From Scratch

So I've officially made my first from-scratch dish while at college.  What did I make?

Hm... Let's see...

Well, it involved a whole-lotta tomatoes!

So what was it?  Soup?  Salsa?  Something else?

..................

Tomato sauce!

*doh* I just realized that I never took a picture of the finished product (as in arranged nicely on a plate).  There were also green beans in a lemon-butter sauce and a salad of micro greens (arugula and mustard greens) with a tomato/honey mustard dressing, neither of which I have pictures of.  Oh well.  All I can say is "please imagine some pictures of the aforementioned items."

Ingredients:

    (Sauce)

• 5 cups fresh (or canned) tomatoes
• 1/3 fresh basil (julienned)
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp. thyme
• 3-4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 (or more/less to taste) red chili flakes
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 box pasta (any kind)

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    (Beans)

• 1/2 lb. green beans 
• 2-3 tbsp. (or thereabouts) butter
• 2 tsp. thyme
• juice of 1 small-medium lemon
• salt to taste   

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    (Salad)

• 2 1/2 cups assorted micro greens (any kind)
• 1/4 tomatoes (*fresh) - diced or minced
• dressing of choice

Directions:

    (Sauce)

1. Bring oil to temperature (high heat) in a good sized soup pot or sauce pan.
2. Cut tomatoes (if using fresh) into thin slices.  Add them to the hot oil.
3. Let tomatoes sauté on their own for about 10 minutes, or until it starts to look like the beginning of a chunky tomato soup - whichever comes first.
4. Add salt, red chili flakes, thyme, and basil.  Mix well.
5. Reduce heat to medium, and allow sauce to simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (it usually takes me about 45 minutes).
6. After sauce has simmered, add cheese.
7. **Somewhere towards the end of step #5, begin to cook the pasta.

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    (Beans)

1. Trim the ends off of your green beans, and boil them in salted water until they reach a vibrant green color.
2. Drain water (as much as possible) from beans, and return to pot.
3. Add butter, lemon juice, thyme, and salt to the green beans, and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

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    (Salad)

     ***self-explanatory :)

Smiling Spaghetti

Look closely and you'll surely see a smile in the plate of spaghetti and meatballs below:

The hidden "smile" was completely unintentional - I only noticed it after I took the picture.

This recipe is straightforward and quick - somewhere between 30 minutes and 1 hour of total prep/cooking time.

Ingredients:

     (MEATBALLS)

• 1/2 lb ground beef (85-15 or 90-20 works best)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg (large)
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. rosemary 
• 1/4 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup romano cheese
• 2 tbsp (or thereabouts) oil

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(SAUCE)

• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 2-3 fresh tomatoes (medium "chop" using blender)
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 fresh basil leaves (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 1/2 tbsp. thyme
• 1 tbsp. rosemary
• 1 tbsp. red chili flakes
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic (minced or thinly sliced)

*INSTRUCTIONS*

1. Combine ingredients for meatballs.
2. Form meatballs using 2 tablespoon-sized scoops of meat mixture.  Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet/pan/large pot on medium-high heat.  Place meatballs in skillet (about 6 - 8 at a time) in order to get a golden brown sear on all sides.
4. Set aside seared meatballs.
5. In the same pot used to sear the meatballs, use an additional 2 tbsp. oil (medium - medium/high heat) to sauté garlic until oil achieves a garlicky aroma.
6. Add the tomatoes, followed by the salt, rosemary, thyme, red chili flakes, and basil.
7. Allow sauce to simmer (medium heat) for approximately 15 minutes, then add the meatballs.
8. Let meats and sauce simmer for an additional 15 to 30 minutes.
9. During the last 15 minutes of step 8, add spaghetti noodles to a pot of boiling salted water.
10. Once pasta, sauce, and meatballs are done, generously ladle sauce and meatballs over a plate of pasta.  Garnish with parmesan cheese and cilantro (or parsley) if desired.