Make it Yourself: Spaghetti Sauce Two Ways

This "Make it Yourself" series is my version of a series a friend of mine has on her blog.  It's a great idea, and I'm sure she won't mind my adding mine to the bunch...After all, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".  I'll add these as they come to mind, which may or may not be often, lol.
So, how do you like your sauce?  Thick and chunky, full of garden-fresh veggies or thin and simple?  I like both, but I tend towards the veggieful variety of spaghetti sauce.  What better way to incorporate more nutrients into my kids' meals?  You can also blend half to make it less noticeably chunky. (If you are using the optional meat, blend before adding.)
These really are great sauces that I've adapted for my family over the years.  The recipe makes a big batch, enough for 2-4 meals depending on how many you need to feed and what you are using it for.  They freeze well, which is why they're a big batch.  Actually, that developed because of a red sauce lovin' pregnant mama who craved spaghetti {of all things} for weeks on end in her last pregnancy.  It was easier to make the sauce once a week than every time she needed spaghetti.  Shockingly, she came out on the other side with her red sauce love intact.  ;) I hope you enjoy it!  (I apologize for the lack of photos--I made this and fully intended pictures but plum {tomato} forgot.)
EtA:  Gotta add, homemade sauce is SO much better than store bought!  I recently bought a jar of GF sauce just to have on hand--a high quality one that we used to like, and it was so disgusting to us, lol.  Even if you don't end up preferring my version, please, please find a happy home made sauce that works for you--it is so worth it.  There.  Continue on...


Thick and Substantial Chunky Spaghetti Sauce

3/4 c. cold pressed olive oil 
1 small red onion, finely diced
5 mushrooms, chopped
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 small zucchinni
4 cloves garlic, diced
1small can chopped olives
2 tbsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried parlsey (fresh herbs are also nice if you've got them!)
2 - 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste plus 2 cups water
2-3 tbsp.  honey (cuts acidity)
a pinch of salt if the olives weren't enough for you ;)
a couple grinds of black pepper (not too much, it'll make it bitter!)
1 1/5 pounds cooked ground beef, turkey or turkey sausage, optional (I like half beef/half turkey)

In a large heavy (non reactive) pot, add olive oil, onion, mushrooms, carrot, and zucchini.  Bring to a medium-high heat and saute until veggies begin to soften. (I use the onions as the main indicator.)  Add garlic and herbs; cook another minute or two.  (Be careful not to burn the garlic.)  Add tomatoes, paste, water, honey, and pepper.  Bring to a nice simmer and turn to low.  Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar.  Stir it occasionally and let it simmer for about an hour.  You can go a bit longer, if desired.  Good Stuff.  I use this for lasagna, spaghetti and other pasta bakes.  Freezes very well.

Creamy Pasta Sauce

2 - 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 c. cold pressed olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, diced
1 tbsp. honey
a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper (not too much; we don't want bitter sauce here!)
1 tbsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. parsley
chopped olives and mushrooms, optional
1 lb. cooked ground beef or ground turkey (I like half and half)

The Italians may start with fresh tomatoes (and I've done this when I've had the time and garden-fresh paste maters) but I've found the crushed canned tomatoes to work just fine.  This can easily be doubled and frozen in recipe-sized quantities.
In a heavy large pan, add olive oil and garlic.  (Also mushrooms and chopped olives, if using.) Cook about a minute, making sure not to burn.  Add tomatoes, honey, seasonings and the optional meat.  Simmer for 20-25 minutes, uncovered.  Add lid, make sure you are cooking on low and simmer another 20-25 minutes.  If you want this super un-chunky, you can blend after cooking.  This is great for when you want a lighter sauce that will really coat your pasta.  I have also used this as a pizza sauce in a pinch. 

A note:  Please don't skimp on the olive oil.  It gives the depth that makes these sauces so authentic.  And please use real olive oil, lol.  I specify  cold or first pressed because from what I understand, it's the only way to tell that you are actually getting olive oil--if not stated as above on the bottle, you may have olive oil diluted with whatever cheap vegetable oil is available.  Be sure you're getting what you pay for!

Chinese Kick {Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Chow Mein, and General Tso's Chicken}

I have been on a Chinese food kick the past week or so and it's all Andrea's fault.  My friend Andrea has been doing a "Make it yourself" series and the last couple of recipes were Chinese.  I never knew Chinese food made at home really could taste so good (without the added MSG, preservatives, ect) and be so, well, Chineasy.  My kids loved both, which is important for this mom...although, I do tend to try out a recipe 3-4 times on my family before I scrap it.  Sometimes kids just need familiarity and then, wham!  They love it.  I had also found some reusable wooden chopsticks for the family, so we're trying our hand at that, too. 

So here's a link to Andrea's Chow Mein and Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

The chow mein  and lettuce wraps are simple to make GF:

-use brown rice pasta, such as Trader Joes or Tinkyada (don't over cook!)
-use wheat free/gluten free tamari, such as San-J brand (which you can also get soy free...)
-use any starch as your thickener.  I've found that tapioca, arrowroot, and potato all work perfectly.  Just be sure that your potato starch is starch and not potato flour.

Seriously, these are good.  Go ahead.  Try them.  And I dare you to use chopsticks.

The other recipe that I found that will be on our menu is General Tso's Chicken found at Tasty Kitchen.
It is gluten free from the get-go, and really good!  The change up's I made were the thickener and the sweetener, and to omit the chili garlic sauce.  I used tapioca starch as the thickener and agave as the sweetener.  Really, the only problem I had was in the frying; the oil splattered somethin' fierce.  But it was worth it. 



 

Spicy Coconut Chicken

I have been craving sweet potatoes lately chili roasted sweet potatoes, to be exact.  I had some chicken breasts in the fridge and since I would be baking, thought I'd whip up some baked coconut chicken as well....and, since I had the oven on, I decided to make an apple crisp, too.  Gotta be efficient with our energy usage these days, right?  Right.  Grin.  My husband is gonna love me.  It's baking right now.  I added cinnamon and subbed blueberries for the blackberries, but it's essentially the same.  We're also having confetti rice salad or some coleslaw.  Or both.  But I digress. 

Spicy Coconut Chicken

What you need:

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into chicken-finger-sized chunks
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. sorghum flour
1 c. unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp. each:
black pepper
coriander
chili powder
Italian seasoning
crushed bay leaves
cumin
1-2 tbsp. sea salt, depending on your salt needs/likes/desires.

What you do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix seasonings together and set aside.
In a blender, blend coconut and sorghum together.
In a bowl, toss chicken pieces in the olive oil.
Add 2 tbsp. seasoning blend and toss.
Add coconut/sorghum mixture and toss yet again. 
Lay out not touching on a baking sheet (or two).
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until outside is crisp and slightly golden and chicken is no longer pink.
.

Mediterranean Chicken with Pasta-- A Simple Favorite

This is a simple dish for those on-the-go nights, or just when you're too tired to do too much in the kitchen.  Don't let the green olives put you off!  I had no idea they could be so good until I tried this.  All my kiddoes down to the 3 yr old love them in this dish.  Add a salad and you're good to go.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN
2-3 lbs chicken thighs, skins removed
cold pressed olive oil
1-28 oz. can whole tomatoes (gf)
1-4 oz. jar manzanilla (green) olives (gf)
4-6 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. unrefined sea salt
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. tapioca, potato, or arrowroot, or corn starch
water
1 lb. gluten free pasta (we like Trader Joes and Tinkyada)

Put a large pot of water on to boil (lidded saves both time and energy).
Cook pasta according to directions.

Meanwhile:
In a large lidded skillet, drizzle a bit of olive oil and brown chicken thighs for 5 minutes on each side.
Add the tomatoes, olives, garlic, honey, salt, and basil.
Simmer with lid on at medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until thighs are no longer pink and juices run clear.
Stir occasionally and break up the tomatoes a bit.
Add starch to a bit of water; add slurry to skillet and allow to thicken slightly.
Serve over pasta.

Sweet and Spicy Glazed Meatballs

I love meatballs.  My sister thinks I'm strange for that, wink.  My husband's mother makes a good meatball and that's where I learned it.  My sister in law makes some little meatball appetizers that are glazed with grape jelly and chili sauce.  Cocoa at Chocolate on My Cranium makes them that way, too.
I liked those and then I saw these apricot glazed brunch meatballs from Mennonite Girls Can Cook and those looked great, too!  I thought that these jelly-glazed meatballs were a rare commodity, until I noticed variations popping up all over the place, including my grandma's 80th birthday party.  (They served meatballs in the BBQ sauce/grape jelly version.)  All this to say that I have my own version as well.  I didn't want to spend 4 bucks for chili sauce (which is gluten free [Heinz] from what I understand).  So I had to make my own.  And sis likes them.  So here goes:

Sweet and Spicy Glazed Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lb. ground beef, turkey, or combo
1/4 c. millet flour (or whatever non-starchy flour you have on hand)
1 tbsp. apricot jelly
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. chili powder

Sauce:
1/2 c. apricot jelly ( I like Polaner's brand)
1 heaping tbsp. chili powder
dash cayenne, optional
1/3 c. GF ketchup (I use Hunt's because they don't use high fructose corn syrup)
1/4 c. water
2 tbsp. starch (arrowroot, corn, tapioca, potato...)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix meatballs and form into 1 inch balls.  Bake for 20-23 minutes or until cooked through with no red/pink.  (turkey may look slightly pink regardless)
While they are baking, whisk sauce ingredients in a small saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat til all ingredients are dissolved and sauce thickens slightly.  Serve over rice.

Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free Pizza Crust--FINALLY!

I have had pizza only a teeny tiny handful of times since going gluten free as a family--gluten free pizzas are expensive!  Add to that no dairy or eggs, and...well...the crusts don't taste too great...or they don't hold up to toppings very well....
The one time I enjoyed GF pizza was at Picazzo's in Tempe, AZ.  They've got some great stuff, folks.  However, the cost was a bit much for our budget--20 smackers for a medium-sized pizza!  (After being GF for two years, with no pizza whatever, it was well worth it just that once!)  So if you're ever in Arizona, check them out for some seriously great pizza!
But, if you're not planning a scorching summer trip to AZ any time soon, try Karina's (aka Gluten Free Goddess) pizza crust!  It is amazingly good! 

I followed her recipe with the exception of eggs; there, I used Ener-G's Egg Replacer.  They turned out extremely well and the kids had such fun putting them together!

Crust dough after rise

Pizza after baking

Karina has a lot of great recipes, and many are dairy and egg free or can easily be made so.  She has the distinction of being the first gluten free blog I ever visited.  

Spaghetti with Mushrooms, Kidney Beans, and Roasted Red Peppers

With a name like that, do I even have to add a recipe???  Another quick post while sitting home from church with the baby.  This is a fast and easy meal, if you have everything on hand.  It is good alone with just a salad, or with chicken as well.

Spaghetti with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1 lb. gf brown rice pasta ( i like tinkyada's or trader joe's)
2 c. kidney beans
1 c. mushrooms
1 c. roasted red peppers
4 cloves garlic
2 c. spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 c. cold pressed olive oil
1/4 c. water

• cook pasta
• saute garlic gently in olive oil
• in a blender, blend together on low:  garlic in olive oil, 1/4 c. water, 1/2 c. roasted peppers (retaining other half for dish)
• saute mushrooms
• add kidney beans, pasta, remaining peppers, and spinach
• heat through
• salt ans pepper to taste
• serve

We had a baby...BOY! and some yummy brined chicken

Yes, I am still cooking, tho hurriedly between nursing, holding and loving our new little bundle. I'll be back up here soon--really!
Our son was born at 38 weeks exactly. 8 pounds, 3 ounces and 22 inches long. Born at home; everything was perfect. I am feeling great and am trying to get used to having 4 children. {wink} Give me another month or two...

So in the meantime, check out this brining recipe for "competition chicken" from 3 men:

Competition Chicken
I forgo the soy and use thighs and drumsticks. Baked at 350 for 60 minutes or til juices run clear. MMM. EAT. EnJoY.

Mexican Pasta Skillet

Life throws some crazy days at you every now and then and we've had more than a share of them recently, it seems. My son got stung by a bee one day and then my youngest daughter got her pinkie slammed in the hinge of a door--practically a decapitated digit, as it were--which culminated in our first ever visit to the ER.
I got home wishing that I had this dish prepared--comfort food at it's finest. (You'll soon note that my definition of "comfort food" is usually Mexican food.)

Mexican Pasta Skillet

1 lb GF brown rice rotini pasta
1 lb ground beef, browned, drained
2 c. black beans
1 small onion, diced
2 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
one medium heat green chili, diced (can omit if spicy isn't your thing)
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
1-14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 c. cilantro
Cook pasta al dente (not too done, or it won't hold up). Drain, rinse in cold water, drain, and set aside. Meanwhile, brown ground beef. Set aside. In a 12" skillet, saute veggies (leaving out garlic til the end) in the olive oil til tender crisp. Add garlic and saute one minute more. Add tomatoes, spices, salt, ground beef, pasta and black beans, and cilantro. Simmer on on med low for 5-10 minutes to allow flavors to mesh and ingredients to heat through. Serve with a green salad.

Chicken Cottage Pie

Okay, so I made shepherd's pie for the first time a few weeks ago and my family really liked it. Last night we had a roast chicken and I saved a portion before setting it before the little savages--and it's a good thing, too! I think they picked the bones, lol. However, I did have leftovers--mashed potatoes. So what is the natural conclusion? A cross between chicken pot pie and shepherd's pie. We'll just call it a hybrid. And those little savages, er, children of mine? They loved it. I had to fight them for a portion for daddy, who was working late.

Chicken Cottage Pie

2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 bag frozen mixed veggies (or your choice fresh--think celery, carrots, green beans, and peas)
1 c. chicken broth (make your own, so much better!)
1/2 c. coconut or safe milk
1 tbsp potato flour or other thickener
1 tsp poultry seasoning
sea salt and pepper to taste
4-6 c. mashed potatoes, depending on how thick you like your "crust"

In an oven-safe 12" skillet, saute the onion in olive oil til translucent. Add your veggies, chicken, broth, milk, and seasonings. Sprinkle in potato flour while stirring (if you seem to be lump-prone, add it to the cool chicken broth first). Simmer til heated through. Top with mashed potatoes and bake @375 degrees for 20 minutes or until your crust is browned.