Tomato/Spaghetti Sauce

So this is my first time making a homemade tomato sauce so if you have any suggestions on how to make it better please let me know!

Ingredients:

7-8 Roma Tomatoes, depending on the size, sliced

1 med. white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

pinch red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf (2 if they are small)

1 (14oz) can low-sodium chicken broth

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot saute garlic and onion in EVOO until translucent. Add tomatoes and cook for about 5 mins, until you can cut tomatoes with spatula. Add chicken broth and tomato paste and simmer on med-low heat for a couple minutes. With a hand blender, blend and pulse until pureed or until desired consistency. Add red pepper flakes, Italian Seasoning, and bay leaves. Cover and bring back to simmer over med-low heat, simmer for about 30 mins. Simmer uncovered until thickness desired is reached.

Serve or freeze!

Beignets

OK, so ever since the Princess and the Frog came out I've wanted to find a good recipe for Beignets. I was watching Paula Deen today and her show was all about foods you can find in New Orleans, and her dessert was Beignets ^_^ not to mention the recipe looks really easy! I might have to try and do these this weekend!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 7 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup shortening
• Nonstick spray
• Oil, for deep-frying
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.

Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

Stuffed Young Zucchini

I so plan on trying this!!

Ingredients

• 4 small zucchini, 5 to 6-inches long, 1 1/2-inches thick
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 1 small to medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 vine ripe tomatoes or Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 slices white toasting bread
• Softened butter
• A small handful flat-leaf parsley
• A few sprigs fresh tarragon or a small handful basil leaves
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Halve 4 of the small zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and soft center flesh with a spoon to produce a set of shallow shells to hold the stuffing. Reserve the center flesh. Arrange the small hulls in a baking dish. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Chop the reserved zucchini flesh and set aside.

Heat the remaining extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute the mushrooms, onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add in the reserved zucchini and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, to taste and heat through for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.

While the veggies cook, toast the bread in a toaster, then spread liberally with butter and tear into pieces. Add the bread to a food processor along with the parsley and tarragon or basil, and pulse into herb crumbs.

Fold the herb crumbs into the veggies along with 1/2 cup Parmesan and the egg. Mound the zucchini stuffing in to the shells and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the tops with remaining cheese and broil for 2 to 3 minutes to brown.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

So tonight I tried my hand at Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches...they were delicious! So here goes:

Ingredients:

1- 2lb pork tenderloin (you can use a tougher meat if you want, but this was the cheapest for me)

1- can Dr. Pepper (or Root Beer)

almost 1- bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce(I used Jack Daniel's Hickory Smoked)

4- hamburger buns (I used kaiser rolls and it was good)

optional- salt, pepper, garlic powder

Directions: *optional* before putting tenderloin in slow cooker rub salt, pepper and garlic then with a knife poke holes in the top of the pork. Place tenderloin in slow cooker and pour soda over it. Then add a couple tablespoons of BBQ sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours (on high for 2-3 hours) until pork is pull apart tender. Remove pork from slow cooker, and pull apart. After pulled apart return to slow cooker and add the rest of the BBQ sauce. Put heaping spoonfuls of pork and sauce on buns and enjoy!

*When I made this the sauce came out really thin, if you like the sauce thicker use less soda. Next time I make this I'm also going to try using coke (probably coke zero) and I'll post how it turns out!*

Brunch Burger

OK, so I saw this the other day on Paula's Best Dished...or one of her many shows and just had to share it. I don't know if I would ever try and make it, looking at the picture makes my arteries clog, but it's still one of those recipes =p

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs
• 6 slices bacon, cooked
• 3 hamburger buns
• 3 English muffins
• 6 glazed donuts

Directions

Mix the ground beef, chopped parsley and grated onion together in a large mixing bowl. Season liberally, with House Seasoning. Form 3 hamburger patties.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the burgers and cook until desired temperature, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.

Fry bacon in a hot pan until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

While burgers are cooking, heat a non-stick pan, over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Crack 3 eggs into the pan. Cook until the yolks are just set and still slightly runny and remove.

Place burger patties on English muffins or buns, and if desired, on glazed donuts, as the buns. Top each burger with 2 pieces of bacon and a fried egg.

House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.