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!

Brown Rice Pilaf

I am a bg fan of brown rice, the boys...eh, not so much!  I am on a determined quest to find new ways to prepare brown rice for the whole family to enjoy.  This recipe was attempt #2 (with attempt #1 being the plain ol' boring, basic, brown rice).  Carson ignored the side all together.  Dominic bluntly stated "I HATE mushrooms!".  The hubby politely consumed the side and gave me an unenthusiastic "it was good." I on the other hand LOVED this dish!!!  I thought it went well with the salmon tacos I made that night.  I'll probably make this next when we have company over, or to bring along to someone's house.  I'd like to see how others like this side dish.  :)

INGREDIENTS:

2.5 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb. Cremini mushrooms, sliced
6 green onions
salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 C long grain brown rice
1 C chicken stock
1 C water
1/2 lime

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium skillet heat 2 TBSP. of the olive oil over medium heat add the mushrooms and half of the green onions and season with salt and pepper.  Sautee for 8 minutes until the mushrooms have browned and softened.  Next add the garlic and the remaining .5 TBSP of olive oil.  Sautee for another 2 minutes then add the soy sauce, rice, chicken stock and water.  Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper.  Bring to a full boil.  Scrape the rice into a 8x8 glass baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Remove the foil, fluff the pilaf with a fork, squeeze the lime over the pilaf and top with the remaining 3 green onions.  ENJOY!

recipe adapted from foodandwine.com

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

My eight year old son recently finished up his third grade year.  As a strong student in math, reading is not much of his thing.  During a parent teacher conference, it was suggested to me to continue to read to him before bed each night, but to choose books that are slightly above his reading level.  So I did.

Whenever I am choosing a new read for myself, I tend to gravitate toward books that have been listed on the The New York Times Bestseller List.  So when cruising through the children's book section at Target, I stuck to my usual habits and found this; "Wonder", written by R.J. Palacio.  The cover appeared interesting enough, it had been featured on the bestseller list, and reading the back of the book as well as one random page in the middle, got me to spend $15.99 on this 313 page children's novel.

I cannot express to you how much my son and I both LOVED this book! We both laughed, cried, and rooted for the main character, Auggie, throughout the entire book.  Reading this novel together was such a great bonding experience for us, and it taught us both a thing or two about how we view and treat others.

 Auggie is not your typical fifth grader.  Well, as far as looks go.  Auggie was born with a severe facial deformity that kept him from going to a public school until his parents allowed him to when he reached the fifth grade.  Palacio writes each chapter from a different characters perspective to tell the heartfelt story of Auggie's first year in public school and what it had been like for him growing up.  It didn't take long for us to realize how likeable of a kid Auggie is and how much he and my son have many of the same interests in common.  We finished this book up a few months ago, and I find it amazing how often the name "Auggie" still comes up in our conversations.  Auggie has forever left an imprint in our minds and hearts.  This book would make a great gift for any elementary school student.  "Wonder" is a powerful impact of a read that teaches children many great life lessons on trust, fear, real friendships, and what it means to stay true to yourself! 

Salmon Tacos

Who doesn't like a good fish taco on a hot summer evening?  These salmon tacos can be consumed completely guilt free.  They are so yummy and pretty healthy too!  They are also husband approved.  :)

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 lbs. Salmon fillet
1-2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
2-3 TBSP butter
juice of one lime
salt & pepper
8 corn tortillas (I like these)

Topping suggestions:

chopped tomatoes
chopped cilantro
chopped cabbage
crumbled cotija cheese
sour cream
tapatio
lime wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Spray the foil with cooking spray and place the salmon fillet on top, skin side down.  Season the fillet with the lemon pepper, salt and pepper.  Cut the butter into small pieces and place them evenly over the top of the fillet.  Squeeze the juice from the lime evenly over the fillet.  Cover with another piece of foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Depending on the thickness of your fillet you may need to adjust your cooking time, the salmon is finished when it flakes off easily with a fork.  In the meantime, chop and prep your toppings.  Just before the salmon fillet is finished, heat a cast iron griddle over Med./High heat and warm your corn tortillas.  When the salmon is finished baking, flake using forks.  Assemble your tacos as desired. 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!