Mom's Freezer Pizza Sauce

It's that time of year, tomato season! I love tomatoes and nothing compares to tomatoes fresh from the garden. After numerous toasted tomatoes sandwiches, I couldn't keep up so it was time to do something with them. This year I decided I'd try making my Mom's pizza sauce. She's made this sauce or a variation of it for as long as I can remember. It's  probably more of a tomato sauce than a pizza sauce as it tends to be fairly runny, but its packed with delicious ingredients and you can freeze it!

1 ice cream pail full of tomatoes, quartered (scald & peel if you like)
1-2 large onions, chopped
1-2 peppers, green or red chopped
4 large carrots, grated
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
Optional seasonings (see below)
Boil 1 1/2 hours and then either blend with an immersion blender or let cool slightly and blend in batches.

Then add
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. pickling salt
3/4 tbsp. pepper
Bring to a boil and pour into margarine tubs. Makes about 5-6 tubs full. Cool and  store these in the freezer.

Optional seasonings:
1/2 hot chili pepper shredded
or
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tbsp. oregano

Creamy Avocado Alfredo Pasta

Avocados are one of most favourite fruit (or is it a veggie? I'm not sure). All I know is that it is delicious (and so good for you!). I'm always looking for new ways to eat it. Here's a recipe I found that passed the test and I will make it again.

8-10 Roma tomatoes
3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 ripe avocados, seed & skin removed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup pine nuts
grated fresh Parmesan
salt & pepper to taste
fettuccine noodles

Preheat oven to 300F.

Wash and quarter the tomatoes. Place on baking sheet and drizzle with 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Bake for 1 hour.

Ten minutes before the tomatoes are done, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the fettuccine according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, add 2 tbsp olive oil, avocado, garlic, salt and lemon juice to a food processor or blender. Pulse until the ingredients are smooth and creamy.

Strain the pasta, and combine with the sauce in a large bowl until all the noodles are covered. Add the roasted tomatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Adapted from www.flourishingfoodie.com

Veggie Rice

1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used 1/2 red and 1/2 green)
1 cup raw rice
3 tsps chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can black beans
1 cup corn
1 can diced/stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 tomato cans of water

Saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper in 1 tbsp oil until onion is transparent. Stir in raw rice and saute until it becomes opaque. Add the diced tomatoes, water, black beans, corn and spices. Cover the pan and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes (do not lift lid). After 20 minutes the rice should be cooked and veggies tender. This is a good dish on its own, but is also good in a wrap with some sour cream and cheese.

Orzo Salad

This recipe is very vague, you can kind of use however much you'd like of most of these ingredients.

1 cup orzo (uncooked)
mozzarella (cut in small chunks)
cherry tomatoes (or regular as I didn't have cherry at the time)
1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
toasted pine nuts
balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions and cool. Add balsamic vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add toasted pine nuts, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving.

Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Zucchini Sauce

If you've never tried spaghetti squash, I highly recommend it. Its a great alternative to pasta. With a great sauce, you'll hardly notice the difference!

1 spaghetti squash
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pasta sauce
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 tsp basil
salt & pepper to taste
parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in quarters and remove seeds. Place cut side down in pan. Add some water to the pan. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for awhile. Then, using a fork scrape the inside of the squash to remove the "spaghetti". See picture below.

While spaghetti squash is baking heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until onion is soft and translucent. Add tomatoes, pasta sauce, zucchini, basil and salt & pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes, then let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve sauce over the "spaghetti" and top with parmesan cheese. Feel free to adjust the amounts for the sauce. I didn't measure when I made it and am guessing at the amounts now. ;-) Enjoy!

Cheesy Baked Ravioli

This is a pretty easy dish to make. Similar to lasagna, but with ravioli instead. Delicious!

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 pkg cheese ravioli
1 jar (14 oz) pasta sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozza cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
handful of spinach

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cook ground beef, onion over medium high heat. Drain grease, add the Italian seasoning. Stir in the pasta sauce and the tomatoes.

Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce in the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish. Arange 1/2 of the ravioli over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 the mozza cheese and 1/2 the cheddar cheese. Arrange a layer of spinach leaves over the cheese. Repeat meat sauce, rest of ravioli, then last 1/3 of the meat sauce. Finish with the last of the cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes covered, then remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes to let the cheese brown.