The Rebirth of a Little Blog…

My poor little food blog has been abandoned for far too long.  But the kitchen is calling me once again… 

And so we begin anew… with so many culinary adventures still ahead.

Homemade salsa!

And it is a simple recipe that will greet my return to the grand world of food writing!

I have been fascinated by the lovely fresh flavors from the Santa Monica farmer’s market, and so I decided to venture into making my own salsa, making up my own recipe as I went along.  And I have to say, it turned out quite nicely.  Here it is for your own enjoyment!

 

You will need:

4 beefsteak tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 sweet yellow onion, roughly chopped

1 jalapeno, roughly chopped (can be deseeded as well to cut down on heat)

1 red pepper, cored and deseeded

1 bunch fresh cilantro

a pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

 

Put all ingredients into a food processor and chop chop chop!

If you taste the salsa, and it is too spicy for you – a pinch of sugar mixed in will balance it out.  Or, if you want it spicier, you can add another half of a jalepeno or another clove of garlic.  But always add extra ingredients slowly, taste testing as you go so you can find your best flavor!

 

Serve with tortilla chips, over tacos or fajitas, or use in place of salad dressing. 

 

Pasta Sauce!

I am finally back posting here as well. I promise I will be better!

I made dinner tonight with our wonderful friends Andrew and Suzy, and thought I would share my pasta sauce recipe with you. I am all about hearty, chunky pasta sauces, and this one is one of the best. My favorite thing about this one is that you can add all sorts of fresh veggies to to clear out the crisper.

You will need: a few tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 cup roughly chopped onions, 1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon crushed garlic, 3 tablespoons pesto, freshly ground black pepper and pasta of your choice
Put 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and put it over medium heat

(Fill a large pot with water for the pasta, and begin heating. Bring to a boil.)

Back in the saucepan, when the oil is hot, add 1/2 cup or so of red onion and let that saute until the onions are soft and transluscent.

Add 1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes and stir so the oil and onions are mixed through

Then add 3 or so tablespoons of your favorite pesto dip, freshly ground black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic and stir well (You can always add more depending on your tastes)

Simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes (add your pasta to the water that should be boiling right about now and cook until done, then drain and await the Italiany goodness of the pasta sauce!)

Toss the sauce and pasta together, and you’re set to go!  (I’ve found it usually makes about 4 servings)

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Modifications/Other Options

Super Veggies! As I said earlier, one of my favorite things about this sauce is that you can add fresh veggies to it to clear out the crisper. Add about a 1/2 cup of chopped fresh veggies to the sauce when you add the diced tomatoes for an extra burst of flavor and all sorts of good-for-you vitamins! (I highly recommend fresh diced tomatoes and bell peppers)

Super Meat! Add cooked chicken, meatballs, Italian sausage or tofu (Its not meat – just let it go!) for extra protein (I highly recommend spicy Italian sausage!)

Super Soup! This sauce could be served as a soup if you add meat and the extra veggies. Though I would recommend at least doubling the recipe (or tripling it if you, like me, love leftovers or extra to freeze for later)

And that’s my basic pasta sauce! Enjoy!