slow cooker basic marinara sauce

Now that I am a stay at home mom I am trying to find as many short cuts and tricks to still get a home cook meal on the table without having to leave the park early and spend hours in the kitchen.  Learning  to master my slow cooker is my personal challenge for 2012.  This recipe makes a ton of marinara sauce.  I portioned it out and froze it for future meals which helps a ton when you are trying to throw together a quick home cooked meal.  Not only is this marinara sauce easy and tasty but, it is the perfect vehicle to hide some extra veggies in the kids meals.  We had it one night as written below.  There was no revolt which is always a score when introducing a new recipe to my family.  The next night I pureed carrots and zucchini and added them into the sauce while reheating it and no one made a peep.  This is a great basic sauce which you can use in a ton of different ways and doctor it up to your families taste.  Enjoy!

slow cooker basic marinara sauce
source: slow cooker revolution

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed patted dry and minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 cup dry red wine
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 28 ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
2 teaspoons sugar
salt and pepper

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions through red pepper flakes.  Cook until onions are soft and slightly browned, ~8-10 minutes.  Stir in wine.  Scrap up brown bits and simmer until slightly thickened, ~ 5 minutes.  Transfer to slow cooker.

Stir crushed tomatoes through soy sauce into slow cooker.  Cover and cook for 9 - 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

Before serving stir in basil and sugar.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

peanut butter cup ice cream cake

Five.  I had no idea what new changes five was going to bring to my sweet boy.  He has an opinion now.  No longer does he want to let mom decide what is best for him.  He wants to assert his own opinion.  He will listen to mom and then choose pretty much the exact opposite of what mom was suggesting.  This new opinion first popped up while we were discussing Halloween costumes.  We flipped through one of the 50 Halloween catalogs we got in the mail.  I was suggesting all sorts of cool costumes but, he kept coming back to wolf.  OK wolf I can work with that.  I earmarked the wolf in a catalog and my mind was spinning.   I had sister in a little red riding hood outfit and brother in a cute furry wolf.  This was going to be so cute.  I showed Carter this wolf before placing the order and he shrieked "no mom not that wolf I want to be the blood wolf".  Ummm I am sorry a what?  He quickly flips past the cute wolf to this ugly disgusting werewolf with blood dripping off the fangs.  I explain that he can not wear this to school for the parade.  Does not phase him.  He wants the blood wolf.  We now have a blood wolf costume.  What happened to my cute spider, my friendly bat or the lovable alligator?  How did we go from cute spider to blood wolf in a year?  It breaks my heart.  As I was still trying to put the pieces of my heart back together and bake his traditional snickerdoodle cake he tells me that he no longer wants a snickerdoodle cake he wants an ice cream cake.  We do snickerdoodle for his birthday not ice cream.  I go into trying to sway mode and I get no where.  He wants a chocolate ice cream cake with peanut butter cup ice cream.  Ice cream cake I can deal with.  I don't like change but, ice cream cake (this good) I can deal with.  Blood wolf I can not deal with.  I have a feeling I am going to lose a lot of blood wolf battles this year.

peanut butter cup ice cream cake

adapted/inspired: betty crocker

cake:

1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla 

Heat oven to 350ºF. 

Grease bottom and side of 9" springform pan.  In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir vigorously about 1 minute or until well blended. Immediately pour into pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

 

marshmallow creme hot fudge sauce

source: bon appetit

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons marshmallow creme

Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso in a large metal bowl. Bring cream just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; pour over chocolate mixture. Let sit for 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Fold marshmallow creme into chocolate. Let cool, cover, and chill. 

Spread 1 cup fudge topping over cake; freeze about 1 hour or until topping is firm. 

* Save a small portion  (~1/4 cup)

peanut butter cup ice cream

source: sweet flours

3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
2 cups chopped peanut butter cups

Whisk together first sugar - salt in a large heavy saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk and whipping cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 10 to 12 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat.

Beat egg yolk  until slightly thickened. Gradually whisk about 1 cup hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Add yolk mixture to remaining cream mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk in vanilla bean paste. Cool 1 hour stirring occasionally.
Place plastic wrap directly on cream mixture, and chill 8 to 24 hours.

Pour chilled cream mixture into freezer container of a 1 1/2-qt. electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. While ice cream is churning cut peanut butter cups into bite size pieces.  Before transferring ice cream to an airtight container for further freezing, fold in peanut butter pieces.

Spread soft ice cream over cake. Freeze about 4 hours or until ice cream is firm.

marshmallow whipped cream

source: sweet flours

1 cup cool whip; thawed

1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Combine cool whip and marshmallow fluff.  Spread on top of ice cream.

Drizzle with extra fudge sauce and garnish with mini peanut butter cups.

cafe rio cilantro ranch dressing

Several of the copycat Cafe Rio recipes were made for Campbell's birthday bash.  As I said I did not care for the rice or the beans but, the pork was great and it serves an army.  Since making Ina's green goddess dressing and being heartbroken over the bad nutritional values on my favorite Galeos dressing I have really come to appreciate and love how easy and tasty homemade dressing can be.  This dressing could not be easier to make.  It is cool and creamy with a kick.  It was great on both the salad and as a sauce for the tacos.  I will definitely be making this again.

cafe rio cilantro ranch dressing

adapted: family favorite recipes

1 package hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1 cup lowfat (2%) buttermilk
1 cup lowfat mayo
2 tomatillos - husked removed and quartered
2 clove garlic, rough chop
1/2 bunch cilantro, rough chop
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, (seeds removed if you want less spicy).

Throw everything in the blender and blend.  Store in the refrigerator 1-2 hours to let the flavors develop.

couer a la creme with raspberry sauce

Couer a la creme.  Did you take French?  Do you know what that mean?  Until last week I had not a clue.  That is what supper club is for.  To learn and try new things in the kitchen.  Couer a la creme translates to heart of cream.  It is a combination of cream cheese and cream that drains and thickens over night.  You get the taste of cheesecake with only 1 1/2 blocks of cream cheese rather then 4 blocks and no baking.  The results of this dessert looks and tastes like you worked much harder then you actually did.  Impressive and delicious.  This would be perfect for Valentine's Day or adjusted for a savory flavor in the fall.  I am already thinking about a pumpkin sauce.  If you don't have a couer a la creme dish you can use a seven inch sieve.  I am glad I took a picture of it before I left the house because by the time we ate the dessert I am not entirely certain my focusing skills were top notch.  Thanks Ina you have made entertaining elegant, tasty and simple.

couer a la creme with raspberry sauce
source: barefoot contessa

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce, recipe follows
2 half-pints fresh raspberries


Place the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer off, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste.  Start the mixer on low until ingredients are incorporated.  Bring the mixer up to high speed and beat until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7-inch coeur a la creme dish with fine cheesecloth so the ends drape over the sides and suspend it over a bowl, making sure that there is space between the bottom of the dish and the bottom of the bowl for the liquid to drain. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate overnight.


To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate, and drizzle Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce around the base. Serve with raspberries and extra sauce.


raspberry sauce:


1/2 of a  half-pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur


Place raspberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and orange liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

basic pizza sauce

A recent goal is to make more at home and eat less canned and processed food.  As you can see basic has been in the title of two posts recently.  I am just putting my toe in pond and testing the waters of so many recipes. This is a journey right?  Pizza making is going to take me awhile to perfect but, I am going to keep trying.  These recipes are a starting point as I become more comfortable with the pizza making process.  I like these recipes but, I hope to try some more in the future to compare.  Recently I have been using my bread hook and pizza stone.  See family I know I ask for a lot of kitchen items but, I do use them and I do LOVE them.   (Check out my new all-clad 2 quart saucepan .... LOVE!!) Brad and the kids love pizza.  I thought I was just so so on pizza but, what I realized is there is such a thing as bad pizza and I have had a lot of bad pizza.  Homemade pizza is really good and the best part is you can control the ingredients.  You can eat a slice of pizza knowing what went into it and not feel guilty.  The garlic really shines in this simple sauce which adds a lot to the flavor of the pizza.

basic pizza sauce

adapted: cooking light

• 2  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 5  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove tomatoes from can using a slotted spoon, reserving juices. Crush tomatoes. Stir tomatoes, juices, salt, and oregano into garlic mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.