Perfect Tomato Sauce

There's nothing that unusual about what goes into this tomato sauce, it's the cooking process -- finished in the oven -- that makes it different. Roasting the sauce gives the tomatoes a lot more flavor.

2 28 oz cans of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flake (or aleppo pepper)
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano
2 TB olive oil
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped.

Preheat oven to 350

Heat up dutch oven with olive oil, and add onions and carrots. Sauté for 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Then add garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flake, and oregano. Cook for 2-4 minutes until you can really smell the garlic. Add the two cans of tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn off stove. Cover dutch oven and place in oven for 1 hour. At the 30 minute mark, take out of oven and give a stir and try to break up tomatoes.

After hour the tomatoes should have fallen apart. If needed, break them up by stirring vigorously with wooden spoon. If you want a perfectly smooth sauce, use an immersion blender.

Lamb and Chickpea Stew

I've been cooking lots. You wouldn't know it because I've been neglecting SatltySourSpiceySweet. I promise to share more. Good news is that I've made lots of yummy things the last few weeks. The creative juices have been flowing.

Here's a recipe that I have adopted from Cooking Light. Chickpeas are so much more then hummus. They are wonderful all on their own. Try eating them whole.

1 pound of lamb stew meat
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, roughly chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp aleppo pepper (red pepper flake will work too)
1 tsp cumin
1 TB tomato paste
1 TB honey
2 cups chicken stock (homemade is best, but store bought is good too)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cups of chickpeas (or 1 15 oz). I actually bought the dried beans, and used chickpeas in a bunch of different recipes over a week.

Heat up dutch oven or large soup pot with a a little olive oil. Pat stewing meat dry, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Brown meat on both sides, and then set aside. Add onions, red pepper and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, then add salt, aleppo pepper and cumin. Cook for another few minutes. Add back lamb, and add tomato paste and honey. Stir until meat is coated with paste and honey. Add chicken stock and chickpeas. Bring to boil and then turn to low and let simmer covered for 1 hour.

Stir in cilantro before serving. Best to serve over couscous.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Want a rich, creamy soup without using any cream or milk? Try butternut squash -- it's delicious practically on its own.

6 cups chicken broth (use homemade stock if you have it, makes a HUGE difference)
4 cups cooked squash, mashed up. (split squash in half, remove seeds, place in baking dish, cover in salt/pepper/olive oil, and cook at 400 for about 45 minutes until flesh is tender)
1 large onion finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

In large stock pot, cook onions with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Let soften, 5-8 mins. Add garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne and curry powder. Let cook for a few minutes. Add cooked squash and chicken broth. Turn up burner to high. Bring to boil, then turn down to medium low for about 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to create a smooth, creamy texture.

The Most Delicious Meatballs

A lot of meatball recipes call for combining ground beef with pork and even veal. But these are so good you really only need to use beef. Start with these ingredients:

3 small onions, finely chopped
2 small carrots, finely chopped
2 TB Olive Oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 400

Heat up saute pan with olive oil. Add onions, carrots, salt, pepper and oregano. Cook on a medium heat until onions and carrots are soft and lightly browned. It takes about 15 minutes.

Set aside, let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the following ingredients.

2 lbs ground chuck (beef)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg beaten
2 TB chopped italian parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
onion and carrot mixture

Simply mix with your hands.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (for easy clean-up).

Form meatballs with your hands. They should be about the size of a ping-pong ball. Place in oven for 10 minutes, then turn them once, and cook for another 10 minutes.

They are done! Serve with spaghetti and fresh tomato sauce.

Cold Outside, Chili Inside

What is up with this weather? I mean, I'm from New England and all that, and I'm all for some snow now and then, but in case you're reading this in California, it's freaking cold out here! Even my in-laws in Florida are bundled up against the elements! I can't remember the last time it was any warmer than 37 degrees. So, let's make chili!

I feel like I post chili recipes all the time, but this one is different as it is a "white" chili...really more ecru than white, but I digress. I made it up last week with a pound of turkey that had originally been slated for some turkey burgers, but who wants a burger in this weather? This weather calls for steamy, soothing comfort in a bowl. It also came together very quickly from ingredients that I had in the house already which is also important in weather like this. Temps in the 20s do not inspire me to "run out to the store real quick"... bundling up my kids takes 20 minutes alone. I think this post-holiday-exhausted, wintry-mix-forecasted, too-cold-to-breathe-deeply, "Mommy, my hair is frozen" time of year calls for something cozy and this definitely qualifies.

This recipe is also a lot smaller than my other chili recipes, so it isn't so overwhelming. On the other hand, it's only about 4 servings so it could easily be doubled if you like. Don't double the liquid though...it will take forever to cook down. If you double the rest of the ingredients, just go with 4 total cups liquid, not 6.

And for God's sake, stay warm! It's bitter out there!

White Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

2-3 T. olive oil

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1 large white onion, diced large

1 - 2 colves garlic, chopped

1 15 oz. can Cannelini beans or Garbanzo beans (I prefer Cannelini), rinsed & drained

1 small can chopped green chilis

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth

1 12 oz. light beer

1 T. ground cumin

1 T. ground coriander

1 T. dried oregano

1 T. dried cilantro

2 tsp. chili powder

dash red pepper flake or cayenne pepper (to taste)

salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a medium stockpot (I used my beloved Le Creuset), heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion & garlic and sweat gently. Don't brown. As onion becomes translucent, add turkey and cook thoroughly. You might have to turn the heat up just a tad. Once turkey is cooked through, add cumin, coriander, oregano, cilantro & chili powder. Next, add beer & broth, followed by green chilis and beans. Stir to combine all ingrediants and simmer over medium high heat for 45 minutes to an hour, half the time with lid on, half with the lid off. Don't allow to boil. Taste chili and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and red pepper flake or cayenne to taste. Easy on the salt if you're using canned or boxed broth.

If chili is not as thick as you want it to be, combine 2 T. flour with 1-2 T. milk in a small cup, mix thoroughly and pour slowly into chili, mixing it in completely, about 10 minutes before you want to serve chili. Serve with shredded cheese and cornbread or chips. Enjoy!

Yummy Chicken Soup

Great chicken soup starts off with homemade stock. It's a must. Below is a simple stock recipe. It's nothing to put together. Please start the recipe the day before you serve.

10 cups water
1 whole chicken - 3-4 pounds - cleaned and packet of giblets removed
1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns
1 tsp of kosher salt
1 onion, cut in half
2 carrots
2 ribs celery

Combine the above ingredients into one pot. Cook for 4 hours on low heat. Your kitchen will smell divine.

Drain in colander. Dispose of vegetables, and reserve chicken. The chicken is going to fall apart. It's a bit messy, but throw it all in a bowl and let cool. Once cooled remove all the meat. Best to do it with your hands. Shred chicken into small bit size pieces. You will use for chicken soup.

Place stock into large bowl, and place in refrigerator. The next day you will notice a nasty layer of fat on top. Skim it off.

Now, you are ready to make the soup.

Below are your final ingredients

2 cups each of celery and carrots, sliced.
3-4 cups of shredded chicken - whatever you got from the chicken the day before.
10 cups chicken stock
salt/pepper to taste

Combine the above items in large soup pot. Bring to a high bowl, and then lower to simmer. Cook for about 40 mins, or until celery and carrots are soft.

All done!

Feel free to add pasta or rice if you want.

Beer and Cheese Bread

This recipe came directly from Cooking Light, but I don't know how in the world it got in there. It's not light at all. It's cheesy and dense and wonderful.

I made this for a belated Thanksgiving dinner hosted by our our good friends/cousins, Eric and Katie. Thanks Eric and Katie!

This recipe makes 2 loaves (each in a 5" x 9" loaf pan)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2 TB olive oil
1 cup onions (finely chopped)
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves chopped
6 cups all purpose flour
6 TB sugar
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 cups Monterey jack cheese - grated
2 12-ounce bottles lager-style beer (I used Stella Artois)
Cooking Spray
4 TB melted butter

Cook onions in saute pan with 2 TB olive oil on medium-low for 10-12 minutes. Then add garlic and pepper.

While onions cook, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in large bowl. Make a small well in the mixture for the onions, cheese and beer.

Let the onions cool for a minute or two before adding.

Add onions, cheese and beer to the flour mixture. Stir until a sticky dough develops.

Spray loaf pans with cooking spray and split the dough equally into the loaf pans.

If you only have 1 loaf pan (like I do) just do them one at time.

Before placing in the oven drizzle 1 TB of melted butter over each loaf and sprinkle on a pinch of pepper. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and then drizzle another TB of melted butter. Bake for another 15-20 minutes. The bread should be golden brown.