Tag: tomato paste
Sausage Ragu with Red Wine
I haven’t posted a pasta dish in a while. So, here is one…
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic, chopped
- 4 to 5 links chicken sausage, casing off and crumbled
- 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- ½ cup red wine (something you are drinking)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- Salt
- 2 to 3 cups cooked pasta, al dente
Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil and add the shallots and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sausage and sauté on medium high heat, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rosemary and red wine to deglaze the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer on lower heat and cover with lid. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve on pasta.
Lasagna with Meat Sauce
I thought I would continue the pasta theme and post one of my favorite recipes. We all love lasagna in our family. I used the meat sauce from yesterdays post. The dish was even quicker to make than usual since most of the work was done. I usually eliminate the ricotta but I decided to add it to this dish. I added tons of flavor including parsley, cheese and garlic.
All in all, it was a delicious lasagna…
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Meat Sauce with Pancetta
Pasta dish number tow. This one is made with pancetta and ground turkey. It has lots of flavor with shallots and garlic. I always have fresh tomato sauce on hand. I use it for everything including pizza.
I made a big batch of it to have lots of leftovers. My daughter loves meat sauce with spaghetti so I try to make it often. As long as I use healthy ingredients, I don’t mind making it for her often.
It was delicious with a big green salad and some red wine…
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Turkey Meat Sauce with Zucchini
I thought I would continue with the meat theme. This one healthy as well- especially because it has grated zucchini. It is great to feed the kids- they won’t know what they are eating. My daughter who if very discerning, was not able to guess it had zucchini.
Next time you want to make healthy spaghetti and meat sauce, try this recipe…
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Linguini with Sausage Ragu
I love using chicken sausage. It is hard to tell the links are made with chicken instead of pork or beef. They are healthier and honestly, more delicious. I love using them for all sorts of things including in pasta.
For this dish I bought fresh linguini from Whole Foods. My plan was to make the sausage ragu with pappardelle but while ordering it, the lady behind the counter got confused and gave me linguini instead. I didn’t have the heart to correct her and decided to go with it. Somehow when I make ragu I always envision it with the wide, pappardelle like pasta.. but linguine works really well.
I served this delicious pasta with a big green salad and some red wine… it was a great week night meal…
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South Indian Fish Curry
We were in the city on a Monday for lunch and as usual even after a delicious meal- I was thinking about what to cook for dinner. I asked my husband for ideas and he suggested some thing South Indian. I reminded him Mondays are my busy day since our daughter has some activities after school and we don’t get home until about 6 PM. I don’t get a lot of time to cook and my daughter is super hungry when we get home. So, I need to prepare something in the afternoon and put it together quickly once we get home.
I ended up making a South Indian style fish curry- I happened to have cod in the freezer which I took out as soon as I got home. I processed shallots and ginger together. I roasted cumin, fenugreek and mustard seeds and ground them up. The spice mixture holds the key to this curry- it gives it great flavor.
I marinated the fish with some shredded coconut, tamarind concentrate, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric and salt. Remember to keep the fish in the fridge and only marinate for an hour. The rest was easy- I started with sauteing the shallots and curry leaves and then added the spice mix. I then added the coconut milk and fish stock.
The curry was delicious, especially with the Indian style polenta- yes, you read it correctly.. recipe to follow tomorrow…
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Mushroom Mattar (Mushrooms and Peas)
I feel I have not posted any Indian dishes in a while. I end up making Indian food at lease once a week but sometimes I skip it- the problem is, there are so many other dishes to make… and I forget about the basic stuff. My daughter reminds me if it has been a while.
I thought I would post this very easy and quick dish that can be served as the main entree or as a side with chicken or fish. I usually serve it with lentils on the side and freshly made rotis.
I start with Cremini mushrooms- one can use the white variety as well but I like these better. I saute some cumin seeds along with garlic and ginger. Typically this dish has onions as well but I decided to keep it onion free- no real reason.. just didn’t feel like cutting an onion. The rest is easy- the mushrooms are added along with some spices and frozen peas.
My daughter loves mushrooms and doesn’t like peas so much- but she eats this dish without a problem…. I sometimes need to remind her to finish the peas… enjoy!
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