiatore, and fettuccine. I also love cheese-stuffed tortellini and ravioli. The texture makes a different.

But there are more! Check it out!


This is not nearly all of the different types of pasta out there, but it gives you an idea.

Today mine was sliced carrots fried in butter with crushed red peppers. Then I put it in classico tomato basil sauce, added some pine nuts, parmesan, and ate it on linguini. Yum! I would post a picture, except it's already in my tummy...

Be creative and have fun!


PS, maybe some day I will post a real home-made sauce recipe. It is better. But for now, this will do.

Blueberry Crumb Cake!

Guest post from my good friend Jamie Philo

Okay, so you could say I've been experimenting a lot in the kitchen lately. This whole new wife thing has basically shown me that my small recipe repertoire was about enough to feed my hungry, hungry...husband (he's not a hippo, he's just hungry. All the time.)

I would take this opportunity to introduce you to my sous chef - who has come SO well in handy for making things in bulk and with time effectiveness - buutt, my photos came out poorly from my last cooking adventure. Yes, my crock-pot is my sous chef, and she refused exposure on this blog today simply due to unflattering flash exposure from my quick snapshots. She's already as big as they come I'm pretty sure, but I chose her that way (considering I received a 2 qt, 6 qt crock pot at bridal showers as well but kept the one I have!) Needless to say, I'm going to do pulled pork or a whole chicken again next week and take time to incorporate a steady hand for some nicer shots :-p

So I figure that ramble would be enough of an introduction about me - probably m

ore accurate than one that makes me sound normal!

For today - I have for you, blueberry cake!

Okay..so it was supposed to be crumb cake. I may or may not have added enough flower for the top to be crumbly, but come on, its still cake!

This was a true quickie, and easy one so I figured why not?

First, I'll admit that much of my inspiration comes from The Pioneer Woman - she's a little bit of a hero to me these days. Makes me wish I lived on a ranch somethin' awful. Just someone stage an intervention once I start trying to make Isaiah wear a cowboy hat, for his sake!

Confession: have not tasted this yet. Serving it to some friends tonight with fingers crossed and back up option at the ready!

Ingredients - according to the pioneer woman...

• 1/2 stick Butter
• 1 Tablespoon (additional) Butter
• 3/4 cups Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  
  
  
  
• 3/4 cups Whole Milk ( I used 2 percent because its what I had on me!)
• 2 cups Fresh Blueberries
• FOR THE TOPPING:
• 3/4 sticks Butter
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, and a salt. Mix em'together and set them aside.

Cream 1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter with cinnamon and sugar. Add the egg and vanilly. Then goes in the flour and milk gradually until its all a nice yummy batter.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Pour in batter. Do not not not eat all the batter. That is an extra step that is something I have to include for people like me. This way I will only try the batter rather than spoon it in!

Sooo my crumbly top didn't quite come out like hers did - make sure you add enough flour when making the crumbly stuff! So add the butter, flower and sugar and cinnamon and cut it all up with knives to get the crumbly consistency.

Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle some sugar on the top, cut it up and serve! Yum.

Chili

I wrote up this recipe a long while back, inspired by yummy chili at home made by mom and dad


can be doubled. tripled, halfed...

The basics:

1 lb ground beef(optional)- browned on stove w/
-olive oil (a wee bit)
-garlic(1-4 cloves, your preference)
-cumin(+/- 2 tsp)
-crushed red pepper(a couple good shakes)
-chili powder(+/- 2 tsp)
-paprika (to taste... I honestly have no idea what this spice really does!!)

1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
3(ish) stalks of celery chopped
1 onion cut in half and just plopped into pot to stew in there

Pick and choose (always good):
Bell peppers
Carrots
Zucchini
Garbanzo beans

Put everything in a crock pot and let 'er rip!

Salt & black pepper to taste when it's gettin' good 'n' hot.


Variations, secret ingredients, tips, etc:

All measurements are up to your discretion. If you like more of something or none of something, just add or subtract what you like. If you want it vegetarian, add a few more beans (or don't) and just scrap the meat. It's good to brown the meat with the spices and garlic but not necessary, you can just throw plain browned meat into the pot with everything else.

I love to add cinnamon at the end. It gives it a kind of sweeter feeling with a fun, spicy bite!

You can always add more spices.
To make it spicier: more red pepper, more cumin
More flavorful: salt, garlic, onion
Sweeter: br. sugar, cinnamon
Less chunky: water
Less watery: first, just mix it up, if it's still too watery... tomato paste (if it is early on in the cooking process), or just take the top off and let some of the water boil off.

Celery and garlic are KEY. At least for me!


On top:

Cheddar cheese
Sour cream


On bottom:

Rice
Corn Muffins
Noodles


You can make it in...
-a crock pot. Simple, just throw everything in... put it on high just to warm up the pot and then turn it to low for a few hours. I would mix it up and turn it on high for a bit just before you serve it.
-a pot on the stove. Quick, just throw everything in... and let it warm up! This is faster than a crock pot. It will probably be ready after 30-40 min of sitting on the stove, but you should keep an eye on it and be there to stir it pretty regularly.

Final step (this is SUPER important):
Find some friends and DIG IN!


*disclaimer*
all measurements are subject to change and are not precise, no need to follow directions exactly, have fun and add your own new ingredients!

Beans&Greens

I know this is not the official greens and beans recipe that Betty Crocker would teach you, but this is my way, and it's yummy!
inspired by my momma


Ingredients:

Olive oil (extra-virgin is best, especially if it is from Spain, my personal preference) or Butter or both
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 can great northern beans
Crushed red pepper
Salt
Black Pepper
Spinach



Since I never measure anything, I don't know exactly how much of each I put in. Usually I do alot of taste-testing while cooking to figure out just how I like it done.


Directions:

Heat a large frying pan on stove top, add olive oil or butter when it is hot (about 2TBS)

olive oil is much healthier, but butter, salted butter adds more flavor. sometimes i use both. i'm pretty sure that is breaking some unwritten kitchen law- butter AND olive oil? oh well... that's what i do.

Crush, mince, chop, or attack your garlic in some way, add to pan (about 1-2 cloves)

don't let the garlic burn! turn pan down if necessary.

After a minute or so, add drained and rinsed beans (1 15 oz. can)

Mix in crushed red pepper, black pepper, and salt to taste.

i have no idea how much of these i actually add... probably about 1tsp crushed red, a few shakes of pepper and one shake of salt.



When beans are heated thoroughly, throw on two handfuls of fresh spinach

it looks like a lot, but it will wilt down to a good amount, you can always take it easy and add more as you go. you could probably use frozen spinach as well, but it wouldn't be half as good.

Mix it all together, let spinach wilt, mix some more, and voila! Ready to eat.


Yields:

2 servings

or more if eaten over pasta


Fun additions:

add feta cheese to finished product

eat over pasta (I prefer bow-tie pasta for this one)

eat over rice

add sun-dried tomatoes

use escarole instead of spinach (this is how my mom makes it)

fry your beans up in chicken stock (lots of flavor! also a mom trick)


It's a pretty easy, very quick, super healthy meal or side-dish with tons of protein and fiber and lots of vitamins.


What would you add or suggest?

Did you try it? What did you think?