Spaghetti Sauce

I have tried many different spaghetti sauce recipes over the years, and none have been "good".  Well, I would say they didn't meet my expectations.  This sauce was easy, good and convenient.  I found this on Pinterest from My Recipe Magic.  It is a keeper!!  Hope you enjoy it!

Video

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil 
1 onion  (finely chopped)
4 clove(s) garlic (finely chopped or crushed)
1/2 pound ground beef
1 Can (28 oz) tomatoes (crushed)
1 Can (15 oz) canned tomato sauce
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper (scant)
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Directions:

1. Saute the onion in the butter and olive oil for 2 minutes add sausage and garlic and cook until sausage is cooked through.
2. Add everything else and simmer for two hours.
3. Serve over spaghetti noodles or use it to make lasagna or stuffed shells.
4. I usually triple or quadruple it, and freeze the extra.  It freezes very well!

One Hour Roll and Bun Recipe

I truly hate purchasing buns, rolls and bread from the store.  I am on a quest to find a good recipe that is delicious and easy.  I found some but did not like the texture.  I found this recipe from Cooking Classy.  It is great as a dinner roll, as a hamburger bun and as a hotdog bun.  I do plan to play around with this recipe to create a good one for sandwiches and that has some whole wheat in it.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Big Soft and Fluffy One-Hour Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:

3 3/4 - 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp rapid rise yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup cool water

2/3 cup milk

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces, plus more for tops

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer whisk together 4 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt.

To a medium bowl add water, milk and butter and heat in microwave on HIGH power until it reaches 115 degrees on a thermometer, about 1 minute 15 seconds. Stir to partially melt butter (you just want to make sure it's softened through).

Pour milk mixture into dry mixture in bowl of electric stand mixer along with lemon juice. Set mixer with a hook attachment then set mixer on low speed and gradually increase to medium-low, knead about 3 - 4 minutes until smooth and elastic while adding additional flour as necessary (dough should be lightly sticky but manageable).

Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.

Drop dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into an evenly level square, about 9 by 9-inches. Cut into 16 equal portions (don't have to be exact). Shape dough into 15 balls, while using excess dough from the 16th portion to add to smaller rounds as needed, and place shaped dough portions into prepared baking dish. If you are making it into buns, only cut into 8 pieces and shape into hamburger buns or hotdog buns.  Do not press them down too much so they will rise, and not touching. 

Dampen hands with water and brush tops of dough with the water (just so they don't dry while rising in oven). Transfer to oven, close oven and turn oven off, allow rolls to rise 20 minutes (don't open oven door). Remove from oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees (this should take about 5 minutes, so just allow rolls to rest on counter while oven preheats).

 

Bake in preheated oven 14 - 16 minutes until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and run the top of a stick of butter along tops of rolls just to coat. Serve warm. Store in an airtight container (I recommend rewarming cool rolls in microwave for best results.

**I did make this into a bread.  I did everything the same until cutting into portions.  I kept it as a whole, rolled it up and placed in a buttered loaf pan.  The baking time should be increased to 38 minutes, and the internal temperature should be 195 degrees.

Jalapeno Cheese Dip

I love the Frito Lay Cheddar Jalapeno Dip but I try to stay away from processed foods as much as I can.  So I created this recipe to help with my cravings.  This is a simple recipe but you can add diced tomatoes, cilantro or anything else you want.

Ingredients:
3 Tbls oil or butter
3 Tbls all purpose flour
2 cups of milk
1 - 2 8oz blocks of sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
1 can of hot diced green chilis

Directions:
1.  Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat.
2.  Add the oil or butter and the flour and whisk until well mixed.  Continue to whisk until bubbly and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, making sure not to burn.
3.  Slowly add the milk while whisking constantly and cook until thickened.
4.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.
5.  Add the green chilis and stir.
6.  Serve and enjoy!

Fresh and Easy Salsa

This can be made out of tomatoes (extras from the garden or on the clearance rack in the produce department) or out of petite diced canned tomatoes.  It is easy, tasty and won't last long because it will all be eaten.  You can make it as hot and spicy as you want or you can leave it mild.  You can use fresh jalapenos or canned diced hot green chilis.  This recipe can easily be doubled if needed.

Ingredients:

2-3 cups of diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
1 - 2 jalapenos membranes and seeds removed for mild, leave some for medium to hot OR 1/2 to 1 can of hot diced green chilis
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, diced
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of cilantro, diced
Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions:
Mix all together, serve and enjoy.

Black Bean Salad

I found this recipe while looking for ideas for the cooking team competition.  I made it, and WOW it is so fabulous.  This is a keeper and so easy to make.  Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1/3 Red Wine Vinegar
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained or 2 cups of frozen beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced green pepper
3/4 c red pepper or green pepper
1/3 cup diced onion
1 cup frozen corn
1 Tbsp sliced and diced jalapeno peppers
1 tsp minced fresh garlic

Directions:
1.  Combine the sugar, pepper, salt, oil and vinegar until blended.
2.  Combine the remaining ingredients.
3.  Add the dressing, mix well
4.  Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Black Beans and Rice

I just love black beans, and this is a great way to use the nutritious beans as the "meat" of the dish.  This dish can stand alone or it can be added to something else, like a taco bowl.  I do not use canned beans, I usually buy a bag and cook my own and then freeze them and use them when I need to.  You can adjust the seasonings as you want.  You can use brown rice for more nutrition or you can use white rice for convenience.


Ingredients:

1 Tbls olive oil
1 cup white rice
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
3 cups of chicken stock or 3 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of chicken stock starter (or bouillon cubes)
2 Tbls tomato paste
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained) or 2 cups of frozen black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lime


Directions:

1.  Heat the oil in a 6 quart saucepot over medium high heat.  Add the rice, onion and pepper and cook and stir for about 2 minutes.

2.  Stir in the broth, tomato pasted, pepper flakes, cumin and chili powder and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender.  Stir regularly because this can easily stick.  If you use brown rice, increase the cooking time to 35-45 minutes or until rice is tender.  When finished, stir in the beans and ciliantro, mix and cook until the mixture is hot.

Lemonade

I just love to make recipes using real food.  Lemonade is such a treat but if you buy it out and about in the world, I bet you won't be able to pronounce several of the ingredients or even know what they are.  I do not like a strong and tart lemonade that is sometimes bitter.  I created this recipe today because I was tired of drinking water.  :)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 lemons - squeezed
Simple Syrup
Water
Quart Jar

Directions:
Squeeze the lemons and pour juice into the jar.  Add at least the same amount simple syrup, more if you want, to the jar.  Then fill the jar with water.  Place lid on jar and mix well.  Keep in refrigerator and enjoy!!