After a busy day teaching second grade, and one awesome yoga class, it was all about getting a tasty dinner going, and quick! Hungry boys were waiting for some tasty love served up Mommy-style, and right now... Mommy's IN DA HOUSE!
A busy Monday (after losing an hour with daylight savings, no less) meant quick, easy, and probably some "cheating" in the din department (not proud, truth-telling)!
Tonight was a night for something quick and delicious, clearly a job for mouth watering red sauce (a "regular" here) and some pasta! Plain, perhaps, but making your own easy, fabulous sauce is the secret to the Mommy Super Hero Hall of Fame!
First... what do you have? Tonight we had cans of crushed tomatoes (ALWAYS!), some sad sack mushrooms that were overlooked all weekend and beginning to get depressed (alas...), and the usual suspects, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes! Start by slicing the mushrooms and put in a medium high heat sauce pot with at least 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil. Mushrooms like a "smokin' hot pot" and they cook fast while the moisture evaporates! Turn heat down to medium. After mushrooms wilt (7 minutes or so) add 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (we like heat) and garlic, knowing that the garlic can only take a minute or two in that hot pot before you need to add the tomatoes! Stir the base, and add that can of tomatoes and some salt (Kosher, please) and fresh ground black pepper. Let the sauce go for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better).
So, like I said... it's Monday, I just got home after working all day and here's where I'm just gonna say... I cheat! Full blown, busy weeknight kinda "git her done" kinda cheating... I... open... a carefully selected, prepared package of guilt (of the highest quality, though... I mean, come on, even I have standards).
I go to my carefully stocked Mommy-emergency freezer (full of secret weapons for Monday dinners) and pull out.... shhhhhh... Trader Joe's turkey meat balls and chicken sausage. DON'T JUDGE!! Hey, a girl's gotta work, and a girl needs her yoga class, so THIS girl's gotta do what she's gotta do... and let Trader Joe wear the super hero cape every once in a while. I closed my food snob eyes, and opened the bag and added to the sauce (hey... NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW... just sayin').
The BIG FINISH... cook your favorite pasta according to directions (al dente) and top with your delicious garlicky home made mouth watering red sauce!!! Grate some fresh Parmesan on top and rip some fresh basil leaves on top and you are on your way to flavor town! Remember... never judge a busy working Mommy making dinner on a Monday night! Just eat the tasty goodness and know that your eating a bowl full of Monday night love!!
Tonight was a night for something quick and delicious, clearly a job for mouth watering red sauce (a "regular" here) and some pasta! Plain, perhaps, but making your own easy, fabulous sauce is the secret to the Mommy Super Hero Hall of Fame!
First... what do you have? Tonight we had cans of crushed tomatoes (ALWAYS!), some sad sack mushrooms that were overlooked all weekend and beginning to get depressed (alas...), and the usual suspects, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes! Start by slicing the mushrooms and put in a medium high heat sauce pot with at least 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil. Mushrooms like a "smokin' hot pot" and they cook fast while the moisture evaporates! Turn heat down to medium. After mushrooms wilt (7 minutes or so) add 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (we like heat) and garlic, knowing that the garlic can only take a minute or two in that hot pot before you need to add the tomatoes! Stir the base, and add that can of tomatoes and some salt (Kosher, please) and fresh ground black pepper. Let the sauce go for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better).
So, like I said... it's Monday, I just got home after working all day and here's where I'm just gonna say... I cheat! Full blown, busy weeknight kinda "git her done" kinda cheating... I... open... a carefully selected, prepared package of guilt (of the highest quality, though... I mean, come on, even I have standards).
I go to my carefully stocked Mommy-emergency freezer (full of secret weapons for Monday dinners) and pull out.... shhhhhh... Trader Joe's turkey meat balls and chicken sausage. DON'T JUDGE!! Hey, a girl's gotta work, and a girl needs her yoga class, so THIS girl's gotta do what she's gotta do... and let Trader Joe wear the super hero cape every once in a while. I closed my food snob eyes, and opened the bag and added to the sauce (hey... NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW... just sayin').
The BIG FINISH... cook your favorite pasta according to directions (al dente) and top with your delicious garlicky home made mouth watering red sauce!!! Grate some fresh Parmesan on top and rip some fresh basil leaves on top and you are on your way to flavor town! Remember... never judge a busy working Mommy making dinner on a Monday night! Just eat the tasty goodness and know that your eating a bowl full of Monday night love!!
Parting shot... Stevie says: "This is Nick approved"!! and Stevie's THIRD helping has completely devoured the very last of all turkey meat balls in the house! GONE! BOOM!
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