Simple Tomato with Meat Sauce

My little girls said,"Mommy I'm hungey!"
We decided on the famous "Pasta".....Mmmmm.
However, I wanted it to be much more tastier than the basic pasta served with thee "jar" of spaghetti sauce. So, tonight we're cooking a very simple tomato with meat sauce. I hope you enjoy this!

You will need the following ingredients:

1 can peeled whole tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (plain)
1/2 lb. ground beef
3 cloves garlic
4 pearl onions or (1/2 white onion)
1 large carrot
1/2 large celery
olive oil
sea salt, black pepper & white pepper
basil, oregano, thyme and crushed red peppers

First, brown the ground beef on HIGH in a saute pan with some olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Use a fork to break up the meat as it's cooking. Once it's cooked drain the grease/fat and put the meat to the side.

Next, you will need a medium sauce pot. Peel and crush the garlic. Then, small dice the onions, carrots and celery. On MED-HEAT pour some olive oil in the pot and sauté the garlic, onions, carrots and celery until they are tender (not carmelized). Then, add the tomatoes to the pot; using a masher, mash the tomatoes up in the pot. Add a little chicken stock, the cooked ground beef, Bay leave, basil, thyme, oregano, crushed red peppers, sea salt and white pepper (black pepper will do as well). Let simmer for 30-45 mins. During this time choose your favorite pasta and boil it with sea salt and olive oil until cooked for al denta 5-7 mins.)
Drain the pasta and serve in a large bowl with the Meat sauce sparkle some chopped parsley over it and DONE!

Enjoy!

Middle-eastern Spicy Chicken Dumplings Soup

Mmmmm...Mmmmmm! This is a delicious quick and fairly easy soup to make that will last a few days...if you're Lucky. My girls, Hanna and Amani literally duke it out ...I mean elbows in the air; for this tasty soup. I hope you enjoy my soup as much as we do! Enjoy!






Ingredients Needed:

2 Chicken Breasts, cut into small pieces (I prefer Amish Chicken)
1/2 cup small diced white onion
1 cup small diced peeled carrots
1 cup small diced celery
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 corn
8 cups cold water
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 TBSP curry
2 TBSP black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 TBSP Crushed red peppers
4 TBSP sea salt
1 TBSP ACCENT
1/4 cup E.V.O.O
2 TBSP chicken base
1 cup flour

First, Place all the vegetables ( NOT the garlic), spices, E.V.O.O and chicken base into the pot with the water on HIGH heat.Bring to a rapid boil then turn down to MED heat let that cook uncovered for 30 minutes, then let it simmer. Next, place a saute pan on HIGH heat with some E.V.O.O, add the cloves of crushed garlic and quickly flash fry (once you smell the strong garlic aroma its done...DO NOT BURN!)pour over the soup(oil and all). In the same saute pan, heat on HIGH with E.V.O.O and add the chicken season with salt and pepper and only brown the chicken. Once browned drain the oil and fat and add to the soup.

 Now for the dumplings....mix a little water with the flour until it becomes dough like. Once it is dough like pull small pieces off and drop them into the soup until there is no more dough left. Let the pot continue to simmering for 30 more minutes during this process skim the top of the soup for impurities.

Pour a bowl squeeze a little fresh lemon over it and garnish with some chopped parsley! Enjoy!

Homemade Pesto Sauce

 Sauces are one of my favorites to make. I love combining different ingredients such as; fresh herbs, spices and oils together. Pesto is one of the easiest sauces you can make. My girls Hanna and Amani love helping make this delicious sauce because they too help put the basil into the food processor ... one by one....by one!



 Ingredients you will need:

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic
2 cups of fresh Basil
1/4 cup Parmigiana cheese
1/4 cup Romano cheese
1/4 cup roasted Pine Nuts or toasted Walnuts
1 teaspoon Black pepper
1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper

Wash then dry the Basil. Once the Basil is dried pick the Basil leaves off of the stems (side aside). Set up a large plate lined with paper towel. Then, on HIGH heat place a sauté pan with 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Allow the oil to get hot (when the oil runs across the pan) place the Pine Nuts in the oil and with a large spoon constantly move the Pine nuts around(or they will BURN). Once they are a golden brown color remove and drain the oil quickly onto the paper lined plate.
If you use Walnuts instead of Pine Nuts; lay the Walnuts on a flat sheet and place in toaster oven. Toast until they are golden brown....DO NOT BURN!

In the food processor, combine the garlic, Parmigiana cheese, Romano cheese, Basil, Pine Nuts or Walnuts, Crushed Red Peppers, Black Pepper and E.V.O.O (slowly add the E.V.O.O as the ingredients are blending together.) Once the consistency is slightly thick ... sauce like, it is ready!

Add it to pasta, dipping with bread, mozzarella & tomatoes, Toasted Salami and Goat cheese sandwich, scrambled eggs and to whatever else you may have a taste for. ENJOY!