Caryn’s Tomato Sauce

I just reread Caryn’s Eggplant Parmesan recipe since we received eggplant in our co-op, and realized I have no post for her sauce!  Hands-down, I get more requests for this recipe than any other.  We always freeze most of the sauce to use later.

First, cook 1 or 2 bone-in country-style pork ribs in hot water.  I usually do this the night before.

In a very large pot cook a small chopped onion and about 4 minced garlic cloves in olive oil.  This may sound obvious, but don’t let them burn!  If they do you need to start over so the entire batch of sauce doesn’t taste like burnt garlic.

Add in 2 cans of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz each) and cook for a bit.  Then pour in a gigantic, super-sized can of tomato sauce from Costco or Sam’s Club (6 lb, 10 oz).  Sprinkle salt over the entire surface of sauce.  Add some pepper & red pepper flakes (I often use a packet that comes with pizza deliveries).  Cook over medium-high until bubbling. If the sauce looks too thick (if the surface resembles Labyrinth‘s Bog of Eternal Stench–video here), add a little water.

Place the cooked pork ribs into the sauce, cover and cook on medium-low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add a bit of chopped, fresh oregano and a large handful of fresh basil, chopped.  Cover and cook 1/2 hour longer.  Be sure to test it before you’re done!

Teriyaki Shish Kabobs

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground ginger

2 lbs boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2″ cubes

1 1/2 cups fresh or canned pineapple chunks (about 1″)

1/2 lb whole fresh mushrooms

1/2 lb pearl onions, peeled

1 large bell pepper, cut into 1″ pieces

Combine first 5 ingredients; toss with beef.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain beef, reserving marinade. Thread meat, pineapple and vegetables, alternately on metal or soaked bamboo skewers. Grill over hot heat for 15-20 minutes, turning often, or until meat reaches desired doneness and vegetables are tender. Simmer the marinade in a small saucepan over low heat 15 minutes. Remove meat and vegetables from skewers; serve with marinade.

Roasted Spicy Mustard Potatoes

This recipe is tried and true for me.  I cut it out of Taste of Home many moons ago.

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 lbs small red potatoes (I prefer red creamer potatoes, personally)

Spray a shallow roasting pan with cooking spray 3 times to coat well; set aside.  Mix first 6 ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Cut any large potatoes into halves or quarters so all potatoes are roughly the same size. Pierce each with a fork. Shake potatoes in mustard mixture to coat. Place in prepared pan. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 30-40 minutes until tender.

Healthier Refried Beans

Rick Bayless made these on a show years ago and we’ve never gone back to canned refried beans.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet.  Saute some minced garlic cloves (we love garlic and use about 3 cloves for two cans of beans).  Add a can or two of black beans, undrained. Heat over medium or med-low heat, mashing occasionally with a potato masher (not electric–the old-fashioned kind). 
Beans will thicken the longer you cook them, and you can mash them to whatever consistency you prefer.

Baked Mahi-Mahi

I made this last night for dinner and everyone–including our finicky baby–liked it. 

On a 12″ square of foil, drizzle a little olive oil.  Place mahi-mahi fillet (thawed, if frozen) onto the foil and flip so it is coated on both sides with the oil.  Sprinkle on some bay seasoning (or other seasoning) and some Parmesan cheese.  Close foil over the fish to make a little packet.  (I made four fillets, so four packets.)  Bake at 350 for 10-20 minutes until fish is completely white and flakes easily with a fork.

Turkey Sausage Vegetable Soup

This happens to be what I’m cooking tonight, in fact.  Easy & yummy, any time of year.

14.5 oz can chicken broth

1 cup water

1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1 cup dried rotini (corkscrew) pasta

2 cups loose-pack frozen zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, lima beans and Italian green beans

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano

8 oz cooked smoked turkey sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tsp sugar

Combine broth, water, and Italian seasoning in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; add pasta.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 8 minutes.

Stir in frozen vegetables, tomatoes with juice, sausage, lemon juice and sugar. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes longer or until vegetables and pasta are tender.

Moraccan Harira (Soup)

I copied this recipe down from a magazine in a waiting room.  (A meal that begins with this soup should definitely end in baklava.)

Makes 3 quarts.

3 T olive oil

2 small onions, diced

2 large garlic cloves, crushed & chopped

1 T fresh ginger, peeled & minced

1 lb. beef shoulder, trimmed of fat & sinew & cut into very small cubes (optional)

1/4 tsp saffron threads, crushed

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne

2 bay leaves

3 tsp tomato paste

1 cup brown lentils

8 cups vegetable or chicken stock

15 oz can diced tomatoes

2, 15 oz cans chick-peas, drained & rinsed

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish

1/2 cup chopped parsley

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

1 cup water

1/2 cup flour

1. Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot on medium heat; add oil, onions, garlic and ginger and saute 6-8 minutes until soft. (If using meat, add to pot and turn heat to medium high. Cook until meat changes color.)

2. Add saffron, cumin, cayenne and bay leaves and cook until fragrant. Add tomato paste and lentils and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring as mixture cooks. Add stock and diced tomatoes to pot and stir well.

3. Turn heat to high; add chickpeas, cilantro and parsley. Stir and bring to a boil. Season with salt & pepper; reduce heat and simmer 1 hour without meat or 2 hours with meat.

4. Shake water and flour together well in a jar. Pour into soup while stirring. Bring back to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Check seasoning and serve with flatbread and chopped cilantro on top.

How to Roast a Chicken

I never roasted a chicken until I tore this article out of Health magazine in 2007.  By Peggy Knickerbocker.

3.5 to 5 lb roasting chicken, preferably  natural or organic

1 tsp kosher salt

2 rosemary sprigs

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 T olive oil

Step 1: Wash & Salt

When you get your bird home, unwrap and rinse it inside and out with cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle it all over with 1 tsp kosher salt.  The salt makes the meat tender and enhances the flavor (and doesn’t make it salty). Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to roast (up to 1 day).  Bring the bird to room temperature an hour before roasting; then put the fresh rosemary and garlic in the cavity. Sprinkle chicken with black pepper.

Step 2: Preheat & Roast

Heat oven to 450. On the stovetop, preheat a cast-iron skillet  large enough to hold the chicken over medium-high heat. (I just wrap the handle of a heavy duty skillet in foil.) Add olive oil to the pan, and place the bird, breast side up, in the pan. Then place the hot skillet on the middle rack of the oven. (For an easy side, toss new potatoes or red creamer potatoes in a little olive oil and add them to the skillet after about 20 minutes.)  Roast about 1 hour for a 3.5 lb bird and up to 90 minutes for a 5-pounder.

Step 3: Test for Doneness

After about 50 minutes, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh; it should reach 180. Two other quick tests for doneness: Wiggle a chicken leg; if it’s loose, it’s done. Or cut into the crease where the thigh meets the body; if there are no signs of blood and the juices are clear the  bird is done. If it’s not done, continue to roast another 10 minutes or so.

Step 4: Rest & Carve

Put the chicken on a cutting board with a lip so the juices won’t overflow, and let it stand 10-15 minutes. Then sprinkle additional black pepper over the top and carve, starting by removing the thighs and legs and then the wings. For the breast, carve from the outside to the inside, in thin even slices.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Parsley, & Breadcrumbs

Martha Stewart says, “Cauliflower tastes surprisingly nutty and sweet when roasted–break it up into small florets to help it cook quickly.”

coarse s & p

1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/2 lbs), cored and broken into small florets

1 medium red onion, halved and cut into thin wedges

5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1/4 cup olive oil

4 slices white sandwich bread

12 oz cavatappi or other short pasta

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1. Heat oven to 475, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss cauliflower, onion, and garlic with 2 T oil; season with s & p. Roast on lower rack until lightly browned and tender, 20 minutes, tossing once.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine bread and remaining 2 T oil; pulse until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on upper rack until golden brown, 5-6 minutes, tossing once.

3. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add cauliflower mixture, Parmesan, and parsley; toss to combine. Tossing pasta, gradually add enough pasta water to form a thin sauce that coats pasta. Serve topped with breadcrumbs and more Parmesan.

Crunchy Oven Fried Tilapia

One of the few types of fish I like.  The first time I ever had tilapia was in Uganda!

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

pepper

2 egg whites

1 lb tilapia fillets

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed

1. Heat oven to 450.

2. Sift or stir flour, salt, and pepper together in a shallow dish; set aside. In a bowl, beat egg whites until white and frothy. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs with cornmeal and basil.

3. To bread the fillets, dip first into flour, shaking off any excess, then into egg whites, then into bread crumb mixture.

4. Spray a shallow baking dish with Pam. Lay fillets flat in the dish, tucking any thinner ends or edges for more even cooking. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.