Simple Marinara Sauce (a DG original)

I tend to do a lot of my grocery shopping on my lunch break these days, grabbing things that I'll need for the next day or two.  I often forget things I need due to the lack of a list and being in a rush.  Last week I ran to the grocery store on a lunch break to grab the things I would need for a ravioli bake, one of my quick go to weeknight dinners. I didn't realize until I got home to prepare dinner, that I had forgotten to grab a jar of pasta sauce!!!  At first I panicked since it was getting late and I didn't have a back up meal prepared.  As usual, I reverted to good ol' google! Of course I couldn't find a recipe to suit my needs that included ingredients that I already had on hand.  So I did what I usually do and pick what I like from several recipes to create my own version! Of course if your looking for a recipe for a marinara sauce to use up some of your garden fresh tomatoes, you can always check out my  original recipe for mushroom-garlic marinara sauce here,  but this here is what I ended up with that night and it turned out pretty well if I do say so myself! :)

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 onion, minced
2 14.5 oz. cans of petite-cut tomatoes
1 6oz. can of tomato paste
1.5 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/3 C sherry

DIRECTIONS:

using a food processor, puree the garlic and petite-cut tomatoes.  (I only pureed one can because I like my sauce to be a little bit chunky and added the additional can in with the remaining ingredients.)  Set aside.  In a med sauce pan sauté the onion with the olive oil over medium high heat just until softened.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low (stirring occasionally) for 30 min, covered.  To be used in your favorite pasta dish! ENJOY!

Stir Fry Sauce (a DG original!)

This recipe is technically not a new post.  It originally made its debut here as part of my Thai Lettuce Wrap recipe.  (Which btw, if you haven't checked it out yet I suggest you do so.  It's one of our favs!)  Stir fry is another one of our favs and this has become my go-to recipe for making the sauce.  I wanted to make a post specifically for this since I use it a lot and it'll make my life much easier when I go to find it!  (Its true, I use my blog as my personal online recipe keeper! I love it!)

I'll assume that most of you know what stir fry is and how to make it. For those who don't its basically a mixture of meat, veggies and a stir fry sauce (such as this one) stir fried together with oil (sesame oil works well!) over high heat and served over steamed rice.  I like to keep it simple and use beef with onion, carrots, celery, bean sprouts, and sometimes broccoli.  Keep in mind that the possibilities are endless!!  Try using chicken or shrimp or throwing some snap peas or bell peppers! OH YUM!!

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 C low sodium soy sauce

1.5 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 TBSP sherry

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, whisk together all the above ingredients.  Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down and allow to simmer for three minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  Use in your favorite stir fry recipe.  ENJOY!

Garlic Alfredo Sauce

Italian food is my favorite and for me, creamy sauces like this one are the ultimate comfort food!! This is a very easy and super quick recipe for Garlic Alfredo Sauce. All of the needed ingredients are things I normally have in the kitchen already, so this recipe has quickly become one of my favorite go to quick dinner recipes. There are multiple possibilities with a sauce like garlic alfredo, but for last nights dinner I served it with linguini, grilled chicken breasts, and a mix of sliced baby bellas and sweet peas. Delish!

 

INGREDIENTS:

4 TBSP Butter (unsalted)
3 cloves Garlic, minced
4 oz.Cream Cheese, Softened And Cut Into Cubes
1 C Milk
3 oz. Parmesan Cheese, Grated
½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 pinch Kosher Salt (To Taste)

DIRECTIONS:

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Next add the cream cheese and stir with a whisk until smooth. Then add the milk, pouring slowly incorporating a little at a time. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the parmesan and pepper. If needed season with kosher salt (I'd say it's needed!) Remove from the heat when your sauce reaches desired consistency. The sauce will thicken quickly. Enjoy!

Mushroom Garlic Marinara Sauce

Today's harvest! 19 of these beauties are waiting to be transformed into something magnificent!! I'm thinking a fresh tomato & garlic pasta sauce?!?

TOMATOES: From the garden to pasta sauce.

 

 

 PEELING AND SEEDING:

Wash the tomatoes. Cut off the stems and use a serrated knife to remove the core. Use the knife to score an "x" on the bottom of the tomato. Place your tomatoes into a pot of boiling water and let them simmer for just a few minutes. The goal here is to loosen the skin, but not to cook them.





Using a slotted spoon, remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and place them in an ice bath. Let them sit for just a minute, long enough for them to cool for handling. At this point the skins should slip right off when giving the fruit a little squeeze (this is the reason for the "x"). Using your fingers, carefully peel the tomato open over a sieve placed on top of a bowl. The goal is to remove as many seeds as possible while reserving the juice that drains into the bowl beneath. Discard the skins and seeds and add the reserved juice to the meats of the tomatoes. At this point you can either leave the tomatoes as is for a chunkier sauce or you can break down the tomatoes a bit using an immersion blender. I chose to give my tomatoes a quick whirl with the immersion blender leaving them semi-chunky.


My apologies for not getting a better picture, I try not to act like a food loving weirdo when we have company over... So I snuck into the kitchen to snap this quick photo when nobody was looking! :)

 

Once in awhile we all impress ourselves in the kitchen. This sauce gave me one of those very proud moments. :) All listed measurements are only an approximation since nothing was actually measured out.

MUSHROOM GARLIC MARINARA SAUCE:

2 TBSP olive oil
1/4 C chopped onion
4-5 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rosemary (crushed)
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 C sherry
1 1/4 C sliced baby Bella or cremini mushrooms
30 Roma tomatoes peeled and seeded
Salt

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over Med. heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic and dried herbs. Cook for a few more minutes. Add the sherry to deglaze the pan, add the mushrooms and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Add the prepared tomatoes and season with salt. Allow to simmer for at least one hour. enjoy! :)

Homemade Caramel Sauce

I've been wanting to try making homemade caramel sauce for quite awhile now. And after a recent family trip to Apple Hill and regretting the whole way home not buying a caramel apple, I thought it the perfect opportunity to finally give it ...a try. I had been eyeballing a few recipes online, but when I found this recipe by HowDoesShe?.com I knew I had a winner. Let me tell you folks, this is one of the most satisfying sugary treats I have ever concocted! I'm not sure if it was the farm fresh apple or my mad kitchen skills, but I was left literally scraping what I could out of the bowl and licking it off of my finger!!! AH-MAZING stuff here!!!

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

3/4 C brown sugar
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C corn syrup
1/3 C butter
2/3 C whipping cream

 

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the first four ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a full boil over medium heat. This should take 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and pour into a container. The sauce will thicken as it cools.