Italian Tomato Sauce

A friend from home whose husband lived in Italy for some time gave me this recipe. Now I know what all the previous tomato sauces I've had were missing: carrots! This sauce is delicious! I cheated and used dried basil- I can only imagine what it's going to taste like with fresh! I prepared the sauce a day ahead and let it rest in the fridge overnight. Since it makes a large batch I also froze half of it. The next evening I browned some ground beef and added my sauce to reheat. My husband licked clean several platefuls, and I was spooning down the sauce sans noodles! I'm going to use this sauce in other pasta dishes as well- lasagna, baked ziti, stuffed shells- there are endless possibilities!

INGREDIENTS
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large basil leaves (or 4 medium)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Place all ingredients except for salt and pepper in a large saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes or longer (until the vegetables are soft).

2. Puree the sauce in a blender or food processor.

3. Return the sauce to the pan, add salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand 20 minutes.

4. Sauce may be used right after making, but is much better if made a day before using to let the flavors blend. Also, this sauce freezes very well. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

Serves 8-10.

(Recipe courtesy of Jennifer DeReus)

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Black beans and sweet potato-a strange combination you say? I had my doubts, but alas, this chili had some of the most surprisingly delicious flavors I've ever encountered! I can't pin it down exactly, but it must be the combination of slightly sweet potatoes, bold cumin and chipotle chili powders, plus a splash of lime. All I can say is, outstanding! This was my first time using ground chipotle powder (purchased in a baggie at World Market for $0.99- they carry a lot of the more exotic spices). I love the mild kick it provides (or not so mild if you add a lot)!

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chile

1/8 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 1/3 cups low-sodium chicken, beef, or vegetable broth

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup canned diced or crushed tomatoes

2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and potato and cook, stirring often, until the onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes.

2. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add broth, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro.

Serves 2.

(Adapted from Eating Well)

Turkey Pinwheel Wraps

We're all still kids at heart...especially when it comes to our eating habits! I found this recipe in a book I checked out from the library titled, Real Food for Healthy Kids. (I'm so lucky to have a library with an endless supply of cookbooks! Dustin and I go there to study and I often take a "bathroom break" and don't come back- he usually finds me on the floor of the cookbook aisle pouring over recipes!) Anyway, this wrap recipe sounded irresistible! Yes, it was intended as a school lunch solution for kids. But Dustin packs a lunch and his food preferences are rather child-like (no offense sweetie) so I didn't hesitate! I tried it out on myself for lunch today and it's so yummy! It's healthful and attractive! You can leave it whole as a wrap or slice it into mini pinwheels for bite size pleasures. The cranberries add a sweet zing to an otherwise savory sandwich!

INGREDIENTS

1 8-inch whole wheat wrap (If you use larger you will need to increase the other ingredients.)

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 handful baby spinach leaves

1 Tbsp. dried cranberries (Craisins)

1 medium carrot, peeled and shredded

1 oz. Swiss cheese, sliced (I used Muenster- use your favorite!)

1 oz. roasted turkey breast, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. If necessary, warm the wrap in the oven (350 F for 2 minutes) or microwave before filling.

2. Lay the wrap on a work surface and spread the mayo all over. Sprinkle the spinach leaves, cranberries, and carrots evenly on top. Arrange the cheese and turkey in even layers over the vegetable layer. Fold in the side edges and then roll up snugly from the bottom.

3. Cut crosswise into even pinwheels if desired. Store wrapped tightly in plastic.

Makes 1 wrap.

(Adapted from Real Food for Healthy Kids)

Orange Blackberry Muffins

I had been trying to figure out what to do with some blackberries I had in my freezer (fresh ones that I had frozen). Once again I turned to muffins... they are my ultimate comfort food. Google search led me to this recipe, which was accompanied by the most stunning photographs of a muffin I've ever seen. (Mine are so weak in comparison!) But even if my muffins won't win me a photography award, they were absolutely scrumptious! Dustin and I were smiling and nodding over mouthfuls of still steaming-warm blackberry bliss, bursting with the bright citrus flavor of a juiced and zested orange! Now I'll never be able to resist scooping up cartfuls of fresh blackberries at the market, knowing the possibilities that await them!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 orange, zested and juiced
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp. honey
1 cup blackberries, fresh (I chopped mine up a bit- they were HUGE!)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease or line a 12 hole muffin tin.

2. Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey and melted butter.

3. In a large bowl, rub sugar and orange zest together with fingertips until the sugar is moist and you can smell the orange. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently but quickly stir to blend. Stir in the blackberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin.

Makes 12 muffins.

(Adapted from A Sweet Fantasy)

Lemon Meringue Pie

Meringues are a little tricky. I think mine would have turned out perfect if I hadn't forgotten to pre-bake my crust before filling it. We salvaged the filling but had to make a new crust, which gave the filling time to cool before being topped with the meringue. Hot filling prevents your pie from weeping. Nevertheless, my pie came out very pretty. Follow the directions closely and you should have no trouble. Because this is a time-sensitive production, I suggest prepping all of your ingredients before you begin (as well as baking your crust)!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups milk

2 lemons, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp. butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 all-butter pie crust, pre-baked
4 egg whites
6 Tbsp. white sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. (This is called tempering.) Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.

3. To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie (while the lemon filling is still hot), sealing the edges at the crust.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

Makes 1 9-inch pie.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

All-Butter Pie Crust

Most pie crust recipes call for shortening. In avoiding trans fats and impure oils (stick to olive or canola oil) I went on a quest for a shortening-less crust. Lard would make a great crust, but I didn't happen to have any sitting around. To quote Recipe Zaar: "shortening is virtually flavorless, and is used to make baked goods light and flaky". When an ingredient is packed full of fat, why would you want it to be flavorless? If I'm going to ingest all those calories I want my body to know it and to savor every second of it! That's why this butter crust is delicious- buttery as well as light and flaky! I used it for my Dad's lemon meringue pie. It was a cinch to throw together, although I have to give my mom credit for the impressive edge work. I'm still a pie novice.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter, diced
3-4 Tbsp. ice water

DIRECTIONS
1. Mix flour and salt in food processor (or by hand with a whisk). Add butter and pulse until coarse mill forms (or cut in butter by hand with a pastry blender until only pea-size crumbs remain). Gradually blend in enough ice water until dough clumps (or mix in a Tbsp. at a time by hand). Form dough into a large ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill 2 hours or overnight.

2. Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

3. If necessary, (first prick the bottom of the crust with a fork) bake in 450 F preheated oven for about 10 minutes (until it starts to turn golden brown).

Makes 1 9-inch pie crust.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Fruit Dip

Thanks to Jackie for this recipe! Preparing the dip required considerable discipline, which I apparently lack. You MUST taste for sweetness, so you know how much sugar to add. Well, one taste was not enough and I lost track of how many spoonfuls I had snuck before it was served! And that was before the fruit came out. Anyway, I ate a lot of fruit dip on Saturday morning. I used Greek yogurt, so my dip had a thicker consistency. Regular yogurt will give you a lighter and fluffier result. You could experiment with different flavors of yogurt (vanilla or lemon, etc.) but be sure to reduce or omit the sugar, as flavored yogurt is often very sweet already. Serve with a vast array of plump, ripe, juicy fruits.

Fruit Dip 

INGREDIENTS
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
8 oz. plain yogurt (or you can use vanilla and reduce the sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
lemon zest, to taste
sugar or honey, to taste (I used 3 Tbsp.)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, blend all ingredients until creamy and serve with fruit.

(Recipe courtesy of Jackie Shafer)

Quiche Lorraine

UPDATE: 2/22/09 I made this quiche yesterday morning for Sunday brunch. I used a pre-made whole wheat crust I had in the freezer, but honestly I think I'll do without next time. This dish is rich and so delicious (even more so since I used heavy cream)! I think Dustin enjoyed it-he took the whole half of the pie that was left over in his lunch today...didn't leave me a speck!

Confession: I didn't make this quiche. I ate it though. And I wish I had made it because it was incredible! And I will be making it very soon. I might try it without the pie crust, because with quiche its all about the filling! According to Betty Crocker the essential ingredients in "Quiche Lorraine" are bacon and Swiss. But we're not stopping there... we'll add ham and green onion and peppers. Then bake it in eggs and cream until its an enticing golden brown.

INGREDIENTS
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 cup (4 oz.) Swiss cheese, grated
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup ham, minced
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup half and half
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

DIRECTIONS
1. Bake unpricked pastry shell for 5 minutes at 425 F.

2. Remove from oven and arrange cheese, bacon, and ham in bottom of shell. Sprinkle with green onion and green pepper.

3. In medium bowl combine eggs, half and half, lemon peel, salt, and dry mustard. Pour evenly over cheese mixture.

4. Bake at 325 F for 45 minutes or until set. Remove from heat and let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 1 9-inch quiche.

(Recipe courtesy of Diane Blodgett)

Pumpkin Muffins

I somewhat consider myself a pumpkin aficionado. Long before I began to have an interest in cooking, I was baking with pumpkin. Every time I'm in the baking aisle at the grocery store I can't resist picking up a can of Libby's. It finds its way into pies, pancakes, even pasta (ravioli)! Using a whole can of pumpkin makes these muffins extremely moist and even healthful! I'm sure you could scale down the amount of sugar used and they would still be delicious! For a lower-fat version try substituting applesauce or plain yogurt for the oil.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour

15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin

1/3 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 1/4 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp. sugar, set aside

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 F. Put liners in muffin cups.

2. Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.

3. Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin-pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

4. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar in another bowl.

5. Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about 3/4 full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

6. Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Makes 12-18 muffins.

(Adapted from Gourmet)

Banana Crumb Muffins

A brown sugar and cinnamon crumb topping puts these basic banana muffins over the top! This is my variation of what might be the most popular recipe on the allrecipes.com website! In all of the muffin recipes I've posted I've used half whole wheat flour. In the future I will try making them with 100% white whole wheat flour and let you know how it goes. I think using butter over oil provides more flavor in this recipe. My sisters would be happy to tell you how sweet and delicious these are!

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted (or canola oil)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 Tbsp/ butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Makes 12-18 muffins.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Crustless Spinach Quiche

This is my favorite way to eat spinach. Combine Popeye's staple with mild Muenster cheese and you won't feel like you're filling up on a vitamin-rich vegetable. I was first introduced to Muenster when a college friend (living in the dorms) took a hunk of it out of her mini-fridge and offered me a slice. Impressed by her ability to scarf down thick chunks of cheese, I decided it must be worth trying. One bite and I was elated- I had found my soul mate of cheeses. Whether it is sliced (awesome for sandwiches) or shredded or melted or eaten by the block it is fantastic!

Crustless Spinach Quiche

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic. minced
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
5 eggs, whisked
2 cups Muenster cheese, grated
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.

3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend.

4. Scoop into prepared pie pan. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 1 9-inch round quiche.

(Adapted from All Recipes)