Recipes

Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

February 28, 2014 Organic GloryLeave a comment

This is just a simple variation on my go-to marinara. As I’ve mentioned, I am a firm believer in keeping it simple when it comes to tomato sauce. Unless you’re making it for lasagna and you need it to be a specific consistency, I like to use butter, onions and tomatoes — that’s it — to make my favorite sauce for serving over pasta with salad or veggies on the side. In this version, I substituted one can of tomato sauce plus one can of fire-roasted tomatoes for the large can of diced tomatoes that I usually use. It gave it a more complex flavor! I also chopped the onions smaller so it turned into one overall chunky, tasty sauce. You could even add red pepper flakes for a more intense kick. It came out so well that I had to share it. Enjoy:

Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 regular-sized can of fire-roasted tomatoes, such as Muir Glen
1 can of regular tomato sauce
1/2 stick butter, preferably unsalted / organic
1 onion, chopped into chunky pieces
1 package (1 lb) pasta of your choice
optional: red pepper flakes for additional heat

DIRECTIONS

Coarsely chop onion and saute in a pot over medium-low heat with the butter, stirring so it doesn’t bubble.

Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce and cook over medium, stirring, for about 5-7 minutes.

Lower the heat and cover, adding red pepper flakes if using. Cook over low for 40 minutes to an hour; in the meantime, cook and drain pasta.

Serve over pasta with your choice of vegetables or salad!

I cook this on Sundays and let it simmer for an hour or more, so the flavors really blend and you get a great cohesive sauce. I’ve doubled it before to feed more people, with great success.

I’ve never tried it, but I know you can roast your own tomatoes. Mama Natural has a pretty cool demo in her vlog this week. If you try that, let me know how it turns out!

Georgia in Florida

February 25, 2014February 24, 2014 Organic Glory1 Comment

Daddy is working two overlapping projects right now, so Georgia and I decided to get out of that snowy, icy old New England and head south to visit the family in Florida. It’s been at least 80 degrees in Sarasota all week, and we are doing some seriously good eating (both out and at home!) For instance:

This was “Fish Taco Friday” at The Lucky Dog Diner in Venice. AMAZING. I won’t mention the teeny bathroom situation which left me changing a diaper blowout on the hot asphalt (what can I say, Georgia got just as excited about fish tacos as mom). We also hit the 2014 “Parade of Homes” this weekend, and on our way back stopped for fish n’ chips with slaw, cheesy grits & lemonade at Snook Haven on the Myakka River.

This place calls itself a “back woods smokehouse” and it’s about as Old Florida as I’ve seen. There was a country music cover band, line dancing, picnic tables, counter service and absolutely no one telling you to leave if you finished your meal (or never ordered anything but beer in the first place!) Georgia sat outside on my lap, had a bottle in the shade and even danced with the band leader. We stayed for almost two hours! Let’s just say she went to bed early that night 🙂

As you can see, she’s been enjoying herself, sitting out by the pool every day and sporting lots of cute summer outfits. She’s such a good traveler — great on the plane, sleeps through the night (and naps!) in a strange house, lets me schlep her all over the place shopping and eating out, and goes along for the ride with lots of smiles. Plus, she took her first swim and has already picked up on the fun of splashing her hands in the water. Daddy, I know, is jealous and missing his girls.

We aren’t looking forward to returning to the cold, but I am anxious to try out some healthy food after a week of restaurant food, gelato, wine with dinner every night and weekend-style breakfasts every day. I’ll get back to sharing recipes when we are back in Boston and cooking away again!

Baby & Toddler · Holidays

My funny valentines

February 14, 2014February 12, 2014 Organic Glory1 Comment

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! I hope you are as lucky as I am to have sweeties like these at home, making you feel loved every day of the year 🙂

PS — if you’re wondering about that funny-looking Michelin Man outfit Georgia is wearing in the photo above, that’s her Baby Merlin Magic Sleepsuit, and we could not live without it. Once they outgrow their swaddle, how do you help them feeling cozy and secure in their crib? That’s your answer! She’s wearing the smaller size (3-6 months) and we will be upgrading her to the bigger one (6-9 months) as soon as she needs it. It’s machine washable, invented by a mom who knows her stuff, and worth every penny in our opinion. The concept is that it soothes them by muffling those jerky limb movements they sometimes make in their sleep, while also taking the place of a heavy blanket — which saves YOU money on higher heating bills trying to keep them toasty, and saves THEM from an increased SIDS risk from loose bedding.

Recipes

Baked Egg Noodles with Cheese

February 11, 2014April 28, 2017 Organic Glory7 Comments

I got this easy recipe from Jessica Seinfeld’s new book, which was excerpted in an interview with her family for In Style Magazine. I whipped it up on a weeknight after work last week, and it was a hit! Leftovers were tasty, too. Pair with a nice salad for a healthier meal.

Baked Egg Noodles with Cheese

INGREDIENTS

1 package (1 lb.) egg noodles
1.5 C sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
1.5 C sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 C milk
1/2 C sour cream
2 large eggs
1/4 C bread crumbs
cooking spray

Notes: I used almond milk, reduced-fat block cheese and light sour cream, and organic eggs. I did not make my own bread crumbs, but would have if I had more time. I think this would turn out fine with packaged pre-shredded cheese if you are really in a rush. 1.5 cups of cheese is about 6 oz., or nearly an entire block of cheese from a brand such as Cabot’s.

DIRECTIONS

Prep a large baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 425 and put a large pot of water on to boil.

Grate the cheese, place in a medium bowl, and mix together. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and sour cream. (Make sure you whisk instead of just mixing so the liquids take on the right consistency when baked).

When the water starts to boil, add in the noodles and cook for just 3 minutes. Drain immediately in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking.

Transfer the nooldes to the large bowl with the sour cream mixture and stir. Add 2 cups of the shredded cheese and mix well.

Using a silicone spatula, pour and scrape into the prepared baking dish. Add the bread crumbs into the remaining cup of cheese and toss together with your hands; sprinkle over the noodles.

Bake until golden and crispy on top, about 15 or 20 minutes.