Tag: Tomatoes

Dinner · Lunch · Recipes

Let’s Get “Saucy”!

enbrookshireLeave a comment

My apologies for the silly title…I’m starting to really feel the effects of the quarantine! But on a more serious note, pizza is a staple at our house and some weeks we eat homemade pizzas two if not three times a week. My husband is the one who cooks this meal for our family and he always makes the most terrific pizzas! Sometimes we make basic margarita pizzas and that’s exactly what we are making tonight. Now if you know anything about pizza (lol) then you know that you MUST have a great pizza sauce to go on a great pizza. Today, I’m going to share my pizza sauce and the best news is that is super easy along with being super tasty and you can make it ahead of time!

All the ingredients you will need to make this tasty, fun and easy sauce.
Prepping the garlic to be roasted.

You will notice in the recipe that you will need to roast your garlic. By roasting your garlic you will get a deep flavor from those little garlic cloves. Here’s a tip that I use…I grab a small amount of tin foil and make a bowl using my hands. Then place your whole/skin-on garlic cloves in the tin foil and lightly cover with a good olive oil. Fold up the sides and make a ball out of the tin foil and wah-lah….you are all set to roast your garlic! I roast my garlic for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. You should just start to smell that fragrant smell of roasted garlic at the 15 minute mark; let it go for about 5 more minutes. Allow the garlic to rest in the tin foil for a few minutes to help cool down. That roasted garlic will squeeze out of its skins when it’s time to add it to the sauce. Now let’s talk about the tomatoes and the process of making the sauce!

I like using Tuttorosso Peeled Plum Italian Style Tomatoes. It’s plum tomatoes in their own juices…nothing added…just tomatoes. This allows you to build your own flavor profile with your unique sauce. You will not be cooking this sauce except when it’s on your pizza and the best part is you get to get your hands dirty by squeezing all those tomatoes and garlic, so this could be fun for kids to make as well. I use a large mixing bowl to squish all of the ingredients together, followed by straining the sauce to separate the juice from the actual sauce itself and lastly I reserve my flavorful tomato juice to have with breakfast or a delicious cocktail! Here are some pics of the process and the recipe!

I use a big bowl to get everything mixed together and incorporated. Be careful when you are squishing those tomatoes…the juice can go everywhere!
This is a snap of the sauce prior to draining off most of the juice. I use this handheld strainer to strain the bulk of the juice off. I also use a spatula to push that juice through the strainer.
Pizza Sauce

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 (28 oz) can of Italian Style Peeled Plum Tomatoes
  • 3 cloves of garlic, roasted with skin on
  • 1 tsp of sea salt
  • 1 tsp of sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning (optional)
  • Olive oil for roasting garlic

Directions:

  • Roast garlic in a 350 degree F oven. (Directions for this above) Allow garlic to cool.
  • Add tomatoes and garlic to a large mixing bowl and squish by hand until all tomatoes are broken.
  • Add salt, sugar and Italian seasoning and mix by hand.
  • Taste to make sure you have a good balance of salt and sugar.
  • Strain the sauce into a second large mixing bowl and reserve any left over tomato juice for drinking.
  • Add to pizza! Store any left overs. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
  • Enjoy!
Cheesy-Creamy Ravioli Bake
Dinner · Recipes

Cheesy-Creamy Ravioli Bake

enbrookshireLeave a comment

As a working mom I am always on the hunt for something fast, easy, fulfilling and healthy. Now that my daughter is 3 1/2 years old we run between preschool, dance classes and soccer practice…well at least before Covid-19 we did. With our busy schedules it’s always nice to have meals like this one to turn to. Today, I am sharing a meal that is fast, easy and a great addition to your work week 30 minute meals. It’s rich, filling and pairs well with a small side salad and/or crusty bread…not to mention a nice red wine! This meal had me at spinach, mushrooms, bacon, tomatoes, cheese and garlic! Now let’s get started on this delicious Cheesy-Creamy Ravioli Bake!

Everything you need for this easy Cheesy-Creamy Ravioli Bake. Bacon, tomatoes, spinach, mushroom stuffed ravioli, Alfredo sauce, onion, garlic and a dash of red pepper flakes.
Somehow I forgot to snap a pic of these cheeses that I use in this meal. These are our family favorites for mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

One of my favorite tips that I’ve learned over the years is to always layout all of your ingredients and prep your ‘Mise en place’ before you get started. ‘Mise en place’ is a French term that means having all your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before you start cooking. It helps to have all of this prep work done before you start cooking so everything can come together at the same time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you are busy with a toddler under you feet and also following a new recipe. This tip always helps me out!

Now that you have your ingredients in order, it’s time to get your pot filled with water to boil the noodles and your skillet heating up for the bulk of the meal. It’s very important that if you want yummy pasta of any kind to SALT YOUR WATER! Your pasta water should always taste like sea water to ensure that you get a delicious pasta with lots of flavor.

I like using fine sea salt when I’m cooking and this brand is just from my local grocery store. Always put way more salt in your pasta water prior to boiling…it should taste like the sea! The end result is always full flavor pasta.
I always turn my skillet on to get a good heat on it so that my ingredients will instantly start to cook upon dropping them in. There’s nothing like the sizzle of bacon cooking in a hot cast iron skillet.

This recipe cooks up so fast, it is easy to cleanup and has a delicious taste…not to mention the house smells AMAZING! I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as mine. Now on to the recipe!

Cheesy-Creamy Ravioli Bake

Cheesy-Creamy Ravioli Bake

Ingredients:

  • 2 (9 oz) pkgs mushroom stuffed ravioli
  • 1 bag of spinach
  • 4 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked, drained and chopped into bits
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, diced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 container of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 (15 oz) container of refrigerated Alfredo sauce
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flake
  • Parmesan cheese, for garnish
  • Parsley, for garnish
  • Pepper to taste

Directions:

  • Cook ravioli according to package directions.
  • Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Drain, reserving 2 Tbsp drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon into bits.
  • Add onions and garlic to skillet; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes and spinach; cook 3 minutes or until wilted.
  • Stir in Alfredo sauce and add ravioli; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.
  • Sprinkle with bacon, Parmesan cheese and add a dash of pepper and parsley to taste.
  • Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy!