Easy Pizza Sauce

It really doesn’t get much easier than this! For a fast and tasty pizza sauce, this recipe delivers. The only thing I changed was using a 6-ounce can of tomato paste and adding a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity a bit. This sauce is super easy with a simple, great flavor.

Source: Easy Pizza Sauce, Cat Cora

Ingredients
1 (4-ounce) can tomato paste
1 ½ cups water
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
½ tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
½ tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
½ tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Directions
Mix together the tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Mix well. Add garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, oregano, basil, and rosemary. Mix well and let stand several hours to let flavors blend. No cooking necessary, just spread on dough.

Cranberry Orange Scones

I’ve made these scones many times—they may very well be my favorite of all. They are so beautifully light, billowy, and flaky with just a hint of orange flavoring and spotted with cranberries. This recipe can easily be adapted to use other dried fruit or citrus flavoring.

I usually use the zest of an entire large orange to amp up the flavor a bit, and I use vanilla sugar instead of regular sugar. This time, instead of making the orange glaze, I simply sprinkled each scone with a dusting of demerara (or turbinado) sugar on top of the egg wash. I also like to make my scones on the petite side—(some of the large ones are just too much for me to eat at one time)—so I used a 2 ½-inch fluted cookie cutter. Since they were smaller, I baked them for no more than 18 minutes.

Thanks to Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef for selecting this month’s Barefoot Bloggers Bonus Recipe Challenge. I love any excuse to make these scones!

Source: Cranberry Orange Scones, Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients
4 cups plus ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
¾ pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
½ cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, ¼ cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the dried cranberries and ¼ cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough ¾-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.

Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

Contessa's Curried Couscous

I was pretty excited to see this Barefoot Bloggers recipe selection, chosen by Ellyn of Recipe Collector and Tester. McHubby and I eat couscous pretty frequently. I love that it takes virtually no time or effort to make and is consistently tasty and comforting. I was further delighted when I checked my pantry and cabinets to discover that I practically had all the ingredients already—“how easy is that?” as Ina would say.

What a treat this dish turned out to be! I have never added so many ingredients to my couscous before—it was like a salad. The carrots, onions, and almonds gave it a crunchy texture while the curried yogurt sauce added a rounded smoky body to the mixture. So delicious!

Source: Curried Couscous, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients
1 ½ cups couscous
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ cups boiling water
¼ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup small-diced carrots
½ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup dried currants or raisins
¼ cup blanched, sliced almonds
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
¼ cup small-diced red onion

Directions
Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous, and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Lettuce Cups with Tofu and Beef

These lettuce cups are so flavorful and delicious, you’d never know you were eating healthy! It’s a fun but messy meal, since you eat with your hands. We had it for dinner, but this could easily be an appetizer, like many restaurants offer. If you’re unsure about the tofu, rest assured that you really don’t even taste it—it simply acts as a healthy “filler” ingredient, (low in calories and fat; good source of protein, calcium, magnesium, and iron).

I added a tablespoon of honey to the sauce to sweeten it just a bit. I also added a dash of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to the skillet mixture. For a hint of heat, we topped our lettuce “bowls” with Sriracha sauce before folding the leaves over.

There are a number of variations you can do with this recipe. You can substitute ground chicken, pork, or turkey for the meat. Use shrimp if you prefer a seafood flavor. For a vegetarian version, omit the beef and double the tofu, or even add rice.

Source: Lettuce Cups with Tofu and Beef, Ellie Krieger

Ingredients
1 tablespoons bottled chili-garlic sauce
1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sherry or Chinese cooking wine
8 ounces extra-firm tofu
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
4 scallions, greens trimmed and reserved, thinly sliced (about ⅓ cup each greens and whites - ¾-ounce each)
½ pound lean ground beef (90 percent or leaner)
½ cup finely diced water chestnuts
1 large head Bibb lettuce, outer leaves discarded, leaves separated
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
¼ cup chopped peanuts

Directions
In a bowl, whisk together chili-garlic sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar and sherry.

Slice the tofu into ½-inch thick slabs and lay the slices on top of paper towels. Use more paper towels to firmly pat the tofu in order to remove as much water as possible. This should take about 2 minutes and use about 3 paper towels. Finely mince dried tofu and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or extra-large skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger and scallion whites and cook until scallion whites are translucent and ginger is fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add ground beef and tofu and cook, stirring, until beef is opaque and just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add reserved sauce. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Add water chestnuts and stir to incorporate.

Fill each lettuce leaf with the filling. Serve garnished with scallion greens, red peppers, and peanuts.

Herbed Lentils with Spinach and Tomatoes

McHubby and I have been trying to get back to eating healthier again. I found this recipe and thought it would make a great side dish. The herbs in this dish create a fragrant bouquet and add wonderful flavor to the lentils.

Source: Herbed Lentils with Spinach and Tomatoes, Ellie Krieger

Ingredients
1 cup French lentils
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons diced shallots
3 cups baby spinach leaves (about 3 ounces)
1 cup halved grape tomatoes (about ½ pint)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Place the lentils in a pot with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still retain their shape. Drain any excess water from the lentils and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lentils, basil, parsley, and mint to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper and serve.

Lemon-Garlic Herbed Chicken

This lovely chicken dish imparts the aromas and flavors of the lemon, garlic, and herbs from soaking in the marinade. The preparation is so easy, it takes only minutes to make the marinade.

You can also place the chicken pieces in a freezer bag with the marinade so that it is ready whenever you want to have an effortless weeknight dinner.

Source: Lemon-Garlic Herbed Chicken, Complete Outdoor Living Cookbook, Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme, plus sprigs for garnish
3 cloves garlic, minced
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 frying chicken, about 3 ½ lb, quartered
1 cup water

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, soy sauce, chopped rosemary and thyme, garlic, shallot, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until well blended. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Add the chicken quarters and turn to coat evenly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and place on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour the 1 cup of water into the pan. Roast, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade up until the last 10 minutes of cooking, until golden brown and the juices run clear when a thigh is pierced, 45-50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh away from the bone should register 180 degrees F.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a transportable serving platter. Garnish with the herb sprigs, then cover with aluminum foil until ready to serve. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Salmon Fillets over Couscous

This is one of my favorite salmon dishes. It’s a healthy, delicious, Mediterranean-inspired recipe that doesn’t require a lot of time to prepare, perfect for a weekday meal.

I had a few extra ingredients on hand that I wanted to use up, so I added sliced red peppers and shallots on top of the fish. Also, to cut some calories, I used minimal butter, just for a hint of flavor and moisture.

Source: Salmon Fillets over Couscous, Bobby Deen

Ingredients
Olive oil
4 (4-ounce) pieces salmon
Lime
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Butter
Couscous, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to glass pan and place the salmon. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the top of the salmon and sprinkle with the House Seasoning. Top with pads of butter. Wrap in the foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve on a bed of couscous.

Couscous:
2 ¼ cups water or chicken stock
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
10 ounces couscous
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup green onions

Combine water or chicken stock, salt and butter in a saucepan, over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous. Add diced tomatoes, crumbled feta, and green onions. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Uncover, fluff with a fork, and serve hot or cold.