Main Dish

The rich, delicious flavor of this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes is like stepping into a sweet Italian grandma’s kitchen, smelling the aroma of tomatoes and garlic roasting creating anticipation to the delicious bowl of spaghetti you soon will be eating.

What to do with so many cherry tomatoes?

I was trying to figure out what to do with the abundance of cherry tomatoes that are growing now when I came up with the idea to create this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh roasted tomatoes.  

How To Roast Cherry Tomatoes

Roasting them was easy. I do have a tip, however, to get the roasted tomatoes to hold their flavor and shape. After cutting them in half, toss them in a colander and sprinkle salt on them. Let them rest there for 30 mins in your sink.  This will help draw the moisture out. After that pat, any excess moisture of with paper towel and then place the tomatoes in a dry bowl for the next step,  seasoning.  I also put sliced zucchini in the with the tomatoes and garlic to add another layer of flavor.

Fresh herbs are always best if you have them to make this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes.  If not most groceries sell the plants now in the produce section. I find them cheaper than the little packs they sell and I can get several trimmings off of them if I keep them watered.

I have a hydroponic garden tower that I have all my herbs for this recipe growing in. I have been able to keep this going year round, but I do have to pull it into our garage in the winter and use plant lights.

For this light pasta meal, I ramped up the nutrition and cut out the gluten by using Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa Spaghetti Pasta.  Quinoa is an excellent alternative choice to wheat pasta since it doesn’t get mushy when it’s cooked. It tends to be higher in protein than other gluten-free varieties, and it contains high amounts of fiber and iron. Another plus, it cooks quickly and does not clump together like other grain alternative pasta.

Quick Vegan Cheese Topping  Substitute

I also created something a little different for this recipe to go with this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes, I wanted to a topping like cheese but I’m vegan. So I created an alternative that I like even better than parmesan cheese.  I mixed dried Italian bread crumbs equally with nutritional yeast, tossing to mix and then sprinkled on top of my spaghetti.

Another great pasta dish to try is Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach. It’s a one-pot wonder of creamy light lemon and garlic flavors that is an easy healthy vegan meal your entire family will love.

Print

Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach is a one-pot wonder of creamy light lemon and garlic flavors that is an easy healthy vegan meal your entire family will love.

The secret to creamy almost cheesy vegan spaghetti.

The key to making this lemon spaghetti rich and creamy is surprisingly in the pasta you choose and the way you cook it.  I use quinoa and brown rice past so that I can serve a gluten-free dish.

Quinoa is a seed that packs a punch for nutrition. Quinoa pasta is my favorite alternative to wheat pasta because when you serve it you can’t tell the difference from regular pasta.   It’s a whole grain that is loaded with plenty of fiber, protein and 25% of your daily need for iron.

The secretto making a creamy sauce is the process of cooking the quinoa and rice noodles directly in the vegetable broth and coconut milk.  Quinoa is a seed that puts off starch when cooked, it’s like a natural rue being made in the pot while the noodles are being cooked. If you boil quinoa and brown rice noodles to use for other pasta dishes I suggest rinsing them before you sauce them.

I buy my quinoa and brown rice noodles from Trader Joes.  It’s over an hour drive for me to get to our closest one so sometimes I order them off of Amazon. They are one of my favorite pasta products and I keep them stocked in my pantry regularly.

Another great recipe I make with quinoa and brown rice noodles is my Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes.  It’s like stepping into a sweet Italian grandma’s kitchen, smelling the aroma of tomatoes and garlic roasting creating anticipation to the delicious bowl of spaghetti you soon will be eating.

Shop The Recipe

Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa Spaghetti Pasta

Buy Now →

Raw Organic Cashews

Buy Now →

Coconut milk with cream

Buy Now →

Print

Fire up the grill for this slightly spicy, exotic flavored Thai Grilled Chicken.  It’s easy to prep ahead so all you have to do at dinner is to grill and eat, which is perfect for a quick night dinner or a bbq on the patio.

 

 

 

I created a Thai Seasoning blend that is easy to make and can be kept on hand in your pantry.  This blend of seasonings can be used to impart the flavor of Thai into meats, vegetables or grain dishes. Be sure and print a copy of the recipe and keep a batch on hand.

For this grilled chicken I used the Thai Seasoning as a rub, and then coated the chicken with unsweetened shredded coconut.  I have  a hint for you,  use disposable latex gloves to rub the seasoning onto the chicken.  The turmeric in the seasoning will stain your hands a pretty shade of yellow if you don’t have gloves on.

 

 

 

This chicken would be great on a bed of lettuce, add some mandarin oranges and toss with an  oil and vinegar dressing, you will have a light and delicious dinner.

 

 

Print

 

Thai Grilled Chicken Nutrition

Your family will applaud your dinner when you make this healthy and delicious Eggplant and Beef Meatballs Recipe.

 

 

My daughter bought me some graffiti eggplants while she was at Dekalb Farmers Market in Atlanta. She got them for me because they were pretty (yes my family knows I like to take pictures of fruits and vegetables)  and she knew I certainly like eggplant. However, the challenge was to use them in a recipe that my non eggplant eaters would not notice and maybe after trying it they would say, “There was eggplant in there? Maybe I do like eggplant!”

So I went to work at creating a recipe that turned out even better than I planned! I decided I wanted an Italian twist on meatballs, so I seasoned my panko bread crumbs with my Homemade Zesty Italian Seasoning and Dressing Mix, cooked the eggplant in olive oil and garlic, then added low-fat grass fed beef.

 

 

I then baked the meatballs in the oven instead of frying on the stove top. It truly became a low-fat, healthy meatball dinner.

 

 

The meatballs were a hit!  My two year old granddaughter was over spending the night when I served them and she normally will not eat any type of meat. However,  not these meatballs, she asked for seconds and thirds and then wanted them the next day for lunch.  My non eggplant eaters all thought they were moist and full of great Italian flavor too.

For more great meatball ideas on preparing, cooking tips and recipes be sure and check out My Kings Cook’s post    Quick & Easy Ways on How to Make Meatballs You Probably Didn’t Know Exist  The article has great photos and will teach you everything you need to know about making great meatballs of all kinds.

 

 

 

 

 

Print

Eggplant and Beef Meatballs Recipe Nutrition