Holy cow I made 2 recipes from scratch... and didn't use a single recipe. Wanted to make a tomato sauce for some pasta the other night with my fresh tomatoes and basil. By george, it tasted almost as good as the Ragu I usually use. It was simple and smelled great. It looked a bit like salsa, but I am working on it still (sorry no pic of this, ate it too fast)

Tomato sauce
(made about 2 servings)
1/4 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp olive oil
2 medium to large tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 C chicken stock
fresh basil leaves finely chopped (I just threw these in, didn't really pay attention to amounts)

Heat oil in skillet over med heat. Add onion and garlic and saute till tender. Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper and oregano. Cook until tomatoes soften. Pour tomato mixture and basil in food processor and blend to desired consistency. Return to skillet and keep warm. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Then tonight was Spicy Ranch Chicken Wraps which is a Cooking Light recipe that we love. I ususally just buy the Lipton Rice Sides (see previous posts), but thought I would attempt my own stab at Spanish Rice. It turned out great. Thanks to all the tips I got from those of you at the Cooking Light Bulletin Boards. So it was great and I have tons and tons of it left. Pardon the fancy container, but here is a pic of it. And of course the recipe.

Spanish Rice
(this made about 6-8 good sized servings)
1/2 onion chopped finely
1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 C white rice (not instant)
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed into measuring cup
3 C chicken stock
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Heat oil in deep skillet over med heat. Add onion and red bell pepper. Saute until just softened. Add rice and toast till just turning golden (a couple of minutes). Be careful not to burn the rice. In liquid measuring cup, crush tomatoes and add chicken broth to total 4 cups. Stir into rice and add seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork.

Both of my recipes had a great flavor and were a smashing hit. Can't wait for the leftovers of this rice on Thursday with steak burritos.

  ¶ 8:28 PM