Slow Cooker Marinara from Fresh Tomatoes

If you're wondering what to do with all those tomatoes that are rapidly coming into season, this recipe is for you. I am thrilled at how easy and delicious it is. Very little effort is required and the result is a tantalizing marinara that is unbelievable rich.

The uses for this marinara are plentiful. Serve it over brown rice pasta for a traditional take, or do as I do and serve it over grated zucchini for a take on "raw" pasta. It's also great for topping over chicken, spicy chicken sausage, or fresh white fish. It even makes a great dip for vegetables.

Slow Cooker Marinara from Fresh Tomatoes

18-20 roma tomatoes, washed and quartered
1 medium yellow onion
3-4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt, pepper

Place roma tomatoes in a large slow cooker. Chop onion and mince garlic and add to tomatoes. Drizzle oil, vinegar, and agave over tomatoes. Add seasonings and stir.

Turn on lowest setting and cook for about 4 hours. About halfway through cooking time, mash mixture with a potato masher to break up the tomatoes, then stir before putting the lid back on.

This marinara really cooks down, so if you're feeding a crowd, double the recipe. You can always freeze leftovers.

As a side note, I left my marinara really chunky, the way it gets from mashing with the potato masher. If you like a smoother marinara, by all means take an immersion blender to it or blend in a high powered blender for a bit until it reaches the desired consistency. My husband does not like chunky tomatoes, so if he would have been home for this dinner, I would have pureed it a bit before pouring over zucchini.

Zucchini Banana Bread (grain and sugar free)

I am on zucchini overload right now, as it is just flowing in from my CSA like the land of milk and honey. I love the stuff; I've been sautéing it in grass-fed butter, roasting it, grilling it, and of course, using it in zucchini bread. I've made this bread several times now, each time changing up a thing or two to get to the "perfect" consistency. And this is it!

The key to this bread is in wringing out the excess water from the shredded zucchini before adding it to the batter. Otherwise the bread becomes too soggy (although still very good) and harder to cut without it falling apart.

I'm getting back on my high protein/fiber kick, and that is where this recipe really shines. Made exclusively from blanched almond flour, it is a sure fire way of getting the muscle-building protein and digestion-pleasing fiber in, while ditching the grains altogether. And the truly amazing thing about baking with blanched almond flour is that there is no need to add xanthan gum to bind things together. For some reason, it just works without it (something very rare in gluten free baking). Some people have sensitivities to xanthan gum; I personally don't, but if you do, it's just another reason that you will love this recipe.

Zucchini Banana Bread (grain and sugar free)

Dry ingredients:

3 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 cup xylitol
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon powdered stevia
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:

4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 heaping cups shredded zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 4 mini loaf pans with coconut oil cooking spray (I use Pampered Chefs stoneware mini loaf pan).

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then add milk, vanilla, and banana and stir. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.

With a paper towel, wring out the excess water from the shredded zucchini, then add to the batter and lightly stir a few more times to fully incorporate the zucchini.

Pour the batter into prepared loaf pans, lightly spreading the tops of the loafs with the back of a spoon to even out.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loafs come out clean. Cool in pans for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

The bread can be left out on the counter for the better part of a day, but thereafter wrap the loaves in a paper towel, seal in a ziplock bag, and store in the fridge.

Chocolate (Raw Milk) Milkshake

It's been hot, hot, hot here. So we've needed lots of foods that cool our bodies. My Vitamix has been getting a ton of use these days, as I've been whipping up milkshakes in the afternoon for our snacks. This is one of my favorites. It's creamy, smooth, filling, and super refreshing on a hot day. And, as with all of my snacks, contains a hefty dose of protein to keep those little bodies (and Mama's too) satisfied until dinnertime.


Chocolate (Raw Milk) Milkshake

2 cups ice
4 cups raw milk
1/4 cup almond or peanut butter
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons xylitol (or sweetener of choice)
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 banana

Place all ingredients in the order listed in a Vitamix or other high powered blender. Turn on high for 10-15 seconds, until completely blended. Serve immediately or store in the fridge and add more ice as desired.

Favorite Creamy Dressing (for Coleslaw, Potato Salad, Chicken Salad, etc.)

I'm finally getting around to posting my favorite dressing. This is the dressing I use whenever I need a creamy dressing for salad: potato salad, coleslaw, chicken salad, caesar salad, etc. You can play it up very easily too by adding fresh, chopped or dried herbs for a fresh take, or add curry or garlic powder for a more savory dressing. Sometimes I want it a little sweeter, so I just up the agave or honey by another tablespoon (or add a few drops of liquid stevia). It is so versatile!

The secret here is the milk. It is a secret my grandma shared with me about her famous potato salad. She says you need the milk to thin it out and make it really smooth. I agree with her, and have been making it this way (with the milk) ever since. If you don't have regular cow's milk on hand (we are now so thankful to have a supply of fresh raw cow's milk every week!), you can use almond milk in its place.

I hope you like this dressing as much as I (and my family) do.

Favorite Creamy Dressing

1/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave or honey
salt, pepper

Whisk all ingredients in the order listed in a small bowl until creamy consistency is reached. Makes about 3/4 cup of dressing. Pour over your salad of choice (see above for ideas).

Black Bean Pineapple Salsa

I'm super excited to be back blogging again. I have been out of blogging commission lately. We've had some ups and downs with our most recent home remodeling projects, and a few vacations in the mix over the last few months, all of this contributing to a schedule that has been anything but predictable. I guess with all of that going on, I sort of lost the momentum to record my recipe happenings.

Oh, but I have been busy in the kitchen! I've had a lot of inspiration as of late, with the bounty of fresh produce at my fingertips due to this amazing summer weather. My new CSA is showing a very promising harvest this year. My anticipation takes flight on Thursday afternoons when I get to pick up the week's share. The last few weeks we've had a wonderful supply of green onions, and I've been using them in darn near everything, from salads to burgers to kabobs to salsas (see below).

I had been ruminating about this black bean pineapple salsa idea for over a week, thoughtfully organizing its contents in my mind. I finally decided to put it all together the other night, and the results were even better than I expected. I mean, this is good stuff. Perfect for those summertime BBQs.


Black Bean Pineapple Salsa

Salsa:
1 15 oz. can or 2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed
1 cup pineapple
1/2 of a red pepper
1 whole green onion (both white and green parts)
1/2 cup cilantro

Dressing:
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon raw honey or agave
salt, pepper (a couple of good cranks on the grinder)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place black beans in a medium bowl. Chop pineapple and red pepper into bite sized pieces and add to bean bowl. Chop white bulb of onion and thinly slice green tops of onion and also add to bean bowl. Mince cilantro and sprinkle on top.

In a separate, smaller bowl, combine mustard, lime juice, honey, and salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Slowly add EVOO in a steady stream, whisking constantly until emulsified.

Pour dressing over black bean mixture and stir to combine.

Cinnamon Bread Mini Loaves (gluten free, sugar free)

These mini loaves are so good and baking them makes your house smell amazing. I love anything with cinnamon in it (and in fact use it on a daily basis, multiple times). There is something so grounding, so warming about this spice. It makes for the ultimate comfort food (I even put it in my chili). And it provides the main attraction for these wonderful bread loaves.

My son wanted to bake something special for his Awana teachers, Miss Jill and Miss Bonnie, so I suggested these. He thought it sounded like a great idea. So we'll be wrapping up one of these for each of his teachers and we'll enjoy one for snack time. I've made this recipe several times, the original inspiration coming from the blogsphere somewhere, I really wish I could remember where so I could give proper credit to its source, but alas it was quite some time ago and my recipe revisions are all that remain. I did, in fact, change many things from the original version, but nonetheless it always good to site back. So please forgive me this one time. :)

I bake my mini loaves in the Pampered Chef stoneware with the four mini loaf dividers. I've had this stoneware for years, getting it as a gift from my father in law back when my husband and I were newlyweds (almost 10 years ago now!), and I only started using it in the last few months since we moved. I had always been intimidated about baking in stone (don't ask me why), but now that I've baked in stone several times, I love it. It makes the best baked goods. I highly recommend stoneware for baking. In fact, I aim to add more stoneware pieces to my collection in the years ahead.

Either way you bake this, be it in stoneware or glass, you will be super impressed with this delicious, gluten and sugar free cinnamon bread.


Cinnamon Bread Mini Loaves (gluten free, sugar free)

Dry ingredients:
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup xylitol
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon powdered stevia
pinch salt

Wet ingredients:
1 egg
1 1/4 cups almond milk or raw cow's milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three mini bread loaf pans with coconut oil (I use the stoneware from Pampered Chef).

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk egg with milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir again to fully incorporate.

Pour batter into prepared bread loaf pans, spreading out the tops evenly.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let set about 10 minutes before slicing.

Chicken and Parmesan Spaghetti (gluten free)

This is the real deal. You would never know this delicious dinner recipe is gluten free, which is one reason I love working with brown rice pasta. I made this for my family tonight and after the first bite, my five year old asked if I could make it again. Of course, he loves noodles and was extra excited for the "cheese snow" (AKA grated parmesan) that I let him add to the top of his noodles.

Not only is it a super kid-friendly meal, it's also super easy, which is just what a mom of three young boys needs. I especially love the extra kick the red pepper gives this dish, however you should note that a little bit of crushed red pepper goes a long way, so if your kids are sensitive to spicy foods, keep the red pepper to a minimum (the adults can always add extra red pepper to the top of their individual dishes).


Chicken and Parmesan Spaghetti (gluten free)

1/2 pound gluten free spaghetti noodles (I used brown rice spaghetti noodles from Trader Joe's)
1 tablespoon coconut oil or grass-fed butter
1 medium yellow onion
5 cloves garlic
1 pound ground chicken
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt, pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
1 14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes (I used Muir Glen)
1/4 cup grated parmesean

Cook noodles according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, heat oil or butter over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Chop onion and add to pan, cooking for about 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Mince garlic and add to onion. Cook about 1 minute. Add chicken and spices (through red pepper). Using a wooden spoon, cook the chicken until cooked through and no longer pink, breaking it up into small crumbles as you cook. Add tomatoes and stir.

When the noodles are done cooking, drain the water and add the noodles to the chicken sauce and stir to coat the noodles. Add the parmesan and stir again.

Serve topped with additional parmesan (or cheese snow, as my five year old calls it!), if desired.