Classic Marinara Sauce

For as long as I can remember, I've been a HUGE marinara sauce fan.  I always use a significant amount (read: too much) on my pasta or pretty much any other Italian food which it seems like acceptable to use red sauce.

However, up until now, I hadn't really found a marinara recipe that I liked.  They all had something that wasn't quite right - too sweet, too tangy, too watery, etc, etc.  I was so glad that I stumbled on this recipe because, to me, it was the perfect balance of all the flavors and exactly what marinara sauce should taste like.  And it couldn't have come at a better time because with our baby due this month (!!!!), I've been wanting to make things that freeze easily and can be turned into a quick meal.  This marinara sauce fit the bill exactly. 

I'm also excited to try this on homemade pizza because I think it'll make a good pizza sauce, too. 

Classic Marinara Sauce
Taken from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Makes about 7 cups of sauce

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (28-ounce each) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons butter (optional but delicious; I use 1 tbsp)

1.  In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring very frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until all the vegetables are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano and bay leaves and simmer, covered, on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot, until slightly thickened and the vegetables are completely tender. Stir in the brown sugar. Taste the sauce. Add salt and pepper as needed. Add the butter and stir to combine if you want to round out the flavors and add a dimension of silkiness.
2. Remove the bay leaves. In a blender or food processor (or with a hand blender), blend the sauce (in several batches, if necessary) until it is the consistency you like (most people probably like the sauce to be smooth but since we like it on the chunkier side, I only blend about half the sauce).
3. The sauce can be frozen once it is cooled completely in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 6 months.

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Easy Guacamole Recipe

I've always been rather picky about my guacamole.  I find it is usually sub-par in restaurants (does it just taste off to you, too?) and I can't say I've ever used a pack of the green goo they sell in stores.  But for years, my husband and I used a guacamole spice packet -- you just drop the packet into a bowl, mash it with an avocado, add a few more ingredients (like cilantro) and voila, semi-homemade guacamole.  While we really enjoyed that, I finally decided to try a homemade guac recipe.  I had seen quite a few fancier guacamole recipes (pineapple guac, anyone?) but I was on the lookout for a great, basic guacamole.

Truth be told, this recipe is just about as simple as adding a packet.  There is a little more chopping involved but not surprisingly, this recipe tastes so much fresher than our packaged counterpart.  It's cheaper than buying a packet each time and I love that I now know exactly what goes into our guac! 

Considering that guacamole is pretty much mandatory whenever we have Mexican, I've made this about half a dozen times so far and loved it each time. Maybe we'll use a packet in a pinch but this is definitely our go-to recipe. 

Easy Guacamole Recipe
Taken from: Alton Brown

• 1 Haas avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 medium onion, diced
• 1 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, minced

1. In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Using a potato masher, add the salt, cumin, and crushed red pepper and mash to the consistency you like (we like a bit chunkier guac).  Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add more spices or salt to taste. Cover and let sit until ready to serve -- I let it sit in the fridge although Alton Brown recommends at room temperature; also, most people say to let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving but I'm sure it'll still taste delicious if you serve it right away!

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Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork with Homemade Barbeque Sauce

For 4th of July this year, we ended up straying from the classic hot dog and hamburger type of meal and went with barbeque pulled pork instead.  Pulled pork is one of my husband's favorite foods (every time we go to a barbeque-style place to eat, I always know what he'll be ordering) so it still seemed to be a great way to celebrate 4th of July.

While I had made this pulled pork recipe before (but hadn't shared it yet!), this was my first time making my own barbeque sauce.  We had really liked a Trader Joe's bottled sauce and while that version is still good, this recipe was even better. It's so easy to make -- it only takes 20 minutes and I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen.  As my husband described it, the flavor was nicely balanced with tangy and sweet and not ketchup-y tasting.   Excellent with the pulled pork and my husband used it to dip his sweet potato fries as well. Oh, and in a few days I'll have another recipe that would be a great use for this BBQ sauce!

The pulled pork recipe is wonderful and I love using my slow cooker.  I rubbed the spice mixture over the pork the night before and then in the morning, pulled out my handy slow cooker and let it do all the work. I halved this recipe so I only needed to cook my pork for about 6 hours instead of the full 8-10.  I'm pretty meticulous about getting out all the visible fat (who wants to bite down on a piece of that?) but other than that, it's a very hands-off recipe. 

We served this with homemade hamburger buns, sweet potato fries, Thai slaw, and cut watermelon for an amazing, albeit slightly untraditional, 4th of July meal.  Oh, and it probably wouldn't surprise my family at all that I had to put a few Heinz Genuine Dill pickle slices on my pulled pork sandwich (the only pickle we eat, thankyouverymuch).

BBQ Pulled Pork
Taken from: Crumbly Cookie
Makes a lot (I halved this recipe and we got 5-6 generous meals out of it)

• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons table salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
• 1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
• ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, I omitted)
• 2 cups barbecue sauce (see below for homemade recipe)

1. Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl.
2. Massage spice rub into meat. Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. (For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
3. Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker. Add liquid smoke, if using, and ¼ cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.
4. Transfer roast to cutting board; discard liquid in liner. “Pull” by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers, discarding fat.
5. Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.

Homemade Barbeque Sauce
Taken from: AllRecipes
Makes 3 cups

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 2 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke (I omitted)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed (I omitted)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, wine vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke and butter. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.
2. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary. Brush sauce onto any kind of meat during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

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Blueberry (or Strawberry) Topping

For our homemade waffles from the other day's post, I had to have a good topping for them.  Unfortunately, I was out of Grade B maple syrup.  Fortunately, I had bought an obscene a large amount of blueberries at the grocery store the other week. 

This blueberry topping was easy to make.  There is a bit of waiting involved but the first time I made it, I didn't have the time so I just skipped all the waiting parts.  It probably didn't thicken as well as it would if you actually waited but the taste was still delicious! The second time (it was so good that I wanted it for the leftover waffles!), I followed the directions more closely because I had a little more time on my hands.

You can easily substitute strawberries (hulled and sliced thin) for the blueberries.  Either would make a great topping for any kind of breakfast like pancakes, waffles or french toast.  I think it would also go well as a dessert topping, too.  Finally, it's particularly festive for the 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day!

Blueberry (or Strawberry) Topping
Taken from: America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
Makes 2 cups

• 4 cups blueberries or strawberries (strawberries should be hulled and sliced thin), about 20 ounces
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Mash 2 cups of the blueberries in a small saucepan with a potato masher.  Stir in the remaining blueberries, sugar and salt and let sit, stirring occasionally,until blueberries have released their juices and sugar has dissolved, about 30 minutes (the first time I made this, I only waited about 5-10 minutes).  (If using strawberries, toss 2 cups of strawberries, sugar and salt in small sauce pan and let sit, stirring occasionally, until strawberries have released their juices and sugar has dissolved, about 30 minutes.  Stir in remaining 2 cups of strawberries.)
2. Cook over medium heat until juice has thickened into a sauce, about 6 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice.  Let cool 1 hour before serving (the first time I made this, I didn't wait at all and while it didn't thicken as much, it was still delicious).
3. Store leftovers in sealed container in fridge.

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Feta Dip & Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken

I would normally make these two separate posts but both of these recipes ended up working so well together that I'm putting them in one.  Originally, I planned to have the feta dip on the side with homemade pita bread (this is seriously good pita) but as we started piling things on our plates, my husband said that the feta dip and the Mediterranean stuffed chicken went really well together.  And he was totally right. The feta dip is tangy, salty and creamy which was so good with the Mediterranean flavors in the chicken (also, if you happen to cook your chicken too long, this dip helps mask any dryness from the chicken!).  I also enjoyed dipping the pita into the feta dip, too (and I think it would have been a delicious dip for carrots and bell pepper sticks).

I only loosely followed the feta dip recipe - I didn't measure anything and used 2% Greek yogurt instead of ricotta.  I also didn't use the food processor (let's face it, I didn't want to have to clean it) but just combined with a fork.  If you like a smoother taste, go for the food processor but we liked it the way it was! 

As far as the Mediterranean chicken is concerned, I chopped the ingredients and stuffed the chicken as soon as I got home from work, and then refrigerated it.  That way, when it was close to dinnertime, all I had to do was throw it on our indoor grill for 10 minutes!



































Feta Dip
Adapted from: A Spicy Perspective
Feel free to adapt to your liking.  I didn't measure anything and left out the roasted red pepper. 
I also probably quartered this recipe, which made 3-4 servings so I would guess the full size makes close to 12 servings.

• 1 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ lb. whole milk ricotta (I used 2% Greek yogurt instead)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped thyme (I omitted but added a little dried thyme and dried basil instead)
• 2-3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper (if you like things very mild, I would suggest adding 1/4 tsp and then increasing to your taste)
• Pita bread, pita chips, carrots, celery or red bell pepper, for serving
• Kalamata olives and chopped roasted red pepper, as garnish

1. Using a food processor, pulse the feta, ricotta, garlic, oil, lemon juice, herbs and crushed red pepper together until smooth (alternatively, add together in a small bowl and stir with a fork).
2. If using, drain and dice the roasted red pepper.
3. Scoop the feta mixture into a bowl. Add red pepper and ground black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To serve, drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil on top and serve with pita wedges and olives.  This is also a delicious sauce to serve with the Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken!

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken
Adapted from: For the Love of Cooking
This is another recipe that can be easily adapted -- I added red bell pepper, feta cheese, kalamata olives, chopped parsley and chopped thawed artichokes as the filling!

• 2-3 chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Onion powder, to taste
• Dried oregano, to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons of minced red bell pepper
• 2-3 tbsp feta cheese
• 2-3 tbsp diced kalamata olives
• 2 tbsp red onion, diced (I omitted)
• 1 tbsp pine nuts (I omitted)
• 2-3 tbsp basil, chopped (I used 3 tbsp of chopped parsley instead)
• 2-3 tbsp frozen artichokes, thawed and chopped (you could also used marinated artichokes as well)

1. Combine diced bell pepper, feta cheese, diced olives, diced red onion, pine nuts, chopped basil (or parsley) and chopped artichokes together in a small bowl.
2. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of the chicken breast to form a small pocket. Stuff 2-3 tbsp of the cheese mixture into each pocket; close the opening with a toothpick. Season the chicken breast with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano, to taste on each side. Place the chicken on the grill for 6 minutes on each side or until done (meat should register at 165 degrees at the thickest part of the breast).  Mine were very thick so they probably took closer to 10-12 minutes on an indoor grill. Remove from grill, cover loosely with tin foil and let the meat “rest” for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with feta dip, if desired.

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Teriyaki Meatballs with Carrot Rice

I'm a planner.  I have our weekly meal plans scheduled at least a week in advance, sometimes two. The meal plans often go through minor tweaks throughout the week but this week? My plan somehow fell apart.  Not necessarily in a bad way, but somehow this week I didn't have some ingredients for a dish (and refused to run to the store), my husband had a more frustrating day which clearly called for pizza, or I realized (in advance, thankfully) that a recipe was way too time-consuming for a weekday.  And then there was that incident with the dishcloth that started to smolder when I turned on the wrong burner on the stove.

But even though we've only had 1 meal that was originally on the week's menu, we've still eaten well.  Case in point: these teriyaki meatballs which were thrown on last night's menu primarily because I had all the ingredients and I had already prepped a Thai slaw.  But somehow, this meal came together so well! 

Although there were a few components, each step was pretty simple.  Rice into a rice cooker? Check.  Mix ingredients together and form the meatballs? Check.  While the meatballs bake, make the teriyaki sauce? Check.  Everything was excellent, too! The sauce was a great complement to the meatballs and the rice helps to soak up all the sauce.  We served it with a little extra sriracha sauce and sesame seeds alongside the Thai slaw and some edamame.  It was as if I had planned this meal all along.

PS - The meatballs and teriyaki sauce would also make great appetizers!

Teriyaki Meatballs with Carrot Rice
Meatballs and Rice taken from Martha Stewart
Teriyaki Sauce taken from Cookin Canuck
Serves 4-6 (more if used as appetizers)

Meatballs:

• 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 pounds ground dark-meat turkey or ground pork (I used ground beef instead)
• 3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced (I used minced red onion)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I omitted)
• 4 teaspoons fish sauce
• 4 teaspoons hot-pepper sauce (preferably Sriracha)
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• Extra Sriracha and sesame seeds, for serving (optional)
• Carrot Rice:
• 1 cup long-grain white rice (I used brown rice in a rice cooker instead)
• 1 carrot, shredded
• Teriyaki Sauce:
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp minced fresh ginger (I didn't have so I used a dash or two of ground ginger)
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook rice according to directions (brown rice will take longer). Remove from heat and top with carrot. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes, then stir in carrot and fluff rice with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs and 3 tablespoons water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add turkey, scallion whites, cilantro, fish sauce, hot-pepper sauce, sugar, garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Gently mix to combine and form into 12 regular meatballs or 24 smaller meatballs. Place the meatballs in a muffin pan.
3. Bake meatballs until cooked through, 10-15 minutes (depending on the size).
4. While the meatballs are baking, in a small saucepan, combine rice vinegar, brown sugar, water, soya sauce, 1/4 cup canola oil, ginger, garlic, flour, and sesame seeds. Whisk the sauce together and place over medium heat. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Keep warm.
5. Serve meatballs with rice, scallion greens (optional), sauce, Sriracha (optional) and sesame seeds.

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Pizza Sauce, Pesto and Cranberry Vinaigrette for an Apple Walnut Salad

This was a weekend of lasts and firsts.  It was my last local farmers market of the year on Saturday (although I'll see if there's an open farmers market close by since I can't seem to let go).  Since it was the last, I strayed from my weekly list and got extra items, including lots of tomatoes (which will be made into pizza sauce, salsa and tikka masala sauce), cantelope and fresh basil.  The basil smelled irresistible and while there's a ton of basil in this one bunch, I'm slightly kicking myself for not getting an extra bunch or two.  Since I have the last of the fresh tomatoes and basil, it only seemed appropriate to make homemade tomato sauce for a margharita pizza as well as homemade pesto.

However, it's also a first for our area because we finally got rain today! And a great, soaking rain. I can hear it patter outside.  After an October mostly with 80 degree weather and a summer without absolutely no rain (not even clouds), it's a welcome change.  Don't get me wrong - I've loved the summer weather but I'm excited for some true fall weather.  And what better way to spend a rainy day than drinking coffee and cooking (especially with simmering something on the stove)?

Pizza Sauce
Taken from: Smitten Kitchen
Makes approx. 1 cup of sauce (enough for a small/medium pizza)

• 4-5 roma tomatoes
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Splash of red wine
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

-Bring medium pot of water to a boil. On the bottom of each tomato, slit the skin making an small X mark with a knife.  Poach the tomatoes for one minute only, and then drain them. As soon as they are cooled off enough that you can touch them, peel them (I ran mine under a bit of cold water to speed the cooling process).
-Drain and dry the pot. Put it back on the burner over medium heat. Pour in olive oil and let it heat completely before adding the garlic and stirring it for a minute with a wooden spoon. Add the red pepper flakes and stir it for anther minute. You do not want the garlic to brown. Put the peeled tomatoes in the pot, along with the wine, sugar and salt. Break the tomatoes up with your spoon.
Let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down. Carefully taste without burning your tongue and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Pesto

• 2 cups fresh basil, roughly torn (I find the basil at the grocery store really expensive and very small portions; I highly recommend a farmers market or at least Trader Joe's which gives you a lot more for your money)
• 1/4 c. pine nuts (I always have walnuts in the house so I use that instead)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. of grated parmesan cheese, if desired (I often omit)

-Place basil, nuts, garlic, salt and parmesan (if using) in a blender or food processor.  Blend, gradually adding oil until mix is thickened.  Taste and adjust accordingly.
-If not using the pesto right away or if you have leftovers, freeze the pesto in an ice-cube tray and then place in the individual pesto portions in a freezer bag for future meals.

Cranberry Vinaigrette for an Apple Walnut Salad
Taken from: AllRecipes
Makes 5-6 servings

• 2 tablespoons cranberries (if you use dried cranberries that have sugar already, omit sugar)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons white sugar (omit if you're using dried cranberries)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

-In a food processor, combine the cranberries, vinegar, sugar (if necessary), and mustard. Puree until smooth; gradually add oil, and season with salt and pepper.
-For an excellent salad for this dressing, combine 1/4 chopped walnuts (toasted, if you'd like), 1/4 thinly sliced red onion, 1-2 sliced apples and lots of greens in a large bowl and then drizzle on cranberry vinaigrette.

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Tzatziki Sauce

Usually I give you several recipes.  But this recipe is so good, I didn't want to wait to think of another recipe.  I had served tzatziki with these chicken kabobs and Greek salad for dinner tonight - I've made this meal before and it's such a great, fresh meal.

Tzatziki is a Greek cucumber yogurt sauce.  I remember getting it from Mediterranean bakeries when we were growing up and it was one of my favorite sauces.  And it's just as good as I remembered!  We always have some plain nonfat yogurt in the house (I'm actually going to try to make homemade yogurt soon!) and it's a really easy sauce to put together. Just grate some cucumber (or cheat and pulse it in the food processor like I did) and add oil, lemon juice and a few spices.  I used this on everything tonight - my garlic bread, chicken kabobs AND with my Greek salad.  Delicious.

Tzatziki Sauce
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or regular yogurt (I used nonfat)
• 1/4 large cucumber (or 1/2 small), shredded and squeezed to remove the excess moisture (I often use a cheese grater for this or throw it in the food processor for a few pulses)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• dash of dried or fresh dill (optional)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh mint, to garnish (optional)

-In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Add yogurt, cucumber and garlic and stir until evenly combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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Baked Chicken Tenders and Basil Aioli

I love when you can take something that's typically not very healthy and turn it around. Chicken tenders are notorious for being high in calories and fat at fast-food restaurants. However, baking the chicken and substituting whole wheat breadcrumbs and flour (which adds complex carbohydrates and ups the fiber and protein to this dish) are great healthy fixes. This recipe could be great for families; I served the chicken tenders with aioli and marinara for dipping, whole wheat pasta and sauteed zucchini. Delicious! I've also served these tenders with a variety of sauces - barbeque, honey mustard (roughly a 2 to 1 ratio of mustard to honey and then adjust to taste), and buffalo wing sauce (roughly a ratio of 1 to 1 of hot sauce to butter and then add more hot sauce to increase heat to taste). There are so many possibilities out there!

The basil aioli ended up being a surprise hit! I used nonfat greek yogurt instead of mayo to make the recipe both higher in protein and lower in fat. It made it from an indulgent dip to a healthy (but indulgent-tasting) dip. It would be excellent to serve with crudites as well.

Baked Chicken Tenders
Taken From: Love & Olive Oil

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or breast tenders
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat panko breadcrumbs (you could also use store-bought whole wheat breadcrumbs OR grind up whole wheat bread in the food processor)
  
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• Cooking spray

-Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with foil and lightly spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.
-In a small bowl or shallow dish, season the flour with salt and black pepper, and lightly beat the eggs in a second shallow dish. In a third shallow dish, combine panko breadcrumbs with basil, garlic, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
-If using chicken breasts, prepare by putting one breast in between two layers of plastic wrap. Pound to an even thickness of approximately 1/2″. Remove plastic and slice into strips.
-Dredge tenders in the flour to coat, shaking off any excess flour. Dip the floured chicken tenders into the egg and then coat the chicken tenders with the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips. Spray tenders on rack with cooking spray (this helps them crisp in the oven).
-Bake chicken tenders for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown, flipping once part way through the cook time.
-Serve with basil aioli (recipe below), marinara sauce or honey mustard.

Basil Aioli
A great substitute for ranch dressing! I'll also be using this recipe to serve with cut vegetables in the future.
Taken from: Love & Olive Oil

• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (or you could use low-fat)
  
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• salt and pepper, to taste

-Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Homemade Marinara Sauce & Ways to Save Money

I love tomato sauce. Love it. I use loads of any tomato-based sauce like salsa, pico de gallo and marinara whenever I can (I don't, however, like plain tomatoes which I find weird). As my friend Becca says, "I could eat salsa with a spoon." And I'm right next to her, spoon in hand.

However, while I've made fresh salsa, for some reason, I've never tried making my own marinara sauce. I don't know why it's taken me so much time! It's delicious. My husband thought this was a great "summertime" marinara sauce. Light and fresh. We still have leftovers and I froze half so we'll be enjoying this for quite some time!

A couple changes I made: I used both fresh tomatoes from the farmers market as well as canned whole tomatoes in this sauce although you could use 2 28-oz cans of crushed tomatoes (Cook's Illustrated recommends Muir Glen brand for crushed tomatoes). Another difference was that I cooked mine in a slow cooker although the original recipe is on the stove. Finally, I added more spices and 1/4 cup of red wine to give a bit more richness to the sauce.

Also, before I share the recipe, I wanted to share a way to save money on groceries! I'm always looking for ways to save - I look at grocery circulars, compare prices (my dad and I sometime discuss milk prices at grocery stores), cut coupons, print internet coupons...you get the point. However, one way that is a GREAT way to save money in the kitchen is your local co-operative. A co-op has the BEST prices on spices, hands down. I recently refilled my bay leaf container for 26 CENTS and my dried oregano container for 25 cents. They're typically $2-3 at the grocery store. That really adds up! Also, you can buy as much or as little as you like. So, for example, I had been putting off trying recipes because you only needed a teaspoon of dried ginger and I just couldn't justify shelling out a few bucks for an entire container. However, at a co-op I could get just a tiny amount of these lesser-used spices. They also have cheap bulk foods with different kinds of oats, flours, dried fruit, trail mix, nuts, etc. I even found REAL maple syrup in bulk - grade B, of course. (My family is a bunch of maple syrup snobs. Seriously. We bring our own to restaurants.)

One thing about co-ops is that I believe they are often in cities so just check the internet for the closest one to you. The closest one for us is 45 minutes away so I don't go there a lot. Instead, I save up a list and pair it with some other shopping or errands to do in the city anyway.

Homemade Marinara Sauce
Taken from: AllRecipes (also, the meatball part of this recipe is excellent although I didn't use it this time)

• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen recommended by Cook's Illustrated) OR 56 oz. of fresh tomatoes crushed in a food processor (6-7 large tomatoes)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine

-In a skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.
-Add cooked onions and garlic to a slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaves.
-Cover, set on low (you can change to high if pressed for time) and cook 5-6 hours (2 hours on high). Stir in tomato paste, dried spices, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and red wine and cook on high for 30 min (or set to low and let simmer until you're ready for dinner).
-If you like a smoother marinara sauce, take about 1/4 -1/2 of the sauce and add to a blender. Blend on high for a few seconds. Add back to slow cooker. Serve with pasta.

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