Pasta in a Pinch!

It should come as no surprise that dinner time can be hectic over here at our house. We usually have at least one kid mad at what's on the menu, there's tears (sometimes from me), spills, the occasional over toasted bread and often feeding kids at different times. This is why finding meals that can be started earlier in the day and left alone is helpful. I can't rely on the crock-pot everyday though. I keep a few tricks up my sleeve for hectic days, or for when I forget to thaw something. This happens more than I care to admit... Luckily, with a good recipe and a little pretending to have my s*** together nobody questions my skills for raising a big family!

I want to start by telling you a little story of how I came upon the recipe I'm going to share. A few years ago I was having a few health issues and my doctor discovered that I actually had diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, which explained why everything else was happening. Needless to say I had to make some changes fast, I had a family depending on me. It started with what should be the easiest thing, but for most of us changing our diet is not easy at all. I'm one of those people! I cut out drinking pop, well I switched to diet because cutting it out was/is too much at once! At this same time in my life my Husband and I decided that my heart was no longer in the salon, but at home with my kids. I started cooking with fresh ingredients, making my own dishes instead instant and prepared foods. Since pasta is clearly the food that makes life worth living I had to figure out a way, besides portion control, to be able to enjoy it. After a few years of working with different ingredients and measurements I have a simple, go to sauce recipe!

Making this sauce is a lifesaver when I am in a pinch, or even when I actually have my life together as far as dinner planning. I took pieces from different recipes and went off how we like our pasta sauce. Friends and family actually ask for my advice when making their own sauce, imagine that! Don't get me wrong, I still have one child that is mad when it's cooking. He's a very picky eater, but he likes the sauce when I don't add meat. So, this post is a meatless sauce recipe but you can easily include a protein into it. I love to start this red sauce earlier in the day and let it simmer for a bit. If it's really early I just turn it off and warm it before serving it. I also adjust the sweetness and/or garlic depending on the type of pasta I'm making with it. Wanna know how to get your sauce started!?

I like to get the ingredients ready and prepped to make it even easier. My daughter and toddler like to help with this part too!

1 sweet onion, chopped. (if it's too big I freeze some chopped bits for another night)
1 can of each- tomato sauce (14 oz.), diced tomatoes (14 oz.) tomato paste (6 oz)
1 tbsp of each- basil, oregano, onion powder, sugar, salt
2-4 garlic cloves (chopped, pressed, grated, however you like)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can of water (the 14 oz)
2 tbsp of olive oil
1.5 pounds of ground beef or turkey (optional)

If you're using ground meat you'll want to get that browned first before these steps.

Warm the oilve oil, add chopped onions and simmer until they start to look a bit transparent.
Add your garlic.
Add the tomato paste, stir into onions until it loosens up.
Add seasonings, stir.
Add diced tomatoes, juice and all. stir.
Add tomato sauce, stir. Quickly add the water so it doesn't start to bubble everywhere.
Once it starts to simmer, turn it down to low and cover it. I let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

*I adjust the spices and sweetness sometimes so it works with all the pasta dishes that call for red sauce. My husband is not a fan of garlic so I adjust that also when I need to.

This sauce is so good, and so simple. It's also pretty easy to make it your own. We have added grilled chicken, ground meat, bell peppers, mushrooms and chili flakes before. Don't be afraid to zest it up in anyway you'd like! I hope you find this sauce as good as I do! It makes great leftovers too! The kids like to make mini pizzas with it after a meatless pasta night.

**The meatballs were packaged at Sam's club, not homemade!

Simple Side Dish

I love cooking and coming up with new recipes to add to the menu, but now that summer is here I find myself wanting to make an easy no fuss dinner. Probably because by the time dinner rolls around I'm wore out from keeping the kids busy all day. I'm gonna be honest, I'm not the most organized when it comes to meal planning in the summer either! That's why I love having a simple go to recipe that my family actually enjoys. I never really thought this rice was a big deal until I married my husband. It's something I started making to compliment all of my taco and burrito cravings at 18 years old. Since then I have added a few ingredients here and there depending on how fancy I'm feeling for dinner.

Last night was one of those nights that I wanted something good, but fast. I went with some chicken and black bean burritos, and of course this easy rice side dish. The kids always know when a Mexican dish is on it's way when they smell the rice getting "toasty" in the pot. My daughter also gets excited because there's not much left to clean up after since they empty the bowl!

The essentials are pretty minimal to make this dish, which my kids call "taco rice." The cook time is about 30 minutes, but the best part is once you pop the lid on you don't have to do anything else until it's done! Seriously, just let it cook while you set the table and grab a drink!

This amount feeds my family of 7 (until the babies eat more!)

1 cup of white rice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp of tomato bullion
2 cups of water

Optional add ins: corn, peppers, onions, beans, salsa.
*When adding something like salsa be sure to include the amount with the liquid measurement.

I started adding corn after my husband had rice at a restaurant that did theirs this way, he loved it! The kids seem to enjoy it more too so that's a plus! When I feel fancy I throw in black beans and onions too. When adding the veggies always add them first to the warm oil before the rice. Here's how I did this bowl...

Heat the oil over medium/high heat
Add 1 cup of corn, stir.
Once the corn is hot and lightly sizzling add your rice.
Heat until it smells toasty, add bullion, stir.
Add the water and bring to a boil.
Turn heat to low/simmer and cover with a lid.
Cook for 30 minutes, turn heat off. If you have a minute to let it steam go ahead. I do for about 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

It couldn't be any easier! This is my most requested side dish around here. Even when guests say they don't usually eat rice, they go back for more! I hope that you give this a try and enjoy it! My family is already asking when we can have the burritos again now too, I may have to post that recipe soon!