Re: Share favorite recipe sites?!

I'm in the midst of writing a cook book...I'll let this out of the bag for now...
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Basic Tomato Sauce/ Marinara

This sauce can be used for so many things. This recipe is for an economical batch. Freeze the
leftovers or make extra dishes with it for easy future meals. This recipe is actually for two versions, one with fresh tomatoes and the other with canned. Which one do you think?


Ingredients

1 large can (106 ounces) of crushed tomatoes or 10 pounds of fresh ripe Roma tomatoes

¼ c olive oil
12+ cloves garlic(minced)
1 medium onion (diced to your fancy)
2-3 bay leaves
1 packed fistfull chopped fresh basil(or 2 tbl dried)
1 fistfull chopped fresh oregano(or 2 tbl dried)
1 tsp fresh sage (or ¼ tsp dried)
1 3 inch sprig fresh rosemary( or a big pinch dried)
½ tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tbls dried)
1 tsp ground cumin or whole cumin seed
1 pinch dried anise seed (thanks Jane’s grandma Longo)
2 small hot red chili peppers (or ½ tbs dried red pepper flakes, like the ones you put on pizza)
1 tsp black or white pepper
1-2 tsp salt
½ c good red vino
3 tbl maple syrup (optional)

In a large pot, heat the oil on medium high and stir in the garlic, keep stirring for a minute then add the onions. Heat and stir until the onions are transluescent and not too crunchy. If canned tomatoes are being used, pour them in and stir in everything else. Turn down heat and simmer
uncovered on low for 1-3 hours, stirring frequently. Remove fresh rosemary sprig and bay leaves.
Simmer another hour or more until thick and not watery. If using for dry pasta casseroles a tad
thin is ok. For a richer ,tangier, thicker sauce-simmer the full 3 hours. Don’t forget to stir as the
tomatoes and maple have Sugar in them and will burn.

If you are using fresh tomatoes here’s what you do:

Wash the tomatoes (I use Dr. Bronner’s soap to clean if not organic). Heat a medium size pot of water to a full boil. Carefully drop in a half a dozen or so tomatoes into the water for about a minute. When you notice the skin cracking remove from pot and put more tomatoes in. While the others are cooking, over a huge bowl or pot, cut the tops off and then remove the skin, throw the tops and skin away (or toss in your garden for compost). Repeat and ‘viola’, you now have fresh tomatoes to use instead of canned! Simply crush with your hands or hand blender as desired. Add ½ tbl salt. Sauce is always better the next day, isn’t it? Though who can wait that long? For a healthier/heartier sauce, add: Black Olives, Bell Pepper, Mushrooms, Broccoli, Zucchini…
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here's a great site for ebooks...save paper!!!!!


http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/results



My best advise is to make a list of all your favorite foods and google them...
experiment and have fun. Food is so much better w/great ingredients and the right attitude in preparing them. Burned out on cooking for the family. Get them involved, make it a labor of love not drudgery. You will find that the kids love to cook and participate...makes them feel so good about themselves,too.

I make a great pizza and no one even knows that it's vegan...I love to see the looks on their faces when I tell them...especially the meat and dairy eaters! :P

I have adapted my cooking for a healthy lifestyle. I use tofu instead of ricotta cheese to make homemade lasagne and stuffed ravioli and manicatti,etc. Jutt drain the firm tofu overnight with a weight on it, mix a tad of olive oil, nutmeg,salt,pepper, chopped basil/parsley and make as usual...drizzle the top with some extra virgin olive oil and throw in the oven...

I could go on and on...

aloha...detour

I need a drool bib just writing this!