Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

This summer season, we have grown tomatoes, and yellow squash, and also have had a herb garden with fresh basil, thyme, oregano, thai basil, cilantro growing in our backyard. Its so much fun to cook with ingredients out of the back yard!

The tomatoes and fresh herbs inspired me to make this dish and also my budding 3 year old, who loves to eatt spaghetti, and that too, she slurps it all in, just like any of us! :) Love to watch her eat her spaghetti, and so is my 14 month old, very skilled I must say at eating his spaghetti ;)

I make a raw tomato sauce, with the tomatoes in my garden as well as some herbs. It comes out delicious!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 pounds unrefrigerated ripe tomatoes (preferably plum)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound spaghetti or spaghettini
• 1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound of fresh mozarella balls

Directions

1. Pulse tomatoes, garlic,oil, thyme and basil, along with salt and pepper in a food processor and blend to make a coarse sauce.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, and toss it in a serving bowl with the parmesan cheese. Leave some parmesan cheese to garnish. Toss in the raw sauce and the mozarella balls and toss gently to cover the pasta with the sauce. Transfer to 6 shallow bowls, and drizzle with oil. Garnish with the parmesan cheese and some torn basil leaves. Delish!

Breakfast Cookies

I got this recipe from the Martha Stewart Living Magazine. She has some really good recipes, which have always turned out to be a success! I modified this recipe quite a bit to make it completely healthy and delicious and crunchy. The modified version is as below. Also, I used only half the recipe, and inspite of that I made atleast about 2 dozen cookies!

They are delicious and go really well with tea or coffee! A must try!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups packed dark-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup raisins or currants
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dried mango
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dried strawberries
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried banana chips

 

Method:

1. Preheat a convection oven to 325 degrees or a conventional oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix just to combine.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture and mix until well combined.
5. In a separate bowl, add oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, raisins, mango, and strawberries and chocolate chips; mix to combine.
6. Add this mixture to the cookie mixture and combine gently.
7. I used an icecream scoop to make the perfect cookies.  Place them on the prepared baking sheets. Top evenly with banana chips. Transfer to oven and bake until golden and firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets.