Tomato Sauce

by Cindy Yanasha Angulo in , , ,

This is a perfect way to use up tomatoes from your summer garden crop. Thanks to my dad and uncle, I had plenty of green and red tomatoes to use for this sauce!  This was my first time making tomato sauce completely from scratch - without the canned tomatoes.  It tasted so fresh and was worth the wait!  

Time: 8 hours

Ingredients:

  • 12 whole tomatoes (I used frozen tomatoes green and red tomatoes that I let defrost overnight in the fridge, makes them so easy to peel!)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves, torn into smaller pieces
  • I handful fresh thyme leaves (I used broad-leaf thyme)
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 onion, diced 
  • 1 garlic bulb
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

Recipe:

  1. Wash and peel the tomatoes. If they are frozen from earlier in the summer, it helps to boil them for 5 minutes so the skin peels off easier. After they're peeled, set them aside.
  2. Slice the edge of the garlic bulb (skin on) so that the tops of each glove are exposed.  Coat with olive oil and wrap in foil - roast on 425 for 40 mins.  
  3. Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil and diced onions in a large pot on medium heat.  Mix around until the onion is opaque.
  4. Add the tomatoes, basil, thyme, oregano, sugar, crushed red pepper, chili powder, salt and black pepper.  Mix until combined.
  5. Cover the pot and bring to a boil for about 10 mins on medium-high heat.
  6. Lower the heat, remove the cover, and stir. The mixture will start thickening - looking almost like salsa rather than a sauce. 
  7. Remove the garlic from the foil paper and squeeze the softened cloves into the pot.  Mix around, the garlic will melt.
  8. Add the cup of water, stir, and recover the pot.  Leave the heat on a low simmer. 
  9. Keep checking the sauce and stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.  If it has a lot of chunks, use an immersion blender. Leave it on the stove for 3-6 hours (or longer if you have the time!)

Depending on how ripe the tomatoes were, you may need to add a little more sugar or a little more salt after tasting it. If you prefer a spicier sauce, you can add more crushed red peppers.

Serve over warm pasta or use as a dipping sauce for breads!

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Rainbow Trout With My Lemony-Garlic White Wine Sauce

by Cindy Yanasha Angulo in , ,

I had this with some rainbow fettuccine pasta- delicious and easy! 

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Time: 40 mins  

Ingredients:

  • 2 fillets of rainbow trout- skin on, cleaned. 
  • 2 tablespoons butter for frying the fish (1 tablespoon for each piece)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt & 1/2 teaspoon black pepper for seasoning the trout. 

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup white wine (I used a Bordeaux)
  • 3 cloves garlic 
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper & 1 teaspoon sea salt

Serving suggestion:

  • 1 cup fettuccine pasta, cooked al dente
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Recipe:

  1. Heat a frying pan with a tablespoon of butter to high heat. 
  2. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt & 1/2 teaspoon black pepper on the trout.
  3. Pan-sear the trout on both sides, about 3-5 mins on each side). Repeat with the 2nd fish.
  4. Slice the garlic cloves and chop the parsley (leave a few behind leaves for garnish)
  5. In a medium - large saucepan, melt the butter and garlic until the garlic is slightly browned.
  6. Add the white wine and lemon juice, salt and pepper - bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 mins so it reduces to about half.
  7. Plate the pasta, place the trout on top, pour sauce over the trout & drink the rest of the wine with this meal!
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*Watch out for the bones! Slice horizontally so you can remove easily, all at once.

Steamed Mussels in a Lemony-Garlic White Wine Sauce

by Cindy Yanasha Angulo in , , ,

How much do you pay for a mussels appetizer at a restaurant?  $11? $14? Some places in NYC even charge over $20!  Today I bought a bag of PEI mussels from ShopRite for $4.99! 

Of course you have to do a little work, scrubbing them and cooking them yourself.  But hey, if you can save a few bucks, it's worth it!   Recipe below, enjoy!

Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag PEI mussels
  • 1/2 bottle white wine (I used a Bordeaux)
  • 4 cloves garlic (use 2 cloves if you prefer)
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1 handful fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 French Baguette to compliment the mussels
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper & 1 teaspoon sea salt

Recipe:

  1. Scrub the mussels thoroughly, throwing out any that are not fully closed or have cracks in them. Set them aside. 
  2. Slice the garlic cloves and chop 1/2 of the parsley (leave a few behind leaves for garnish)
  3. In a medium - large saucepan, melt the butter and garlic until the garlic is slightly browned.
  4. Add the white wine and lemon juice, salt and pepper - bring to a boil. 
  5. Add the mussels into the pot carefully, to avoid breaking them (I used a strainer-spoon so that I could place them lightly without getting burned).
  6. Cover the pot and let the mussels steam for about 4-5 mins or until they pop open.
  7. While the mussels are steaming, cut the French baguette into diagonal slices, or however you want them shaped.
  8. Toast the bread in a 350 degree oven for about 5 mins or as crispy as desired.
  9. Place the mussels in a bowl that will hold the sauce, but leave the sauce in the pan and let simmer for another 10 mins so it reduces to about half. 
  10. Devour the mussels, dip the bread in the sauce, & drink the rest of the wine with this meal!

Serving suggestion:  I wanted a light dinner so I had this by itself; you can serve it over a plate of linguini cooked al dente.  The sauce will go great with the pasta and it will make for a more filling meal!