Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce

I LOVE having a garden. I LOVE homegrown tomatoes. But there comes a time when all of a sudden you have 15 pounds of tomatoes ready all at once! That's when you can them!  I much prefer to have marinara sauce at the ready then just plain tomatoes.  And let's be honest, vegetables just taste better roasted! I found this recipe here.  It is simple, easy and in one afternoon I had beautiful jars of this perfect marinara sauce. All from my homegrown tomatoes!

Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce

(about 8 cups)

10 pounds of fresh tomatoes

16 whole, peeled garlic cloves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

6 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

2 medium onions, roughly chopped

1 T sea salt

2 t fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Get out 2 large roasting pans or 3 large cookie sheets.

Wash tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into large chunks. The core may need to be removed. Big chunks are good.  Place the tomatoes in the roasting pan.  Add garlic, oil, broth, oregano, onion, salt and pepper. Toss with your hands until mixed.  Place the pan in the oven and roast until the tomatoes have reduced by half and are starting to get a few black spots on the edges.  This should take about 45-60 minutes. Stir half way through.  If the tomatoes are really juicy, it will take longer. 

Remove pan from oven and let cool until you can handle it.  Carefully transfer the roasted tomatoes into a food processor or blender and pulse until desired consistency.  

The sauce is ready to serve. You can serve, freeze or can it.  

To can the sauce:

(You can NOT water bath this, it has to be done in a pressure canner)

Sterilize jars and fill leaving one inch head room.  Wipe the top rim and place the lid on.  We heat the lids in a simmering pot of water, be careful not to boil.  Place jars in a pressure canner.  Process for 25 minutes at 7 pounds of pressure. Don't forget to adjust for altitude.  Once the jars are processed remove from pressure canner and let them sit, undisturbed for 12 hours. 

Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs

In the never ending quest to make something new for dinner, I occasionally come across a recipe that everyone in my family likes.  Ok, lets be honest, it rarely happens that EVERYONE in my family likes what I make for dinner but when it does happen it definitely becomes blog worthy!  So here you go, a recipe EVERYONE in my family likes!  Hooray for me! Here is where I found the recipe, I changed it a bit.

Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs
(makes about 20 meatballs)

1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 T butter, melted
1 egg
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T dried oregano
2 t dried basil
salt and pepper
20 small mozzarella cubes (I cut string cheese into 4 or 5 chunks)

Preheat oven to 400.  In a small bowl, combine panko, butter and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese.  Mix until evenly coated with the butter and set aside.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg.  Add the chicken, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, the other half of the parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.  Mix well with your hands.  Lightly coat a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  Place a couple of Tablespoons of chicken mixture into each well.  Place a chunk of mozzarella into the center of each and press down slightly and then cover with the chicken mixture.  Sprinkle the top of each chicken mound with the panko/parmesan mixture lightly pressing it into the meat.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until the panko is lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through.  Let it rest for 5 minutes after taking out of the oven.  Serve with noodles and your favorite marinara sauce.

*These would be great served with just marinara as an appetizer

Crockpot Pasta

I found this recipe on Pinterest and then changed it to what I had on hand and liked.  Such a great, easy crockpot meal!  Now who can argue with that!

Crockpot Pasta
1 lb. Italian seasoned ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 t Italian seasoning
1 t oregano
8 ounces campanelle pasta, cooked
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
1/2-3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup mixture of Parmesan and Romano cheese, grated

Brown the ground turkey.  Drain and then add onion and garlic.  Cook until onion is translucent.  Put into slow cooker with tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and spices.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Add cooked pasta, fresh spinach and cheeses.  Stir until cheese is melted and spinach is wilted. Serve hot with this Artisan bread!

Chicken Florentine Pasta

It is about time, right?!!! I have been SOOO off the grid lately.  Call it moving across the country, call it summer vacation, call it laziness, call it whatever you want but I think it is high time I get a new post on here. If for no other reason than to NOT have to look at the cinnamon sticks any more!

I have been so NOT in the mood to cook lately, so I am forcing myself to come back slow and easy.  And that is exactly what this recipe is, well the easy part anyway!  I found it over at Picky Palate. My whole family loved it and the leftovers were great too!  I may have changed the recipe slightly...

Chicken Florentine Pasta
(8 servings)

2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove of garlic minced
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breasts
1/4 t freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
2 cups Philadelphia Cooking Creme (found in the cream cheese section at the grocery store)  I used reduced fat Italian flavored, yum!
1 pound pasta, I used bowtie pasta, cooked al dente
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 in pan with cooking spray.   Place the oil in a large pot and when it has heated up add onion and cook until soft.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the spinach leaves and stir until wilted.  Add the cooked and shredded chicken and pepper and cook until heated through.  Add the cooking creme and mix well. Lastly, add the cooked pasta until combined. Salt to taste,  I didn't add any.  Transfer this mixture to the baking dish and top with shredded cheese.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Serve with salad and breadsticks.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

This is a simple, tasty, summery pasta recipe.  I LOVE all of these flavors combined, and roasting the vegetables gives them such rich flavors. Topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil make this dish so wonderful and light!

Roasted Vegetable Pasta
(4 servings)


Penne pasta (I LOVE Barilla brand PLUS)
4 medium tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
2 zucchinis, cut into bite sized pieces
1 small eggplant, cut into bite sized pieces
4 cloves garlic
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
fresh grated Parmesan
fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 450. Cut up veggies and place on a cookie sheet. Add the 4 cloves of garlic, leaving the skin on so they will not burn while roasting.  Drizzle veggies with Extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat evenly.  Roast veggies for about 20 minutes or until they are soft and slightly browning on the edges, stirring every few minutes.  When the veggies are done, remove skin from the garlic and mince.  Add it back into the veggies. While the veggies are roasting cook pasta to al dente.  When they are both done, top pasta with veggies and then add fresh grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.  Adjust salt and pepper to desired taste. Serve with crusty bread!

Lasagna Soup

I am a HUGE soup fan, so when I came across this recipe I was more than a little excited!  Talk about comfort food at its finest!  I think this is my new favorite soup! I love all of the different flavors, and the way they blend together.  There is so much going on in this soup, I had to have 2 bowls just to take it all in.  
(Ok, so that was just my justification!)  If you only try one new recipe this week, make this soup!! We served it with some fresh crusty bread, heaven, people, pure heaven!

Lasagna Soup
(serves 8)

for the soup:
1 pound Italian sausage
3 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 t dried oregano
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
2 T tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
8 oz mafalda pasta (these look like little lasagna noodles, but more curly)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
salt and fresh ground paper, to taste (I didn't need any salt in mine)

for the cheesy yum:
8 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 t salt
pinch of fresh ground pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown sausage in a large soup pot over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks.  Drain off extra grease.  Add onions and cook until they are softened.  Add garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves and chicken stock.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.  Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente.  Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time or the pasta will be mush.  Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum.  In a small bowl combine ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of cheesy yum in the bottom of each soup bowl, top with some grated mozzarella. Ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

We have a beautiful garden, my husband totally has a green thumb. It is producing squash like CRAZY! So I have started to get creative. That is where this recipe comes in. It is totally vegetarian because when you have gorgeous veggies in your back yard who would want to go to the store? I just used what I had. I will tell you what veggies I used but really, the *options are endless!

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

(about 9 servings)

1 medium zucchini, sliced

1 medium yellow squash, sliced

2 tomatoes, quartered

1 medium onion, sliced

6-8 cloves of garlic

1 red bell pepper, sliced

extra virgin olive oil

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

no-boil lasagna noodles

24-oz small curd cottage cheese

2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

32-oz marinara sauce, homemade or your favorite store bought brand

fresh spinach

Turn your oven on to broil. Cut your veggies and place them on a cookie sheet. Leave the peel on the garlic cloves while you roast them. Drizzle the veggies with the olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss them with your hands to coat evenly. Place under the broiler for about 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. They are done when they start to look dark brown (but not burned) on the edges. Remove the peels from the garlic and finely chop. I like to remove the tomato skins as well. Chop tomatoes and red bell peppers into chunks. Place these back on the cookie sheet and toss to mix.

To assemble:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Put a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the pan.  Then put a layer of noodles followed by a layer of cottage cheese, then a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and finally a layer of roasted veggies.  Top the veggies with sauce and start the process over again.  You will want to divide all ingredients into 3 equal portions because that is how many layers you will make.  The top layer will be sauce and then mozzarella cheese.  Cover the whole thing with foil and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.  Allow the lasagna to sit for 10-20 minutes before serving to let it set.  (I was obviously to excited to let mine set before I served it!) We LOVE to serve ours on a bed of fresh spinach, the spinach gets slightly wilted but not over cooked this way.  It is so good!

*You could also use carrots, mushrooms, kale, etc...

Gnocchi with Marinara and Fresh Spinach

Gnocchi is the Italian word for dumpling. These have been a favorite of my husbands for a long time.  So when we went to a great little restaurant near us for dinner he ordered this fabulous Gnocchi dish with marinara sauce and fresh spinach.  We both liked it so much we decided to try our hand at recreating it.  It was sooo good!  Just as good as the original!  The Gnocchi recipe we found on Food Network.

Gnocchi with Marinara and Fresh Spinach
(4 servings)

kosher salt (optional)
1 pound russet potatoes
3-4 large egg yolks
1/2 fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh ground black pepper
1 cup flour, plus more for dusting
1 recipe Garden Fresh Pasta Sauce or your favorite store bought brand
Fresh spinach
chicken sausage (optional)
fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

Spread a layer of kosher salt on a baking sheet and arrange potatoes on top.  Bake until a bit over cooked (about 45 minutes).  Let sit until cool enough to handle, cut in half, and scoop out the insides.

Grate the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater.  You should have about 2 cups.  Make a mound of the potatoes on the counter with a well in the middle.  Add the 3 eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese to the well.  Mix well with your hands. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the flour over the potatoes and, using your knuckles, press it into the potatoes.  Fold the mass over on itself and press down again.  Sprinkle on more flour, little by little folding and pressing the dough until it holds together (try not to knead it, this will make the gnocchi tough). Work any dough on your fingers back into the dough.  If the mixture is too dry, add another egg yolk or a little water.  The dough should give under light pressure.  It will feel firm but yielding.  To test if the dough is the right consistency, take a piece and roll it with your hands on a well-floured board into a rope 1/2 inch in diameter.  If the dough holds together, it is ready.  If not, add more flour, fold and press the dough several more times and then test again.

On a floured surface, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a rope about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1/2 in long pieces.  Lightly flour the gnocchi as you cut them.  You can cook these as us or form them into the classic Gnocchi shape using the times of the back side of a fork.  We watched this YouTube Video and it made it way easier.

Lightly four the Gnocchi as you shape them and then place them on a parchment covered cookie sheet.  If you will not be cooking the Gnocchi now, you can freeze them for a later use.

When ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt.  Drop the Gnocchi into the boiling water and cook for about 90 seconds from the time they rise to the surface. Drain the Gnocchi.

Place some Gnocchi in a bowl or on a plate.  Top with fresh spinach, then sauce and finally shredded Parmesan and chicken sausage if desired.  The heat of the Gnocchi and the sauce will slightly cook the spinach leaving a slight crisp to it.  Delish!

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

I totally LOVE Beef Stroganoff and I have already put a GREAT recipe for it on here, BUT it always seemed a little tedious to me so I didn't make it very often. Never fear! I have found the solution! This recipe is DELISH {AND} all you do is throw everything in your crock pot! Yes, I know I could totally KISS whoever it was who invented the crock pot, they have made my life easier! I found this recipe over at Tasty Kitchen and YES I did alter it, don't I always?  It is just because I am Lazy and try and use the stuff I have in my pantry instead of going to the store.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff 
(8 servings)

3 lbs. Beef round steak
1/2 cup flour
2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t dry mustard
1 onion, sliced thin and separated
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup flour
egg noodles

Cut meat into 1/2 inch by 3 inch strips. (I found that sticking my meat in the freezer for just 15-20 minutes makes it much easier to slice). Combine the 1/2 cup flour, salt, pepper and dry mustard then use this mixture to coat the strips of meat. Combine the meat, onions, mushrooms and broth in the crock pot and stir well.  Cook this on low for 8-10 hours.  Before serving combine the sour cream with the 1/4 cup of flour and stir into the meat mixture.  Let this heat through and thicken up a bit.  Serve over prepared noodles or rice.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

I came across this delightful recipe in Mother Earth News Magazine and thought I would give it a try. Given my LOVE of butternut squash I knew it would be worth it and it definitely was! This is such a yummy, Fall, unique dish. It was even wonderful reheated! So, if you are looking for a new Fall dinner, you just may need to give this a try.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

(8 servings)

1 T olive oil

1 (1 1/2 to 2 pound) Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

4 cups whole milk

pinch of nutmeg

12 no boil lasagna noodles

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the cubed squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the 1/2 cup of water into the pan, cover and let simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. When the squash is tender, mash the squash in the pan or a food processor. Season the squash puree with more salt and pepper to taste.

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Once it is melted, add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Slowly add the milk, whisking as you go. Bring to a low boil over medium/high heat whisking often. Continue whisking often until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly butter a 9x13 pan. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom. Cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of noodles. Spread half of the squash puree on the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the cheese. Repeat layering once more, finishing with a layer of noodles covered by the remaining white sauce.

Tightly cover with foil and bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Remove cover, add the rest of the mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese to the lasagna and continue baking for 15 more minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is golden. Let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

I came across this recipe at A Southern Grace and just knew I had to try it. I am a big lover of comfort food and this definitely fits into that category. I also love how quick it is and that it is all ingredients that I have on hand. I modified it slightly from the original recipe.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole

2 chicken breasts

6 ounces egg noodles

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

salt, pepper and paprika to taste

1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs (I used club crackers, Ritz would be good too)

1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350. Cook chicken and shred it. Cook noodles. Mix chicken and noodles together. In a separate bowl mix soups and sour cream together. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Gently stir together the cream soup mixture with the chicken mixture. Put this into a 9x13 pan. Melt the butter and mix it with the cracker crumbs. Spread this on top of the casserole. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and golden brown.

My Favorite Pasta Salad

I love this salad because it is SO easy, quick and yummy. It is really more of a list of ingredients than a recipe. But hey, easy is good and maybe I am just LAME but I didn't make pasta salad forever because I had no idea how easy it really was. So if any of you out there are like me, well, let me save you the hassle and give you the list right here!

Pasta Salad

16 oz spiral pasta (I like the multi colored) cooked and drained

red onion

broccoli

squash (zucchini or yellow)

carrots

tomato

olives

1 bottle of Italian dressing

fresh grated Parmesan cheese

I just take whatever veggies I have on hand or feel like and chop them to bite size pieces. Now mix these with the pasta and pour the bottle of dressing over the top. Mix it well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or over night. The dressing seems to soften the veggies a little so leave them raw. Make sure to toss the salad before serving as the dressing settles at the bottom. Sprinkle with Parmesan right before serving.

Garden Fresh Pasta Sauce

I just LOVE having a garden! It is so neat and rewarding to be able to cook from it, besides it tastes SO much better and it is healthy! We have tomatoes coming out of our ears right now so we decided to make pasta sauce from them. It really was just as easy as opening a can. And I love that our boys can help pick, prepare and understand exactly where their dinner came from. I found a basic pasta sauce recipe at Cooks.com and then added a few more things to it. We made this bread to go with it, perfect!

Garden Fresh Pasta Sauce

(4 servings)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

2 T olive oil

2 lbs tomatoes (about 6 medium)

1 1/2 c water

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

1 T sugar (I will use less next time, our tomatoes are really sweet)

2 t beef bouillon

1 t oregano

1/2 t salt

1/8 t pepper

1 t fresh chopped basil

1 t fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

sliced mushrooms

sausage, fully cooked (we used chicken mozzarella sausage from Sam's Club) browned and sliced

To peel the tomatoes, cut an "x" on the bottom. Put them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then directly into ice water for a few seconds. The skins almost fall off. Then cut them into quarters, set aside. In a 3-quart sauce pan cook garlic and onion until tender. Add tomatoes, water, paste, sugar, bouillon, salt, pepper, herbs and bay leaf. Stir and bring to a boil. Let this simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaf and add mushrooms and sausage and let simmer for another 1/2 hour. Spoon over cooked pasta.

Mac and Cheese

I got this recipe off of the The Pioneer Woman (love her!) and it is really good! But then again, I am a succor for good, fattening comfort food. Especially when it is something that my kids like too!

Mac and Cheese

4 cups dried macaroni (I used penne)

1 egg

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 t dry mustard

1 pound cheese, grated (I used sharp cheddar)

1/2 t salt

1/2 t season salt

1/2 t pepper

Cook macaroni until still firm. I bite into one and if it is still a little white inside than it is good to go. Drain noodles. In a small bowl, beat egg. In a large pot, melt butter and whisk in flour. Continue whisking over medium low heat for 5 minutes, being careful not to let it burn. Pour in milk, add mustard, and stir until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes until it is thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of sauce and slowly, while whisking, add to egg. Pour egg mixture into sauce again whisking constantly so as not to cook the egg. Stir until smooth. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add salt, seasoning salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt if needed. Pour in cooked, drained noodles and stir to combine. You can eat it just like this, it will be pretty creamy. I put it into a greased 9x13 and topped it with bread crumbs and more cheese and then baked it for about 20 minutes at 350. It should be lightly browned and bubbly around the edges.

Beef Stroganoff

I honestly can't remember where I got this recipe, so sorry to whoever or where ever I got it from. But let me just say yum!

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound sirloin, I used thin cut (cut into 2 inch long and 1/4 inch wide strips)

3 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 pound mushrooms, domestic or wild, caps only thinly sliced

1 cup beef broth

1 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup sour cream

4 teaspoons flour

2 teaspoons minced fresh dill

2 tablespoons minced parsley

Salt and freshly grounded black pepper

16 ounces medium egg noodles, cooked

Heat large non-stick skillet over high heat and sear meat on all sides, for about a minute. Work in small batches so meat does not give off liquid. Remove to a plate. In a clean wide skillet, heat butter. Sweat onions and add mushrooms and saute over medium until deep golden, about 20 minutes. While this is cooking, blend broth, mustard, heavy cream and sour cream together. Lower heat, add flour and cook stirring for a minute. Whisk in liquids, and any meat juices and simmer, without boiling, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Return meat to sauce and heat, without boiling until meat is warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in dill and parsley and spoon over noodles. This makes about 4 servings.

Tuscan Lentil Soup

This recipe comes from the Sister's Cafe, and like so many of their recipes it is wonderful! Pair it with Garlic Ranch Breadsticks and you really can't go wrong. Here is the recipe...

Tuscan Lentil Soup

Tuscan Lentil Soup

1 pound small French green lentils, rinsed

7 cups vegetable broth (I use chicken broth)

1 bay leaf

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 small cup pasta

8 oz spinach, chopped

1 14oz can diced tomatoes

1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

salt

freshly ground black pepper

fresh Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, combine the lentils, broth and bay leaf. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for approximately 45 minutes, or until lentils are just tender.

In a small skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, but not browned. Set aside.

Bring a med saucepan of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 5 minutes, or until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

Add the sauteed vegetables, spinach, tomatoes (with juice), and parsley to the lentils. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the pasta and season with the salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf. Ladle in bowls, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs

I have never made meatballs before and for some reason had a burning desire to venture into meatball land. So I did a little research and finally found a recipe that I thought sounded good and that was fairly strait forward. It is a recipe from Giada De Laurentis off of Food Network, love her. Anyway here is the recipe for meatballs and her sauce. Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

1 small onion, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano (I didn't have this so I just doubled the Parmesan)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground dark turkey meat (I used ground turkey breast)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows, or store-bought marinara sauce

Directions

Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, parsley, Parmesan, Pecorino, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a large plate or baking sheet.
Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Add to marinara sauce. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Simple Tomato Sauce:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 t sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves (I used dried)
fresh rosemary
fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. Optional{Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.} I liked mine just how it was without smoothing it out.

Alfredo Sauce

This recipe is adapted from the Olive Garden copy cat recipe. It is easy and so yummy. It saves great if you keep it separate from the noodles. I like it with chicken, steamed broccoli, and fresh tomatoes. And of course French Bread.

Alfredo Sauce

1 stick of butter
2 T cream cheese
1 pt whipping cream
1/2-3/4 C Parmesan cheese
1 t garlic powder
salt and pepper (I like white pepper) to taste
a dash of nutmeg

melt butter in a sauce pan. Add cream cheese until soft. Add cream and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Serve over warm noodles and/or chicken and veggies.

Spaghetti Pie

My Mom used to make this recipe growing up. It is a great twist on plain old spaghetti. My boys love it!

Spaghetti Pie
6 oz spaghetti cooked
2 T butter
2 beaten eggs
1/3 c Parmesan cheese
*mix all this together and form into a crust in a pie pan

1 c cottage cheese
*spread over noodle crust

Sauce:
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped green pepper
8 oz can stewed tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
1 t oregano
1 t garlic powder
1 t sugar
salt and pepper to taste

pour sauce over cottage cheese
bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes,
sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese and cook 5 more minutes.