Tag Archives: garlic

Roasted Tomato Asparagus Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce (GF, Vegan)

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Roasted tomatoes, asparagus and garlic – oh my! Some of my favorite veggies take an easy, slow-roast in the oven before dressing up pasta – I’ve used a gluten-free option made from chickpea flour, but you can substitute traditional pasta, zoodles or whatever you like! Read on to get my delicious recipe for Roasted Tomato Asparagus Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce. It works for nearly every type of diet – gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and more. With April being National Celiac Awareness Month, it’s great to have a great pasta alternative on hand that everyone can enjoy.Roasted Tomato Asparagus Pasta with Cream Garlic Sauce

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DIY Garlic Pizza Sauce and Saucesome Food Pairings

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Two-Minute Homemade Garlic Pizza Sauce can be made in a flash, saves money and lets you control the spice.Yeah, yeah . . . National Pizza Day was yesterday. I may be a day late, but definitely not a dollar short with this easy-to-make homemade garlic pizza sauce recipe that will take your pie to the next level. Homemade garlic pizza sauce tastes better, saves money and can be made ahead and frozen for a busy weeknight dinner solution. Store-bought sauces can be kind of pricey, especially the better ones – but my creation saves you some dough (see what I did there?) that can be put towards your favorite fresh toppings. Personally, I love Campari tomatoes, spinach and roasted garlic – but the kids are pepperoni addicts all the way. As for the crust, I’m staying out of the crust controversy – pan crust, thin crust or even cauliflower-carrot crust, it’s up to you. Make it your way, I’m just here to share the sauce. DIY Homemade Pizza Sauce is perfect for your pie and to use with nearly everything -- sauce to dunk bread, shrimp, cheese, to toss with pasta or zoodles, or to simmer with eggs!The secret to this pizza sauce recipe is a can of “fire-roasted” tomatoes and Instantly Fresh herbs – I’m a big fan of these freeze-dried herbs and garlic from Litehouse Foods, but you can also use regular dried herbs or fresh if feeling fancy.  Those not in the know would think this hearty sauce had been simmering all day on the stovetop and not whipped up at warp speed in a blender. Make a double batch and freeze for a busy weeknight dinner solution. Other recipes that are insanely good with this pizza sauce: Egg & Zucchini Ragu Eight Minute Egg & Zucchini Ragu   More Eggs . . .Portabello Eggs Inferno:   Portobello Eggs Inferno makes a quick and easy breakfast, lunch or dinner! Dip Roasted Spicy Creole Shrimp into Pizza Sauce (instead of cocktail sauce): Shrimp sauteed with Cajun spices  

DIY Homemade Garlic Pizza Sauce to Pour on Saucesome Things #CLblogger #Fitfluential #InstantlyFresh

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So, what is your favorite topping for pizza? Dare I ask, what is your sauce strategy? Do you cut your pizza in wedges or squares? Do you consider pizza something for a “cheat” day or a well-balanced, hand-held meal? Please share in the comments – XOXO, Jennifer

Linking up with Running On Happy and The Fit Foodie Mama

DIY Homemade Pizza Sauce is perfect for your pie and to use with nearly everything -- sauce to dunk bread, shrimp, cheese, to toss with pasta or zoodles, or to simmer with eggs!
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DIY Garlic Pizza Sauce and Saucesome Food Pairings
Prep Time
2 mins
Total Time
2 mins
 
No pre-packaged pizza sauce here, this easy homemade recipe takes your pie (and pasta) to the next level, saves money and lets you control the spice.
Course: Condiment, Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Creole - Cajun, Italian
Servings: 16 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 15-oz can fire roasted tomatoes, drained
  • 2 tablespoons oplive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes more or less to taste
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to blender and blend for approximately 45 seconds or until ingredients combined and tomatoes broken down but not completely pureed. Spread out sauce thinly on prepared pizza crust. Makes sauce for 3 medium or 2 large pizzas. Store leftover sauce in refrigerator or freeze in air-tight zip-top plastic bag.

No Beef with Beef! Black Garlic and Steak Curry

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Black Garlic Beef and Bean CurryDo not mess with my beef. People have been eating red meat since the dawn of time and lived to tell about it. In fact, beef and other red eats fueled their bodies with some pretty dam good nutrients to help them conquer and recover from the day.  I say this in the light of all the “red meat causes” cancer hullaballoo in the media this past week.

jennifer beef for kebabsThat is such media hype. In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer itself was divided on whether or not to finger point red meat (beef, lamb, pork, etc) as a “probable” source of cancer. Most scientists agree that it is unrealistic to isolate a single food as a cause of cancer from a complex dietary pattern further complicated by lifestyle and environmental factors.

You can read the beef industry’s response in this press release, Science Does Not Support International Agency Opinion on Red Meat and Cancer.

Eat Real FoodI’m still also a little riled up about the governmental recommendations for the 2015 Governmental Dietary Guidelines. They are minimizing the importance of animal-based protein and pushing plant-based — all without sound scientific study. I won’t delve back into the whole can of worms here but I did in a recent blog post. However, I will reiterate that after 30 years of the government telling us what to eat by way of the Food Pyramid and MyPlate, Americans are fatter and sicker than ever. You can find out more about this and demand better science behind the guidelines here.

So, I’m going to keep on eating beef.Just try and stop me! Here’s a new favorite weeknight recipe I’ve been making the family. It uses one of my favorite cuts of beef – top sirloin steak.  Sirloin is just such a versatile cut of beef – it’s not too pricey, it’s lean without being tough, and perfect for a range of cooking methods including grilling, pan searing and stir-frying.

black garlicThis recipe for Black Garlic, Beef and Bean Curry is amazing. The secret ingredient is Black Garlic, a new-to-me ingredient that you can find in your produce section or Friedas.com. It’s soft and mellow and packed with umami wonderfulness – it’s been fermented in soy sauce and aged. You HAVE to try this and also need to discover over friends favorite finds this week at Happy Fit Mama’s High Five Friday!

 

 

Black Garlic Beef and Bean Curry

 

No Beef with Beef! Black Garlic & Steak Curry #TxBeef #Friedas #NutritionMatters

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So, do you have any concerns over eating red meat? How many times a week do you eat beef? Are you sick of media hype over every single thing in the world? Please share in the comments below — XOXO, Jennifer

Black Garlic Beef and Bean Curry
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Black Garlic, Beef and Bean Curry
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 
Put a little "black magic" into your weeknight dinner with this easy skillet meal that features black garlic fermented and aged to amazing umami perfection.
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces dry gluten-free black bean spaghetti or buckwheat soba noodles
  • 8 cloves black garlic (1/2 head), smashed or sub regular garlic
  • 1 lb sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 lb French green beans
  • 1 pint button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 14 to 15-oz can lite coconut milk
  • Sriracha to taste
Instructions
  1. Bring large pot of water to boil and boil noodles according to product directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. Lightly coat large skillet with oil and quickly cook sirloin strips with black garlic for approximately 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from pan while still somewhat pink in the center. Set aside; this will be stirred back in when recipe is finished.
  3. Add mushrooms, green beans and ¼ cup of water to skillet, cover and let steam for 2 minutes. Take lid off and add curry paste, soy sauce, fish sauce and coconut milk. Stir to blend.
  4. Add drained noodles to skillet and stir until evenly coated. Cook until sauce is reduced, about 3 – 5 minutes. Stir cooked beef into recipe. Add Sriracha sauce, to taste, for desired level of hotness.

Pesto, Spinach & Roast Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms – Vegan #MeetChef

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Thanks to Gardein for introducing me to their Gardein The Ultimate Beefless Ground and for sponsoring today’s post.

Making a big stuffed mushroom for dinner is so satisfying and pairs so well with beef!  But, what if you’re not into beef as much as I am and are looking for a vegetarian or vegan option? You should check out The Ultimate Beefless Ground from Gardein – it’s amazing! Being the beef girl that I am (who also does meatless meal, too – variety is the spice of life),

Pesto, Spinach and Roast Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms are made with Beefless Ground and makes a satisfying vegetarian or vegan dinner.

I was skeptical of the product. I had a carnivorous family member coming over for dinner who is making some changes in diet and lifestyle and I wanted to put this meatless product to the ultimate test.

Prepping a meatless dinner is super convenient with Gardein Beefless Ground.

Prepping a meatless dinner is super convenient with Gardein Beefless Ground.

I created a recipe for Pesto-Stuffed Portobella Mushrooms and used The Ultimate Beefless Ground as the primary protein source – I served up the dish and didn’t say a word about the ingredients.  I thought was absolutely delicious and studied the face of my guest – what was he thinking?  Well, I got complement after complement on my recipe and when I finally broke the news that we were having a #MeatlessMonday meal, jaws dropped. Everyone gave the The Ultimate Beefless Ground from Gardein a thumbs up on taste and texture. And, as the chef, I have to say it was so simple to make —  I just tossed the beefless ground in my skillet with a little olive oil, spinach, pesto sauce and vegetable broth and within about 2 to 3 minutes, my portabella mushrooms were ready to stuff!

Pesto Spinach & Roast Garlic Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Each ½ portion of the beefless ground (on its own) has just 80 calories with 12 grams of protein and no cholesterol or transfat. It’s also gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and kosher.  In addition to my easy stuffed-mushroom recipe, this plant-based protein is excellent in everything from tacos to chile to pasta or crumbled on nachos. All Gardein products are found chillin’ in the freezer aisle at your favorite grocery store.  Save yourself a dollar with this coupon (available for download until May 31, 2015).

Mushrooms ready for the oven!

Mushrooms ready for the oven!

The roasted garlic I used in the recipe is so insanely good and easy to make. Roasting in the oven takes the bite out of garlic and gives it a milder, sweeter taste. The recipe is simply to take peeled garlic cloves, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 F degrees for about 20 minutes, turning once. You’ll definitely want to make a big batch and use in salads, on pizza, mash up as a paste to marinate!

Roasting garlic is super easy and takes out the bit, leaving a mellow and sweeter flavor that is great in so many recipes

Pesto Spinach and Roast Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms #Meatless #MeetChef @Gardein https://ooh.li/e44c699

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If you are looking for other vegan and vegetarian dinner options, you will like my Teriyaki Chick’n Chop Salad.

Pesto, Spinach and Roast Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms are made with Beefless Ground and makes a satisfying vegetarian or vegan dinner.
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Pesto, Spinach & Roast Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms - Vegan
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Pesto, spinach and mellow roasted garlic come together in a delicious portabella mushroom that makes an easy dinner for meatless monday or when you need a vegetarian or vegan recipes. Uses The Ultimate Beefless Ground from Gardein.
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Beefless Ground plant-based protein From Gardein
  • 2 cups fresh spinach packed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped roasted garlic or can use minced from jar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable stock
  • 1/4 cup basil pesto store bought vegan or regular based on your diet needs
  • 2 large portabella mushroom caps rubbed clean
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 cherry tomatoes for garnish
Instructions
  1. In medium skillet, add spinach, beefless ground, garlic and vegetable stock. Saute over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until protein crumbles are cooking and spinach is wilting.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in pesto sauce, coating everything.
  3. Brush outsides of cleaned mushrooms with olive oil. Stuff gilll side high with half the mixture each. Top with a cherry tomato and extra garlic, if desired.
  4. Bake in 400 F degree oven for 18 - 20 minutes or until mushroom is softened and juicy.