Baked Spaghetti Sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
8-10 cups tomatoes, cut into chunks and cores removed
1 large onion, cut into chunks
5-6 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 large bell pepper (or other pepper) cut in chunks
3 Tbsp. fresh herbs (basil, thyme, winter savory, oregano, rosemary), chopped OR 1 ½ Tbsp. dry Italian herb mix
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
Wash and remove blemishes from tomatoes, they do not need to be peeled.
Cut tomatoes in chunks, coring as you go. Fill a 9x13 pyrex dish with cut up tomatoes but leave enough room for other ingredients.
Add the chopped onion, garlic, and pepper. Add the mixed fresh herbs or the Italian herb mix. If the dry mix does not contain basil and oregano, add them.
The herb listed first (basil) should have the most, then use a little less of each herb in the order listed. Dry the remainder of the herbs for another use.
Sprinkle kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper over vegetables and drizzle good olive oil over top. Mix all together.
Place in hot oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Put in a ninja or food processor and process in two batches.
If you want to can the sauce, place the sauce in a saucepan after processing, bring to a boil then put in clean, hot pint jars, added 1/4 tsp citric acid to each(as a preservative, has no taste), then water bath for 20 minutes.
Sauce can also be frozen.
Easy Chicken Piccata
4 chicken cutlets
½ cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp. butter, divided
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 paper-thin lemon slices
Juice of 2 lemons
½ cup chicken stock
2 tbsp. capers in brine, drained
2 tbsp. minced parsley
Lightly coat cutlets in flour; season with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 cutlets; cook until golden, 2-3 minutes per side (safe internal temp. 1650F). Transfer to a plate. Add 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive to pan; cook remaining 2 cutlets (safe internal temp. 1650F). Transfer to a plate. Add sliced lemons to pan and cook 1 minute. Add lemon juice and stock, scraping up any brown bits in the pan; bring to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes, until sauce thickens. Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining 2 tbsp. butter, capers and parsley. Season sauce to taste. Top each cutlet with 2 lemon slices and sauce. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Serves 4
Achiote-Marinated Shrimp Tacos
FOR THE SHRIMP
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1 oz. annatto paste (also know as achiote)
Juice of 1 small orange
Juice of 1 lime
1 Serrano pepper, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup olive oil
FOR THE CABBAGE
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
handful of chopped cilantro
juice from one lime
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
YOU WILL ALSO NEED
8 corn tortillas
1/4 cup canola or grapeseed oil for brushing
2 cups of your favorite guacamole recipe
Hot sauce
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients for achiote (annatto) marinade. Blend on high until smooth, taste for salt. Pour into heavy plastic storage bag, add the shrimp and chill for 1 hour. In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for cabbage, stir well, taste for salt, cover and chill until ready to use.
After an hour, remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and drain off excess marinade. Preheat 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium/high heat for two minutes, add the shrimp to the hot oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring quickly to make sure shrimp cooks evenly. Remove from heat and set aside. Preheat a large griddle pan or nonstick skillet to medium/high heat for 3 minutes. Brush one side of corn tortillas with oil. Place on hot griddle or pan and cook for 1 minute. Fill each tortilla half with shrimp. Fold over tortilla to make a taco and continue cooking, turning as needed, until both sides of taco are slightly crispy and browned. Remove from hot pan and transfer to serving dish. Add the cabbage and guacamole before serving.
Note: It is very important that you do not overcrowd your pan with shrimp, otherwise it will start to steam and it will not cook up as well. Make sure the shrimp is not frozen when you add the marinade. Makes 4 servings.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
8-10 cups tomatoes, cut into chunks and cores removed
1 large onion, cut into chunks
5-6 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 large bell pepper (or other pepper) cut in chunks
3 Tbsp. fresh herbs (basil, thyme, winter savory, oregano, rosemary), chopped OR 1 ½ Tbsp. dry Italian herb mix
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp pepper
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
Wash and remove blemishes from tomatoes, they do not need to be peeled.
Cut tomatoes in chunks, coring as you go. Fill a 9x13 pyrex dish with cut up tomatoes but leave enough room for other ingredients.
Add the chopped onion, garlic, and pepper. Add the mixed fresh herbs or the Italian herb mix. If the dry mix does not contain basil and oregano, add them.
The herb listed first (basil) should have the most, then use a little less of each herb in the order listed. Dry the remainder of the herbs for another use.
Sprinkle kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper over vegetables and drizzle good olive oil over top. Mix all together.
Place in hot oven and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Put in a ninja or food processor and process in two batches.
If you want to can the sauce, place the sauce in a saucepan after processing, bring to a boil then put in clean, hot pint jars, added 1/4 tsp citric acid to each(as a preservative, has no taste), then water bath for 20 minutes.
Sauce can also be frozen.
Easy Chicken Piccata
4 chicken cutlets
½ cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp. butter, divided
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 paper-thin lemon slices
Juice of 2 lemons
½ cup chicken stock
2 tbsp. capers in brine, drained
2 tbsp. minced parsley
Lightly coat cutlets in flour; season with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 cutlets; cook until golden, 2-3 minutes per side (safe internal temp. 1650F). Transfer to a plate. Add 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive to pan; cook remaining 2 cutlets (safe internal temp. 1650F). Transfer to a plate. Add sliced lemons to pan and cook 1 minute. Add lemon juice and stock, scraping up any brown bits in the pan; bring to a boil and cook 1-2 minutes, until sauce thickens. Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining 2 tbsp. butter, capers and parsley. Season sauce to taste. Top each cutlet with 2 lemon slices and sauce. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Serves 4
Achiote-Marinated Shrimp Tacos
FOR THE SHRIMP
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1 oz. annatto paste (also know as achiote)
Juice of 1 small orange
Juice of 1 lime
1 Serrano pepper, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup olive oil
FOR THE CABBAGE
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
handful of chopped cilantro
juice from one lime
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
YOU WILL ALSO NEED
8 corn tortillas
1/4 cup canola or grapeseed oil for brushing
2 cups of your favorite guacamole recipe
Hot sauce
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients for achiote (annatto) marinade. Blend on high until smooth, taste for salt. Pour into heavy plastic storage bag, add the shrimp and chill for 1 hour. In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for cabbage, stir well, taste for salt, cover and chill until ready to use.
After an hour, remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and drain off excess marinade. Preheat 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium/high heat for two minutes, add the shrimp to the hot oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring quickly to make sure shrimp cooks evenly. Remove from heat and set aside. Preheat a large griddle pan or nonstick skillet to medium/high heat for 3 minutes. Brush one side of corn tortillas with oil. Place on hot griddle or pan and cook for 1 minute. Fill each tortilla half with shrimp. Fold over tortilla to make a taco and continue cooking, turning as needed, until both sides of taco are slightly crispy and browned. Remove from hot pan and transfer to serving dish. Add the cabbage and guacamole before serving.
Note: It is very important that you do not overcrowd your pan with shrimp, otherwise it will start to steam and it will not cook up as well. Make sure the shrimp is not frozen when you add the marinade. Makes 4 servings.
