Meaty Red Sauce for Italian Recipes

This meaty pasta sauce recipe has come to be my husband's FAVORITE red sauce.  It's become my favorite as well.  Each time I make it, I innocently think I've made enough to make two full meals.  The flavors that come out of this sauce reach down to our inner child and make us ask "Please sir, may I have some more?"  Sadly, we will eat up so much at dinner that there is just enough for a light lunch the next day. But oh what a lunch it is.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES
Makes about 4 cups of red sauce, enough for a pasta dinner for four friends.

• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 10 whole garlic cloves
• 2 heaping teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage

• 1 pound fresh ground pork

• 1- 28 ounce can of San Marzano Whole Tomatoes
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

In a dutch oven over medium heat, melt bacon drippings.  Add onions, garlic cloves, oregano and sage.  Cook until the onions begin to soften, stirring constantly about 5 minutes.

Add in ground pork and continue to cook until meat has browned and there's no sign of pink.

Using a hand blender, puree the whole tomatoes until smooth.  Pour sauce over cooked pork.  Add salt and pepper.  When tomato sauce begins to boil, REDUCE heat to medium low, cover with lid and simmer for 30 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and use with any pasta.

This sauce keeps very well in the freezer.  It would be very handy to double this recipe and put up half the sauce in the freezer for a future meal.

Creamy Carrot Soup

This Creamy Carrot Soup is a completely different experience from the Curried Carrot and Apple Soup I cooked up last week.  This Creamy Carrot Soup is satisfying much in the same way as the Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup I enjoy so much.  It's simple.  There's just enough potato in it to mellow that earthy carrot flavor that can be off putting at times.  Even though I love carrots, I have to admit that carrots are not always delicious cooked just any old way.  And because carrots come with different levels of sweetness and earthiness, they are often lumped into one "I don't care for carrots" category from those that are indifferent to eating them.  Some carrots are not all that great. And if you've purchased a bag that doesn't possess you favorite flavor, well then, what can you do?
Make this soup.

I genuinely like this soup. Period.  The first time I tasted it, before adding the cream, I knew I could have eaten it just like it was, anytime, anywhere.  With a crusty slice of buttered toast, maybe Parmesan toast or garlic toast, on the side.  It could be spiced up or left alone.  Yea, this one is a natural, comfort soup that could stand the test of time.

HERE'S ALL THERE'S TO IT

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium-large potato, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, chopped
• 2 teaspoons crushed fresh ginger root
• 4 cups chicken stock, warmed
• 1 cup water, warmed
• 7 tablespoon whipping cream or whole milk (see my Cook's Notes)
• 1/8 teaspoon dried nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Chop the potatoes and carrots to be the same size so they will cook evenly.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven, add onion and celery, then cook for 5 minutes until soften.

Stir in the potato, carrots, ginger, chicken stock, and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender.  Remove from heat.

Using either a blender, food processor or immersion blender, carefully puree mixture until smooth.  Return soup to the pan.  Stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in cream or milk.  Reheat gently, but do not allow the soup to boil or the cream will curdle. (not attractive)  Feeds 6 hungry folks with healthy 1 cup servings.

COOK'S NOTES

The ginger root adds a bright note to this soup, but if you don't have any on hand, don't sweat it.  This soup could please a crowd without it.

I planned to use this soup recipe for my make ahead lunches.  I figured the 7 tablespoons of whipping cream would not hold up to reheating and possible boiling in the microwave.  I didn't want to ruin the soup, SO... I divided it.  I measured out the soup and came up with roughly 6 cups.  Three cups received 3 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream - this half was the soup I would eat right away.  The remaining three cups of soup received 3 1/2 tablespoons whole milk- this half went into 1 cup portions and into the freezer for my made ahead lunches.  Milk can handle coming to a boil better than heavy cream.  I'll let you know later in the comment section how the soup held up through reheating.

This recipe was stirred from a new inspiring cookbook, Soups; Includes Delicious Recipes for Appetizers and Salads.

Support SDR and grab your copy from Amazon.

Soups; Includes Delicious Recipes for Appetizers and Salads

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Creamy, silky smooth and bursting with soul satisfying flavors, this simple butternut squash soup recipe will be your next favorite soup.  I guarantee!

From a new inspiring cookbook, Soups; Includes Delicious Recipes for Appetizers and Salads, I picked up this book for Christmas. "Wow!" This book is loaded with incredible meals. FULL of recipes from different cuisines.  There's no chance of us falling into the same old routine.
I haven't noticed any labor intensive recipes. For folks that enjoy taking the time to create fresh soups, there's nothing hard or laborious here. The book offers inspiration for combining flavors that might be out of the norm, but the results really hit the spot. Plenty of family friendly recipes as well as recipes for folks looking for a new twist.
My favorite part of this book, besides the recipes themselves, is the formatting. Step-by-step color photos and easy to read/follow instructions for every recipe. There's no guessing as to whether we're doing it right.
Yep, this one is a keeper for years to come.  You can be sure to see recipes from this book here on SDR.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES TO MAKE Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup potatoes, cubed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a dutch-oven or large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, until onions have softened.

Add the squash, chicken stock, potatoes and paprika.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and simmer gently for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft.

Using either a drink blender or an immersion stick blender, process until smooth.  Return soup to the pan and stir in the cream.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reheat gently.  Stir in chopped chives or allow folks to add them to their  own bowls.

COOK'S NOTES:
I used russet potatoes in this soup, but the recipe would work with a less starchy spud like a red potato.

I was shy on chicken stock and ended up using 3 cups chicken stocks with 2 cups water.  The soup still had a lot of flavor despite my shortage.  Just for the sake of making it a budget friendly recipe, I would prepare it that way again.

I just happen to have had whipping cream on hand, so I used it.  In future, I could use half-n-half or fresh whole milk and the recipe would still come out creamy and satisfying.

WARNING
YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO CONSUME JUST ONE BOWL.  You'll have two. Also, I recommend skipping the bowl and spoon and pour this soup into a latte cup or coffee mug and just slurp it down.

It's a perfect soup to take to work; heat and eat at your desk. Not that I advocate you working through your lunch break, but let's be truthful.  We all have days when it's necessary.  Take this soup with you on those days and at least you'll have a happy tummy while you knock out your to-do list.

Support SDR and grab your copy of this book from Amazon.

Soups; Includes Delicious Recipes for Appetizers and Salads

This recipe is for friends and readers of SDR who asked for more soup recipes. Thank you.
Peter from Kalafagas, Greek Food & Beyond
Suzanne
Sarah B.
Heather S.
Cara A. from The Picky Apple
Theresa K.
Bob S.
Deby
Betty P.
Debbie F.
Mark B., Boscoe the Cookie Doctor
Cindy R.
Gregory P.
Barry W.
Claudene
Stacie H.

Simple White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

In all the twelve years Charlie and I have been married, I've NEVER baked his all time favorite cookie from scratch.  (I can hear the air being sucked out of the room.)  Of course, I love my husband!

While I'm confessing,  I guess it's high time I let you know where I get all my cookie recipes.  The book that is my absolute favorite cookie slash sweet craving cookbook.  I turn to it EVERY TIME I want to bake something sweet for family and friends and it has never let me down.

HERE IT IS, MY SECRET BOOK TO BAKING SWEETS

No, it's not hoity toity.  It's probably not even fashionable to mention in the least little bit, but I don't really care.  This book works for me! I've laughed to myself, many times, when folks have eaten the treats I make from this book and think, I'M the BEST cook ever.  HA! I was only following the directions.

Although I love listening and gathering bits of information about the science behind cooking, the science of baking makes my brain go numb, and my mind's eye glazes over at the thought of experimental baking.  I don't have the time & resources to set myself up for such failures.  When my family wants something to sweet to eat, I go for the traditional favorites first and grab my gal, Betty.

So when Charlie sent me the text message that he was having a rough day at work, I knew I needed to have something comforting for him to come home to, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.  I turned to Betty and she came through for me in the most delicious way.

HERE'S ALL IT TOOK

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (6 ounces) white baking bars, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 jar (3 1/2 ounces) or 2 bags (2.25 ounces) macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 350º F degrees. Beat sugars, butter & shortening in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Mix in vanilla and egg.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, chopped white chocolate and nuts.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture a third at a time until all is flour is moistened or absorbed.  Do not over stir.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (use a 1 inch scooper) about 2 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until LIGHT, light brown on the edges.  Cool 1 to 2 minutes BEFORE removing from the cookie sheet.  Continue cooling on wire rack.

NOTE: It's important to bake these cookies on the light side.  They should look under cooked in the center and light brown on the edges.  They will finish setting as they cool on the cookie sheet and have a smoother finish.  I didn't learn this until I baked the last batch of cookies.  As you can see from the photo above, the cookies have cracks.  This does NOT affect their flavor at all.  But I noticed that the last batch of cookies baked for 9 minutes had a creamier texture than the cookies baked for 12 minutes. The smooth 9 minute cookies are shown below, they were eaten immediately after the photo was taken.

By now, all the cookies are gone.  No one cared about or even mentioned the cracks, they just kept going back for more cookies.  The extra chopped nuts really make these cookies hard to put down.  They weren't so rich that one cookie was enough.  Unfortunately.

Doug’s Over Easy Breakfast

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Today's breakfast recipe is brought to you by Simple Daily Recipes reader, Old Doug.
Doug, thank you for this easy and fast breakfast that was fun to make.

ALL IT TAKES

• 1 piece of toast
• 1 egg
• salt & pepper

Use a biscuit cutter to cut a two inch hole in the center of the toast. Get a small nonstick fry pan hot over medium heat.  Lay in the toast, crack the egg into the hole.  Season with salt & pepper.  Cover the pan.  I like to use the plate that I eat off of; the pan warms the plate and keeps my breakfast hot.

Turn off burner, but do not remove from heat.  Set the timer 3 to 4 minutes, depending how runny you like your egg.  Try not to peek or you'll let out the steam that is cooking the top of the egg.

Slide the egg-toast onto the hot plate, top it with the center cut of the toast and whatever hot sauce or hot peppers you like with your eggs.  You're ready to eat!

Grilled Rainbow Trout

Grilling Rainbow Trout is SUPER EASY and leaves no mess in the kitchen.
I LOVE IT!

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• heavy duty aluminum foil
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 large Rainbow Trout fillet
• 1 large lemon, cut half of it into thin slices
• 1 small onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1 hot grill

Go ahead and prep fillet, first. Use a large sheet of heavy duty foil, enough to wrap around fish. Spray it generously with nonstick cooking spray. Lay down a bed of onion slices. Lay the fish on top and spritz with nonstick spray. Season generously with salt and pepper, then lay lemon slices on top. Using the remaining lemon, squeeze lemon juice all over the fish.

Bring the edges of the foil together over the top of the fillet, then fold over to close. But now, don't fold up the top so tight that you can't take a peek later on. You will want to close up the ends securely to hold in the juices.

You're ready to start the grill. (Don't forget to grab your beverage; it's hot outside.) Your grill needs to be hot, hot, hot. As soon as you settle the hot coals from the chimney starter into the grill, return the grill grid and lay on the foiled fish.

A large fillet, 3/4 inch thick needs to grill at 400F degrees for 15 minutes.

How do you know how hot your grill is without using a thermometer?
Use the Hand Count Method -

Hold your hand at grilling height over the coals. Count the number of seconds you can hold you hand there before the heat forces you to move it.

• 2 seconds, hot coals: 400 - 450 F degrees
• 4 seconds, medium coals: 350 - 375 F degrees
• 5 seconds, low coals: 300 - 325 F degrees

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And THAT'S IT! That's all there is to grilled Rainbow Trout. Serve it with oven roasted red potatoes and onions, you're family will love it!

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes and Onions

Oven roasted vegetables are so delicious and easy to serve. No matter what it is, as long as the oven is hot, there's good olive oil on hand and you season it with plenty of coarse salt and fresh ground pepper...you cannot go wrong.

HERE'S A GREAT VEGGIE COMBO

• red potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
• yellow onion, cut into 1 inch slices
• extra virgin olive oil
• course salt and fresh ground pepper

Heat oven to 425ºF degrees.

On a large sheet pan, drizzle enough oil to coat potatoes and onions. Use your clean hands to toss the vegetables well and coat the sheet pan, too. Spread vegetables in a single layer. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Midway through roasting, turn the veggies once with a metal spatula. Potatoes will have a crispy outside and remain creamy, soft on the inside. The onions just turn into a sweet & savory sidekick to the potatoes that cannot be compared.

Slow Cooked Chicken with Carrots and Peas

This delicious and simple chicken dinner comes from my new friend, Sheri Bond. I asked all the good folks, who subscribe to Simple Daily Recipes newsletter, for simple crock pot or slow cooker, ideas that would help me out over my busy weekend.

I had a yard sale on Saturday and I KNEW after a day of hocking our stuff, my family would be starving for something hearty. THIS DINNER HIT THE SPOT! Thank you, Sheri!

Like any good cook will do, I used Sheri's recipe as a guide and cooked with the ingredients I had on hand to get this dinner going. I posted Sheri's recipe with her own notes, below my version. You can take the rest from there and make your own twist. That's how all good recipes live on anyways, right?

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 4 skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 cup frozen peas

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

Remove all the skin and as much fat from the chicken meat as possible. Place the chicken in the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, mix the flour and dried spices together, then sprinkle over chicken. Add garlic.

Heat up the chicken broth (if it's cold) before adding it to the slow cooker. Pour over chicken.

Cook on high for 5 hours. Add the carrots in the last 30 minutes, and the peas in the last 10 minutes. I heated up leftover mashed potatoes and served them up on the side. It seemed fitting for this meal. You're READY TO EAT!

SHERI'S CROCKPOT CHICKEN RECIPE

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. thyme
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1 Tbsp. diced garlic ( used fresh garlic)
• 1 tsp. onion powder ( used a little onion salt be cause it's what I had)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube (I used chicken broth)
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup flour ( would either use less flour or add more liquid because I think it needed it.
• 1-16 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables

Grease the crock pot.
Put the olive oil in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the chicken.
Spoon spices and garlic over chicken. Add the rest of the ingredients.

Cook on high for 5 hours. (You have to watch this because it seems to run out of liquid pretty fast on high) My crock pot cooks thing fairly quick, but I also used chicken tenderloins instead of whole pieces or whole breasts.

Add the frozen vegetables and cook for an additional 45 minutes.
Serve over biscuits or toast.

Sheri, THANK YOU, again, for sharing your recipes with me. You really came through for me and my family.

Cinnamon Apple Bars

These cinnamon apple bars will go well with coffee, hot tea...I see baking them for the next ladies luncheon or for my diet minded friends. They're moist, cakey, and two is about all you want. They're not rich or overly sweet. They have a simple, cinnamon apple flavor that makes for a guiltless treat.

I came across this recipe when looking for something sweet to eat that didn't have too many calories and still tasted good. This is a pretty easy recipe. If you can bake brownies, you can make cinnamon apple bars.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used dark brown)
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup healthy oil
• 1/4 cup healthy egg substitute or 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped unpeeled apple

Heat oven to 350F degrees.

Mix brown sugar, applesauce, oil and egg substitute in large bowl.

Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, then finally the apple.

Spread batter in 8x8 inch pan, lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool.

Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

Need time I make these, I think I'll increase the chopped apple to 1 cup. I really enjoyed the texture and natural sweetness the apples added to the cakey bars.

Blue Magnolia Bread Pudding Mix

I wasn't a bread pudding fan until I ate Blue Magnolia's Cinnamon Bread Pudding. Oh mercy, was it GOOD!
I was over shopping in my favorite little town of Winnsboro, Texas. Winnsboro is such a cool little place with great live music, awesome restaurants and fun shopping. Oh, and the spa! (pause for a moment of daydreaming)

ANYHOO! This bread pudding is AWESOME! EASY! and anyone can bake it, even me. All it takes is one normal size loaf of french bread, some milk, a little butter, and a bag of Blue Magnolia's Cinnamon Bread Pudding.

I haven't made the Lemon-Chiffon, yet. But I will soon and post it.

Here's what it looks like straight from the oven.

Being the first time to make bread pudding, I baked the simplest version offered and topped it with homemade whipped cream leftover from the Strawberry dessert I made days ago. (I told you in that post that you would have extra whipped cream for other desserts. I wasn't just making that up.)

Oh and just so you know: I'm not getting paid to talk about this product. I sampled it in a tasting at Ladles to Linens, bought a couple of bags for myself, and baked it up. Now, I'm sharing my experience with you. It's good stuff, Maynerd. You ought to pick up a few bags for yourself online and see for yourself.

Simple Spicy Salsa Recipe

Every Texan, I believe, ALWAYS keeps a jar of salsa in their frig. It's as much a highly valued pantry staple as flour or sugar. Oh sure, there's those that like to make their own from scratch. But I'll bet ya, they store a back up jar in the back of the pantry.

But can you believe? Me, born and bred from Dallas, Texas (actually Garland or as my grandfather would say "Gawland"). Did not have one back up jar available the other day when I needed it! YIKES!

Oh WAIT A MINUTE.... Here's a can of diced tomatoes with Chipotle Peppers, I can use it. Shew!

I'll admit to you folks that I'm watching my spending these days. If I can get away with buying a store brand verses the larger name brand without sacrificing taste, I'll do it. My local grocer carries Food Club products and this week I happened to have picked up some petite diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers for 69 cents. SOLD!

I've tried making salsa from canned tomatoes before, and didn't really like the taste. Something was always missing; the smoky flavor mostly.

Well, Food Club got it right and their spicy tomatoes are delicious and full of flavor! All I really needed to add was a handful of cilantro and we were ready to eat!

HERE'S ALL IT TOOK FOR THE SALSA

• 1 (15oz) can Food Club petite diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers
• handful of fresh cilantro; rinsed, thick stems removed
• 1 small garlic clove
• juice from 1/2 lime

Drain about 1/3 to 1/2 of the liquid from the can. Pour tomatoes into a small food processor and place cilantro and garlic on top. Pulse for 20 to 30 seconds, just until there's a happy medium of small chunks without it being pureed.  Transfer to bowl and stir in lime juice.

We were all impressed that it didn't taste like it came from a can. Since making it, I've poured it on top of my morning eggs, my afternoon nachos, and my dinner time bean burritos. I'll hestitate buying another jar of salsa. I think I'll just keep a can of these tomatoes in the pantry instead.

Extra Photo

I must have been hungry when I got behind this truck, because this is what I saw.

Creamy Spinach and Ravioli Dinner

This simple dinner recipe was a BIG HIT with my 10 year old son!  My 6 year old daughter loved it too, only without the spinach.  And, AND,  it may have taken me 20- 25 minutes to get this dinner on the table.  Not bad at all.

THIS IS ALL IT TAKES

• 1 (10 ounce) bag of frozen spinach, thawed
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped, reserve 1/4 cup
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 family size package of fresh, ready to cook, four cheese ravioli
• shredded Parmesan cheese for topping
• 1 loaf of frozen heat and eat garlic bread

Preheat oven according to directions on garlic bread package.

Prep the garlic bread loaf on the cookie sheet. Prep spinach and onions, measure out the butter, flour, water and sour cream.  Fill a large pot with hot water for cooking the pasta and set on high heat. Use a medium sauce pan for making the cream sauce and a small fry pan to saute the onions and spinach.

Start by heating 2 tablespoons of oil in the small fry pan and adding all BUT the reserved 1/4 cup of onion, cook until softened. Add spinach, stir together and cook until heated through. Cover with a lid and remove from heat.

Is the pasta water boiling yet? Yes? Good. Add the ravioli to the boiling water and lower the heat to medium on the pasta pot, and give the raviolis a gentle stir occasionally to keep them from sticking together.  Pop the garlic loaf in the oven and set timer for 9 minutes.

Next, we make the cream sauce.  In the medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the 1/ 4 cup chopped onion and cook until softened.

Add the flour. Stirring continuously, cook the flour up to two minutes. Slowly stir in the 2 cups of broth until sauce is smooth and thickens a bit, 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat, gently whisk in sour cream until well blended. Remove saucepan completely from the heat source.  If everyone in your family loves spinach then add the cooked spinach mixture to the cream sauce now.  Otherwise, serve the spinach mixture on top of spinach lover's ravioli.

When the 9-minute buzzer goes off, the ravioli and the garlic bread are ready.  Drain off the water from the ravioli and set aside.  Remove the garlic bread from the oven and carefully divide hot bread into servings.

After the ravioli is drained, pour the cream sauce over the pasta and allow it to set. The sauce will thicken up and stick to the pasta...yummm.  Serve with or without spinach mixture and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

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