EVERYDAY TOMATO SAUCE

This sauce is almost as easy as opening a store-bought jar, but the taste and health benefits are way better! My everyday tomato sauce can top your spaghetti, layer in your lasagna, cover your pizza, or be the perfect dip for garlic bread and mozzarella sticks. This recipe is one EVERYBODY should know, and the best part- it's easy enough for everybody to learn!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, small diced (about 1/4-1/3 cup)
28 oz. can unseasoned, crushed or pureed tomatoes
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbs. parmesan cheese (optional)
1 tbs. chopped fresh basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil
meat (optional- see below)

DIRECTIONS:
-in a medium sized sauce pan, warm 1 tbs. olive oil over medium-low/low heat
-add garlic and onion and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally
-add in crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper, cheese, and basil
-stir and let cook on low until warmed through
-serve and enjoy!

SHOUT OUTS:
This sauce was the start of my cooking passion. I would watch my Italian grandmother make sauce and learned at a young age to make my own. Though my sauce is good- it never tastes quite as good as hers did (like all grandma recipes!)

TIPS and ADAPTATIONS:
-To make a meat sauce, add your choice of the following into the sauce once all ingredients are combined: cooked ground beef, ground pork, crumbled sweet or hot Italian sausage, meatloaf mix, pulled pork, ground turkey, or ground veal (or use a combination of any of these! My favorite is a mixture of beef, pork, and veal- or a meatloaf mix) You can also add in some cooked, store bought or homemade meatballs into the sauce too!
-When cooking the garlic and onions, render/cook down some chopped pieces of bacon or pancetta with it.
-Add in your own favorite blend of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, and/or sage along with the basil.
-You can use dried herbs too (just remember: use about 1/3 of the amount of dried herbs as you would fresh- they are more concentrated with flavor!).
-Make it a blush sauce and add a splash of heavy cream or a large pad of cream cheese or goat cheese.
-Make it an arrabiata sauce (spicy!) by adding in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
-Leave out the garlic or onion if you don't like them. Try adding in some garlic or onion powder for a less intense flavor.
-Try adding a few cloves of roasted garlic for a more mellow, sweet garlic flavor.
-Make a BIG batch of sauce, and freeze single/family sized portions. Thaw for a quick dinner anytime!

ROASTED GARLIC

If you like cooking with garlic, you'll LOVE cooking with roasted garlic! As raw garlic is strong and slightly spicy, roasted garlic becomes mild, sweet, and carmelized; perfect for spreading, mashing, and mixing. Roast up a big batch, and keep stock, so you can always and easily add a little something special to your favorite foods!

INGREDIENTS:
1 head of garlic
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
-leaving the skin and cloves intact, cut off the top 1/4" to 1/2" of the garlic head, exposing the the top of each clove of garlic
-drizzle the top of the garlic with about 2-3 tsp. olive oil
-generously sprinkle salt and pepper on top
-wrap garlic in aluminum foil
-cook in a 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes
-remove from oven, and allow garlic to cool
-peel away foil
-squeeze the garlic, and the soft cloves should come right out, or use a knife or fork to gently pull out the cloves
-keep in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator
-add to recipes as you see fit, enjoy!

SHOUT OUTS:
No particular shout outs... I do though, have a family that LOVES garlic, so a little extra in any meal is a treat!

TIPS and ADAPTATIONS:
-Roast multiple heads of garlic at once, just wrap individually in foil.
-Mash up the roasted garlic and:
---add it to pasta sauces, soups, mayonnaise, gravies, pestos, and salad dressings
---mix with sour cream or goat cheese, and top a baked potato
---spread it onto crusty bread with a slice of brie or pair slice
---mix with cream cheese or hummus and create a cracker or vegetable dip
---place in a food processor with kalamata olives and capers for a delicious tapinade
---add to melted butter, and spread over a corn cobb
-When you sprinkle on the salt and pepper, sprinkle on some fresh chopped herbs such as basil, rosemary, thyme, and/or parsley for more flavor.

CATHERINE'S FAVORITE CHICKEN TENDERS

this recipe is a wonderful go-to flavorful, seasoned chicken recipe to use for salads; to fill fajitas and pot pies; put it in pastas and sandwiches, or simply eat it as a tasty piece of protein! basically- anytime you need cooked chicken for a recipe this is how you can prepare it.

INGREDIENTS:
boneless, skinless chicken tenders
seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper, season salt (such as Lawrys brand)
extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
-choose the amount of chicken you need for your recipe (about 4 tenders = one chicken breast)
-prepare it how you need (cube it, slice it thin, leave it whole...)
-evenly season both sides of chicken with a blend of seasonings
-cook chicken with about 1 tsp. olive oil (per breast) in a [preferably] non-stick pan

serves as much as you need

SHOUT OUTS:
this chicken was the favorite of Miss Catherine Monroe, in which she compared all other chicken around 'her favorite chicken'

TIPS and ADAPTATIONS:
-cooking in a non-stick pans allows you to use less oil- aka: it's healthier!
-for asian dishes, add some powdered ginger and coriander
-for latin dishes, add some chile powder and cumin
-if shredding the chicken, cook the breast whole, then shred the chicken by pulling it apart with 2 forks (or your hands if it's cool enough!)