Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
minced garlic
1-28 oz can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
Italian seasoning (or oregano, basil, thyme)
1 can tomato paste
1 Tablespoon sugar
salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add the garlic and saute until golden. Add diced tomatoes (do not drain), tomato paste, seasonings and sugar. Bring to boil, reduce to med low and simmer until slightly thickened and consistency is what you want. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Serve over pasta with parmesan cheese.

Slowcooker Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

olive oil
onion, minced
carrots, grated
zucchini, grated
1-1/2 lbs - Ground meat (lean beef, turkey, chicken ...)
2 - 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (no salt added)
Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper
1/2 cup milk

Heat a saucepan over medium low heat. Add olive oil, onion, carrots and zucchini. Saute until onions are soft and translucent. Increase heat to medium high and add ground beef. Cook until browned. Drain fat.

Add meat mixture to the crockpot. Add crushed tomatoes, italian seasoning, bay leaves, salt & pepper. Cover and set to low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir in milk.

Serve over pasta with grated parmesan.

Broccoli Pasta

Super easy and tasty. It's a great way to get the kids (and the veggie hating grownups) to eat a ton of broccoli.

Ingredients:

Broccoli (2 crowns or approx 5 cups)
Pasta
Olive Oil
Garlic - 2 cloves (minced)
1 cup - Parmesan Cheese (grated)

Directions:

Cut broccoli into smaller pieces.
Boil water for pasta. Add pasta and broccoli at the same time. Cook until pasta is done and broccoli is soft. Reserve one cup of water. Drain pasta and broccoli. Set aside.

Return pot to element, add olive oil and heat. Add minced garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant and golden ... be careful not to let it burn.

Add pasta and broccoli back to pot. Stir until broccoli breaks up. Add water as needed. Add cheese and serve.

Beef, Squash & Maple Stew

Ingredients:

3 cups diced stewing beef
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup large diced butternut squash
1/2 cup large diced carrot
1/2 cup large diced white turnip
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup apple cider (I just used apple juice)
3 cups beef stock
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp finely chopped thyme
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp grape seed oil (I used canola oil)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat and brown the stewing beef in the pot. Add butter. Once melted, add flour, cocoa powder and mix to kind of coat the meat.

Place the beef, onions, butternut squash, carrots, turnip and thyme in the slow cooker. Add the maple syrup, apple cider and beef stock.

Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Makes 6 servings and is even better the next day.

Adapted from this non-slowcooker recipe here - Beef, Squash & Maple Stew

Split Pea Soup (Slowcooker)

Ingredients

1 (450 grams) pkg. dried green or yellow split peas
1 hambone or 2 ham (pork) hocks
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. seasoned salt or kosher salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
1 1/2 quarts hot water

Directions
Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given in the ingredient list. Pour in hot water. Do not stir.

Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off bone. Remove bones and bay leaf. Shred ham (if desired). If necessary (it usually isn't), mash peas to thicken more.

Serves 8.

Adapted from an About.com recipe ... that I can no longer find!

Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line 8x8" pan with parchment paper (criss cross two strips to make it easier to remove cooked brownies from pan). In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add vanilla, oil and eggs. Beat until just combined. Pour into prepared 8x8" pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

Homemade Yogurt

From JCasa

Ingredients
8 cups milk
1 cup plain yogurt

Directions
Bring milk to a simmer on medium-high. There will be a skin on top. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool until it's bearable to hold your finger in it.

Pour the milk into a bowl that has a lid. Stir (don't whisk) the yogurt into the milk.

Put the lid on the bowl and wrap the bowl in towels.

Leave it on the counter for 8 hours. After 8 hours check to see if it has gelled. Put some cheesecloth or paper towel on the surface to absorb the whey and put it in the fridge. Replace the cheesecloth when it can't absorb any more liquid.

Notes:
The longer you leave it on the counter the more tangy the yogurt will be. 8 hours was perfect for just a slight tang.

The more you change the paper towel the thicker the yogurt will get.

Save 1 cup of the yogurt for a starter for your next batch.

Blogged here.