"Quesadillas"

This recipe's name was "quesadillas" but I don't think that's very fitting. I also can't think of a good name for it. Oh well. Eva loves these dipped in sour cream.

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2 red or orange bell pepper, chopped

7 oz. canned corn (1 c. frozen works well too)

1 can black beans

1 c. cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. honey

corn tortillas

salsa

Heat oil in a pan and cook onion and pepper for 3 minutes. Add corn and beans and cook for about 2 minutes or until onion and pepper are soft. Add vinegar and honey and heat for about 1 minute then remove from heat. Spread half of each tortilla with salsa. Top with corn mixture and some cheese. Roll the tortillas and put on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil until filling is hot and topping is golden brown.

*Can add shredded chicken if desired.

Cafe Rio Style Rice

5 Cups water
4 teaspoon chicken bouillon
4 teaspoon garlic minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green Chiles
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 onion
21/2 cup rice

Blend cilantro green Chiles, and onion together in food processor.
Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer cover 30
minutes.

Best pizza I ever made

Have you seen the Food Network show The Best Thing I Ever Ate? Well, if you have then imagine this is my episode of the best pizza I ever made. And maybe even the best pizza I ever ate, which is saying a lot considering the amazingness of Pizzeria 712. The crust alone is to die for, so don't cheat and make a different crust or buy something pre-made - it's worth the time (oh, did I mention you need to start it about 6 hours before you want to serve it?) And without further ado, I give you:

Pizza Bianca with Goat Cheese and Greens

Crust

• 3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour

Seasoned oil

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Topping

• 1 bunch Swiss chard (about 10 ounces), white ribs cut away
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• Yellow cornmeal
• 8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
• 4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

For crust:
Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil and salt, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare seasoned oil:
Mix oil, garlic, and red pepper in small bowl. Let stand 1 hour.

For topping:
Cook chard in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water; drain. Squeeze dry, then coarsely chop. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add chard and stir 1 minute. Season to taste with salt.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes.

Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella over dough, leaving 1-inch border. Scatter chard over mozzarella. Top with goat cheese. Brush crust edge with some of seasoned oil. Set aside 2 teaspoons seasoned oil; drizzle remaining oil over pizza.

Bake pizza until crust is brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven; brush edge with seasoned oil and serve.

Recipe found HERE

Jessie's variations:

I also added some fingerling potatoes on top. Just boil the potatoes until tender (about 10 minutes), slice thin and arrange on top of the chard. I also sprinkle a little bit of garlic salt with the cornmeal on the bottom.

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, spinach and feta

I made this for dinner tonight and it was SO good. So very good. And easy. Walmart (yuck) was out of spinach (what!? I know) so I added a cup of frozen peas instead. It was amazing.

1 cup orzo
Salt-about 1/2 tsp. for boiling water

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup packed fresh spinach
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/3 cup feta cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a medium sauce pan, bring 4 cups of water to boil. Add the salt. Stir in orzo. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain orzo and set aside.

2. In a small sauce pan, saute garlic in olive oil. Add in asparagus pieces. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Stir in spinach. Cook until asparagus is tender and the spinach shrinks down.

3. Put the orzo in a medium bowl and add in the vegetables. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the orzo and vegetables. Stir. Season with salt and pepper. Taste-add more lemon juice if you wish. The lemon I used was huge, so I only needed to use one lemon. If you need more juice, go ahead.

4. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top of the salad. Serve warm.

Serves 4

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

Pioneer Woman does it again! I don't think I've tried one of her recipes and not liked it. Every time I make something from her Web site, it's always a hit. And a good thing too, because I've been striking out on meals lately. Jason was so delighted when I made something that was actually eatable.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 14.5 ounce can artichoke hearts (quartered or whole), drained
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound thin spaghetti
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives or other herbs


Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not under salt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chopped chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.


**I also added asparagus to the dish and it was perfect. I chopped up 1/2 pound (and I only used the top couple inches of each stalk) and added them in when sauteing the garlic and onions.

Roasted-Vegetable Tacos

*So, I'm not sure what it is...but I really love this meal!

Roasted-Vegetable Tacos

Olive oil flavored cooking spray
1 Medium onion, cut into wedges
1 Medium bell-pepper, cut lengthwise into eighths
1 Medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 Cup sliced mushrooms (3 oz)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 Cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)
8 taco shells (I use soft corn tortillas or flour tortillas)
3/4 Cup salsa
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1 Heat oven to 425. Spray cookie sheet pan with cooking spray.

2. Place onion, bell pepper, zucchini and mushrooms in single layer in pan. Spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes, turning vegetables once, until vegetables are tender.

3. Sprinkle cheese into taco shells or tortillas. Top with vegetables and salsa. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Honey-Dijon Roasted Fingerlings

I was at Harmons (my favorite grocery store) searching for food to serve for Sunday dinner. In the produce section, I noticed the fingerling potatoes, which I've always wanted to try, and right above them was a recipe. I figured it was worth a shot, but I didn't expect it to be nearly the hit it was. They were so easy and amazingly delish.

2 lbs assorted fingerling potatoes
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp honey
2 tbsp chives, freshly chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash fingerling potatoes in cool water, pat dry and set aside. In a large mixing bowl toss together olive oil, salt, pepper, mustard and honey. Add fingerlings to mixture and coat each potato well. Transfer fingerlings to a 9x13 pan. Place in the center of oven and bake fingerling potatoes uncovered for 25 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Rotate frequently to cook evenly. Garnish with chopped chives and serve while hot.

Black Bean + Grilled Corn Salad

I'm taking over this week with the summery food posts, sorry!

Dressing:

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp cumin
zest and juice of 2 limes
salt + pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Whisk it all together and set aside

Salad:
2 ears grilled corn, cut off the cob
2 cans rinsed and drained black beans
1 red pepper, diced
1 mango, diced

Toss everything in the dressing. Delicious served alongside a quesadilla or grilled chicken breast. If you half it like I did, it's perfect for two.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Crustless Spinach Quiche

*I used real spinach leaves and cooked them down over the stove in a bit of water and drained them.

2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1/2 Cup whipping (heavy) cream
1/3 Cup pesto
1 Package (10 ouches) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
5 Eggs
1 Cup chunky spaghetti sauce

Heat oven to 375. Spray quiche dish (9x1 1/2) with cooking spray. Mix 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, the whipping cream, pesto, spinach and eggs until well blended; pour into quiche dish. bake uncovered 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Meanwhile, heat spaghetti sauce in small saucepan until hot; keep warm. Cut quiche into wedges. Serve with spaghetti sauce.

4 Side Dishes = 1 Meal

On my quest to eat healthier (eat less meat, more veggies) I found that there are a lot more side dishes than main dishes to choose from. So, I made these four side dishes into a complete meal. It was delicious. (I found these recipes in Betty Crocker's November 1999 Holiday magazine...and I don't think St. Patrick's Day was the holiday they were thinking of...but I made it anyway.) Perhaps to make it looks like like 4 side dishes I would add more squash and put it over the rice.

Included in my meal:
Butternut Squash Saute
Hazelnut Parmesan Asparagus
Brown Rice
Beets (I didn't put recipe on...since I just got it from a can)

Butternut Squash Saute
Prep: 20 mins. Cook: 20 mins.

4 Slices of bacon (for vegetarian, take out bacon and add a little butter instead)
1 Medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
6 Cups 1/2 inch pieces peeled butternut squash (2 small)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/8 dried thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 Cups firmly packed baby spinach leaves

Cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp (or just melt butter for vegetarian style). Stire in onion. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in squash, thyme and pepper. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender. Stir in spinach just until wilted.

Hazelnut Parmesan Asparagus
Prep: 15 mins. Cook: 10 mins.

2 Cups water
2 lbs asparagus spears (or 3 pkgs, 10 oz, frozen)
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter
1 Package (8 oz) sliced mushrooms (3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/4 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 Cup chopped hazelnuts (filberts)

Heat water to boiling in 12-inch skillet. Add asparagus. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 4-6 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain; set aside. (If using frozen, cook according to package directions.)

Melt margarine in skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in mushrooms. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are light brown. Stir asparagus, basil, salt and pepper into mushrooms until vegetables are coated with seasonings and asparagus is heated through. Sprinkle with cheese and hazelnuts.

*We had the cheese and nuts on the side as optional...I actually forgot about them and ate without them...which was still really tasty but kind of defeated the purpose of it being called "Hazelnut Parmesan Asparagus".

Brown Rice

1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
(Just make sure you have the 1 to 2 ratio of rice to water.)

Put rice and water in a pan on the stove. Heat uncovered until water boils, reduce heat to low/simmer. Cover and let simmer for 40 minutes.

Awesome Easy Cheese Ball

My friend made this for Bunco and I loved it, so I got the recipe. I have made it twice in two weeks for parties at our house and people gobble it up. And it takes like five minutes to make. Suh-weeet!

Grab:
2-8 oz packages of cream cheese (16 oz total)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons red onion
2 tablespoons celery
3 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix
1 bag of chopped walnuts
Crackers of your choice (wheat thins go well, or any party cracker)

Chop the onion and celery into a small dice and cut up the parsley. Let the cream cheese get to about room temperature (just easier to mix that way). Throw the cheese, parsley, onion, celery and ranch dressing in a bowl and mix 'er up.
Now it's time to form the cheeseball. This is how I do it, but I'm sure there are other ways that work just as well:
Get a piece of tinfoil and spread probably half the bag of nuts on it. Then spoon the cheese mixture (in some sort of roundish shape) on top of the nuts. Place your hands underneath the foil and lift it-with the nuts-around the cheese and start forming a ball. Use leftover nuts to fill in any holes or extra spaces so that the entire cheeseball is covered in walnuts.
Stick the cheeseball in the fridge to firm up a bit and then set it out about 10 minutes before you are ready to serve.
GUYS especially loved this, so it would be great for Superbowl parties or game nights.

Twice baked potatoes

One of my goals for the new year is to cook a lot more often and try new recipes. As a result, I'm hoping you'll see an increase amount of content on this blog from me. 

Tonight for dinner I made twice baked potatoes and steamed broccoli. I had also planned on making a steak for Jason, but I forgot to get it out of the freezer yesterday to start the thawing-out process. Oops! Anyway, Jason loves twice baked potatoes, and they're not hard, but for some reason I've only made them once since we've been married so today I decided to change that. Here is the recipe I used, it's a real winner!

4 Yukon Gold potatoes (higher nutritional value than your traditional russet)

1 cube butter

1/2 cup sour cream

bacon bits (fake ones for us)

1 cup shredded cheese

black pepper

seasoning salt

Bake the potatoes naked (sans foil) on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for an hour. When the potatoes are done cooking, cut them in half.

In a mixing bowl combine butter (easier if you've pre-sliced it), sour cream, bacon bits and the insides of the potatoes. Smoosh around with a potato masher, mix up in a mixer. Then add the cheese, a pinch (or more) of pepper and a dash (or more) of seasoning salt and mix. 

Spoon the mixture into the potato shells then put a little pile of cheese on top of each stuffed potato. Put them back into the oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cheese Enchiladas Verde

You need to make this, trust me. It's that good.

Prep: 15 min Bake: 25 min

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican 4-cheese blend

1 small zucchini, shredded (3/4 cup)

1/4 cup chopped fres cilantro

8 corn tortillas (5 or 6 inches in diameter)

1/3 soft cream cheese with roasted garlic

1 jar (16 oz) green salsa (salsa verde)

1 medium avocado, diced

4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

Heat oven to 350. Spray rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Mix shredded cheese, zucchini and cilantro.

Spread each tortilla with about 2 teaspoons cream cheese. Spoon about 1/3 cup shredded cheese misutre onto each tortilla; spread to withing 1 inch of edge. Roll up; place seams side down in baking dish. Pour salsa over tortillas.

Cover and bake about 25 minutes or until hot. Top with avocado and onions. Approx. 4 servings.

Olive Garden Minestrone

A while back Betsy posted a recipe for faux Zuppa Tuscana and in keeping with the Olive Garden Soup idea, here's the recipe for faux Olive Garden Minestrone. This is one of my favorite items on the Olive Garden menu, and when I found this recipe online I just had to try it out and it has taken the place of my favorite soup recipe ever.

3 tablespoons live oil
1 cup minced white onion (about one small onion)
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup froze cut Italian green beans
1/4 cup minced celery
4 teaspoons minced garlic
4 cups vegetable broth (I recommended Swansons ... and don't substitute chicken broth!)
2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
2 (15 ounce) cans whie beans or great northern beans, drained
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup carrot, julienned or shredded
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups hot water
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup small shell pasta

1. Heat three tablespoons of live oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.
2. Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions being to turn translucent.
3. Add vegetable broth to pot plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water and spices.
4. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or untile desired consistency.

Optional:
In step #3, add a splash of red wine. If you're grocery shopping in Utah, you won't be able to find red wine in the grocery store, but Harmons does carry cooking wines.

Also, this makes A LOT of soup, so feel free to half the recipe.

Tortellini, Bean and Pesto Soup

With shorter nights and colder days, it's becoming abundantly clear that fall is in full swing. One glance at the mountains ablaze with color makes me appreciate my living in Utah where I can enjoy all four seasons. My favorite thing about fall is definitely soup. Soup just seems to be such a fall food, don't you agree? At the first sign of fall, I made my all-time favorite soup and thought it would be very kind of me to share it with you.

2 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, cut into julienne strips

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 medium stalk celery, sliced (1/2 cup)

6 cups water

2 teaspoons vegetable or chicken bouillon granules

1 can (15 to 16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 package (10 ounces) dried cheese filled tortellini

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Pesto

Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in soup pot over medium-low heat. Cook garlic, carrot, onion and celery in butter 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in watter and bouillon granules. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Stir in beans and tortellini. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until tortellini are tender. Stir in parsley and pepper. Top each serving with pesto and cheese.

Apple Quesadillas

This sounds really weird but I promise it's good!

Tortillas (we like whole wheat ones)
Apples, any kind, cut in thin slices
Shredded cheese, any kind

Spray pan or skillet with Pam. Lay tortilla on the pan. Put some cheese onto half of the tortilla. Layer apple slices on cheese. Sprinkle some more cheese on top of apples. Fold tortilla in half and cook until cheese is melted.

*Monterey jack & Gala apples go well together, so do Granny Smith apples & pepper jack cheese. These are the ones we like the best but feel free to make up your own!

Couscous Vegetable Salad

Another great recipe from Essential of Healthful Cooking! This salad has great textures, colors and flavors and is really easy!

1 cup couscous

Kosher salt

1 1/2 cups boiling water

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup thawed, frozen petite peas or blanched fresh petite peas

1/2 cup thin sliced green onion

1/2 cup minched red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely diced English cucumber

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup firmly packed chiffonade-cut romain lettuce leaves

In a heatproof bowl combine the couscous, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the boiling water. Stir to blend. Cover tightly and let stand until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Uncover the couscous and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon water and a grind of pepper until blended.

Add the peas, green onion, bell pepper, cucumber, parlsey and all but 1 tablespoon of the dressing to the couscous. Toss to mix.

Place the romain lettuce in a separate bowl. Add the remaining dressing and toss to coat.

To serve, divide the couscous mixture evenly among individual bowls or plates. Top each serving with an equal amount of the romain lettuce.

Calories: 190 Protein: 5 grams Carbohydrates: 26 grams Total Fat: 7 grams Saturated Fat: 1 gram Cholesterol: 0 Dietary Fiber: 3 grams Sodium: 280 mg

Roasted Mushrooms, Potatoes and Green Beans

For our wedding, Jason and I received the most wonderful cookbook. Everything I've made out of it has been amazing, and I recommend you all go and buy it. It's called Essentials of Healthful Cooking and can be found at Williams-Sonoma. This is one of the many recipes Jason and I have loved, and it's super easy.

8-10 white mushrooms
2 Yukon gold potatoes(my favorite potato)
1 yellow onion
1/4 lb green beans
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400. Trim the ends of the stems from the mushrooms and discard. Cut the mushrooms in half through the stems. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Cut the onion into wedges 1/2 inch thick. Trim the green beans and cut into 1-inch lengths. Set the green beans aside.

In a shallow 9x13 baking dish, combine the mushrooms, potatoes and onion. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, toss to coat evenly, and spread in an even layer in the dish.

Roast until the vegetables begin to brown on the edges, about 30 min. Remove the dish from the oven, add the green beans and carefully turn and rearrange the vegetables in an even layer. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Continue to roast until the vegetables are browned and tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano and thyme. Roast for 5 minutes longer to melt the cheese. Serve the vegetables directly from the baking dish or transfer to a serving bowl.

Calories: 90 Protein: 4 grams Carbohydrates: 10 grams Total Fat: 4.5 grams Saturated Fat: 1 gram Cholesterol: 5 mg Dietary Fiber: 3 grams Sodium: 150 mg

Veggie/Black Bean Fajitas

Beans:
1 can black beans
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
pinch of salt
Pinch chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in saucepan and simmer until warmed through.

Fajitas:
1/2 cup sliced bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced yellow onion
1/2 cup each sliced zucchini and yellow squash
non-stick cooking spray

Saute until soft and slightly brown

Toppings:
Cheddar cheese
Chopped tomato
Sour Cream
Lime juice
Cilantro

Combine sour cream with lime juice and cilantro. Pile everything on a tortilla.

Ragu (the real kind)

Yeah, I guess you can use the sauce from the can, but if you want real ragu the way an Italian grandma makes it (or at least, the way my Italian grandma made it) try this recipe:

Saute about 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion in about 2 tablespoons olive oil until onions are translucent

Add 1 10oz can crushed tomatoes in puree and 1 10oz can petite diced tomatoes (or you can use whole canned tomatoes, crush them yourself and pull out the tough spots, like Grandma did, but I prefer shortcuts). Also add 1-2 tablespoons of burgundy (cooking wine is ok, the good stuff is better). Bring to a boil then turn to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't burn.

Add 1-1/2 teaspoons each of basil and oregano. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, simmer for about 30 minutes, then adjust seasonings if needed. Turn off the heat and let the sauce sit for as long as you want (the longer, the better - just give the flavors time to "get happy" together) then reheat and serve with your favorite pasta!

(All these measurements are approximate. Italians don't believe in measuring anything except baked goods, so adjust according to taste.)