"lightened up" loaded potato soup

happy new year!!

while i'm not a huge fan of january or february and the cold that they bring, i am a huge fan of simple soup recipes. there is no better time of year than now to make big batches of soup!

soup can really be at either end of the health spectrum. there are broth-based, veggie-filled, good-for-you varieties, and there are some that are loaded with cream and calories. this recipe from southern living (my favorite magazine) is a great compromise for when you want one of those hearty, creamy soups without the caloric load.

you will need:

• 4 red potatoes
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 1/4 cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk (recipe called for 1% but i used skim with no problem!)
• 1/4 cup lite sour cream (can also replace with greek yogurt)
• salt & pepper
• bacon and cheese for topping, if desired

1. pierce potatoes with a fork, and microwave on high for 13 minutes. let cool.

2. saute onion in oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. add broth. combine flour and 1/2 cup milk and add to the pan. then add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk. 

3. bring to a boil, stirring often. boil for 1 minute. 

4. remove from heat and stir in sour cream, salt and pepper.

5. discard potato skins and coarsely mash into the soup. top with cheese and bacon.

this recipe makes 4 servings, and each only has 325 calories-not bad for a loaded potato soup!

here's how mine turned out...so good with a grilled cheese sandwich!

enjoy!

my favorite veggie side

main dishes get most of the recipe love on this blog, but there's one really simple side that we eat a lot, and we both really love: baked zucchini with mozzarella.

i think i originally got this idea from pinterest/another blog awhile back, but the recipe is from memory at this point!

you will need:

• zucchini (duh)...decide how much you want based on the size of the zucchini in your store and how many people are eating. usually i just get one for each of us.
• seasoning salt (we usually use lawry's or garlic salt. you could also just mix plain table salt with any seasoning you like!)
• shredded mozzarella

1. preheat your oven to 350.

2. wash and slice zucchini into rings, about 1/2" wide.

3. line a baking sheet with tin foil, and place the zucchini slices on it in a single layer.

4. sprinkle each zucchini with seasoning salt. 

5. bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

6. remove from the oven and sprinkle mozzarella on each zucchini. put back in the oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 more minutes). 

this recipe is simple, fast, and pretty healthy, so it makes its way into our rotation often. 

hope you enjoy!

salsa chicken tacos & mexican corn

we had such a great dinner a few days ago that was so easy i just had to share!

[actually michael cooked this whole dinner himself, but he vouched for how easy it was! i figure the meal planner/recipe finder can still take some credit, right??]

crockpot salsa chicken (original recipe from recipe-diaries.com)

3 frozen chicken breasts

1 16-oz jar salsa

1 package taco seasoning

1. dump everything in the crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

2. shred.

3. (yep, that's it!)

we then took the shredded chicken and put it in hard taco shells with some cheese and jalapenos to make some pretty awesome tacos!

picture courtesy of recipe-diaries.com

mexican corn (original recipe from iwashyoudry.com)

3 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned

1/2 tbsp. mayonnaise

1 tbsp. sour cream (we used greek yogurt instead)

1/4 cup shredded parmesan

1/2 tsp. chili powder

salt & pepper

1. heat grill over medium heat and spray rack with non-stick cooking spray.

2. grill corn, turning frequently, until slightly browned and heated through (roughly 10 minutes).

3. meanwhile, combine mayo and sour cream/greek yogurt in a small bowl.

4. in a separate bowl, combine chili powder, salt and pepper.

5. slather hot grilled corn with mayo mixture, then sprinkle on the chili powder mix. coat in parmesan cheese.

[you can top with cilantro if you like, but we're not huge fans!]

picture courtesy of iwashyoudry.com

enjoy!!

crockpot chicken & stuffing

happy the-week-is-halfway-over wednesday! as soon as summer rolls around and i know it's warm and sunny outside, my work week countdown goes into serious mode.

today i'm sharing a not-so-summery meal, but it's SO good. i mean, i could probably eat an entire crockpot full of it.

crockpot meals don't scream "summer", but they're really convenient all year round. they don't make your house hotter like an oven tends to do sometimes, and i enjoy the smell of food cooking all day regardless of the time of year. this meal in particular is especially fall-ish due to the stuffing, but i personally think stuffing is under-used and should be eaten way more often than just at thanksgiving!

as usual, i found this recipe on pinterest. it's originally from i save a 2 z. 

crockpot chicken & stuffing

• 4 chicken breasts (recipe calls for defrosted but you can really use frozen chicken too. we did, and we just accounted for the water that would come from the frozen chicken when the recipe calls for extra water in step 6)
• 2 small cans cream of chicken soup (lite if you can find it!)
• 2 boxes of stuffing mix
• 1 cup sour cream (again, lite if possible)
• 1 small package frozen green beans

1. spray your crockpot with cooking spray.

2. put chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot.

3. pour the dry stuffing mix over the chicken.

4. in a separate bowl, mix together the soup and sour cream. put this mixture over the dry stuffing.

5. add the frozen green beans as the last layer. (my smart hubby, who is the one who actually made this meal, waited until everything was about halfway cooked to add the green beans. that way they didn't get soggy.)

6. add about 1 cup of water to the top of the mixture. (this is where we accounted for a little extra water that might come from our frozen chicken. we only added about 3/4 cup)

7. cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.

here's a picture of the finished product courtesy of i save a 2 z:

this meal smells amazing, tastes even better, is super easy, and is pretty cost-conscious. win-win-win-win.

enjoy!

churro cheesecake

dessert recipe time!

i made this churro cheesecake for a segura family get together this past weekend, and i liked it! the original recipe came from the recipe critic, and based on her pictures vs. mine, i think mine came out a little differently.

the main difference i think is how the crescent rolls baked. in her pictures, the bread layers look thin and fairly crispy, like a crust, while mine baked up really fluffy and more cake-like. i'm sure either way is good, but i think next time i will use less crescent rolls, or maybe just one layer instead of two.

anywho, the cheesecake filling is to die for, and i love cinnamon, so this is right up my alley!

you will need:

• 2 cans crescent dinner rolls
• 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1. preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. using a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla, egg, and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. 

2. mix together the rest of the sugar (1/2 cup) and cinnamon. spray the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on the bottom.

3. on a piece of parchment paper, roll out your crescent roll dough into a big square and press the seams together. (i used a floured rolling pin to make this a little smoother)

4. place the dough in the bottom of the baking dish on top of the cinnamon sugar and spread the cheesecake filling evenly on top of the dough.

5. unroll the other can of dough and place on top of the cheesecake.

6. sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cinnamon sugar.

6. bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

enjoy!

meals in a box

in our house, we really try to make our meals as fresh and healthy as possible. this usually entails lean meat (chicken, lean ground beef, ground turkey), whole grains, and veggies.

i'm not too staunch of an anti-processed-foods person, but i do think that whole foods in general are better for our health.

all of that doesn't mean i don't love a good boxed meal though. there are a lot of good options for "meals in a box" out there that you can change or add to to make surprisingly healthy!

these are great when you're in a pinch for time or just can't figure out what to make and need to use something you already have in your pantry.

here are 3 of my favorites:

annie's homegrown cheeseburger skillet dinner

this annie's meal is basically a healthier version of hamburger helper. i grew up on hamburger helper and really like it, but i know it's probably not the best thing for you in the world.

while the annie's version also isn't as good as a fresh meal, it does use organic pasta and 100% real cheese. it also doesn't have artificial flavors, preservatives, or synthetic colors. 

annie's has several versions of skillet dinners (alfredo, cheesy taco, and lasagna), but i've only tried the cheeseburger mac so far. will definitely try the others in the future!

old el paso hard & soft taco kit

this is another one that i grew up on and still love: old el paso's taco kits. my favorite is the half crunchy/half soft kit (michael likes crunchy; i'm soft all the way!)

this kit is great because it gives you the shells, seasoning, and taco sauce, so all you have to have is the meat and add-ons. we typically use lean ground beef or ground turkey; shredded chicken is great too. we always have salsa, avocado, and cheese to put on top, and usually serve with sides of black beans and/or corn. you can really make it as healthy as you want!

michael's favorite way to eat this meal is to put a bunch of shredded lettuce in a bowl, pile the meat and toppings on that, then crunch up some crunchy shells in the mix.

betty crocker suddenly pasta salad

while this isn't technically a whole meal in a box, it's a great base to build a meal on, or just to use as a side. 

i can't tell you how much michael and i both love this stuff. it is so fast and easy to make, and it's so so good! it's even better after a few hours of sitting in the fridge, so the leftovers are especially yummy.

we eat this a lot when we make really simply grilled or baked chicken for dinner, along with a veggie. it's a perfect starchy side that's different from the usual rice or potatoes. you can also use it to build a cold salad. we make one pasta salad meal with cold chopped chicken and artichoke hearts...yum! this would be a perfect base for that.

i think buying a few boxes like these and keeping them in your pantry for a rainy, lazy day are a great way to make sure you're cooking at home more often than eating out. they've saved me in a pinch several times!

roasted veggie penne

hello everyone!

i hope you're all having a great week so far. i'm so thankful this is a short week due to good friday, and i'm pretending today is really wednesday.

everything is going well in our world...winding down this semester of school for michael (less than a month to go!), getting ready for our upcoming vacation, and of course still being very excited about baby. she/he is the size of a peach this week, and i actually have a fairly noticeable and permanent bump. fun week!

we made today's recipe several weeks ago, when it was still too cold to be spring and i was wishing for anything that made it feel like summer. this is a pasta dish, but it's loaded with veggies and isn't heavy at all. perfect for these warmer days! (even though this week is a bit of a bump in the road...come back 80s!)

[original recipe found here]

you will need:

• 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 medium bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz whole-grain penne pasta
• 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan (or pecorino) cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, torn (or a few teaspoons dried basil)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1. heat large pot of salted water to boiling to prepare for pasta. preheat oven to 450.

2. in a large bowl, combine zucchini, peppers, broccoli, onion, garlic, and olive oil. divide between 2 baking sheets (i lined mine with foil for easy clean-up). sprinkle with salt and roast 15-20 minutes, stirring once. veggies should be browned and tender after roasting.

3. while veggies cook, add penne to boiling water and cook according to the package directions. reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. drain pasta and return to pot.

4. to pasta, add tomatoes, cheese, basil, crushed red pepper, roasted veggies, and salt. stir to combine, adding pasta water if needed. cook on medium heat for 2 minutes before serving.

the final product. can you tell how cold i was??

enjoy!

alice springs chicken knockoff

happy hump day!

earlier this week, i made one of our favorite chicken recipes: a knockoff of alice springs chicken from outback.

i used to eat outback a lot, and my go-to meal was always alice springs chicken with cheese fries. doesn't get much better than that! now that we cook a lot more than we eat out, trips to outback are less common, but thankfully i can replicate the chicken at home.

[original recipe link here]

you will need:

-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
-6 bacon slices
-about 1/2 cup honey mustard
-1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
-2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
-lowry's seasoning salt

1. prepare chicken (which to me always means pounding to an even thickness and trimming fat). season both sides of each chicken breast with lowry's seasoning salt. place in refrigerator.

2. cook bacon in a large skillet until crispy. you want to crumble the bacon, so getting it crispy is important!

yum.

3. remove bacon from pan and set aside, leaving grease in the pan.

4. saute chicken in bacon grease for 3-5 minutes per side, or until browned. then place chicken in a foil-lined 13x9" pan.

chicken + bacon grease = heaven

5. here is where you start assembling the chicken. you start with honey mustard, which you can buy already prepared, or just make your own. we don't normally have prepared honey mustard in the house, so i made my own using, wait for it...honey and mustard. i start with mustard then just stir in honey til it gets sweet! 

looks like a wal-mart ad

6. spread honey mustard on top of chicken.

7. next, add sliced mushrooms. (it may look weird to add fresh mushrooms to this, but you really don't need to saute them beforehand! they will cook up just fine in the oven)

8. then comes the crumbly bacon.

9. finally, cheese!

10. bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

we had our chicken with pasta salad and sauteed asparagus, and it was so good. i'm getting hungry thinking about it! one of my favorite meals for sure.

enjoy!

cream cheese pancakes

i think we (michael and i) can officially call ourselves pancake fanatics. we used to have pancakes pretty much every saturday and sunday morning, unless we went out to brunch, and i love finding new ways to make them different. now that i've been having some weird food cravings/aversions, we haven't had pancakes as much, but since i'm officially at the end of my first trimester, i'm happy to work them back into my diet!

awhile back, i tried the quinoa pancakes recipe you can find here. i also like to mix in bananas, chocolate chips, cinnamon, etc. to make the usual pancakes a little more special.

about a month or so ago, i tried something very different: cream cheese pancakes. (original recipe here)

there are 4 very simple ingredients to make 8 pancakes:

-4 oz cream cheese

-4 eggs

-2 packets splenda (or sweetener of your choice)

-1 tsp cinnamon

put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. let the batter sit for a few minutes until the bubbles settle down, then fry on a griddle as usual.

not surprisingly for me, i took a "before" shot and was so excited to eat that i didn't take an "after". to be fair, i started the batter and michael cooked the pancakes while i was upstairs scrambling to get ready for church. sooo i missed a few photo ops. :)

anyway, here's what they look like, courtesy of ibreatheimhungry.com:

next time you're in the mood for a different kind of pancake, give these a try! so easy and fast (and gluten and carb free, might i add)!

leftover ricotta version 2-ricotta pancakes

part 2 of my leftover ricotta saga....

after the kale dip was made, i still had about 3/4 cup ricotta cheese to deal with. we love our pancakes around the segura household, so making a pancake batter for the next day's breakfast was a perfect solution!

this recipe is based on martha stewart's lemon-poppy seed ricotta pancakes, but i modified it in several ways to fit the ingredients i had on hand.

these pancakes are so light and fluffy, thanks to the egg whites, and just sweet enough without being overpowering. so so good and unusual!

here's what you need:

-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1 1/2 tbsp sugar
-pinch of salt
-1 cup ricotta cheese (i only had 3/4 cup, so i added a little plain greek yogurt to make up the difference)
-3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
-3/4 cup milk (i used almond milk)

[the original recipe calls for lemon zest and poppy seeds, which i'm sure would be fabulous in these pancakes, but i didn't have either on hand at the time]

1. in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.

2. in a large bowl, mix ricotta, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla.

3. add the dry mixture to the cheese mixture and mix until just combined.

4. beat egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff. gently fold egg whites into batter. [we put the batter in the fridge, covered, overnight at this step. turned out fine!]

5. cook and enjoy!

leftover ricotta version 1-kale dip

after making the spinach and artichoke stuffed shells that were such a hit, i had well over half of a container of ricotta cheese left in the fridge.

i don't know about y'all, but i am awful about buying one ingredient for a particular dish, then letting it expire before i use the rest. i have guilt issues about throwing away all that food!

i was bound and determined to use the rest of that ricotta, so i went on the search for something new and different to try.

the first recipe i found is courtesy of fitsugar.com. it's a kale dip that i made as an appetizer to one of our weeknight dinners, and it is so good! i didn't have any chips on hand, but i did have whole wheat tortillas, which i cut into wedges and baked with some salt until crispy.

here's what you need:

-1 bunch of green kale, leaves sliced, stems/ribs discarded

-half of an onion, sliced

-4 cloves garlic

-1/4 cup water

-3/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese

-1 1/2 tbsp parmesan cheese

-juice of 1 lemon

-salt 

-red pepper flakes

1. put kale, water, onion slices, and garlic in a large pot. begin cooking over medium heat. my pot was a little dry, so i added about another 1/4 cup water to get the greens moving around.

2. in a food processor, add ricotta, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and red pepper flakes. i added roughly 1 teaspoon of the red pepper flakes, and i honestly didn't taste them that much in the dip. i might add a little more next time.

3. you may wonder if your greens pot will ever cook, but it will! mine looked like this after about 6 minutes of stirring and cooking. once the onions and kale are tender, remove the pot from the burner and let it cool for about 5 minutes.

4. add the kale mixture to the food processor and blend until combined. the dip is pretty chunky (great word, huh?) so it doesn't take much. you can add a little more water here if you need it.

5. serve with chips and enjoy!

spinach, artichoke and feta stuffed shells

i found today's inspiration recipe over at tracey's culinary adventures. the fact that she compared the taste to spinach and artichoke dip caught my eye. my husband could eat gallons of the stuff, so i figured he would like this version.

this meal is very hearty and creamy, but since you have full control of the ingredients you use, you can make it fairly light. it's also a great vegetarian meal for those of you who like to include veggie-based meals in your diet.

here's what you need:

-1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

-1 cup crumbled feta cheese

-1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

-1/4 tsp black pepper

-1 can or frozen package of artichoke hearts, chopped (and thawed, if frozen)

-1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

-1 clove of garlic, minced

-20 jumbo shells

-about 15 oz tomato sauce (i used a canned version for this recipe, but you could also use the homemade tomato sauce from this blog post from december)

step 1: spread half of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. preheat oven to 375.

step 2: begin cooking shells according to package directions. once done, drain and let cool.

step 3: prepare filling. mix spinach, artichokes, feta cheese, ricotta cheese, pepper, garlic, and half of the mozzarella cheese in a medium bowl.

step 4: fill cooked, cooled shells with spinach mixture and place in the prepared 13x9 dish.

step 5: sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the shells.

step 6: bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. 

step 7: eat all except 5 of the shells, then remember to take a picture of the final product. :)

as expected, michael is in love with this recipe. i really liked it too, and it's nice to take a break from the usual chicken, ground turkey, ground beef recipes. it will definitely be in rotation in the future!

new favorite smoothie

happy monday everyone!

i hope you all had a great weekend. ours was full of fun and friends as usual...how lucky we are!

i've talked about my love for both smoothies and peanut butter before, and i'm still somewhat of a smoothie fanatic. these days, though, i either make a green smoothie with fruit, yogurt, and spinach/kale, or something with almond butter.

i typically buy the mara natha no-stir crunchy almond butter. i always try to have some in my fridge for smoothies and banana sandwiches:

this morning for breakfast i had this concoction, which is one of my recent favorites:

• 2 spoonfuls of almond butter
• about 1/3 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt 
• 1 banana
• about a teaspoon of honey
• almond milk

while i shared a homemade almond milk recipe last week, this smoothie was made with store-bought almond breeze (unsweetened). :)

blend until smooth and enjoy! i made this one early this morning and will drink it for lunch, so i didn't add ice since it'll just be sitting in the fridge for a few hours. if i were to make it and drink it shortly after, i would take out some of the almond milk and replace it with ice. icy smoothies are hands-down the best.

this smoothie packs a ton of flavor and protein...can't beat that!

quick meal ideas

i don't know about y'all, but i think having an arsenal of quick-to-make meals can be a lifesaver.

i'm lucky to have a husband who currently cooks 90% of our meals, but if i happen to forget to buy an ingredient, or it's the weekend and we don't have a set meal plan, i am always thankful for a familiar meal that takes less than 30 minutes to make.

here are a few of my favorites:

• breakfast for dinner: we always have eggs, grits, and pancake mix in the house. we also typically have bacon, so we can have a good breakfast made in about 15 minutes.
  
  even though my mom is probably disappointed by this, i make only instant grits. i actually don't think i've ever made "real" grits. oh well, these taste good to me! i love the cheese flavored kind from quaker.
  
  as for pancakes, we always have one of the "complete"/just add water mixes in the pantry. i try to always buy whole wheat if it's available. whole wheat mixes are becoming more and more common, so these are increasingly easy to find!

• almond butter & banana sandwiches: i know a lot of people enjoy peanut butter and banana sandwiches, but if you've never tried it, i highly recommend subbing in almond butter instead. i buy the crunchy version, and it is too good for words with some ripe bananas and a little honey.
  
  

• black bean burgers/frozen veggies: i don't eat frozen burgers very often, but i am always so thankful i have them in a pinch. i eat these mostly when michael isn't home, or for lunch at work. in fact,  just this week i didn't have leftovers for lunch so i took a black bean burger, stuck it in the freezer at work, and warmed it up for a minute and a half. voila! instant lunch.
  
  frozen vegetables are also used all the time in our house. we typically do all of our grocery shopping on the weekends, so depending on the quality of the fresh produce in the store, it might go bad by friday. we always have a few bags of veggies in the freezer so we don't miss our veggie side with dinner. a few favorites: brussels sprouts, broccoli, and the standard target "italian blend".
  
  
  
  
• spaghetti: spaghetti might be michael's favorite meal we ever make. if not his favorite, it's in his top 5. we always have some sort of whole wheat pasta on hand, and 9 times out of 10 it's spaghetti or angel hair. i also try to keep an extra jar of pasta sauce in the pantry (or make your own! see this post for my take on gwenyth paltrow's simple tomato sauce). i prefer my spaghetti with ground beef/turkey and mushrooms, but even if we don't have either of those on hand, noodles with sauce will always work. pair it with a veggie side and you have a meal!

must try recipe: quinoa pancakes

do yall ever have one ingredient in your pantry that just sits around...you look at it for weeks...you always consider using it...and it still sits there?

that ingredient for me was a little bag of quinoa:

i bought it forever ago, and while i've used quinoa before, i kept this around for awhile just thinking of something different to do with it.

thanks to pinterest, i found what i was looking for: this recipe from the patrician palette. patricia made quinoa pancakes with blueberry maple syrup. since we had a couple of lazy mornings this past weekend, i knew this would be perfect to try.

[side note: for anyone who's scared of quinoa, don't be! it's a grain-like product that's high in protein and gluten-free. it makes a great side instead of rice, pasta, etc. it's really easy to make and will take on any flavor you add to it.]

here's what you need:

pancakes:
-2 eggs
-2 1/2 cups buttermilk (see substitution below)
-4 tbsp shortening (see substitution below)
-2 1/2 cups flour
-2 tsp sugar
-2 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp salt
-1 cup cooked quinoa

syrup:
-maple syrup
-6 oz fruit (recipe called for fresh blueberries, but i used frozen strawberries, thawed)

substitutions:

-i didn't have any buttermilk on hand, so i subbed in skim milk + lemon juice. for each cup of milk, you need 1 tbsp lemon juice (vinegar works too!). mix and let stand for 10 minutes before using.

-i prefer not to use shortening, so i used 4 tbsp vegetable oil instead.

directions:

1. beat eggs well. add remaining ingredients and mix until blended.

2. pour onto a hot, lightly oiled griddle. cook until golden brown on each side.

3. add syrup and fruit to a small saucepan. heat on low until syrup is warm.

4. pour syrup over pancakes. i served these with bacon, because really...what is better than bacon and syrup? yum.

i highly, highly recommend making this recipe. it's so filling, and the pancakes are a really unique texture thanks to the addition of quinoa.

enjoy!

simple homemade tomato sauce

happy monday everyone!

we had such a great weekend! we got to hang out with lots of our friends and had plenty of time to relax at home (my perfect combo).

i also got to do a little cooking this weekend, which i enjoy so much more now that i do it in my free time instead of rushing to cook dinner after work every night. (thanks again, chef michael!)

one thing i've been wanting to try for awhile is a homemade tomato sauce that i can make, freeze, and use instead of store-bought tomato/pasta sauce. even though lots of stores have healthier versions of pasta sauces these days, they're typically still loaded with sodium, artificial colorings, etc.

my parents bought me gwenyth paltrow's cookbook it's all good for Christmas, and i love it! she is fairly famous in the food world now for her lifestyle/cooking blogs and books, and this one in particular has a lot of great recipes, as well as some articles talking about why she chooses to eat the way she does. while it would be hard for "normal" people like me to eat this way all the time, i think it is great to try to cut out as many processed, artificial foods as possible.

anyway, it just so happens that this book has a homemade tomato sauce recipe in it that's so easy! as soon as i read it, i put the ingredients on my shopping list to make this weekend. it turned out really well and made the house smell awesome!

here's what you need:
-2 tbsp olive oil
-6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
-4 large fresh basil leaves (or 2 tbsp dried basil)
-2 28-oz cans whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice
-salt & pepper

directions:

1. heat olive oil in a large saucepan on low heat.
2. add garlic and cook for 5 minutes

3. add basil and cook for 1 minute

4. add both cans of tomatoes and their juice, and bring to a boil.
5. turn heat down to low and let simmer for 45 minutes, covered. stir occasionally and break up tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
**note: i had a hard time breaking up the tomatoes, even after they cooked for 45 minutes. i took out my handy potato masher, and it worked like a charm!
6. let sauce cool before packing. this recipe made roughly 4 cups, which i packed in 2 mason jars. it will keep in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for up to 6 months.

enjoy!