Amazing Red Sauce

Pasta with red sauce is an iconic kid meal.  It is also comfort food for many adults.  Did you ever notice how comfort food is often kid food too?  Did you know that some red sauce is called gravy?  That one was new to me!  For me gravy is for potatoes and stuffing!  {oops, I started to ramble . . . }

I make several red sauces depending on what I have in the house and what is in season.  Typically, I buy organic red sauce and add onions, garlic, and peppers.  But often I put a combination of  leeks, mushrooms, celery, spinach, kale and carrots . . . clearly I use what I have on hand.

My family loves meatballs!  So occasionally I will make meatballs to go with the red sauce.  I cook them separately so the red sauce will still be vegan but my meat eaters can have the meatballs.  Another favorite is sausage ravioli or chicken tortellini.   

[yumprint-recipe id=’5′]This is a great basic recipe.  I have found a organic red sauce that is the same price as non-organic.  SCORE.  Why organic?  Check out the Fun Food Fact Friday on the dirty dozen and the clean green food lists to find out how I decide what to buy organic.  

This recipe is doubled so that I can freeze one batch–I love the idea of cooking once and having 2 meals!

Want to watch a red sauce video?  I made this video to show you just how simple and FAST it is to make a great red sauce with loads of veggies!

Be Blessed.

L.O.V.E.,

Renee

 

Egg info graphic (Giada’s Frittata starter)

Each week I find a dozen organic eggs in my CSA box!  That might seem a lot but if we make a batch of muffins–we only have 8 left . . . not enough for 6 of us to have eggs for breakfast but it is plenty for a quiche or Frittata. egginfo

I’m always at Target . . . and one day I was buying Giada’s pasta and happened upon this starter.  I bought two–both were very good.  I of course added onions and some other veggies.  I made two at the same time–ate one and kept the other to see how it would reheat for breakfast (research for my Blessed By Breakfast cookbook http://blessedbybreakfast.com).  Both were great!  one of the starters!fresh chives from the garden!This is bigger than 8x8--4 servings would be ok, anything more you need soup or a salad.  (or a giant piece of cheesecake:-)

What I really love about quiche is how versatile this meal is–a savory breakfast, lunch or dinner; a side of soup, salad, hash browns or fruit.  The re-heatability (is that even a word?) is nice for busy nights or rushed breakfast.

Be Blessed as you explore the simplicity of cooking.

P.S.  I’m writing a breakfast cookbook–Blessed by Breakfast, my goal was to break my families habit of eating boxed cereal every morning and instead offering real food!   Thinking out of the cereal box!  

Linking up with Best of 2013–Finding Joy in my Kitchen.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

I’ve been trying to find more and more crockpot recipes this year. My intention was to try a new recipe each week but . . . that isn’t exactly happening. So my plan is to continue to research and try new crock pot recipes and to post when I do.   This recipe can easily be meatless and organic.
 
 Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese (serves 6)
 
 
2 cups of dry elbow macaroni
4 cups of liquid (I used evaporated milk, chicken broth, Campbells recipe starter and Campbells cream of celery–I use a combination of what I have available at the moment)
2 cups of cheese (I used colby and monteray blend)
Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir
 
 
Spray crockpot
Pour ingredients into crockpot
Cook on low for 4 hours.
 
 
My crockpot has 4, 6, 8, 10 hour options. I cooked the mac and cheese on the 8 hour setting for 4 hours and then unplugged the crockpot.   I used the round crockpot but if I doubled the recipe I would use the bigger oval crockpot.
 
 
I sprinkled some bacon bits on top and it was tasty.
 
 
Next time I might add some celery, carrots, carmelized onions, ham, bacon, red pepper or some combination.  The liquid can be any combination of evaporated milk, broth, 1 egg, cream soup, or sour cream.
 
 
Enjoy.
 
Be Blessed.  I’m linking up with Ultimate Recipe Swapcountdown2012 and Thrive@home.