Sweet Dumpling Squash

I had two dumpling squash sitting around begging to be cooked so I made this recipe I found on the blog Dreamy Dish (found the blog on the Googles). It's easy and basic and yummy!

Sweet Dumpling Squash

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cut the squash in half, and remove the seeds and extra bits with a spoon.  Turn upside down, and poke some holes in the skin with a fork.  Turn it back over, and place each half into a baking dish filled with an inch or so of water.

In each squash half, put the following ingredients, sprinkling spices on the top edge, too:

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Bake uncovered on the middle oven rack for 40-45 minutes, or until tender.  Each half enthusiastically serves 1!

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Potato Salad Recipe from Everyday Food

This is a potato salad recipe I've been making for over 6 years and have never posted here. Even though it is tabbed in my magazine, I'm kind of getting tired of looking through the first few years of magazines to figure out which one it's in.

Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Scallions
Everyday Food July/August 2005
Ingredients

• 2 pounds white new potatoes, quartered and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot, cover potatoes with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together sour cream and mayonnaise; add warm potatoes, and gently fold to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
3. To serve, season salad again with salt and pepper, if needed; fold in scallions. Garnish with bacon and more scallions, if desired.

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Carrot Raisin Salad

Another salad recipe. . .

Carrot Raisin Salad

8-10 shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
pecans or walnuts or sunflower seeds (optional)

Combine the carrots and raisins/craisins and nuts (optional) in a bowl. In a small bowl combine mix the mayonnaise, sugar and milk well. Pour over carrots and raisins and serve!

I found this other carrot and raisin salad recipe from Rachel Ray on the Food Network. Sounds good!

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Apple Pecan Salad

Today I searched for a "apples and pecan salad" recipe and found a few fun ideas. I made a salad with greens, Pink Lady apples, celery, red onion, cranberries, and pecans, of course. I found a recipe that suggested adding pomegranate seeds (arils) too! YUM! I didn't have any on hand but will make this salad next time I buy a pomegranate! The same recipe that suggested using pomegranate had a great dressing recipe too. I found the recipe here. Below is the whole salad recipe, but I especially liked the dressing (in bold)!

Apple Pecan Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bag mixed baby lettuces, about 10-12 ounces
• 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced very thinly
• 1 cup caramelized pecans
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup raspberry vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

• Combine lettuce, apple slices, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, and pecans just before serving.
• Whisk together the vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour in olive oil while whisking to emulsify dressing. Taste, then adjust salt, pepper, or olive oil if needed.
• Toss salad with dressing and serve.

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Cabbage Salad

Saw this recipe on The Martha Stewart Show and didn't want to forget it. In a way it seems like broccoli salad.

Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cups chopped red cabbage
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup chopped cucumber, preferably seedless
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon garam masala

Directions

1. Place cabbage, onion, cucumber, raisins, cilantro, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and garam masala. Drizzle over cabbage mixture and toss to combine.

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Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Herbs

A new recipe to try with brussel sprouts, yes, brussel sprouts. Have you tried them lately? I must confess that I've probably only cooked them once before, in my life. Charlie and the kids really liked them last week when I roasted them in the oven after trimming them, cutting them in half, and tossing them with olive oil and kosher salt. YUM!

The recipe below dresses them up a bit more than what I did above.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Herbs
Serves 4

6 oz. bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces
1 lb. brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed - larger sprouts quartered, smaller sprouts halved
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano, sage, or thyme (we used thyme)
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
pepper to taste

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  
• Cook the bacon in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat until the fat is rendered, 6-7 minuts. Toss in the brussels sprouts and stir to coat. Add the chosen herb, salt and roast in the oven, stirring now and then during the last half of cooking, until the sprouts are tender, about 25 minutes.
  
• Remove from oven, stir in the lemon juice and pepper, transfer to a warm platter, and serve.

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Broccoli Salad

My kids really like steamed broccoli with cheese sauce! It's easy to make but I would rather not have to make cheese sauce every time I make/serve broccoli so I searched the Internets for a "new" broccoli recipe and found this one over at the Food Network website. We all loved it and now I have at least 2 (!) broccoli recipes!
*I added sunflower seeds to the recipe for a little more flavor and crunch.

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli
• 6 to 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup raisins, optional
• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, cut into very small chunks
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem. Remove the tough stalk at the end and wash broccoli head thoroughly. Cut the head into flowerets and the stem into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add the crumbled bacon, onion, raisins if using, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently.

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Beet Greens

I came across this simple recipe after I picked a good amount of beets from our garden and was left with plenty of greens. I'm sure it would be great for any type of greens too!

BEET GREENS

While this recipe calls for discarding the stems, if you want you can use them too if they aren't too woody. Just cut them into 1-inch segments and add them to the onions after the onions have been cooking for a minute.

Ingredients

• 1 pound beet greens
• 1 strip of thick cut bacon, chopped (or a tablespoon of bacon fat)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/6 cup of cider vinegar

Method

1 Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and cut away any heavy stems. Cut leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

2 In a large skillet or 3-qt saucepan, cook bacon until lightly browned on medium heat (or heat 1 Tbsp of bacon fat). Add onions, cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occassionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic. Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil.

3 Add the beet greens, gently toss in the onion mixture so the greens are well coated. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5-15 minutes until the greens are tender. Stir in vinegar. (For kale or collard greens continue cooking additional 20 to 25 minutes or until desired tenderness.)

Serves 4.

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"flavored" tortillas

I was in Santa Fe last week and had a DELICIOUS quesadilla for lunch! It was a veggie quesadilla made with just a little bit of cheddar cheese and a whole lot of veggies. The veggies were probably sauteed but could have been oven-roasted; I don't know. It included mushrooms, green bell peppers, hatch chile (mild), red onion. The tortilla was what I call a "flavored" tortilla, spinach and sun-dried tomato. YUM!

My mom has never made anything but corn, flour and wheat tortillas but I have I have found a recipe for spinach tortillas and feel it's worth a try! Especially on my stove that we bought with a griddle so that I could "make tortillas often" but have only done so once in 4 years!

Description:

A soft homemade flour tortilla with spinach

Yield: 8 tortillas (10-12 inches in diameter) or more, smaller tortillas

Ingredients:

9 ounces fresh spinach, chopped (about 4-5 cups of packed, chopped spinach)
1 tablespoon water
2+ cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt or garlic salt
dash of pepper or seasoned pepper
1/4 cup oil

Instructions:

1. In a large pan or skillet over medium to medium-low heat, cook spinach in water. Cover, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted and soft. This will probably take about 5 minutes after the pan is hot and the spinach has started to cook.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper, and oil. Stir until crumbly.

3. Add the (hot or warm) spinach mixture, including the water left in the pan from cooking. Knead or stir, adding additional flour as needed (may take a cup or more of extra flour) to make a smooth dough. Knead dough for about 5 minutes, which will mix the spinach in better, and give the dough an even consistency.

4. Divide dough into 8 parts (for 10 to 12-inch tortillas) or more (for smaller tortillas).

5. Pre-heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. If using a cast iron or non-stick griddle or pan, you won't need oil (although you can use a little if you wish).

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into a thin circle (or other shape if desired).

7. Brown tortillas in pre-heated pan for about 5 minutes on each side, just until cooked. A few light brown spots should appear.

I usually start cooking the tortillas while I'm still rolling out the rest of the dough. Stack cooked tortillas on a plate or in a bowl with a clean towel around them, until all are cooked. Serve warm, filled with your favorite fillings! :)

Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes on each side

Tammy's Review:

These homemade tortillas are a beautiful green color and have a great spinach flavor. They're hearty but soft (when served hot and fresh!) and taste wonderful. I liked them so much, I will never want to go back to store-bought spinach tortillas!! My rating: 10/10.

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Blue Cheese/Pear Salad

It seems kind of silly to post a recipe for a salad but this one is simple enough (and yummy enough too!) that I'm sure I'll forget about it if I don't "write" it down!

The salad is called "Roquefort Pear Salad" and the recipe can be found at All Recipes. The dressing is delicious too! I didn't have avocados or green onions on hand so I used red onions. I used the "Fresh Herb Salad" mix from Safeway's Organics line. It's a tasty blend that has fresh dill and cilantro, mmm. I only used 1 pear instead of 3.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 head leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 3 pears - peeled, cored and chopped
• 5 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.
2. For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, blue cheese, avocado, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans, and serve.

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Roasted Acorn Squash with Cinnamon Butter

Another great recipe from Everyday Food.
Recipe was found here.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds each), unpeeled, quartered lengthwise, and seeded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss squash with oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange on sheet, cut side down, and roast until easily pierced with a paring knife, 35 to 45 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately pour into a small bowl; stir in cinnamon. Place squash on a serving platter; top with cinnamon butter.

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Chile con queso

Mami's recipe.
Have for lunch served with corn tortillas or serve as a side dish.

Chile con queso

oil
5 green Anaheim chiles (you can use jalapeños too)
2 tomatoes
1/3 cup milk
c1/3 cup shredded cheese

1-Roast the green chiles and tomatoes on a griddle, peel and seed.
2-Chop the chiles and tomatoes and add them to a small pan with hot oil.
3-Heat for 3-5 minutes and remove from heat.
4-Add milk (either warm the milk or let the chile and tomatoes cool off because cold milk will curdle)
5-Add shredded cheese.

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Chile Macho

This is another one of Mami's recipes. You can use this as a salsa.

Chile Macho

6 green Anaheim chiles, peeled and seeded
2 tomatoes, roasted and peeled
1 garlic clove
salt, to taste

1-Roast chile on a griddle. peel and seed and cut into slices. (You can use "chile stand" roasted chile but this recipe is best with freshly roasted chile.)
2-Roast tomato on a griddle, peel, chop.
3-Chop garlic.
4-Place the above ingredients in a bowl, mix and season with salt to taste.

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Cheesy Corn

I have NOT made the following recipes. I needed a corn recipe and came across these. They sound yummy.

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Recipe from COOKS. COM

CREAM CHEESE CORN
2 cans whole kernel corn 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese Pepper to taste 1/4 tsp. butter Drain corn. Put corn in pot with butter and pepper. Add cream cheese. Heat on low until cream cheese melts. Delicious!

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Recipe from Recipe Zaar

Ingredients

Change to: Servings US Metric

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

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SERVES 10 -12

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 4 teaspoons flour
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups sharp American cheese, shredded
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, cut up
• 3 (10 ounce) packages frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 3 ounces diced ham

Directions

1. Melt butter; stir in flour and garlic powder.

2. Add milk; cook & stir over medium heat.

3. Heat until thick and bubbly; stir in cheeses. Cook/stir over low heat until cheeses melt; stir in corn & ham.

4. Bake in 2 qt casserole for 45 minutes at 350.

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Cream of Mushroom Soup

I found this recipe online at this link but am posting it here as well just for easy reference.

Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound regular white mushrooms, cleaned, quartered or sliced
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp minced shallots
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
• Minced parsley for garnish

Method

1 In a food processor, coarsely chop mushrooms and lemon juice.

2 Melt butter in (4-5 quart) sauce pan and lightly sauté shallots on medium heat. Add mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf, sauté over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears.

3 Add salt, pepper, cream and chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

4 Add cornstarch and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Correct seasoning and add more lemon juice to taste.

Serves 4. Serve sprinkled with a little parsley.

(adapted from a recipe by Wolfgang Puck)

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Soup

I've decided that one of the best ways to add more veggies to our diets is to make soup. Soup can be a meal or a side and almost always a healthy choice. I'll be looking for hearty soup recipes (meal) in Everyday Food magazines and will be experimenting with a variety of veggies for creamy soups (side).

Creamy soups are quite simple to make and will certainly increase the amount of veggies I offer my family. I made this Cream of Asparagus recipe from Epicurious and it gets two thumbs up from my family.

Cooking onions and asparagus.

Here is a basic recipe for making a creamy soup.
-Cook a chopped onion in butter or oil until soft.
-Add veggie of choice and continue to cook.
-Add broth, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
-Purée.
-Return to pot and add cream.


Recipe for Cream of Asparagus:
Cut tips from 12 asparagus

1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.

Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.

Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.

Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.

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Green Chile

This is the first year that I have purchased roasted Hatch, N.M. green chile from a chile stand. My mom buys a couple of bushels every year, freezes it and uses it in her delicious green chile and cheese tamales for Christmas. This year I've been craving New Mexican food and figured that in order to develop my skills in N.M. cuisine that I had better buy some green chile!

I'm so glad I did. I've used the green chile in a few recipes from this cookbook and a few of my mom's recipes. I'll be posting all of the "good" recipes soon!

Today, I wanted to make green chile with pork but didn't like the recipes I had on hand so I Googled a recipe. I came across this website and found this basic recipe (listed below). A friend taught me to make green chile a few years back but I don't know where I've left her recipe so I figured I'd use the one I found online; this recipe seems to be close to what I 've done before. Well, it's cooking right now and I'm not sure I'm going to like it. ARGH!!! (I think I should've used a bit more flour.) I'll leave it to Charlie to be the final judge, but I'd love to know if you have a traditional recipe that you'd like to share!

Green Chile
1/4 lb. Pork or Beef (1/4 " cubed)
1 Tbsp. Shortening
1 Tbsp. Flour
1 1.2 cups Water
14 oz. Frozen chopped Green or Red Chile
1 tsp. Salt
Pinch Oregano
1 Clove Garlic crushed 9or 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder)
Melt shortening in hot sauce pan. Add meat and flour. Brown.
Add water, chile and spices. Bring to boil then simmer for 15 minutes. Suggested use: over chicken enchiladas, burritos, rellenos and huevos rancheros.

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Cheese Sauce

I like to make my own cheese sauce for pasta and veggies (e.g. broccoli). It's so easy and quick but has a powerful calorie count, I'm sure.

Cheese Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
(the following measurements are approximations)
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 cup cheese, shredded (my favorite is jack/cheddar combo but regular cheddar is fine)
1/4 to 1/3 cup heavy cream (you can use milk) depending on how well the cheese melts and also how runny you want the sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:
1-melt butter in sauce pot
2-add shredded cheese and stir
3-once the cheese begins to melt, then add the cream and continue to stir
4-you'll need to stir for about 2 minutes or so until it melts into a sauce.
5-serve over veggies or add to pasta for "mac and cheese" style pasta

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Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte

I read about this recipe on a craft blog and would really like to try it 'cause I hear it's delicious!
You can find the torte recipe at a food blog Smitten Kitchen.

***UPDATE: I made this recipe and it was very, very good! Charlie really liked it and he doesn't usually eat squash or zucchini. The kids were hesitant to eat it but only because these days they are "pretending" to not like ANY veggie at all!!! I added tomatoes to the very top and I could see myself adding some cooked sausage too.

Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte

Bon Appetit, June 2001

This torte can easily be made ahead and reheated as you need it for guests, or even a meal for a few, if you halve it. In fact, I suspect that it might be even better reheated because there is something about potatoes that have been cooked twice–they’re always better.

And if you’re not reheating it, be patient enough to get a better browning on the bottom than my impatient hunger allowed me to.

This also might work well in a cast iron, though you would probably have to adjust your cooking times slightly.

Makes 8 servings

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
12 ounces yellow crookneck squash or regular yellow summer squash, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
6 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans. (Deb note: I had only a 9-inch pan around, so what you see in my pictures is slightly thinner.) Set aside 1/4 cup sliced green onions. Toss remaining green onions, cheese, flour, thyme, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend.

Layer 1/6 of potatoes in concentric circles in bottom of 1 prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Layer 1/4 of squash in concentric circles atop potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Repeat with 1/6 of potatoes, then 1/4 of squash and 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Top with 1/6 of potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture and press gently to flatten. Repeat procedure with second cake pan and remaining potatoes, squash, oil, and cheese mixture.

Cover pans with foil. Bake until potatoes are almost tender, about 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until tortes begin to brown and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes longer. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cool. Cover with foil and chill. Rewarm, covered with foil, in 350°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.)

Cut each torte into wedges. Sprinkle wedges with 1/4 cup green onions; serve.

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Pasta w/a Mexican twist

If you can believe it, the following recipe was inspired by airline food!
We were headed home on Mexicana Airlines from Mexico City and I was served the best meal I've ever had on a flight! It's been two years since I had this meal but every once in a while I still make the pasta. It's yummy and very quick to make.

My airline meal was baked chicken breast on a bed of pasta with red sauce. The twist was in the pasta. It included Mexican cheese called "cotija", cilantro and red sauce. (It might have had more ingredients but this all I can remember today and it still reminds my taste buds of the airline pasta. Yum!)

You can find cotija cheese (queso cotija) at most grocery stores. It is a dry, salty, crumbly cheese and, in my opinion, is the Mexican equivalent to parmesan cheese in Italian cuisine.


Pasta a la Mexicana Airlines
Ingredients:
12 oz. pasta (I like gemelli, mini-penne, or bow-tie)
red sauce (see recipe below)
1/4 cup crumbled queso cotija
2 tablespoons cilantro

This is such a simple recipe that all of the measurements for each ingredient can be adjusted based on personal taste and/or servings desired.
Cook pasta. (Use anywhere from 10 oz. to 16 oz.)
While pasta cooks, make tomato sauce, crumble the cotija cheese and chop cilantro.
Once pasta is cooked and drained, return to its pot, pour tomato sauce over pasta and add crumbled cheese and cilantro. Stir and serve!


Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz. each)
salt
pepper

Blend one can of diced tomatoes in blender until smooth. (You can blend both cans if you don't like tomato chunks in your pasta.)
Heat olive oil in sauce pot and add minced garlic cloves. Cook until fragrant.
Add the blended tomatoes and the can of diced tomatoes.
Stir and heat until bubbling.
Reduce heat and let simmer uncovered 10-20 minutes, depending on your preference for a thin or thick sauce. (The longer you cook it the thicker it will become.)
Salt and pepper to taste.

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