pesto/tomato pasta sauce

Last night I was experimenting some in the kitchen, and I came up with what we thought was a very good pasta sauce. It used the pesto that I make, and then combined it with a tomato sauce. Here is the recipe:

Ingrediants:

Freshly made pesto (see recipe). Use all of it.
6 very ripe, large, organic tomatoes, coarsley chopped
5 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 large organic yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin, organic olive oil
1/4 cup organic Italian parsley, packed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Saute onion and garlic until golden.
2. Add in tomatoes and cook over medium low until the begin to fall apart. About 45 min.
3. Add pesto, parsley, salt, pepper. Stir and heat through. Cover and remove from heat.

Add to you favorite pasta. I put mixed it into a large pot of penne pasta, and it was delicious.

Tomato Sauce

This is a recipe from Biba's Taste of Italy, by Biba Caggiano. It is a delicious, light, and healthy sauce, and has a myriad of uses, from pasta to pizza. I have even used in soups. This is a tradional Italian staple, originally from the Tuscan region, and I find it nice to keep it on hand. If canning isn't your thing, it freezes very well.

Homemade Tomato Sauce
Conserva di Pomodoro

Ingredients
12 lbs. very ripe organic tomatoes, preferably plum tomatoes, cut into large chunks.
2 large organic onions, cut into pieces, coarsely chopped
3 organic carrots, cut into small rounds
3 organic celery stalks, cut into small pieces
1 cup loosely packed organic, flat-leaf italian parsely leaves
1 1/2 tsp. organic sea salt, or more to taste
small bunch of basil, stemmed (20-30 leaves)
1/4 cup organic, extra virgin olive oil

Directions
1. Combine the tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, and salt in a large stockpot, over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin falling apart and the other vegetables are soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Puree the tomato mixture in batches in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Place a food mill with the disk with the smallest holes over a large bowl and pass the tomato puree through it to remove the seeds and skins. Return the sauce to the pot and season with salt. Cook it at a gentle boil until it has a medium-thick consistency. Stir in the basil and turn off the heat.

Migas

I really wanted to wait to share this recipe until I had a picture of my own migas to add, but alas, there is no telling when this will happen. So, I have decided to go ahead and post the recipe, promising myself to add a photo later.

Despite the obvious Mexican influence, migas originated in Texas, birthplace of many wonderful Tex-Mex hybrids. Initially conceived as a meatless meal during lent, it has been adapted as both vegetarian and non vegetarian over the years.

If you have never had migas, you will love this dish. It is a wonderful, healthy, and satisfying Sunday brunch, or can even be used as an ecletic dinner. My recipe is meatless, but you can add pork sausage, beef, or chicken, if you choose. I will often add the meat or poultry on the side if I am cooking for non vegetarians. Chorizo is also a popular addition to migas for meat eaters.

Migas

Ingredients:

8 eggs (from organic, free range chickens!)
1 organic onion, chopped
1 large, organic jalepeno pepper, chopped and seeded
1 large organic tomato, chopped and seeded
6 organic corn tortillas, cut into strips
1 cup freshly grated, organic monterrey jack cheese
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
1 TSBP red pepper flakes
1 tsp organic freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp organic sea salt
1/2 cup fresh, organic cilantro, chopped
1 cup salsa
1 chopped avocado


Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, water, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a small skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and add tortilla strips. Add a bit of sea salt and cook until they are slightly crisp. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onions until golden. Add peppers and tomatoes. Heat throughm making sure not to overcook the peppers and tomatoes. You want them "just barely" cooked.

3. Add the egg mixture to the skillet; cook for a few minutes and then add 3/4 cup of the cheese, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 of the cilantro.

4. Continue to cook the egg mixture, stirring constantly. When the eggs begin to become firm, add the tortilla strips.

5. Continue cooking and stirring the eggs until until cooked throroughly. Top migas with remaining cheese and cilantro.

6. Top each individual serving with the avocado and salsa, and serve with flour tortillas.

Migas are delicious served along with sides of black or refried beans, quacamole, fresh fruits, hash browns (I will soon add a great recipe for Southwest Hash Browns that is amazing), or spanish rice.

pico de gallo

Being Southerners, we love Mexican food. A wonderfully fresh and healthy staple of Mexican cooking is Pico de Gallo, an uncooked tomato sauce. It is traditionally used for dipping tortillas and tortilla chips, as a topping for enchiladas, chalupas, tacos, burritos, and other Mexican dishes, as well as a filler for wraps, tacos, burritos and the like. It can also be used as a delicious garnish to compliment most Mexican dishes. We like to keep fresh Pico de Gallo on hand as it is such a wonderful addition to so many meals, and also makes a great, healthy snack.

Pico De gallo:

Ingredients:

1 lb. large, ripe, organic tomatoes, chopped
2 fresh, large, organic jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 large organic onion, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh, organic cilantro, chopped

Combine 1st 3 ingredients in a bowl; add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 2 cups. Refrigerate.

pizza dough

Ingredients:

2 tsp dry active yeast
2 3/4 cup lukewarm, filtered water
2 TBSP organic, raw sugar
1/2 tsp organic sea salt
2 TBSP organic olive oil
8 cups organic, all purpose, unbleached white flour

Instructions:

preheat oven to 450

1. Disolve yeast, sugar, and salt in the lukewarm water and set aside.
2. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl and pour into yeast mixture.
3. Mix and knead for about 15 minutes, until smooth.
4. Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and place in a warm place (or a shut off warmed oven), until dough has doubled in size. About 1 hour.
5. Remove, punch down, and return to bowl, allowing dough to re-double.
6. Remove from bowl and separate into 3 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough, one at a time, and place on an oiled baking sheet, pizza pan, or stone. Stretch dough until pan is covered, making a small edge.
7. Spread pizza topping over dough and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bottom is nice and brown.

*The extra dough can be refridgerated and saves very nicely. We like to experiment with different pizza toppings. A favorite right now is brushing a light coat of olive oil on top of the dough, drizzeling with balsamic vinegrette, adding a very light dusting of freshly grated, organic parmesan cheese, and topping with sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, carmelized onions, and basil. We vary this with using a homemade pesto as a sauce.
My son's love the traditional cheese pizza, which we make healthier by using homemade tomato sauce and topping with organic, freshly grated parmesan and mozzerella. You would not believe the difference the quality of cheese makes, so if you DO eat dairy, take the time to use the good stuff.*

sun dried tomatoes

I make my own sundried tomatoes at home in the oven (yes, a bit of an oxymoron, I know). They are so easy, far less expensive, taste great, are less processed, and I am assured they are organic. It is also a great way to use up all those tomatoes you have grown all summer, if you garden as I do. My family LOVES sundried tomatoes, and we use them in many dishes; from pasta sauces to pizza toppings. I will even put them on top of homemade bread coated with homemade pesto for a lovely breakfast or snack (this is soooo good it is ridiculous!). If you have never made your own sundried tomatoes, here is how I do mine....

Sundried Tomatoes:

Ingredients:

Organic tomatoes- I prefer Roma, but any type will do. About 10-20, depending on how many you want.

Organic balsamic vinaigrette

Organic olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 250
2. Cut tomatoes into halves, lengthwise.
3. Place on oiled baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette, and bake.
4. Bake for 3- 4 hours.

easy homemade bread

Ingredients:

1 cup warm, filtered water
1 TBSP organic milk (rice milk works as a substitute)
2 TBSP organic olive oil
2 TBSP organic honey (try to get local honey, of possible-helps with allergies)
2 TBSP organic brown sugar
1 tsp organic sea salt
3 cups organnic wheat flour
2 tsp organic instant dry yeast

Instructions:

1. Combine 1st 6 ingredients in large mixing bowl. Stir.
2. Add flour and yeast and knead until smooth, about 15 minutes.
3. Place dough in greased bowl, turning once to coat top. Cover with clean towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Punch down dough, knead a few more times until smooth, return to bowl. Let rise, covered in a warm place until doubled again. About 30 minutes.
5. Shape into a loaf and place in an oiled bread pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
6. Remove from pan, let bread cool on a rack.

Bread can be stored in airtight bag or frozen. This recipe also make a nice white bread, in which case we simply substitute the wheat flour for an unbleached, organic white flour like Bob's Red Mill.

Basic Hummus Recipe

Basic Hummus:

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 16 oz can of organic chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons organic lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons organic tahini
4 cloves organic garlic, crushed
organic sea salt, to taste
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:
Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional

*This is a basic recipe. Feel free to experiment with various additions, such as roasted red pepper, crushed red pepper, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives. This recipe makes a good amount of hummus, although since we go through alot of it in our house, I usually double it:)

my love affair with herbs

Herbs, to me, have always had a sort of magical quality to them. Perhaps they evoke some distant, primal instinct, harking back to a time long ago when ancestors needed these little miracle plants for survival in a harsh world. Maybe I just love the tastes and smells of fresh herbs in my food and teas. For whatever the reason, I have been mesmerized by herbs and all of their many functions most of my adult life.

My love affair with these amazing plants began back in the early 90's when I went to visit a friend who was back in the states after moving to France. We met at her mother's townhouse, a shabby looking older building in a slightly run down part of town. You can imagine my shock when, upon entering, I was faced with a breathtaking, light-filled living room; soaring ceilings, beautiful furnishings, exquisite artwork. Yet, with all of this beauty, the most stunning feature of the room was the wall of floor to ceiling windows which looked out upon one of the loveliest herb gardens I had ever seen. As Lisa took me through this small grotto and pointed out each of the many herbs, I felt myself falling in love. Since that visit, I have had some form of herb garden, whether just a small container garden or a larger kitchen variety, in every place I have lived.

Back in the 90's, my ex husband and I purchased a large, older home in a lovely, well established neighborhood. The home had plenty of space, a beautiful, double sided stone fireplace, and large, arching mulberry trees. The one thing it didn't offer, however, was convenient access from the kitchen to the front or the back yards. The kitchen was tucked away in a corner of the house. As a solution to the dilemma of where to put the herb garden, I ended up having a door installed off the kitchen, opening up to the side yard. This served me quite well for the remaining 5 years in which I resided in that house. I grew everything from the basics: basils, parsleys, oregano, mint, thyme, dill- to strawberries, tomatoes, zucchini.

The house I inhabited when my children were very small was Spanish styled, with the entire house built around a center courtyard. This courtyard was flanked on the east side by the kitchen and breakfast nook, the north side wall was the living room, and the west side wall was the master bedroom. The south wall was the garage, with a narrow opening between the garage wall and the master bedroom wall which allowed for a gated entry to a charming little path which lead to another small garden area, which lead, through yet another gate, to a larger yard. This area was complete with a pool, a lawn, flower beds, and a gazebo. In the courtyard, we had all of the herbs that I needed for cooking, with the mint (as mint will) extending well past its borders and down the little pathway leading to the children's play yard and the other small garden. I didn't mind that wild mint, though, and will never forget the fragrance as I watered during the long, hot Texas summers while the children played amongst daisies that were as tall as they were.

After my divorce I moved into a pretty little townhouse with a nice view of a golf course. This was a time of my life, when, much like an adolescent, I was trying on different persona's, deciding who I was going to be for the rest of my life and exhilarated by the possibilities. During this time, I grew a small container herb garden on my patio, although as I write this I have to wonder: was I growing the herbs, or were they helping to grow me?

We are now in our 4th year in the house my husband and I bought together. A lovely home in which we have unleashed our creativity, passion for beauty, and love for all things do-it-yourself. A smaller house, yet a nice open floor plan, tons of windows, and 12 foot ceilings. Best of all, the kitchen/family room overlook a large backyard complete with a small pool, a lawn, full sun, and extensive garden beds. Since our first year here we have had a nice herb and kitchen garden right outside our door. This year, though, I was inspired to take the next step in my knowledge of herbs and all they can do.

I have always been very interested in herbalism. We are a family that has a passion for health and natural medicine, so it is quite logical that herbalism would call to me. I decided this year that I would begin to study it more seriously, and as I have began to delve into to this, I realize just how much I don't know, which pushes me to learn more. My daughter has taken an interest in it as well, and we have learned some basic remedies. This has also caused us to expand our herb garden by more than 4 times, boasting now well over 40 plants in our backyard alone (we keep plots in a community garden as well). This, in turn, has lead us to expand our culinary knowledge, as we have so many wonderful herbs- what to do with them all!? So, in the end, we have learned some practical remedies that we now use in our household, we have had some delightful new cuisine, we enjoy learning, cooking and eating together- all of this due to the remarkable, miraculous herb!