Roasted Tomato Sauce

 

This is one of my favorite ways to  use huge quantities of tomatoes.  You can be as creative as you want, add whatever spices you want and it is always amazing.  The roasting process turns the sauce into an intense tomato-y delight.  It is nice to add things like pureed zucchini and whatnot to boost the nutrition as well.  I usually freeze in 1-2c batches and our family enjoys it all winter.  Since it is to dang flavorful and rich, I find we only need about 1c per 1/2 or 3/4lb pasta for serious sauce action.  Adapted from Marcella Rosene's recipe in Pasta and Co. By Request.

(Editors note added 9/24/14: Every batch of this changes with what is available, of course.  I have begun regularly using 2-4 carrots and 1-2 zucchini chopped in the pans to roast as well.  Also delicious and unobtrusive is to toss in a few leaves of kale!)

Preheat oven to 400.

In a 9x13 baking dish, combine:

~3-4# Ripe tomatoes, halved (any tomato you have is great here.  I use a combination of whatever is ripe, including cherry)

3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

~1/4c olive oil

1/4 cup chopped basil or 4T pesto

~1/2t each salt and pepper

Toss,  cover with foil, roast for ~2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes to mash up big pieces.  Once it has reduced down to ~1/4-1/2 inch in the pan, remove and puree in blender (skin and all, yum!)

Yields approx 2-3 cups, depending on how many tomatoes and how reduced you go.

Note: all of these amounts are approximate and I encourage you to add whatever you like.  The last few times I have made it I added some red peppers and carrots that needed to be used and it took on more sweetness.

Here are mostly basic reds with a few cherry and heirlooms.  I used a few cubes of frozen broccoli/spinach/basil pesto vs. fresh basil and also a few cubes of pureed zucchini for good measure.





Toms 1hr in

  

Toms after 1.75 hr.  As you drag the spatula through it, it leaves a trail

Ready to go!

Croutons & Bread Crumbs (Gluten-Free.... or not)

I have been making various things lately that I have wanted breadcrumbs or croutons in the gluten-free variety.  I haven't seen any in the store, but they are so darn easy to make, that I had to get on it.  I typically make croutons out of all left-over bread or bread-like items in the house.  If I don't, I will just end up tossing it into the compost and I hate throwing food away (see 'hot dog croutons' below).  If I just turn it into croutons, Mike and Mia will take down the whole batch in an afternoon for snacks like they are potato chips.  This is a triple bonus for me of using food before it spoils, often getting good hearty grains into the family's bellies and having just what I need around in a pinch.  The same now goes for Gluten-free breads. 

There are lots of ways to make croutons and breadcrumbs, so be creative with what you add in.  I am just offering some thoughts of quick & easy.  Store leftovers (hah!) in very air-tight container.

Note:  Use whatever bread you want or have here.  If I want Gluten-Free, I use either Udi's Brown Rice Bread or Great Harvest's French because it is what I buy.  If I don't care, I use whatever is around and it is typically hot dog buns or bagels or something left over from a gathering of some kind.  It is all delicious with oil,  herbs and salt!

Directions/ingredients:

For Croutons:
Preaheat oven to ~400.

-Cut bread into about 1/2 inch cubes (however much you are using)
-Toss bread into medium bowl
-Drizzle around some olive oil over the bread (maybe several tablespoons?).  I don't use a lot in an effort to minimize excess fat, but fat is flavor, afterall.
-Sprinkle in some spices.... I often use a combination of  lemon pepper, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and red chili flakes. 
-Toss everything together in the bowl, then pour onto ungreased cookie sheet
-Cook for ~12 minutes, stirring once or twice to cook evenly on all sides
-Let cool before using

Plain Jane here, no fancy stuff.

Breadcrumbs:
Once croutons are cooled, place in food processor or blender and pulse for a few seconds until you get the texture you want.  If you are making breadcrumbs only, you may want to leave out the spices when you toast them.


Gluten Free.  Coarse texture good for salads and pastas.

Gluten-Free.  Fine texture for breading.

No, really.  Hot dog buns make great croutons!  Dont judge.

see?

 Also.... a few weeks back, this was posted on Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef.  Slightly different technique, but the point is it is easy and they are so great to have on hand!

Whole Wheat Tasty Muffins

AKA: MamaFawn's Whole Wheat, Flaxmeal, Zucchini, Carrot, Applesauce, Banana, Molasses, Reduced Sugar, Low-Fat Muffins.

AKA: Power Muffins

Mia loves these.  Mike loves these.  I loved these.  They are neither gluten-free, nor dairy-free, but they are amazingly tasty and packed full of goodness for big and little ones alike.  This recipe is heavily modified from a zucchini bread recipe originally in a Cooking Light cookbook.  This was originally motivated by trying to find a delicious way to deliver major amounts of nutrients to the little one, but quickly morphed to Mom & Dad's favorite morning snack.  This is one of the few things I truly miss in my wheat-free world.  I have to continue to develop my wheat-free option, so far I'm not there.  Anyway, these have snuck green veggies into even the most discerning Mini-tasters.

~Makes 18-20 small muffins or 12 muffins and a loaf~

~I usually freeze 12+ muffins and pull out from the freezer as needed~

3c shredded zucchini/carrot*

4c flour **

1/3c -1/2c white sugar (or less, as you like it.  The original recipe called for 1c!)

1/4c brown sugar

5t baking powder

1.5t cinnamon

1/2t salt

1/2t nutmeg

1.5c milk, soymilk or yogurt***

2t vanilla extract

2lg eggs lightly beaten (or egg substitute)

6T vegetable oil****

1/2c or so unsweetened applesauce (optional)

3T or so blackstrap molasses (optional, great for flavor and extra iron)

1-2 bananas, either smushed up or finely chopped (optional, good for natural sweetness and potassium)

1.  Preheat oven to 350°

2.  Mix dry ingredients in big bowl and make a well in center

3.  Mix wet ingredients together and add zucc/carrot

4.  Add zucc/carrot/misc.  mix into center of dry ingredients stirring just until combined

5.  divide evenly between muffin tins &/or loaf pans (either use cupcake liners or non-stick spray)

6.  Cook muffins 30-40 min, loaf pan usually requires 50-60min. 

* I use whatever is on hand or sounds good.  Maybe even some frozen, drained spinach would be good for some extra nutrients?

**I usually use about 2.5c whole wheat, 1c white and .5c flax meal.  Use whatever you like to mix

*** Use nonfat for big people if you care, or use full fat for the babies, depending on your goal!

**** I usually use only 3T oil and 3T applesauce in addition to adding extra applesauce for fun, as with the milk, modify your fats as you see fit for your needs

Basque Red Bean Soup

An amazing recipe and post just in from the amazing Miss Katie M. Read on........ 

I Married a Beige-atarian.

Some people marry vegetarians, I married a Beige-atarian. He only eats things in shades of beige: meat, pasta, potatoes, yogurt, pork, chicken, rice. Ocasionally, he'll throw in something orange (gasp!) like mac n cheese. So, it really surprised me that he told me that Basque Red Bean soup is one of his all-time favorite meals. I worked at a Basque restaurant in high school, and it was the signature item, everyone loves it. The recipe I've adapted was the closest one I could find to the real thing. I have to admit that it's delicious. I just have to make sure I don't let him see what's in it...

Basque Red Bean Soup - Recipe adapted from http://everything2.com/title/Basque+red+beans

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried small red chili beans
• 8 cups beef stock, I used the boxed kind
• 2 large carrot, diced
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves 
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 leek, white and tender green parts, diced
• 2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• ½ pound Basque chorizo, diced (don't use mexican chorizo)

Method

Put the dried beans in a large bowl and cover them with water. Let them soak for four-ish hours. Drain and rinse the beans.
In a big stock pot, mix the beans, stock, carrot, bay leaves, pepper, and onion. Note: If you have a food processor, you could run all the veggies through that. They are pretty much undistinguishable when the soup is done because they cook down completely. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 90 minutes.
Add the leek, potatoes, and chorizo. Simmer for another 30 minutes. If you can find it, use Basque Chorizo (cured), but don't use raw mexican chorizo. If you can't find the Basque version, try a Portuguese linguisa. At the end of the cooking time, the soup will thicken up.

Let the beans cool, and then cover and chill them in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, reheat them just before serving. Don't forget to remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve it up with a Fred Meyer baguette (it's the best one around) or sourdough. This serves a lot of people, I'd say at least 6.

All the ingredients. Look at the size of those leeks!

Getting ready to add the beans.

 Meat and leaks added. Soup is still thin and looks stringy because of the leeks. The leeks will completely disentegrate later.

The soup gets really thick and delicious. The longer it sits the better it is.

Adrienne's white bean chicken chili (soup)

I always look forward to the soups that Miss Adrienne cooks up and I always want the recipe afterwards.  This was no different.  I am very much looking forward to her Tortilla Soup this winter and I am already trying some corn-desensitivity training as I plan for it.  Anyway, the other day we got to enjoy more of her delicious soup as we celebrated the hubbin's birthday.  What I especially loved about this chili recipe was that it was less 'stew-like' and more 'soup-ey'.  This leaves much more room for delicious bread (gluten-free, of course) and birthday treats!  Soup is so great for freezing leftovers and having healthy, easy dinners weeks later when you need a night off from cooking.  Even better- look at how simple it is to make! (serves about 4 bigs and 2 littles)

Adrienne's Soup recipe:

1T olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2lb chicken breast, cut in 1/2in pieces and cooked

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 (15 oz) cans white beans, undrained

1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles

1/2tsp ground cumin

1tsp chili powder

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

2T lime juice

2T minced fresh cilantro (or 1T dried) I usually omit it altogether since i usually have all the other ingredients, but around here cilantro is a specialty item

(Editor's note: Cilantrophobes unite!  I can only assume that by 'specialty item', Adrienne meant 'gross'- I assure you this soup does not suffer from it's absence)

In a large pot, heat olive oil. add onion, garlic and red pepper. saute 5 mins.

Stir in white beans, chilies, cumin, chili powder and broth. bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. stir in chicken and simmer 5 mins. 

Stir in lime juice and cilantro (if you must).






Finished in the Pot.  Yum!


I might even add some celery in with the onions and pep next time for some bonus texture.  Or maybe some zuke just before serving.  Of course we added a touch of pecorino or Pepper Jack just before the spoons!



A final editor's note:  We had it again for left-over's tonite.  Much of the broth was absorbed into the beans and whatnot, so I added some more broth and put in some diced zucchini as I heated it up.  The fresh zuke was a nice contrast with the heat of the soup.  Just enough to make it seem like a slightly different dish for two days in a row.  So tasty!

Zucchini Pasta (Linguini or Gluten-Free Brown Rice Spaghetti)

I would have to describe this as freakishly delicious.  I have yet to make it with actual linguini, but can only imagine it will be even better.  We are still getting outrageous amounts of fresh zucchini from our garden, so I get to be creative with how much and how often we incorporate it into our every meal.  I originally found this recipe in Parenting Magazine while enjoying some quality reading at the gym.  Few things are more fun than thinking of cooking while working out, unless you are one of my patients and you get to talk about food during your entire treatment.  Anyway, the first time I made this, I couldn't believe how amazingly delicious it was while being gluten-free.  Very easy to make and quick, too.  At first Mia asked "mom get the salad out of the noodles?", but now she asks for "more zuke". 

Makes enough for 2-3 bigs and one little with none left over for lunch.   I can only assume the original printing suggesting that this would serve 8-10 was for hamsters or something, especially since I almost doubled the noodles in this version.

12 oz pasta (linguini or other gluten-free long noodle- I used Trader Joe's Brown Rice Spaghetti)
2 medium zucchini or one large fresh garden zuke
2T olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1-1 1/2 c grated pecorino cheese
1/2 t salt plus more for pasta water

Directions:

1.  Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.  Reserve 1/2c pasta water out just before draining.
2.  Meanwhile, use mandoline (in our house, that is called a vegetable peeler.... maybe one day) and shave the zucchini into long ribbons.  It may be helpful to cut them length-wise into ~1/2" slices and make your peelings from there.  I tend to have some left-over ends that I cant shave and I just julienne them.
3.  Toss the zucchini in a bowl with the 1/2t salt and set aside. 
4.  Heat olive oil in large skillet (non-stick helps). Add in garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly golden- about 1 minute.  Add zucchini and cook about 4 minutes, tossing continuously (tongs are very helpful here).
5.  Transfer to large bowl and toss together the pasta, zucchini and pecorino.  Adjust the pasta and such as needed with the reserved pasta water in 1-2T increments (should not be saucy, per se, but have a very creamy quality).  Salt and pepper to taste.

Note:  in this house, we minimize all superfluous dish-washing, so unless I am trying to impress someone, I just toss the pasta back into the pan with the sauteed zucchini, add the cheese while tossing, then add S & P and any additional pasta water as needed to loosen the dish.  I'd like to think that this way you get to preserve all of the delicious liquid that the zucchini throws off in the cooking process without losing it in the bowl transfer.  Truly, I haven't even tried it.  Also, consider adding some halved cherry or pear tomatoes step 5 as in the original recipe.  I don't care for hot tomatoes so I haven't done it yet.



Zucchini in the bowl with salt

Zucchini ready to toss with the goods- just barely wilted.







Ready for the plates and garnish pec!



A moment of praise for Quinoa

Quinoa is amazing.  The ancient Incas knew what they were doing here.  It may look like cous cous, but it has way more going for it.  While it technically is not a grain, but a 'pseudograin', it is ridiculously full of nutrients unlike any other grain we think of.  (For more detailed information on quinoa, click here).  It has saved me in this time of wheat/gluten transition and has become a favorite of Mike's as well.  It cooks super fast, is delicious and nutritious. It is good for every meal of the day and in very different ways depending on what you do with it.  You can buy it in bulk anywhere, but currently my favorite way to get it is at Costco, where you can get a 5# bag or organic quinoa for only about $10.  That may last about 2 weeks around here, I'd say. 

Try this:

Boil 2c water.  Add 1c quinoa and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Makes about 4-6c.  To make it less moistureful, like tossed with dressing for a side salad, use 1/4c less water.

For breakfast, Mike and Mia like it with olive oil and raisins, I like it with maple syrup or strawberries.