Tag: tomato sauce

Beef, Mushrooms and Spinach Enchiladas

I am very proud of this recipe. The enchiladas were absolutely delicious. They are great for through the week as they don’t take very long to make but they are also great for entertaining. You can eliminate the beef and keep them vegetarian or add shrimp instead- either way, they are the best enchiladas you will every eat!!

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 medium shallots, chopped
½ pound ground beef
10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
2 10 ounces baby spinach
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoon ground coriander

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté on medium heat. Add the beef and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes on medium high heat, while stirring constantly. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt, smoked paprika and ground coriander. Mix well and check for seasonings and keep aside.

3 cups tomato sauce, either store bought or homemade
2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo sauce
1 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Bring the tomato sauce to a boil. Add the chipotle sauce, smoked paprika and salt. Add the cilantro and check for seasonings and keep aside.

6 to 8 corn/flour tortillas
Mexican blend grated cheese
One 9X13 oven-proof dish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 scallions, chopped

Dip a tortilla into the tomato sauce. Add about a quarter cup of beef filling and a teaspoon of shredded cheese. Roll the tortilla and place onto the dish with seam side down. Repeat for the rest of the tortillas. Cover with about two cups of the tomato sauce. Top with half cup of shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Take foil off , garnish with cilantro and scallions and serve.

Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

My daughter loves baked ziti and she loves pasta with meat sauce- so I made baked ziti with meat sauce. Why not?? It is easy to make and yummy!!

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound ground dark meat turkey
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
3 cups fresh tomato sauce
Salt
1 pound penne, cooked al dente
1 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the turkey meat and brown at a high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thyme and rosemary and tomato sauce. Add salt and bring to a boil and simmer at a low heat covered with a lid for 20 to 25 minutes. Take the lid off and add the al dente pasta and mix well and check for seasonings.

Transfer half of the pasta mixture to an oven proof dish. Top with the fresh mozzarella and basil, distributing evenly. Top with the rest of the pasta mixture. Add the shredded cheese and top and bake, covered for 45 minutes. Take the foil off and bake to brown the top for another 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Middle Eastern Style Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

This is a great take on your regular, run of the mill, meatballs- not that any thing is wrong with that… but sometimes it is nice to change it up a bit…. they are really good to entertain with… I served mine with delicious couscous…

1 pound ground pork (any ground meat can be used)
2 shallots, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
½ cup panko breadcrumbs soaked in ½ cup milk (let sit for at least 10 mins)

Mix all the ingredients and set aside for at least an hour.

Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sumac
Zest of one orange (keep juice aside)
3 cups tomato sauce, homemade or canned crushed tomatoes
Salt

Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the tomato paste, fennel seeds, ground cumin, cinnamon and orange zest. Saute on medium heat for a minute and add the tomato sauce and the saved orange juice. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat with lid on for at least 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Take lid off and increase heat and form meatballs and drop gently into the pan. Lower the heat to a simmer with the lid on and cook for 30 minutes. Check for seasonings and add salt. Serve on top of couscous topped with yogurt sauce.

Yogurt Sauce

1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds
½ teaspoon dried mint, crumbled
½ cup grated cucumber, water squeezed
½ cup grated carrot, water squeezed.
1 to 2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sumac

Mix all the ingredients and check for seasonings. Serve with meatballs.

Pasta with Spring Peas and Pancetta

The pasta theme continues with a very simple and delicious pasta with a bit of pancetta and lots of peas- yummy and quick!!!

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup pancetta, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cups tomato sauce
Salt
2 cups frozen peas
½ cup chives, chopped
½ pound cooked pasta with 1 cup pasta water
½ cup Grana Padano cheese, grated

Heat a large frying pan with the pancetta and oil. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and salt and cook on a simmer for 20 minutes. Add the peas, bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Add the chives, pasta and pasta water if needed. Mix well and cook till the sauce is thickened. Season with salt and garnish with cheese.

Chicken Enchiladas

One of our favorite cuisines is Mexican- we all love it and I make a whole lot of it at home… this is one of our favs…

1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Drizzle the olive oil all over the chicken thighs and rub them with the spices and salt. Marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours. Keep aside.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cups homemade sauce or a 28 ounces can of crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and brown them on both sides until golden brown, at least 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

Take out of the pan and add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and the chicken back to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer with the lid on for 15 to 20 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take the chicken out and let cool. Once thoroughly cooled off, shred the chicken with a fork and keep the meat aside. Add cilantro to the tomato sauce, check for seasoning and keep aside.

6 to 8 small tortillas (I used a tortillas made with both flour and corn)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mixture of Mexican cheeses) and more if needed

Use a 8X8 oven proof dish and start assembling the enchiladas. Dip a tortilla in the tomato sauce and then place half a cup of the shredded chicken in the middle and top with about a ¼ cup of shredded cheese. Roll it up tightly and place it in the dish seam side down. Repeat with all the tortillas you have using up all the chicken. Top with the tomato sauce and about one cup of shredded cheese.

Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Take out and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Deconstructed Shrimp Enchiladas with Tomato Sauce

These are soooo good! I saw some chef make a version of these on The Chew… and it looked yummy.. and very interesting as she added nutmeg to the tomato sauce- not something I associate with Mexican cooking…. So, I tweaked it to my taste and came up with this version. They are easier than traditional enchiladas as there is no assembly requires.. just dip the tortillas in the sauce and add the filling, fold in half and serve!!! Definitely make yesterday’s slaw with them…

2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store bought (14 ounces can of tomato sauce)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeno chili, sliced in half and deseeded
1 medium onion, chopped
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fish stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon olive oil

Transfer the tomato sauce to a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, jalapeno, onion, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes or till the vegetables are soft. Transfer to a blender and add the fish stock and blend till smooth.

Heat the same saucepan with olive oil and add the tomato sauce and sauté for a minute. Turn heat lower and simmer, covered for 15 minutes, till the sauce is thickened. Add the heavy cream, mix well and check for seasonings. Keep warm.

1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and cut into half
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Heat a frying pan with the butter and olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or till the shrimp is cooked through. Turn heat off and keep aside.

1 large avocado, diced
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon salt

Mix the avocado, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and keep aside.

6 to 8 6 inch tortillas, heated in a toaster oven or stove top
½ cup queso fresco, crumbled

Take each tortilla and immerse in the tomato sauce. Remove and place on a plate. Add some shrimp and avocado and garnish with some queso fresco. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.

Beef and Sausage Ragu

This recipe is a mix between a ragu and a bolognese. My daughter loves, loves any kind of meat sauce over pasta. I try to make them different every time- so this one is a mix. A bolognese, typically is made with just tomato paste and milk- there is no tomato sauce. I added it all in this one- it was delicious!!

2 chicken sausage links (I used spinach and fontina), casings off and crumbled
1 pound grass fed ground beef
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
½ cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups tomato sauce, preferably fresh
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups milk
Salt

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the ground beef and crumbled sausage and brown while stirring constantly on a medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, onion, carrots, rosemary and thyme. Cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the paste and cook for a minute. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer, cover with a lid. Cook for at least an hour and a half on low heat, stirring every 15 minutes. Take the lid off, taste for seasoning, and add salt if needed. Serve on top of cooked pasta.

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