GardenFresh Tomato Sauce!

My neighbour has gifted me with several pounds of fresh tomatoes from her garden, so I'm going to make a boatload of fresh tomato sauce! Woot! Plus! It was National Vegetarian Day! Done!

Wednesday: Mommy's Pasta

Since my regular spaghetti sauce recipe has been designated for the kiddos, this is what I consider my own grown-up one. This is also a nice fast meal, one that is vegetarian but a grilled chicken breast can be added to meat that sucker up, should you desire. I love this with a nice red wine.

You will need:

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 c onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 28 oz can diced or whole tomatoes
1/2 c tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
16 oz whole wheat (or "smart" fibre enhanced) penne noodles (about 9 c cooked)
1/2 thinly sliced fresh basil
3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Heat the oil at medium heat in a non-stick pan, cook onions until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for just one minute more. Just one! Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce, bring to a boil.

Just added

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This is a good time to start your pasta and make a salad.

Thickened

Stir in salt and pepper, taste! Add more as needed.  Cut your basil like this:

In chiffonade!

Add pasta, basil and cheese to the pan, stir to coat. Serve!

Crockpot Herbariffic Chicken Stew with Buttermilk Biscuits

I usually do vegetarian on Wednesdays, but this week I have two appointments that day in two different parts of the city and a crockpot meal is just the ticket. Also, approximately eleventy-thousand inches of snow have fallen in the past few days, so a little comfort food is not going to go astray. The biscuits are super-fast and easy and can be done without a mixer.

Yay comfort food!

You will need:

For the stew:

4 cups carrots, either baby cut or coined (cut into thin-ish slices - I had massive carrots (again, not a metaphor) so I only had to use 2)

4 medium potatoes, dealers choice (I like red skinned) cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (about the size of a kids alphabet block)

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 tsp dried thyme leaves

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (must be thighs, breasts will dry oot)

3 c chicken broth

1 c whipping cream (or homogenized milk, which is what I can live with)

1/2 c all purpose flour

1 tsp dried thyme

Place the carrots, potatoes, onion and celery in a 5-6 quart slowcooker (I don't know what size mine is. It's big-ish and fits most stuff). Sprinkle with two teaspoons of thyme and salt and pepper. Top with the chicken and broth.

I lied and put the thyme, salt and pepper on top also

Cook at the lowest setting for 7 or 8 hours, then turn up to high.

Wait! It gets prettier!

Whisk the flour and whipping cream (or homogenized milk) with the teaspoon of thyme, add and cook for another 10 minutes or until it has thickened.

Necessary pic? Maaaaybe not

Taste it and add herbs / salt & pepper to taste. I find this can be a little bland, so make sure you taste before you serve. Don't keep opening it, though! Instead, start working on the biscuits.

For the biscuits:

2 c all purpose flour 

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp dried herbs (I like to use a combination of thyme, rosemary and Italian seasoning. or just thyme)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 c shortening (or lard. lard those babies right up)

1 c buttermilk*

1 Tbsp butter, melted

Picture that measuring cup on the right full of soured milk, instead of just vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a decent sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, herbs, salt and baking soda.

I like to use the pastry cutter for that - less dishes!

Cut in the shortening or lard with a pastry blender or two butter knives. You can substitute butter in part or full, but they won't be as fluffy. Does everyone know how to cut stuff into flour? A pastry blender is the easiest, but a couple of butter knives pulling in opposite directions will do the same:

Keep your fat in the fridge for this, you want cold shortening, lard or butter

One kitchen gadget I love

You want the mixture to resemble bread crumbs:

Crumb-y

Add the buttermilk. *If you don't have buttermilk, pour a tablespoon of white vinegar into a one-cup measure and fill the rest with milk. Let it sour and voila! Buttermilk! Stir it in, dough will be sticky. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly knead 10 times. Pat it into a circle, aboot an inch thick. You can roll it, but you are just going to get a rolling pin dirty for no good reason. That is pretty thick, don't make 'em thin. Cut it into traditional circles, or squares, whatever! Those are your biscuits, freak them right up. I like to do dinosaurs.

Blurry dinos

Brush the tops with melted butter, bake for 14 to 16 minutes until just golden.

I couldn't just make ONE T-Rex!

They can over-brown on the bottom, so keep an eye on them for the last minute. Take them off the sheet immediately. Right now! Faster, soldier! When all is done, the chicken and stew is going to be amazing:

Enjoy!